Daily Lectionary for August 21, 2010
Psalm 119:49-72
Job 3:1-26
Acts 9:10-19a
John 6:41-51
Acts 9:10-19a
Ananias takes his spot in biblical history along with the many who point out to God the problem with God's plan. God instructs Ananias to go to where Paul is and help him. Ananias points out some of the issues surrounding Paul...his reputation precedes him (and it's not good), he's done a lot of evil in Jerusalem, the chief priests have sent him to Damascus deputized to make life miserable for the Christian community. Ananias surely means well, and is undoubtedly a little concerned about his own safety. However, in order to express his reservations he must be comfortable expressing doubt in God's plan. Maybe God hadn't thought it all the way through. There are so many details that go along with being God it's hard to keep track of everyone whose been blinded on the Damascus road and is in need of healing. It can't hurt to point out to God who this person really is. Ananias isn't the only biblical person to do this and we continue the tradition to this day. Pointing out the flaws in God's plan. Making sure God knows about our limitations. Emphasizing how big the obstacles are. All the while forgetting, somehow, that this is God we are talking to.
Preaching tomorrow on Hebrews 12:18-29, the second of three sermons in a series called "Encouraging Words From Hebrews". Tomorrows sermon is "Speaking Hope Into A Shaky Today". Central are 12:28-29, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." Specifically the phrase "a kingdom that cannot be shaken". In kind a variation on the house built on sand and the house built on rock the passage reminds us that all of our kingdoms are transitory, no matter how big we build them and no matter how well we dig in our defenses. What is unshakeable is God's kingdom. Our call is not to hold on to the things that can be shaken but to place our trust in God's unshakeable plan which is being unfolded as we move towards God's unshakeable kingdom.
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