David Bahn – Reflections

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 13:13-25

Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, ¹⁴ but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. ¹⁵ After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” ¹⁶ So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said:

“Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. ¹⁷ The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. ¹⁸ And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. ¹⁹ And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. ²⁰ All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. ²¹ Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. ²² And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ ²³ Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. ²⁴ Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵ And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

I don’t remember when I first heard the idea, but I remember the idea clearly: The Old Testament is one giant object lesson on what does not work. When God spoke directly with Adam and Eve it didn’t work; Adam and Eve sinned. When God sent Moses to lead his people out of Egypt, it didn’t work; the children of Israel had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Even after entering the Promised Land, a generation arose who did not know the LORD or what he had done for Israel. Then came the judges, and still further degeneration occurred. Then come the kings and after them, the prophets.

Paul is rehearsing this for the people at Antioch in Pisidia. He is setting the stage for further Old Testament narratives that will lead ultimately to Jesus. Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, nor Isaiah were able to sustain a faithful expression of the reign and rule of God. 

So what does work? Of course the answer is Jesus. We know this. But even this does not always appear to sustain a faithful expression of the reign and rule of Jesus. It takes the eyes of faith to see how this works. For the faithful expression of Jesus’ reign is not just a matter of church buildings – as good as they are. The evidence of this is lives changed, people brought to faith, and justice, mercy, and love being shown to people of all kinds.

All this leads me to think of the first of Jesus’ beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. As Jesus is present in our places of work and play, life and neighborhood, influencing our attitudes, actions, and words God is at work.

God has always been at work. Whether through Abraham or Elijah, Gideon or Moses, God was working. But it wasn’t merely to build a kingdom on earth. His is an eternal kingdom with people clothed in justice, mercy, witness, grace, and love. Through faith in Jesus all these are ours. That’s what actually does work.