David Bahn – Reflections

We prayed just the other day for wisdom. Three of us stood together, held hands, and asked God to give us wisdom in a decision impacting not only us, but others as well. Then we acted. Less than 30 minutes later the call came, “Do you want to hear a miracle?”

I made a stab: “Did…”

“Do you want to hear a miracle?”

“Of course!”

Even more than a simple answer to our prayer, a far-reaching movement of God underscoring the conviction we had reached together, and resolving the issue we faced. (Sorry for the vagueness of all this, but I don’t want to betray a confidence.)

Jesus promises, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

God’s answer is often in the form of C.S. Lewis’ understanding of prayer. I do not pray to change God. I pray to change me (a paraphrase from Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, Letter 8). And that’s not a bad thought – that prayer would change us. But here we have it: Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given to you.” I don’t want to argue with Jesus when it comes to prayer!

My personal prayer life often returns to the Lord’s Prayer. I pray it over the members of my family as I go to sleep at night. I found it to be of immense comfort when in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, the daily brief pause for prayer included the Lord’s Prayer. We had been providentially kept from worshiping with others for three Sundays. And that prayer washed over my soul that day at noon.

Profoundly important teachings of Jesus surround the Lord’s Prayer. It all starts with his directive about outward shows of righteousness. He speaks of giving alms for show. That’s a no-go. But he soon turns to prayer. Don’t pray to be seen by others. Do show off. Speak to God – just you and him. He will hear you, and that’s what counts.

Then comes the Lord’s Prayer. It covers the waterfront of human needs as those made in the image of God and those redeemed by Christ. The assumption of Jesus’ prayer is that we are children of the Heavenly Father. The assumption is that we would wish his name to be kept holy. The assumption is the we would wish his will to be done and his kingdom to come – among us and through us. The assumption is that our daily needs be met by his fatherly kindness. The assumption is that we would seek his forgiveness. And his assumption is that we would forgive others – relationships would be healthy and mutually gracious. His assumption is that we would be led, but not into temptation. And we would certainly be delivered from evil.

There may be more for which we might wish to pray. And certainly the door is wide open to present any and every request to God (cf. Philippians 4:6). There is also great faith-building benefits to making specific requests to God.

Sometimes we may also need the Holy Spirit to intercede for us in groans and sighs too deep for words (cf. Romans 8:26).  But the Lord’s Prayer is a beautiful way to pray to God coving all our needs of soul and body. Today’s readings also record the danger of willful and selfish prayers (Hezekiah 2 Kings 20), and a strong warning against hubris (Job 38).

Whenever we pray we must remember that we are praying to the King of the Universe, our Heavenly Father, who rules over all and loves all. May his name ever be praised through our prayers!

I’ve heard Jesus’ teaching about being reconciled before giving your gift as reason also to abstain from Holy Communion until you’ve reconciled with your brother or sister in Christ. That may be an appropriate application. But I recall a conversation with a woman years ago. She was a faithful member of the first church I served and was really struggling with forgiving her sister for some grave sin against her. As we spoke it was clear to me that the issue was forgiveness and not reconciliation. And although I’m not sure I made that important distinction for her, I do remember what I said.

”It sounds to me like you need to get gas for your car. And the gas is at the station on top of the hill. You need to get up the hill. But you have no gas to get there.” Believe me, the analogy made sense to me at the time. And it seemed to make sense to her. Bottom line, in the Lord’s supper is strength to do the good thing we desire to do. We need not deprive ourselves of the strength we receive in the Lord’s Supper by excluding ourselves from its blessings of strength and our own forgiveness. She appreciated the pastoral care I offered and came to the Lord’s Table the next Sunday. She also forgave her sister. I’m not sure they were ever reconciled; that’s another matter, for another time.

Jesus speaks of offering a gift, not going to the Lord to receive his gifts. And he says we should leave our gifts and go be reconciled before we give our gifts. He desires that we live in love with one another in his reign and rule. Offerings are good. But first go and be reconciled.

Another facet of going from the altar is important as well. One Christian leader speaks of doing your good works away from the cross, not toward it. The idea is that we don’t do good works to get to God. We do good works because God has come to us, inspired us with his gospel, and empowered us with the Holy Spirit.

I think of that as I reflect on David’s men coming to tell him of the death of Saul’s sons (cf. 2 Samuel 4). They thought that would ingratiate themselves to David. It did the exact opposite, however. David put them to death for the slaughter of innocent men. David had his flaws, to be sure. And his cruel and violent punishment of these men is not his best moment. But I’m ready to draw a parallel. Let’s not go to God with some supposed good work and expect a commendation from him.

We are the salt of the earth, and as such, we are to glorify God by our works, not lift ourselves up before God as though our gifts to him earn us some special favor or status. Humility and kindness toward others is the best offering we can make. It flows from the altar of God through those who recognize that they have been redeemed.

The opinion of Jesus’ family notwithstanding (cf. Mark 3:20-21), Jesus lived a balanced life. His love for God was perfect and sincere. His love for his followers was clear and pure. His love for the lost was boundless and sacrificial. That is a balance for which Jesus’ followers should strive. It is the kind of life that can bring eternal blessings to others. It is the kind of life that honors God.

Jesus’ balanced life shows up here in Luke’s Gospel. You can see it in how Jesus spent time in prayer, deeply and purposefully connecting with the Father. This wasn’t a formalistic prayer. It was far more than ritual. That is true even as Jesus very likely used ritual in his personal prayer life. He likely prayed the Psalms. He may well have used the language of the Synagogue and the temple liturgies in his prayer life. But it was not mere pro forma. Bottom line: the balance of Jesus’ life was anchored in a life of prayerful dependence on God the Father.

Jesus also cared for his followers. He calls the disciples together after spending time in prayer, and chooses 12 Apostles. He will lean in to these 12 more than all the rest. He loves them all, and will teach, guide, and equip them for a balanced life of faithfulness and love. They will be entrusted with shaping and norming the nascent church after his ascension.

Jesus’ ultimate purpose was to seek and save the lost (cf. Luke 19:10). After Jesus prays and calls his disciples and names 12 of them Apostles (“sent ones”), he engages with the lost, the hurting, the sick and demon-possessed. Luke records how power went out from him and he healed them all. Jesus gives himself to lost people and ultimately not only power will go out from him. But his very life blood will go out for them.

Jesus was singularly tasked with saving the world. Our vocations are not quite as earth shattering as Jesus’ calling. But we can seek to balance our lives in the same manner as he did: love for God, love for neighbor, and love for the lost. I have been blessed by people who have had that balance. I hope you have too. And I hope we all can touch others’ lives in that same way.

Many Christians are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11, and the promise of God for hope and a future. But look at the larger context is insightful here.

Jeremiah 29:10-13

“For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

The 70 years of v. 10 is best understood as 70 years from the time of the destruction of the temple, (re)recorded in Jeremiah 52, to the time of its rebuilding, chronicled in the book of Ezra. All this it to say that God’s good plans, determined will and purposes will come to fruition. But they take time.

And in the mean time – as God’s purposes are being worked out – there will also inevitably be challenges, difficulties, and opposition to his plans.

Even Jesus had his detractors and doubters. The Pharisees were constantly at odds with Jesus and his teachings. Even Jesus’ family didn’t always get it. They had at one time thought that Jesus had lost his mind during the busiest times of his ministry. “And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of his mind’” (Mark 3:20-21).

Some people say that if you’re doing God’s work all will go well for you. The one who perfectly followed God’s will experienced anything but “all going well.” Pharisees and family opposed him. Pilate agreed to having him put to death.

The people of Israel in Jeremiah’s day would have to wait 70 years before they would see their destroyed temple rebuilt. But it was rebuilt. Jesus didn’t have to wait 70 years for his vindication. But even after 3 days his vindication isn’t fully revealed. We have yet to see it. But the day will come when Jesus returns and he will receive all the honor and glory – visible to us all.

I don’t want to be too glib about this – especially when we are struggling to see God’s hand of favor in our lives. But think of those who waited 70 years. Think of those who have been faithful through times of severe persecution. Think of those who have waited for God’s answer to prayer for a loved one. Think better yet, of God’s faithfulness through the millenia, and at a great cost – the death of his Son.

Seventy years is a long time. But as my friend used to say, “Eternity is a long, long time.” Far longer than 70 years. God is faithful to his promises. He has promised an eternity of joyful celebration for those who wait, hope, and trust in him.

Sometimes we lose sight of how radical Jesus’ ministry, teaching, and practices were. We’re so used to seeing the Pharisees as unreasonable and overly legalistic. They were always criticizing Jesus and pointing out how he was dishonoring the traditions and teachings of Moses.

Reading today from Jeremiah I’m reminded of how true this is. Jesus was teaching a radical departure from what many Jewish people had learned. God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah about keeping the sabbath in no uncertain terms. God was clear, “do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work.” 

So questioning the man who was healed and upbraiding him for carrying his bed (cf. John 5:9-11) after he was healed is not as unreasonable as we might think. No burden-carrying allowed. This wasn’t just the Oral Law (later written down and called the Mishnah). This was the word of the LORD through the prophet Jeremiah.

And now Jesus is directly commanding a man to carry a burden. I guess literally he is not carrying it “out of his house.” But that is a pharisaical spin which would be totally abhorrent to Jesus.  But there is something far more important and earth-shattering at work here. The account in John 5 is not just about a man being healed by Jesus. That would be enough. Or even Jesus doing it on the sabbath; though that is the issue that will define the moment for all. This is an account where Jesus is showing himself to be God in the flesh.

“The Word became flesh,” John records (John 1:14). And the Word is asserting himself as lord of the sabbath. Jesus has made himself equal to God by his action, his command, and his speech. This will never do according to the Jewish leaders. But this is the case. Jesus has spoken. It shall be so.

One more thing interests me in today’s readings. I’m struck by Jesus’ warning to the healed paralytic. “Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” (John 5:14). I wonder what is behind that comment. I wonder about this man’s history and the circumstances of his paralysis. In any case, I sure hope the man paid careful attention to Jesus’ warning.

Each day of the 49 week Bible Challenge we are asked: In today’s readings, do you notice a promise to trust, a command to obey, a truth to embrace, a warning to heed, or an encouragement to rest in? What do you learn about God, about yourself, or about the world? Is there one verse or thought that stands out to you today? Talk to God about it.

It’s clear to me that for Jesus, some of the Sabbath restrictions were not just superfluous, but even obstructive to the Commandments of God. Sabbath restrictions came to bare when Jesus healed the paralytic. He did it on a Sabbath and the Jewish leaders were offended by that. Now Jesus’ disciples were plucking grain as they walked through the fields, rubbing away the chaff and eating the grain. The Pharisees took note and called them out. “Look,” they said, “why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus will explain that they are doing something much less offensive than David had done 1000 years ago

The account of this is found in 1 Samuel 21-22, and the full story records the brutality of an envious and insecure Saul. When he discovers Ahimelech had given the sacred bread to David and his men, he orders the death of all the priests. When his own guards refuse to kill the priests, Doeg kills all the priests except for Abiathar. Insecure people resort to brutal tactics. I wonder whether Jesus had that in mind as he recognized how insecure the Pharisees and Jewish leaders were in regard to his mission and ministry. He is, afterall, bringing new teachings which will require new attitudes (new wine in new wineskins). 

Jesus has already set them straight about fasting, telling the people that the disciples were not fasting because the bridegroom was present. He is the bridegroom. His presence was not cause for fasting. It was cause for faith. But the Sabbath rules seem to get Jesus’ greatest attention and the greatest reaction of the Pharisees.

This is what I am reminded about God: He is lord of the Sabbath, and as such will point people away from a ritualistic view of faith, toward a true love for God and sincere love for neighbor. For that I am deeply thankful.