AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?

 Last Sunday, at a healing service, a woman who hears with the “ears” of God came to altar broken hearted over the current administration’s treatment of the foreigner, the poor, and the oppressed.  We prayed for healing.

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen 4:9).  So spoke Cain to God after Cain had killed his brother, Abel, when God asked Cain where his brother was.  Feigned ignorance does not work with God.  God replied, “The sound of your brother’s blood is crying out (ṣāʿaq) to me from the ground” (4:10).

The Hebrew words for “to cry out” (ṣāʿaq [tsaach] and its synonym homophone zāʿaq [zaach] are key terms in the OT.  They are the cries of the oppressed for help, whose voices always reach to the heavens to the ears of God – in this case, even when dead.

These cries can be from the people of God.  In Judges, when the people have fallen away and under the hand of oppressors, God hears and sends deliverers (e.g. 3:9).  The psalmists tell of when they cried out and God heard (e.g. 107:13,19).  After Jehoshaphat had extended or restored an outer court of the temple, he prayed to God before the assembled people: “If disaster comes on us … we will stand in front of this temple before you, for you are present in this temple. We will cry out [‎zāʿaq] to you for help in our distress, and you will hear and deliver us.” (2 Chr. 20:9).  Isaiah even cried out to God on behalf fugitives of Moab (Isa 15:5).

However, these cries can also be from those oppressed by the people of God:

"You must not wrong a foreigner nor oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.  "You must not afflict any widow or orphan.  If you afflict them in any way and they cry to me, I will surely hear their cry [ṣāʿaq], ²⁴ and my anger will burn and I will kill you …. (Exod. 22:21-24a)

Our administration’s cuts of aid to people, following the “mandate” of many voters, have already resulted in deaths of people overseas who needed our supply of food and medicines.  In our country, the poor will increasingly feel this oppression.  As with the blood of Abel, the cries of the dead along with the cries of the dying and oppressed, will be heard. 

Feigned ignorance does not work with God.

Lord, with my broken-hearted sister, I also cry out to you on behalf of the oppressed.  May I and all those around me have ears that hear, hearts that are moved, and hands that act on their behalf.  Amen.

THE RESURRECTION: FOUNDATION FOR HOPE

Pope Francis’ Easter message* led me to think about the message of hope in Hebrews 11:1.  He said,

“The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event, hope is no longer an illusion. Thanks to Christ - crucified and risen from the dead - hope does not disappoint! … That hope is not an evasion, but a challenge; it does not delude but empowers us.”

“All those who put their hope in God place their feeble hands in his strong and mighty hand; they let themselves be raised up and set out on a journey. Together with the risen Jesus, they become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of life.”

Hebrews 11:1, comments and translation:
As I have mentioned before, the message about faith and hope in Hebrews 11:1 is often misunderstood.#  Christian hope is not about “blind faith,” some sort of leap in the dark.  A modern translation of Hebrews 11:1 is:

“Now faith (πίστις, pistis) is confidence (ὑπόστασις, hypostasis) in what we hope for and assurance (ἔλεγχος. elengchos) about what we do not see.” (NIV).

The word hypostasis expresses “essence,” which philosophically meant “real being,” and elengchos expresses “evidence of truth,” “the proving,” “verification.”  Also, the syntax in the Greek is rather choppy, but that form makes a point rhetorically.  (I can feel the author saying, "So there!")  A more literal translation would be:

“Now this is faith: of things hoped for – essence (what is real), of things not seen – verification!”

Paraphrased for smoother English, and picking up the author’s thought in context:

“Now this is faith: the reality of the things we hope for [the promises of God] and the proof of things not yet seen [of the promises of God].”

When we understand that “faith” (pistis) is the commitment of entrusting oneself in relationship with God, we realize we have entangled ourselves with the Most Real, who has demonstrated his Presence and faithfulness in the Resurrection.

Easter Application:
Pope Francis, in his Easter message, grounds Christian hope in the Resurrection.  Based on that reality, he goes on to proclaim:

“Love has triumphed over hatred, light over darkness and truth over falsehood. Forgiveness has triumphed over revenge. Evil has not disappeared from history; it will remain until the end, but it no longer has the upper hand; it no longer has power over those who accept the grace of this day.”

“Sisters and brothers, especially those of you experiencing pain and sorrow, your silent cry has been heard and your tears have been counted; not one of them has been lost! In the passion and death of Jesus, God has taken upon himself all the evil in this world and in his infinite mercy has defeated it. He has uprooted the diabolical pride that poisons the human heart and wreaks violence and corruption on every side. The Lamb of God is victorious! That is why, today, we can joyfully cry out: ‘Christ, my hope, has risen!’”

Amen and amen!"
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* For full text, see: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/263499/full-text-of-pope-francis-urbi-et-orbi-blessing-for-easter-2025
# Sept 13, 2023, “Faith and the Most Real”

THE CROSS WAS NOT NECESSARY (Good Friday)

 At first glance, such a claim might seem shocking, but no, there is a significant point to be made.

The symbolic value of the Cross is taken from the Israelite/Old Testament images of God’s salvific and redemptive acts, with particular focus on the atonement system.  The whole Temple ritual system was symbolically heuristic.  Through memorable sights, sounds, and smells the atonement system taught people graphically about sin, mercy, and restorative forgiveness.

A brief overview:
The Temple symbolized God’s relational presence with God’s people.  Sin, transgression of the people’s relational covenant with God, was portrayed as a kind of miasmic “trash” that polluted God’s dwelling.  That invisible miasma symbolized the reverse of God’s will for the world, chaos and death.  Enough pollution and God’s Presence would depart; the relationship would be over.  However, if people in repentance confessed their sins, God would forgive them.  Restoration needed to be expressed.  Forgiveness and restoration were displayed symbolically as the people were walked through rituals in which the blood of a sacrifice was applied to the Temple paraphernalia and symbolically atoned (wiped over/away) the pollution, cleansing the Temple, and restoring right relationship with God.  The message: sin is deadly serious, but God is mercifully willing to forgive.
Why blood?  Blood was the counter symbol to chaos and death.  Blood symbolized life.  (Both breath and blood symbolized life in that culture.  Blood, though, could be manipulated for a visible symbol.)  In this God-given symbol system (Leviticus 17:11), application of that “lifeblood” prevailed over the effects of chaos and death.*  That is the nature of God-given life.  Therefore, this atonement system physically demonstrated how serious sin is and how important forgiveness and restoration are.

Application:
The Cross was not necessary.  None of the blood sacrifices in the Temple system coerced God to forgive.  God does not need killing to forgive.  People needed the atonement system to understand sin and forgiveness.  So, too they/we need the Cross.  The Cross demonstrates the seriousness of sin and that God is the initiator and provider of the grace of forgiveness.  The Cross communicated how incredible it is that our God does forgive, receive back, restore into a right relationship.  The God of life prevails over the chaos and death of our sin.  (Of course, as we move to Easter, the empty Cross shows us so much more: the victory of Life over death and the resurrected life to come.)

Jesus, I still cannot fathom the Incarnation, your life, the Cross, your Resurrection.  For me?  For us?  All I can do is worship you.  Amen.
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*Note: Someone might point out that Hebrews 9:22 says, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  That text obviously is not communicating that there is some external, universal law binding on God.  The whole chapter is working with those who knew the Temple symbol system and is teaching them by portraying Jesus as the superlative high priest and sacrifice for purification.  As in Romans 8:3, a new age has been inaugurated by Jesus standing in as the sin/purification offering.

THE SELF-TESTIMONY OF LIGHT

When I have doubts about God, I talk to Jesus.

Every rational argument for the existence of God can be countered.  The so-called rational proofs for God basically make the same point: rather than infinite regression (e.g. causally), there “must be” an ending/starting point.  “Could be” is more accurate.  The bottom line is that belief in a divine origin/foundation is just as compelling as an atheistic acceptance of infinite regression.
            My feeling-level experiences of God’s Presence are also not compelling.  They could be neurological aberrations.  There are also evolutionary psychological explanations for feeling awe when thinking (correctly or not) about someone dominant in life’s hierarchy and a desire to find security in them.
            When my thoughts go it this direction, one thing I do is recall the bedrock of too many “coincidences” of prayer.  Better still, I talk to Jesus.  Why?  On the surface, that does not seem reasonable.  I know.
            Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. The one who follows [ongoing action] me will never [emphatic negative] walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (Jn. 8:12). The author of the Gospel of John testifies that in Jesus, the Word, is life that is the light to all people and that the “darkness” cannot overcome it (John 1:4-5).
            I cannot explain it, but that is my testimony, too.  Once I said to Jesus, “I’m ruining my own life.  I’m giving myself to you,” there has been “light” in my life.  Jesus said that the Spirit would convict/expose to light (elencho) the world about sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11).  Since that day of commitment, I see my own sins more clearly.  I see more clearly what is righteous.  I know that the darkness in me and the world has been condemned.  There is order and life in the midst of chaos and darkness.
            Beliefs about “God” are one thing.  Jesus is personal.  So, I talk to Jesus.

Jesus, my Lord.  I love you.  Thank you for always being there.  Keep shining in my dark places. Amen.

BE HOLY STRANGERS

 Perhaps I am meddling.  1 Peter seems like the perfect biblical letter for me as an American Christian.  It is addressed to Christians who live as foreigners amid non-believers (1:1).  The charge is to be holy as God is holy (1:16), to be witnesses of Jesus.

Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul, and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears. (1 Pet. 2:11-12 NET)

That is easy enough to say.  The reality, though, is that I (we) think that America is my land.  I not only want a privileged, respected position in my culture, I also want others to have to be like me.

Example:
Christians often want to legislate our sexual moral values.  That is not biblical.  Moral obedience is voluntary.  Israelites voluntarily entered in to covenant relationship with God and agreed to follow God’s statutes.  Periodically, there were times of covenant renewal.  (Presumably Israelites who did not want those demands could leave the community.)  Paul, recognizing that believers in Jesus as Messiah and Lord constituted the “real Israel,” extended that moral code to Gentile believers.  However, the USA is not ancient Israel, not a theocracy, not the Church, and certainly not in a covenant with God.  It is not our land.  American Christians are like the patriarchs, strangers in a strange land (Heb 11:11-16); our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20).

Application:
If I want to change my moral environment, I must be visibly holy (separate, distinct), practicing that which is morally good.  I cannot legislate someone into obedience to God.  The “natural law” is self-evident.  Violation of God’s order brings chaos into people’s lives.  Living within God’s moral law results in peace and order.  The Church must be holy to demonstrate that divine order.  Then, when people ask, I (we) will be ready to give an explanation (apologia)* for my confident hope (elpis) that is in God (1 Pet 3:15).

Lord, I don’t know how much my life is a witness and a light to others.  Not much I imagine, but I want it to be.  Please keep working on me, in me, and through me that I might serve others by living faithfully to you and your moral order.  Amen.
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*From this verse and the word apologia, Christians have created the discipline of Apologetics.  Each year as the advisor to an apologetics club that started on our campus, I would remind students that we are not called to be aggressors “battling the pagans” with our rational arguments.  On the contrary, we are called to live such lives that they ask us about the reasons for our faith.  We welcomed all comers to our club as friends.  Ironically, that is sometimes not the demeanor of Christian apologists.  (My students and I, because of our "contrary" attitude, were asked to leave the national apologetics organization that started with us.)