Expect the unexpected

The last two years have taught us one thing: Expect the unexpected! Plans for your trip to Europe or the wedding or event in your family life... shot in a heartbeat. Actually COVID-19 was itself the unexpected for many of us, and then with it, commensurate problems. 

But that was in March, 2020. After a few months of difficulty, with advice ranging from don't bother to stay 2 metres away from others, wash your hands, sterilise everything, wear a mask, attend/ don't attend any cafe or movie theatre, and barber shop was definitely off limits. Almost nothing was allowed and that was completely unexpected.

In Australia for months on end, until May 2021 we had escaped much of the trouble. We began to meet again in public; we didn't have to wear a mask. Most people didn't even begin to consider the use of vaccines, and they were not even available until the middle of March or so (2021). Then we queued to get the vaccine and all of a sudden in May, the virus from India came. Delta was its name and the variant was stronger and knocked us for a loop.  It knocked us in New South Wales out of the action for 3 months!

But then the unexpected came. Were we ready? Had we been expecting another round of this virus?

Events were again scheduled and even up to last week, Christmas programs in the Canopy in Lane Cove and carols in car parks and such had to be canceled. Why? Omicron, the next strain of the virus, has landed and now over 2,000 cases a day are showing as positive from the queues of testing centres around our city and our country. Seems as though nowhere is without vulnerability.

For those who are aware of the uncertainties that Covid has brought, this is not surprising; we are expecting the unexpected. A good planner includes contingencies for such (in)actions. I certainly hope Carols at the Myer go ahead on Friday night. I love watching and listening and being taken up into the highest places when Silvie Paladino sings. Lots of others, for sure, but Silvie rings my bell.

In "An ideal husband", Oscar Wilde, the flamboyant and quick-witted cultural commentator, said, "To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect."

So I'm guessing that we have to expect that things won't always turn out the way we anticipated. Underdogs might win Grand Finals; (I hope England walks away from the Ashes with appropriate sadness; they are down 2 already).  I hope Oscar Wilde's declaration of being thoroughly modern in our intellect works for us in these days.

This is the season of Christmas, which is good news for retailers, and for many who are able to meet up with family and friends. But for many, the unexpected has hit again. Prevention of contacts; slowdown of travel, and once again the unexpected is the new norm. 

If you remember the real story of Christmas, before David Jones and Myer battled for the market share, the story takes place in Bethlehem, near Jerusalem. A young Jewess is expectant. This pregnant Jewish woman, barely into her teens, has a baby. I guess that's expected. 

Only, the story goes, she never had sex with a man, and was 'found to be with child by the Holy Spirit." That's fairly far-fetched, and unexpected. But then miracles in the Bible are regularly featured, although not happening very often. So, the term 'regular' has to do with their mention in Holy Writ, not due to their frequency in human history. But a virgin having a baby? That's unexpected!

This young Jewish baby, Yeshua of Nazareth, would grow up to be a man of sorrows and a healer, a teacher, a prophet, and finally the sacrifice for the sins of all of humanity. That's a massive story, and to the Jewish people of his day, (and dare I say, to this day), that the Messiah would be Divine and would accomplish this sacrifice for their sins--- that's completely unexpected.

But what we have learned in the last 2 years is to expect the unexpected.

How about you? Could Yeshua (some call him Jesus) be your Messiah and Saviour? What did you expect?

Down but not out

 Locked DOWN...but NOT locked OUT  

When I lived in New York City in the 1980s, some of our congregation would go to the Bowery to serve the poor and indigent. One of the realities we kept before the congregation was that although we were a messianic Jewish congregation, with prayers and songs in Hebrew, and with Jewish roots being clarified in all our teachings, the Bible says, “to the Jew first, and ALSO TO the Gentile.” (Romans 1.16) We didn’t want to forget anyone for whom Yeshua died.

The first committee we formed was the Missions Committee. The churches that grow are those where missions and evangelism are primary concerns. 

Maybe you have noticed this, too. And one of the missions we supported was down in the Bowery. Some of you reading this might remember the movie series named The Bowery Boys starring Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall. (pictured) I grew up watching those sometimes at the cinema and sometimes when they replayed those old black-and-white movies on television. Always full of adventures and often misadventures, this was a lot of fun for me. 

By the time the 1980s rolled around the Bowery was not a place of fun and frolic. It was a place for down-and-outers. Drug addicts and hopeless folks seemed to find their way to that section of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. One of our congregants helped me see that this was a place where we needed to care. He had actually come from that culture; he had been radically saved from that life, and he wanted to make sure the Gospel went to the Bowery. 

Why am I telling you about this foreign and far-away memory and activity? 

It’s about COVID-19. Our staff is reaching out to the Jewish people of Australia, by phone or email, or even personal visit during this lockdown time in Sydney. The number one reaction, after the traditional social convention of “I’m doing ok”, is “actually I’m a bit lonely or frustrated or …”  Real feelings of pain and suffering. 

Being down is a reality for many. Our own staff has had feelings of being down or frustrated or disappointed in this lockdown season. 

But being down does not mean being out. 

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the co
ming of Titus; and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. (2 Corinthians 7.5-7)

God comforts the depressed. How does he do that? By the “coming of Titus” and also “by the comfort with which he was comforted in you.” The reality of depression can be overcome by the stronger reality of God’s personal comfort in the visit of Titus and by the fellowship he brought in reporting what God was doing among the people of Corinth. 

Dear friends, the pandemic is frustrating many of us. The lockdowns are real in many of our states and local government areas. The Prime Minister as well as each of the premiers and each health minister seem to be trying their best to solve a problem that launched in March 2020, without a user’s manual. 

I lost a dear friend back in the US in May, who a month earlier was a vibrant father of six. He was my mate for 40 years. He died from the disease, and I’m still feeling sad.

Our hope is seriously fixed on Yeshua. Our repair from any down-and-out feelings in this time is the fellowship and consolation we experience with one another. We can meet on Zoom or phone calls with other believers. As I write this, our church is not able to meet in person. And when we could, we couldn’t sing. 

Paul wrote the Corinthians “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (2 Cor. 4.7-10)

Brothers and sisters, we are family and whether it’s Facebook or emails, Twitter or Instagram, when we can share God’s word with each other, when we report the real news that Messiah died for us and is giving us eternal life, those down feelings are replaced. We are not locked out of God's kingdom; we have paid entry! We are not destroyed. We are down, but not out. God comforts us. The life of Jesus will be manifest in our bodies. May God comfort each one of you. Shalom.

If I could speak with.... Mel Brooks

Over the years I've met some significant people. First things, first... my wife, my kids, you know, the typical (and proper) Jewish notion of significance. No mention of the rabbi from my youth; obviously. But I've also been lucky enough to spend time with Ed Charles, former third baseman for the KC Athletics and winner of the World Series in 1969 with the Amazin' Mets. I've met former NY Mayor Ed Koch and then-Senator Joe Biden while handing out leaflets respectively on the streets of NYC (at the re-opening of Carnegie Hall)  and BWI airport (I guess he skipped the train that day).  In this continuing series of "If I could speak with" wishes, today I mention Mel Brooks. He's 94 years old and lives in California although he grew up in the Depression in Brooklyn. His real name was Melvin Kaminsky, youngest of four boys; his father died when Mel was two.

As a Jew who grew up in the US in the 1950s and 1960s, I was influenced by his comic genius. Early on it was his writing on Sid Caeser's Your Show of Shows, then his comedy came to the front in Maxwell Smart's character 86 in Get Smart. However, it wasn't until The Producers in 1967 that his shtick and outrageous brilliance hit me. Who else but a Jew could create a show called "Springtime for Hitler" and self-mockingly make it a Broadway hit?

If I could talk with this older man today, what would we speak about? He's very forthright about comedy and tragedy. I'd like to hear what he thinks today about God, and matters of eternity. In an interview with Andrew Denton given in April 2004, and collected into the book 1001 interviews you must read before you die, Denton unveils the real Mel Brooks and helps us get to know the man, the comic, the legend. There Mel said, "Fame is the enemy." (page 348) I wonder if that's still his impression.

Four days ago, with less than two weeks before the US election, Mel made a political video. According to his son (he has four children, but only Max from his former wife Anne Bancroft), Max on Twitter said, "he has never made a political video. Until now." It showed Mel inside his home with his son and grandson outside separated by the large sliding glass door. Mel blamed Mr Trump for the coronavirus and said, "Trump is not doing a damn thing about it." Mel used his platform to encourage us to vote for Joe. 

Mel said, "Why do I like Joe (Biden)? Because Joe likes facts. Because Joe likes science." I graduated the University of Kansas with a degree in mathematics and a minor in biology, so I'm with Mel in this regard. Something Mel said to Andrew in 2004 sticks out. He was saying that comedy is everywhere and everything goes better with comedy. "I think The Passion (of the Christ, the movie by Mel Gibson) needed a few jokes...anything can use comedy, any subject needs comedy. Comedy leavens the bread. The bread rises through comedy." Andrew asked where Mel would have placed the comedy in the movie about Jesus, Mel: "Well, I think before he got to the cross. Once he's there, forget it. Then you're fooling around with too much; it's too big." (page 352)

I think Mel and I would need to discuss this. Why is the cross so significant? Why is it 'too big?' It's not that I disagree with him. Certainly, the Monty Python satire of the messianic claims of Yeshua (Jesus' Hebrew name) might have gone too far with Brian Cohen as the pseudo messiah in Life of Brian. Peter Sellers' Chauncy Gardener's walking on the water at the end of Being There also comes to mind. 

What else would we discuss? Mel and Carl Reiner made famous the 2,000-year-old man and there are so many men from that era we could discuss. The Jewish rabbi Saul, who became Paul the apostle comes to mind, but honestly, the only other such character I would want to continue to discuss is Yeshua himself. 

Mel, who do you think Jesus is? Is he good for the Jews? You put yourself as the waiter in the Last Supper by Da Vinci during the Passover seder in History of the World Part I and I found that brilliant. Someone had to serve, of course. Can you imagine yourself being one of the fellows there partaking of the story and the meal, and not being the Judas character, whom you call out recommending the wine? 

One day let's chat. Maybe on Twitter, Zoom or the trusty telephone. I probably won't ever be in your 1001 interviews book, but I'd be happy to discuss the turbulence of the world, the answers offered us by the media and politicians, and maybe you would be able to meet the best secret agent "1", The One, The Holy One, the real messiah who really did walk on water.  His answers may surprise you. They certainly have a place in our lives. 

Stay safe. All the best.

Shake, rattle and roll: a coronavirus reflection

The other morning I wrote on my Facebook and asked about what God would do to get our attention, I projected the fears of health and wealth being done away.  Most of the people responded that he would do anything it took to get our eyes off ourselves, off our sports and cinema ‘heroes’ and our complacency especially towards others.  I heard this Bible verse: "Once and for all, I will not only shake the systems of the world, but also the unseen powers in the heavenly realm. Now this phrase “once and for all” clearly indicates the final removal of things that are shaking, that is, the old order, so only what is unshakeable will remain." That's from Hebrews 12.  I believe God is shaking the planet. For His sake. For our sake. For your sake. 

Shaking... that's an uncomfortable feeling. If we were infants, and our parents shook us, they would be found guilty of child abuse in any court of law. If we didn't sign up for this, and we were shaken by an outsider, probably someone would be arrested for assault and battery. Someone shaking me without warrant is illegal for sure. 

But what if we get shaken with warrant? In other words, say for instance the slumberer, your university roommate, who has the same 8 am lecture in the same class as you, and it’s 7:30 and he’s still sleeping. Do you pour water on his face? What if you need to shake him awake (albeit kindly and gently, of course)... would that work? Is that with warrant? Shaking can be a kind gesture, can’t it?

Shaking can also be a scary experience. Take an earthquake for example. There can’t be much that is more disconcerting than feeling the ground beneath you rumbling and swaying. Every illusion of control is out the window in an instant as you scramble for cover under the nearest table or in a doorway, praying that your home doesn’t crumble down on top of you.  And perhaps it’s not a bad thing to have that illusion burst every now and again. To be reminded that the world we live in is only temporal and we should not put our trust in it.

The Hebrews passage is actually a quote from the Jewish prophet Habakkuk. Here is his message in context:

“On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying, 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people saying, 3Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? 4 But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the LORD of hosts. 5 ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!’ 6 “For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. 7 ‘I will shake all the nations, and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of hosts. 9 ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the LORD of hosts.” “

(Chapter 2, verses 1-9)

The end purpose of the shaking of the planet by the Lord is peace. All he wants for ‘all the nations’ is for each of us to get along and to love one another. And yet, there are times when people would rather think of themselves rather than others. Perhaps COVID is waking us up to the need to care for one another. This is evident each night at 7 pm when a parade of people stand in one country or another and applaud the first responders.  Maybe it’s the massive generosity of Tom Moore (See below) and nurses and doctors globally who stand up and keep fighting against the pandemic. Maybe it’s the four golfers who on Sunday raised over $20 million US dollars by playing 18 holes. (OK, Tiger, Phil, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning).

Maybe it’s all the celebrities who are giving their own cash or the little old ladies who are giving their widows’ mites for the cause. Whatever inspires you, it’s a spirit of generosity which may well characterise the good result of this shaking. 

Then what about those who use the situation for their own purposes? The scoundrels who are making fake phone calls to unsuspecting real people and asking for donations, only to turn those credit card numbers into purchases for themselves? Where there is a trouble spot, there is a scam ready to happen. Those people need to be shaken!

What is the result of such shaking? “ so only what is unshakeable will remain.” The end result of this will be the Kingdom of God continuing to be expressed through genuine men and women, boys and girls, all people of good will who want the best for each other. And for the world. Try a little kindness. What the world needs now is love, sweet love. Come on, people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another right now. Imagine. 

_____________________

Tom Moore, a 99-year-old British war veteran raised more than 17.9 million pounds (€20.5 million) for the health service by walking laps of his garden and was praised by Queen Elizabeth's grandson as an "absolute legend".

Moore, retired army captain who served in India, Burma and Sumatra during World War Two, became a symbol of British endurance in the face of adversity after completing 100 laps of his garden in a fundraising effort for the health service. He used a walking frame with wheels since breaking his hip, aimed to raise 1,000 pounds by completing his challenge before his 100th birthday on April 30.

Peace with God: 3 Exultations and 4 Kings (Romans 5)

[To watch this on YouTube when it was first given live on Zoom, click https://youtu.be/bdbG2xNaBFc ]

The general theme of Romans: How to be right with God.

Today’s topic: Rejoicing in the God of grace!    [The biblical text is at the end of this blog]

Welcome to those of you who are new to our class in this the 6^th lesson, as we take up Paul’s comments recorded in chapter 5 of The Book of Romans. If you are watching this video on YouTube long after our class ended today, then please pause the recording and read the 5^th chapter. It will only take 3 minutes. OK, welcome back.  

Verse one starts with the word “Therefore.” It’s not the last time we will see that, certainly throughout Paul’s writings. Some preachers say that when you see a ‘therefore’ you should look back and see what it’s there for. This word is the conjunction to the previous conclusions, found in chapters 3 and 4. It’s as if we are hearing the apostle say, “In light of everything I’ve taught you the last couple weeks, that you were painfully distant from God’s love, worthy of the wrath of the judgments of the Almighty, and yet your faith was directed to God and his grace, THEREFORE you have benefits. And you have reason to celebrate.” 

Paul in verse one highlights the reality and the result. The reality? We are justified, that is, counted as right with God, acquitted of the crimes he earlier listed, and of the sin of rejecting God. As a result, we have peace with God. Ponder that for a moment, will you? Today we are still in the midst of the war against COVID-19. Over 3.7 million cases worldwide, over 250,000 deaths. The battle is far from over. One day we anticipate a vaccine will be discovered and will be fully available globally. The war will be over. And some think that this is the meaning of ‘peace.’ In a way they are right, but biblically, peace (Hebrew: shalom; Greek: Eirene) is much deeper. It means a contentment, a confidence, a rest. It’s when we won’t have to socially distance ourselves. It’s when we will hug each other without worry. To be sure, the ‘new normal’ for a while will still be without peace. But there will be a day when peace will define us after this corona-time. 

That’s what Paul is hinting at.

Imagine that you have come to the realization that your attitude and your actions were both bad, that you lived for yourself, that you had made yourself into a god, but then someone challenged you. They told you about Jesus and redemption and forgiveness of sins. You considered it; and made a decision that the real God is better than all other gods. Anxiety hit you for a moment, and then you professed faith, however much you had, and pointed your heart towards the Lord. You believed God, you trusted Jesus as Lord, you confessed him as your Saviour. 

Paul says, “THEREFORE… you have peace with God.” Dear friends, there is nothing more important in your life than to submit to God and to have peace with him. Real peace. Not only the absence of conflict, but a deep heartfelt contentment. That’s the result of real faith.  Or as we titled it last week, “Getting right with God.”  Back in Paul’s day, no one would have considered peace as anything other than a stillness of discord between fellows. Peace with neighbours and peace among nations. But Paul makes it vertical. “Peace with God!” outrageous.

The Jewish people had been awaiting this peace since King David and Isaiah proclaimed it: Isa 32:17, 54.10, Psalm 72:1–7 and 85:8–13. Even Ezekiel announced a covenant of peace: Ezek 34:25–31 and 37:26— 

By the way, this chapter is odd because Paul does not directly quote from the Tenach. In fact he won’t do so again until chapter 8.  

Some of you may think, “I’ll just go directly to God. I’m Jewish; I’m automatically related to God.” The chosenness of the Jewish people is not in question, at least, not until chapters 9 through 11, but the key to our gaining peace with God is found in verse 1 and 2, “through Jesus the Messiah.” Paul will spend much time in some of his letters talking about the Jewish connection he has and putting it in perspective. Here, his point is clear. He has access (or introduction) to God because of Yeshua. And not because of any other key or learning or special knowledge or genealogical privilege. We are at peace with God because of our faith in Jesus. Full stop. 

Verse 2: Paul says that as a result of the grace, the faith, and Jesus, that we exult in hope of the glory of God. That’s a mouthful, but to put it simply, we REJOICE in the hope of a future with God making himself visible even near me. What a hope! What a joy to consider and to celebrate. This is the first of three exultations, three celebrations that the apostle highlights. If you will, rejoicing like here in our future hope, and in present trials and tribulations (verse 3) and finally, rejoicing in God himself. (verse 11)

This is a way of thinking that’s different to what I would employ. I would think: God is my saviour and I’m grateful and I will rejoice in that. Hallelujah. Then that means my present circumstances are in his hands, so even today I will rejoice. Finally I would have a perspective on my future that the glory that belongs to God would come my way, and all the mess I’ve made of my life will end, and I will be like him. That’s how I would progress with this triad. Paul on the other hand, sees the justification by faith, which gives him peace today as a down-payment of eternity. He sees God as the One who holds the future and thus the glory that belongs to God will actually be mine. I will be changed. If he has done all this so far, then NOTHING can stop his accomplishments. He will conquer Satan in my life. He will dominate over my failings. My glory is a sure thing. 

Verse 5: Paul says this hope is not going to be dashed. You know of this type of hope, don’t you? I hope my horse will win at the Melbourne Cup. I hope I get a pay rise at my work. I hope that girl likes me. But many of those hopes are not real hope at all, Paul says. Real hope does not disappoint. Because of the lavish love of God, poured out (ekchunno) in our hearts by Holy Spirit, given to us. Like Psalm 23 “My cup runneth over.”  Gift upon gift, grace upon grace, or as in chapter 1, faith to faith. All these benefits of real hope because of the Holy Spirit anointing us, communally and individually. That brings real hope.

If that be so, then what I’m experiencing today, in my dismal life, there in Rome, or here in Sydney, or wherever you live and work and have your being… all the drudgery and pain, all the loss and difficulty, all the trials and persecutions… I rejoice in those! Not because of those, but because God is Immanuel. He is God with us. Now. Today. In my life. It’s not a pie-in-the-sky reality that one day my life will be good. God is present in this transitory life and thus my life is worthy of shouting ‘Hallelujah’ no matter what else is happening. I’m walking with the God of the universe. He knows where I live; he knows me. And his grace is sufficient for me. And for you. Today. Now. 

There is no doubt what those tribulations might be: (Romans 8.35-39, 1 Cor. 4.9-13, 2 Cor. 1.4-10, etc)

Verse 8: Paul assures us that when we were lost, Messiah died for the ungodly.  And those ungodly includes me! All our fears and failures are summed up in loss, but even though most of us would scarcely die for a good man, Messiah died for us in our failings. Think of those health-care workers who are working tirelessly in New York or Italy, and who are basically giving their lives for us in this season of COVID-19. For others they are giving their lives. Paul says not many would do that, and usually only for the good people. We have a spiritual inheritance that outweighs all our frustrations and difficulties of life. 

Then in summary, Paul says he rejoices or exults in God. (v. 11) This is the high point of his praises (and he will have other shouts of ‘hallelujah’ later in the letter). It’s not only the benefits that God extends that makes me delight in him; it’s our relationship! Paul had plenty of reasons to talk about God and rules and obligations and satisfactions of legal requirements. He’s not rejoicing because he’s Jewish. He’s not rejoicing because of some stuff he has received. He’s rejoicing because he can finally know the living God and be personally related to him. He also has peace with God, and that’s a comprehensive cushion to his life of struggles.

Verse 12 introduces a new section. How does it begin? “Therefore.” On the basis of the justification we have with the God who has made us right with him, our reconciliation does not prevent the reality of sin and death in the world. These two global considerations, sin and death, are inherent in the human race. No one is taken out of the world to avoid them. Each person sins, each person will die. If you will, Adam initiated or rather was part of the beginning of these realities. Because he sinned, sin exists. Little babies don’t sin; they live in a world marked by sin. Gentiles who don’t have Torah don’t sin in the same way as Jews, but the world is marked by sin. Adam caused that to happen, but he is not the cause, that is, there is no need to blame him for my own personal sin.  (Adam is the cause in five phrases: .15-19)

I believe verses 12 and following are in Paul’s mind the conditions of the world into which God’s Holy Spirit is poured and thus magnifies God’s grace that much more. By the way four times in chapter 5, Paul uses this phrase, ‘much more’. And he only uses it here and twice in chapter 11 in all of Romans. It’s the Jewish mechanism of biblical interpretation called “Kal v’chomer” meaning “from the lesser to the greater” a device that Jesus often used. In modern Borscht Belt thinking a comedian might say, “"If one day with her mother-in-law was too much, kal v'chomer a weekend will be!" (Lawyers use the Latin a fortiori argument for the same purpose, but with much less humor)

The inescapable reality of sin and death reigned from Adam, he says, until Moses. 

Verse 15: Then in contrast Paul says, “THE FREE GIFT is not like the offense.” The offense of Adam caused death to blanket the earth for all time. But the charisma of justification, of being made right with God came via another man, Yeshua our righteous messiah. (see .17)

Verse 18: Another ‘therefore’, which really is a reiteration of Paul’s previous one caused much argument. I’m not sure why he’s repetitive, and I am not going to mark him down on his grades, but it does seem a tautology. 

Even so, verse 20: Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. There is no place where darkness dwells, where darkness abounds, where evil exists and seems to dominate that the Lord of heaven and earth, by grace, and by the power of the Resurrection cannot make his power, his love, his overcoming, not only to come alongside, but to dominate. Sin reigned (.21), death reigned (.14), Grace regins (.21), and we shall reign (.17). 

Yes, you and I will reign in life, now, due to the hope we have. Not the hope of the end of COVID-19, although that surely should be one of our prayers. Not the hope of Menachem asking you out on a date, not the hope of your boss giving you a raise at work… the hope of glory, God’s grace ruling in your life, today and throughout your days.  We will reign in life through Yeshua the Messiah.

We are supposed to win; we’re supposed to conquer; we’re supposed to have victory! What is that victory? The apostle John said it, “Faith is the victory!” (1 John 5.4) This hearkens back to all that Paul has been saying throughout Romans (so far). We are justified by faith. He quotes Habakkuk (2.4) “The just shall live by faith.” That’s how we are victors. Faith, not in our own capacity. Faith in Yeshua because he has done it all. He gave me his grace. 

Listen to verse 21, “as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Grace gives us right standing with God, not only in heaven, but today. Thanks be to God, amen?

NEXT WEEK and the week following, we will look at the question of sin in the life of a believer and its relation to grace and being right with God.

We have much more to get through in this letter, and I’m delighted to be able to read and help us understand it each Friday here from my lockdown in Sydney. 

The actual text:

Rom. 5:1   Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; ⁵ and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Rom. 5:6   For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. ¹¹ And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Rom. 5:12   Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned — ¹³ for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Rom. 5:15   But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. ¹⁶ The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from onetransgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. ¹⁷ For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Rom. 5:18   So then as through one transgression ¹there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. ¹⁹ For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. ²⁰ The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Finding certainty in uncertain times: is this a pipedream?

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    Sermon


Introduction

The news media is relentless in telling us that these times are unprecedented. They remind us that the world as we know it is very different than ever before. Most people had never heard of the virus named corona, even though it has been a known category of disease for decades. I have to admit that sometimes it’s all so overwhelming, all the information, all the numbers of cases and deaths. There are those who remind us that the greater disease, the harsher virus, is the fear of the pandemic. They say these are unpredictable times, and even precarious. This all adds up to uncertainty. How should we respond? 

Many of us are locked down in our homes or apartments. Some countries worldwide are already loosening their restrictions and mitigation activity. Some students are going back to school while others of us are teaching children at home or watching them on their computer screens with their classmates. They still have to wash their hands and stay a bit separated.

For others, entertainment is taking centre stage. There are those who respond with choirs on their computers singing together using Zoom. I personally liked Andrea Bocelli singing Amazing Grace in Italy all alone. Music can certainly lift my soul and maybe it has the same effect on you. Having just gone through the celebrations of Passover and Easter, with the reminders of history reflected in song and prayers, these celebrations linked the music with the real story, and I like that. But in the midst of this, we feel uncertain.

Uncertainty: what is it?

In legal terms contracts with ambiguity are more easily dismissed and nullified than those with clarity and certainty. In fact, as humans, we long for certainty and for the stability that brings us. Even the most adventurous, who don’t mind the uncertainty of walking tightropes in the circus feel the rush of landing on solid ground at the end of their walk. A symphony longs to be finished, with the uncertainty of 7^th chords yielding gladly to landing back at the tonic. I believe that certainty gives calm or as the legal dictionary records, “certainty is the mother of repose.”

With all the lockdown upon us, and our palms barely drying out from previous handwashing, we still have a desire for certainty. This is a confidence and a conviction. We want the repose of certainty, but this is not afforded us just now. We are in restlessness. We are in distress. We are unsure of the road ahead, or who will even be on the road with us.

The certainty of uncertainty

To be fair, we have always been in uncertain times. What we are experiencing with the daily news barrage is the reality that death is upon us. We may not know who started this. We may not know who should have done what by when. We don’t know if there will be toilet paper on the shelves at the store; we don’t even know if that store will be open when next we want to shop. Millions of jobs are lost; economies are shaken. Ends are easier to see than reboots. Lengthening lines at government unemployment offices tell us that the situation is dire and worsening. Even when the curves are flattening, we are not sure how quickly things will reopen. We don’t really trust the ‘happy days are coming’ forecasters. 

Whether health is missing, or wealth is gone, and the certainty of a steady stream of income is demolished, one thing is clear. We are in uncertain times. But then, honestly, we have always been in uncertain times.

Think back to this time last year. 

No one knew last year if they had the next day. Or 2020. 

41 people died in the US last year in tornadoes. 

No one was really sure that their health would last. Unusual influenzas and traffic accidents cause loss-of-life in a cosmic moment. 

Here in Australia, we saw millions of hectares of bushland destroyed in fires that lasted for months in 2019.  34 people died. Over 400 million animals died in those fires. Where was certainty then?

Over half a million cattle died in floods last year in Australia, in one state alone! Imagine being a rancher or a farmer in the bush. What did you count on to get you through financially? Imagine counting on your own survival.

In the USA in 2019, Payless Shoe store closed as did Dress Barn and Shopco. Diesel and Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy. Sears shut in 2018. Nothing is certain!

People who live in parts of the Middle East who practice Christianity have often described their lot in life as one of suspicion and danger. According to Open Doors organization, over 4,000 Christians were killed for their (wrong) faith in 2018. They also report over 200 million Christians experienced persecution for their faith in the same period. (https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/stories/christian-persecution-by-the-numbers)

This doesn’t surprise me, but it deeply saddens me. 

Why doesn’t it surprise me? The Bible makes it clear that our lives are a vapor and that no one of us is promised tomorrow. Listen to these two texts. First from King Solomon in the Proverbs:

“Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” (27.1) and then from James, the brother of Yeshua, 

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” (4.13-14)

in spite of it all: Gaining certainty

In the midst of our uncertainty, however, God wants to assure us. He wants to comfort us. The human tragedy is ever before us, so wishful thinking or any simpleton’s cheers are not the answer for us in these troubled times. Where is certainty if not in our wealth or our health? 

In certain churches there is time in the adult service for a ‘children’s talk.’ The youth pastor will call the children to come forward and he or she will sit down, the children will sit around in semicircles and await the weekly ‘word.’ Because it’s church, and because these are young children, the questions will often be targeted to help the young ones to learn about God and Jesus and the Bible. Usually these are simple questions.

One Sunday the youth pastor called the children forward and after they sat down, he asked, “OK, kids, what is grey, has a bushy tail, and gathers nuts in the autumn (US: use ‘fall’)? Surprisingly none of the children even raised their hands. No one answered him. He asked again. Again no answer. Finally, the pastor’s own daughter sheepishly raised her hand and said, “I know the answer is ‘Jesus’, but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me.”

Here I am, ready to tell you about certainty, and because this is a sermon, and we are in a setting where the predictable answer is ‘Jesus’ you might miss this part. Please don’t. 

I believe the answers are found in the Scriptures. Please turn there with me for the answers.

In Luke chapter 1, we read Luke’s explanation of what he is writing. He says that he has investigated and come away with certain information. He now wants to pass on that information, in verse 4 he says, “so that you may be certain about the things you have been taught.” The Greek word here for certain is epiginosko.   It is used elsewhere in the Newer Testament of recognition of what a person really is. It is found in other Gospels like Matthew (14.35) who records that people from the entire Galilee region came to see and experience the healing touch of Jesus because some men ‘recognized’ him. In Luke’s account of Resurrection Sunday, Yeshua walks alongside two people, Cleopas and maybe Mrs Cleopas, but their eyes are prevented from ‘recognizing’ him (24.16), until after he begins a meal with these two, then their eyes are opened and they ‘recognize’ him (.31). 

Think of an out-of-focus lens then finally taking shape and we shout, “I can see!” Those old Polaroid images that began as fuzz and then became a photo while we watched it unfold. All the while we could see, but we couldn’t make certain what we were seeing. That’s the meaning of epiginosko. Things which are uncertain or cloudy are now taking form and becoming certain to us. 

The certainty we have is in the recognizing of the Messiah, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Yes, Messiah suffered and died. Yes, he took upon himself the sins of all humanity. He suffered and bled, spilling his lifeblood on the earth. (Isa. 63.6) And my certainty is that all he did, in his teaching, in his healings, in his manifestations of glory while he walked on the earth, all of that, it’s all evidence of what is to come. The Spirit was given on Pentecost as a down payment for us of all that God is going to do in glory. My hope is not a new house in the suburbs. My hope is not the end of coronavirus. My hope is not wealth and health. My hope is the soon return of Jesus, our Messiah and King. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Yes, he came as the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And He is coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

THAT, dear friends, is certain. And when we see him, we shall be like him. (1 John 3.2)

The return of Jesus, not as a sufferer again, not as a humble take-it-on-the-chin wounded warrior, but as the Conquering King of Glory… that is my hope! And that is my certainty. 

This in no way diminishes the victory of the cross. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (Heb 9.22, Lev. 17.11) What it highlights is that the one who died and rose, ascended and IS SEATED at the right hand of the Father. He has finished the work. The victory is ours because it is HIS. Every other priest had to stand and serve in the Temple. Yeshua, the Great High Priest in the order of the greater one, Melchizedek, is no longer standing. He’s no longer trying to accomplish something. He did it all. He paid it all. He sealed my pardon on Calvary’s tree. Hallelujah—what a Saviour!

In the meantime: Certainty in our actions

Knowing that Yeshua is returning as Victor-King, we have a job. Actually many jobs to perform. We serve others; we care for our families; we reach out to the lost and the needy. Because of the certainty of the Risen One, we work among the many who don’t yet know him. And the suffering we experience is not even worthy of comparison with the glory which we anticipate. 

Paul wrote the Corinthians, “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4.17-18) Our hope is eternal; it’s the anchor of our souls. (Heb 6.19) If we want that hope to work, if we want our anxieties and uncertainties to diminish, we have to look at the Eternal, at what is going to outlive coronavirus and whatever bushfire or flood or tornado is mal-affecting us at this moment. If we only look at the natural, temporal things, we will be hopeless and live in uncertainty. Paul says that if you want to live above that, you have to look to the one who is above it all. Yeshua. 

Back in the 1960s, the Young Rascals sang “How can I be sure?” Their concern was about a relationship with a young woman and their uncertainty gave them confusion. Dear friends, today I want you to know that Yeshua is Lord of all, that his love is greater than all the confusion of the media’s broadcasts, that his grace extends to those in Wuhan (China) and Wyoming (USA) and Wagga Wagga (Australia). There is no place over which he will not rule as King Messiah. May it be that this certainty will give you repose. Hallelujah- what a Saviour!

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Corona prayer and the practice of medicine

Julia Baird of the Sydney Morning Herald wrote today about prayer. To be fair she commends it as a tool. She even lets Mike Carlton speak in a kind way of our prime minister, "Morrison is shouldering a burden unmatched by any other Prime Minister."

Yet in her piece about Scott Morrison, our prime minister, and prayer, she alludes to the American evangelicals who were the focus of her opening disdain, "the small group of profoundly stupid American pastors denying the gravity of COVID-19." Rodney Howard-Browne and Jonathan Shuttlesworth were particularly named as was Margaret Court in Perth. 

Baird said, "Margaret Court’s Life Church in

Perth has stated that the “blood of Jesus” will protect their congregations, along with prayer and hand sanitizer." The church is named Victory Life Church. I like that Margaret is staying within the standards of the Australia government and believe that Victory Life should not be included in Baird's lambasting. The report she quoted from the news.com.au website was from 13 March. Since then Margaret continues to stay within government guidelines. Sensible. 

To be fair, Baird highlights prayer as a very good thing, quoting Brother Richard Hendrick of Ireland in his poem and prayer. She even cites the prayers offered by our prime minister. 

I prefer Scott Morrison's personal recommendation of praying to that of the US president. Compare Donald Trump's practice of medicine (without a license) by telling his Saturday audience ( the press conference) about hydroxychloroquine, "Take it. What's it going to hurt?" Who is Trump? A doctor? Is he legally recommending hydroxychloroquine to people who are suffering coronavirus? Shock!  There are significant side effects to this drug, and there are no real studies that prove it's safe for the coronavirus. Making decisions based on science or even historic developments is much better than wishing and hoping as Trump recommended. 

Prayer works. That 'science' is out there. In study after study from the National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health. Baird even cites a 2013 Georgia state study saying, "praying about a problem appeared to liberate cognitive resources that are presumably otherwise consumed by worry and rumination, leaving individuals better able to process other information, and additionally to bias attention to favor detection of problem-relevant information”

Today's a good day to start praying. Pray for your neighbors. Pray for your family. Pray for our prime minister. Pray that you yourself would keep sound in mind and body. Prayer works. Even after this viral pandemic is over. May it come soon, speedily and in our time. Amen.