David Bahn – Reflections

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

Our trip to Cuba was under a program called, “Support for Cuban People.” This allowed us to travel to and in Cuba, but we could not do business with any government business. No hotels. Nothing that could be beneficial to the Cuban government. So we could stay in privately owned casas. These mom and pop entities reminded me very much of the mom and pop motel my parents built and in which I grew up. Some of these casas were very nice. Others were more serviceable than nice. We managed to survive in every situation – including the one in which we had no electricity the whole night.

Some of us wondered why the people wanted to live there. Recent reports indicate that Havana lost 15% of its inhabitants over a three-year period, bringing its population below two million—a level not seen since the 1990s. Cuba’s population as a whole has been declining in recent years. Since 2022, over 850,000 Cubans have emigrated to the United States, marking the largest exodus in the nation’s history.

The United States is large in the view of the people of Cuba. It was the good news to them that Cuba has been removed from the list of nations that support terrorism. Many expressed worries about how the Trump presidency will impact the Cuban economy. They see the United States as a very desirable place to be. Families are often split with some in the US while those in Cuba long to be with them.

So much of this is about freedom. And although the Cuban government supplies education and medical resources for all citizens, there is also a parallel (gray) market. And people will find the way to pay for better quality.

Every day bread vendors hit the streets. They blow whistles to alert people that bread is available. They provide loaves of bread to those who have the ration tickets. But there are also bakeries where people can buy bread. The ration-bought bread is inferior quality and people will do what they can to earn money to buy the parallel market bread.

I don’t want to establish a direct link between freedom in Christ, governmental freedom, and higher quality of life. But it’s difficult to ignore what seems to be a correlation. Furthermore, missiologists have identified a phenomenon called, “redemption and lift.” This concept is rooted in discussions about how Christian faith and redemption in Christ can lead to positive transformations in individuals, families, and communities. It highlights the idea that when people come to faith in Jesus, they often experience tangible changes in their lives, which can include moral, social, and even economic improvements.

Our motive for sharing the message of Jesus is not so that we raise the living standards of those who come to faith. It is so that they can experience the fullness of God’s love in Jesus, and give him the honor he rightly deserves.

And he deserves a lot of honor and has much love to shower upon us!

If you wish to see some of my photos from this trip, you may see them in my smugmug gallery.

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

We took a sidecar tour of Havana on our first night in Cuba. It was quite an experience. One of our Northwest Houston Photo Club members has friends in Cuba who are members of the Sidecar Club there. They ride Russian motorcycles with sidecars that they continually piece together with parts they salvage and with the help of tools Jan brings them when he visits. This last time he brought two suit cases with 70 pounds each full of tools and parts for the club. They were happy to take us around. And we were happy for the adventure.

A highlight of our tour was a trip to the large Christ Over Havana statue that overlooks the city. I was struck by the fact that it was actually there. I was led to believe that there were few if any Christians there, and that they were not allowed to express their faith openly. Someone, however, didn’t get that memo, and the statue stands lit at night and overlooking the city.

I love the idea that a depiction of Christ stands tall over the city of Havana. I’m sad it is only a symbolic statue, and not a reflection of the faith of more of the Cuban people.

As Paul wrote to the Galatians he was pointing them to the freedom they had in Christ. They didn’t need to add any other religious rituals or ceremonies in order to be authentic Christians. Jesus has done it all for all of us.

Statues and crosses may remind us of our Christian faith. They may be quite helpful to focus our minds and hearts on Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s love. They may also, in the case of the saints, remind us of the examples of those who have gone before and beaten the path hard for us to follow in the way of Jesus. I am reminded of John Baillie’s prayer for the morning of the fifth day of the month:

O you who were, and are, and are to come, I thank you that this Christian way in which I walk is no untried or uncharted road, but a road beaten hard by the footsteps of saints, apostles, prophets and martyrs. I thank you for the sign-posts and danger-signals with which it is marked at every turn and which may be known to me through the study of the Bible, and of all history, and of all the great literature of the world. Beyond all I give you devout and humble thanks for the great gift of Jesus Christ, the pioneer of our faith.

– Diary of Private Prayer, by John Baillie

I thank God for those who light the path and point us toward Jesus. I pray that some may be moved to repentance and faith in him through this statue so beautifully expressing Jesus’ lordship over Cuba and his kindness and grace he so freely gives.

If you wish to see some of my photos from this trip, you may see them in my smugmug gallery.

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

I described, yesterday, some of the realities of life in Cuba as I saw it. I made some comments about the impact of socialism on the lives of the people there. I believe they were fair and accurate. But that’s not to say life there is unbearable. As I was just recently reminded, we learned that we could survive in less than ideal circumstances through our experiences there. Electricity is really nice, but not a true necessity. Internet connectivity makes possible these blog posts. And bumpy roads are at least roads. We managed quite nicely through it all.

More than that we enjoyed some really nice experiences. The people we met. The music we heard. The food we ate – albeit we did get tired of beans and rice at every dinner, they were delicious. And the vistas! Mountains, valleys, forests, flowers, birds, sunsets, the (few) churches, and ocean waters. Those you can see here.

Paul’s recounting of Hagar and Sarah, their freedom, slavery, and ultimate blessings reminds me of the blessings of freedom we enjoy – and so often take for granted. Last Sunday we got up and went to church. Gathering with fellow believers we enjoyed the “mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren” (cf. Smalcald Articles X) was such a blessing. Martin Luther considered that almost the third sacrament. And I never worry about getting into trouble for expressing my Christian faith or praying.

Freedom is a gift of God which has far-reaching blessings. We tend to think of those blessings on the basis of our personal benefit. That is true. But Hagar – though the slave woman – was protected by God. People in Cuba enjoy the same universal blessings of God’s daily provision, the benefits of natural law, and rain and sun. The difference, however, is more than our personal benefit. The difference is the potential for us to extend God’s goodness and grace to others. We’re free not only to worship Jesus, but to spread the message of his love.

The sons of the free woman shall be more than the sons of the slave. We must recognize the freedoms we have are not only for our personal benefit, but for the spread of the word. Our fellowship is not only for our personal encouragement and refreshment, but for strength to honor Christ in all we do. We live and move and have our being. Not only so we can draw breath, but so that we can share the breath of life and peace with others that comes through Jesus.

May he draw others to himself through our freedom-founded witness!

If you wish to see some of my photos from this trip, you may see them in my smugmug gallery.

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

²⁸ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

Diane and I just returned from a very interesting trip. Several members of the Northwest Houston Photo Club went on a PhotoFly trip to Cuba. In many ways Cuba is in the grips of their socialist leaders and system. For example a university graduate makes the same as salary as a high school dropout. Their infrastructure is in shambles. We had electricity about 50% of the time. The roads are potholed and mostly devoid of modern transportation.

On the other hand, Cuba is full of people for whom Jesus died. Some very few of them confess him as Lord and Savior. Most seem blithely ignorant of his proper place in their hearts and lives. And yet there are many delightful people there.

Because we stayed in private people’s homes – casas, which are like bed and breakfast spots – we got to meet and speak to several Cuban people. One of our hosts, Maria, told Diane her story. Her daughter is a dental/medical worker in Miami. She misses her greatly. There is great sadness in Maria’s heart. So Diane prayed for her and her daughter. “El Senior… in Jesus’ name. Amen.”  It was the highlight of our trip.

We can only hope that she and many others will one day be free to know and worship Jesus. We can only pray that somehow she will be the one who can hear these words:

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

There are barren and forlorn people all around us. You may know one. They need to hear God’s word of hope and grace. They need to discover where joy is found. They need to believe that God is able to restore lost hopes and rebuild hopeless dreams.

If you wish to see some of my photos from this trip, you may see them in my smugmug gallery.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

I have just finished a long run, having served a church in Friendswood during the past 7 months while they sought, called, and installed a new senior pastor. Yesterday (Sunday) was a rewarding day. First I was honored to lead worship and share God’s word with those folks in the morning service. If you wish to watch that sermon, it is below for your edification. Then at 3PM we installed Joshua LeBorious as the new senior pastor. After spending a few minutes with the members and catching up with some good pastor and wife friends, then saying our last goodbyes to the folks at Hope, we headed to our small group gathering back in Cypress. It, too, was a rewarding and refreshing gathering.

But all that rewarding and refreshing needs some renewing. So I’m going to abide for the next two weeks or so. Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” So, in order that I am able to produce more fruit, I will be abiding in Jesus and seeking his renewing grace.

That means I’ll not publish these blog posts until sometime after January 26. May God bless and keep you in his care, dear readers!

Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. ¹³ You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, ¹⁴ and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? ¹⁷ They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. ¹⁸ It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, ¹⁹ my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! ²⁰ I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

I have a theory about Jesus’ death. It is very personal and not theologically tested. So I would not write about it for a theological journal. But since this is my blog along with my personal reflections on God’s word, I will share it with you.

The theory has to do with the amount of pain I can endure as I embrace other’s pain, struggles, disappointments, unfair treatment, or self-inflicted problems (sins, if you will). I can go only so far. As I think about such pain others experience, my heart is drawn to them, and I begin to empathise with them.

This is no boast. In fact it’s the beginning of a confession. For you see I can entertain only so much of others’ pain before I have to close my heart to them. I am not proud of this. But it seems necessary to me if I am to continue to function in this world. If I’m constantly grieving over others’ troubles and pain, sins and struggles, I cannot get anything done. I am just not capable of embracing the griefs of the world.

Jesus,on the other hand, didn’t close his heart to the pain, suffering, sin, troubles, trials, and injustices of the world. And as he took those into his heart, it killed him. It took him to the cross. It allowed him to allow his hands and feet to be pierced. It made the crown of thorns a perfect fit. The guilt, sin, and shame that we all carried became his own.

Paul speaks of being in the anguish of childbirth because of the situation in Galatia. He took in the pain they were in danger of inflicting on themselves. He cared deeply for their spiritual wellbeing. He beautifully reflected God’s love to them.

We may not be able to carry the pain of the world, but we can certainly open our hearts to those who are hurting, struggling, sinning, and suffering – if only to a point. To do so reflects Christ’s love for all people. Bring them to Jesus who carries our sins, griefs, and pains, and makes it possible for us to open our hearts to others in their times of struggles and pain.

Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. ¹³ You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, ¹⁴ and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? ¹⁷ They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. ¹⁸ It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, ¹⁹ my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! ²⁰ I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Have you ever been smooth-talked into buying something you really didn’t need?

During a period of 6 months we were visited by two of the most smooth-talking door-to-door salesmen on the face of the planet. One was selling encyclopedias. Encyclopedia Americana. They were beautifully bound. There was also a set of children’s stories. A three-volume medical set was part of the deal. Our children were 3 and 5 at the time. It would be years before they would need to use them. But we bought them.

Then there was the pan salesman. He gave a cooking demonstration in our kitchen. The thing I remember most about the demonstration was how he spun the lid on the pans as they sat on the stove as the steam escaped around the edges. That certainly was reason to buy those pans. So we did. Thankfully, however, within the three day cooling off period we cancelled the order (easier said than done). Alas our pan lids don’t spin as we’re cooking our food. I suspect somehow we’ll survive.

The proverb says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses” (Proverbs 27:6). I’m not sure those salesmen are enemies. But they sure did kiss up to us.

Then there was the wound from my Greek professor at the seminary. I was on the bubble as to whether I would pass the final Greek exam. These were no fluff exams. You really had to know your Greek, along with the vocabulary we had to know declensions, conjugations, grammatical rules, and where different accents go, and how they make a difference. I was asking my professor if I could have some grace, even before the test. He said no. “Greek,” he said, “is a sine qua non here.” It was an essential condition for continuing my studies. I buckled under and passed the test. Wounds from a friend can be trusted.

Paul is speaking some difficult words to the people in Galatia. He says, “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” 

Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you are truly disciples of mine. You will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

Sometimes we simply need to hear the truth – difficult and wounding as it may be. But if it serves to bring us closer to Jesus, turn us back from a wayward path, or correct a wrong belief, it serves for our good.

Sometimes we know what word of truth we need to hear – difficult as that may be. When it comes to us, may we realize that, indeed, wounds from a friend can be trusted. A hard word of truth spoken by a friend is a word of life.

Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. ¹³ You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, ¹⁴ and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? ¹⁷ They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. ¹⁸ It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, ¹⁹ my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! ²⁰ I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

I love the Skit Guys. I love them mostly when they are funny. Often their humor has a way of sneaking behind our defenses and catching us by surprise. Think of Nathan confronting David about his sin with Bathsheba. Nathan tells David a story about a rich man who took a poor man’s only lamb to prepare a meal, despite having many sheep of his own. David is enraged as he hears about this only to be told by Nathan, “You are the man!” It was an uh-oh moment in David’s life. 

In the Skit Guys God’s Chisel video, however, there is little humor. There is a conversation between God and a Christian man who is being shaped by God into a beautiful masterpiece. God shapes us through all kinds of experiences, pains, heartbreaks, and and joys. The Skit Guys video focuses on one particular way: chipping away at character flaws and personal idols.

It’s not clear that Paul is referring to this kind of shaping when he says, “You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.” But it is clear that Paul had experienced some physical bodily ailment that had directed him to bring the message of Jesus to them.

Somehow that bodily ailment brought Paul to Galatia. It could well be that Paul is referring to the thorn in the flesh he mentions in 1 Corinthians 12. It could likely also refer to Paul’s vision issues. He says, after all, “For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.” Was this a lasting effect of having been struck blind on the road to Damascus? 

Whatever the case Paul refers to his physical suffering as the means by which the Gospel was brought to the Galatians. God uses human weakness to display His strength and advance His purposes.

Most of us would rather have it all together, believing we must have no flaws if we are to share the message of Jesus. But the message of Jesus is shared by messy people. We who are broken and are not afraid to admit it can testify to God’s grace and power – a far better focus for others’ faith than the life of even the most sanctified believer.