10 Mar SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2024
It doesn’t take talking to more than a few people for a short amount of time to prove what Scripture pointed out today: That our natural human tendency is to complain about our circumstances and the people involved. More often than not, we hope to find someone besides ourselves to blame for our own miseries. Let me give you an example. Two weeks ago, I discovered that I’ve already got osteoporosis and am at high risk for fractures.
My first thought was, “How come no one suggested a bone density scan before now? Seems like I should’ve gotten a baseline done around age 50. Perhaps I could’ve done something if I’d have been told just once about the risk sooner. I mean, what about all those annual visits I’ve made to healthcare professionals for annual physicals. What about the time I needed an x-ray of my ankle or hip? What about when I hit menopause and all of the years since then when I’ve gone to the GYN doctor as often as recommended.” What the heck,” was what I really thought.”
Then I remembered being asked more than once whether I take calcium, Vit D, or a multivitamin daily. “No,” I’d say. Then I would think to myself, “I eat pretty good. I exercise regularly and have maintained a healthy weight.” They never asked follow up questions. I thought what I was doing was enough, but apparently not. It’s hard to acknowledge personal responsibility for our own poor outcomes.
Unacknowledged sin in the form of poisonous snakes or neglect of our bodies may inflict us with pain and/or death. Acts of confession and repentance are responsible acts, they improve the deleterious, harmful damaging effects of sin over time and make continuance of and a good quality of life possible. Otherwise, we are counted among the dead who didn’t learn the lesson of wilderness school in time.
As the psalmist said, “Some are fools, take rebellious paths, and are afflicted through their sins. They loathe all manner of provision and draw near to death’s door. Then in their trouble they cry to the Lord who delivers them from their distress. The Lord sends forth his word and heals, rescuing them from the grave.” Wonder if confession/crying out to the Lord works the same way for osteoporosis and other such ailments as it does for sin?
But there is hope. Paul writes, “Though we once lived among the passions of our flesh, following the desires of our senses like everyone else, God, who is rich in mercy, out of great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace we are saved, raised up and seated with him in heavenly places. By grace through faith not of our own doing, but as a gift of God, not as the result of works so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” I think that sounds rather promising. How about you?
Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent on a pole in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up on the cross, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” It doesn’t get any better than that, folks.
We’ve been shown a direct parallel between the Old and New Testaments, one that proves there’s a direct remedy for sin, our faults and failings, a solution born out of love for the world so that whoever believes will not perish, but have eternal life. Jesus, God’s only Son, who is one with God, was sent or more accurately volunteered to come save the world out of love rather than to condemn it.
There is but one judgment that befalls us. A judgment that reveals humanity’s orientation and predilection for darkness over light. The Bible loves obvious contrasts. But what is meant by darkness versus light? Does it only refer to evil versus good?
What if darkness is as simple as a propensity to complain? What if darkness involves our tendency to blame misery upon eternal causes? What if seeing other individuals as threats or at the very least as competitors of available resources amounts to what the Bible refers to as having a preference for darkness?
Could taking personal responsibility be the greatest step toward light? After all, holding oneself accountable is always the first step toward improving any situation. Might asking for help be considered light? We have the example of the Israelites going to Moses for help. This was a turn in the right direction. It eventually led them to look toward God for the ultimate solution, not merely a way to survive moment to moment.
Like sin, the poisonous snakes were not removed from where the Israelites lived. They did not disappear and were constantly biting. It’s pretty clear that darkness involves secretly wanting to hide behind something or someone, to not have our own deeds exposed in case we would then be to blame or the finger would point toward ourselves.
Sin is often insidious. It’s less obvious than snakes on the ground, though it may be handled similarly. Society loves to try and tame sin by decriminalizing or legalizing it since getting rid of it is not possible. Sin is somewhat fascinating and fun. It peaks our curiosity, may appear exotic and even present itself as attractive.
What does biology teach us about the most attractive object in nature: the most brilliant colored, most decorative frogs, insects, plants and animals? That they are dangerous.
How do we try and deal with them other than avoidance? We aim to figure out a way to extract the poisons and inject them into the system in small doses so that sin serves as an inoculation to other sin. We’ll become desensitized bit by bit. Then all citizens are able to withstand being bitten and humans can claim to have found their own anecdote.
I think that’s a pretty good explanation for how profanity, obscenity, lying, cheating, and greed have become “normal” expectations within society. Sure, they are still frowned upon, but they are by and by, “accepted”. Foul language, trash talk, porn and slander are almost mainstream.
What today’s scripture readings tell us is this: There are no allergy shots or antidotes for the poison of sin. Sin not only threatened to kill the Israelites, it still aims to claim our lives today and to destroy modern societies. We are bitten and condemned if we do not believe in the name of the only Son of God. For he IS the light to which we come and willingly expose our deeds. That’s what doing what is true amounts to, admitting what our problems are: aka saying, “These poisonous snakes are everywhere! They are always biting and killing us. We will never survive without God’s help. We must take personal responsibility.
Unless we believe in the threat of osteoporosis, we won’t act to prevent it. Unless we are shown that it’s an active process happening right now inside of our bodies, we can pretend that it isn’t so, that our bone marrow is as dense as ever, we are strong like we once were, only gravity is taking its toll on my spine.
We must believe the results of the diagnostic test or scan that God performs upon us: upon our ways of thinking, speaking, acting and living in our society. If we don’t believe the results, we will be unable, not just unlikely to respond in a way that could possibly benefit us.
Jesus, is the one professional capable of interpreting our test results with 100% accuracy. Using his best judgment and divine expertise, he has issued a report available through accessing our Christian portal, the Scriptures. He writes, “My findings are these: The Son of God represents the purest form of light able to penetrate and expose every weakness and hidden frailty.
This test was performed under strict guidelines and follows the recommendation of the Holy Trinity, the highest academy that oversees human health and well being. Our test methods are suitable for all children over the age of three and apply until the age at which a person draws their final breath. This test may be repeated as often as needed with no risk of harm. In fact, exposure to the light itself upon any and every occasion has been deemed not only desirable, but highly beneficial.
Love the light. Don’t avoid being scrutinized under it or fear having it shine all around you. In fact, a 360 degree view is best. Make your appointment today so that your deeds may be clearly seen, examined, and treated. For you were once dead through trespass and sin, living following the course of this world, the ruler of the air, the spirit now at work among those who are disobedient. As we all once were, living among them, following the desires of flesh and sense, by nature children of wrath.
But God, but God, who is rich in mercy, out of great love, loved us even then. When we were dead, God made us alive together with Christ by grace. By grace we have been saved, raised up and seated with him in heavenly places. In the ages to come, we will be shown the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ. For by grace we have been saved through faith, not of our own doing.
It is a gift of God. My flesh and bones are gifts of God. Your flesh and bones are gifts of God. Our salvation is a gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what God has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. In other words, we are not saved as the result of good works, but preserved so that we do good works. Good works were prepared by God beforehand to be our way of life. That means God will make a way for us to live in the midst of all that threatens to either harm or destroy our bodies. Let us pray.
Lord, we can’t handle knowing everything that is wrong with us, so thanks for shining your pure light of inspection upon only particular areas at a time. Inspire us to want the kind of therapy exposure to your light makes possible. Make us more tolerant of the process, the preparation involved, the anxiety and fear your judgment may cause. We are creatures of habit, focused on ourselves and what we want. We resist becoming accustomed to dealing with our own hidden faults and weaknesses. Your light makes all the difference. We welcome the light of your presence, the gifts of grace and faith to believe in you, and the salvation you give because you love us so. In your holy name we pray, Amen.