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Knowledge Is Power

Links for today’s readings:

Jun 3  Read: Malachi 2 Listen: (3:12) Read: Psalm 90 Listen: (2:03)

Scripture Focus: Malachi 2:7, 17

7 For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth…

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words.

Reflection: Knowledge Is Power

Erin Newton

We live in the age of fact-checking and social media community notes. We value truth and honesty, and people are eager to confirm statements as true or false.

As Christians we also hold our leaders to such standards. Malachi says, “A priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty” (2:7). In the ancient world, when literacy rates were much lower, people relied on religious leaders to relay (and interpret) the words of God. In the New Testament, James reiterates the standards of religious teachers: “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (3:1).

Knowledge is power; therefore, truth is a vital cog in the machine.

Malachi reports about the dishonesty among the priests. They do not practice justice, and they are unfaithful to their spouses. They are not trustworthy in their conduct, so how can they be trustworthy in their words? In their instruction? In their guidance?

In the end, God is fed up with their empty words.

The preservation of knowledge includes knowing what is true and being able to discern what is false. Christians have attempted to fine-tune the faith until every inch of life is covered. We think we are preserving knowledge, knowing that people are instructed by our interpretations.

But we often fail through our actions. Sometimes we fail through compromise.

What we say about God’s word matters. How we glean truth from the Bible, prayer, experience, and tradition matters. Our desire to have the right answer is noble in and of itself, but if our lives are counter to our words, we weary God.

Not many of us are ordained priests or employed as pastors, ministers, or leaders. When James speaks of teachers, we might think we have escaped such a risky position. However, in our modern era, we become thought leaders on social media. When something we say can be cropped into an inspirational phrase, our words suddenly have more weight. We lead and teach children as parents, aunts, uncles, or elders. As iron sharpens iron, we act as teachers to our friends. 

The priesthood of the believer is not only our ability to approach God with our prayers but also our role in teaching the world. With such a position through Christ, let us learn to speak truth, live truthfully, and not weary the Lord.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

Jesus taught us, saying: “Whoever holds to my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me; and whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and reveal myself to him.” — John 14.21

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Offal Leaders 

Malachi describes a de-commissioning…feces from the animal would be smeared on their faces, representing impurity and death.

Offal Leaders—Readers’ Choice
Read more: A Broken Rebel’s Prayer

His family must have hoped that their little rebel, like a well-slung stone, might take down the oppressive giant…Instead, he fails miserably.

A Broken Rebel’s Prayer — Readers’ Choice
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When God Wants to Quit Church

Links for today’s readings:

Jun 2  Read: Malachi 1 Listen: (2:47) Read: Luke 24 Listen: (6:16)

Scripture Focus: Malachi 1.10-11

10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

Reflection: When God Wants to Quit Church

By John Tillman

Imagine facing dangerous obstacles and making huge sacrifices to build a church where none exists. Then, when it is up and running, God says, “Lock the doors. Stop coming.”

That’s the opening chapter of Malachi.

It was a moving and inspiring moment when the rebuilt and rededicated temple was functioning again. (Ezra 6.15-18) But soon after temple worship resumed, God wanted to close the temple doors.

What happens when even God doesn’t want to attend worship? What makes God quit church?

Despite all they did to build the building, the people became indifferent and apathetic and treated the temple, and by extension God, with contempt.

One example of contempt, which Malachi highlighted, was sacrificing unacceptable and valueless animals. A main element of temple worship was eating sacrifices in the Lord’s presence, which also provided food for the priests. Israel brought animals so flawed and sickly, no one could, or wanted to, eat them!

That wasn’t all. Malachi went on to condemn witchcraft, adultery, lies, defrauding workers, oppressing the vulnerable, and depriving immigrants and foreigners of justice (Mal 3.5).

The people’s sacrifices broke faith with God and the temple and their actions in the community broke faith with those God loves and protects. They selfishly kept the best of everything for themselves, leaving the vulnerable desperate and the temple defiled. God will quit or close churches with contempt for the vulnerable.

Often (especially when promoting church attendance and involvement), leaders say something similar to, “Just like you can’t love me and hate my wife, you can’t love Jesus and hate his bride, the church.” This well-intentioned, but flawed analogy fails to account for our responsibility to tell the truth about the conduct of a friend’s wife and the conduct of particular churches. If a friend or family member’s spouse is abusive, an addict, cruel, corrupt, or manipulative, love obligates you to address those problems, not pretend they don’t exist.

If you love Jesus, you should love the church as Jesus does, sacrificing and serving her. This part of the analogy is accurate. But when churches operate in wicked or abusive ways, they don’t get a pass. God tells the truth about his temple and Jesus tells the truth about his churches. Love compels us to tell the truth, not ignore it.

Build churches God wants to keep open, remembering that honest critique is not betrayal but love and love rejoices at repentance.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, God reveals himself in glory.
Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; for God himself is judge. — Psalm 50.2,6

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: All Roads Lead to Jerusalem

We must face our Jerusalem…What shall we say, “Deliver us from this hour?” No. We must say, as Jesus did, “Father, glorify your name!”

All Roads Lead to Jerusalem
Read more: Examine Your Sacrifices

We are still called to works of sacrifice…feed the hungry…welcome the stranger…visit the sick and the prisoner.

Examine Your Sacrifices
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If History Rhymes, What Will Your Verse Be?

Links for today’s readings:

Jun 1  Read: Zechariah 14 Listen: (3:52) Read: Luke 23 Listen: (6:39)

Scripture Focus: Zechariah 13.3-9

3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. 
6 On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. 7 It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light. 
8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. 9 The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.

Reflection: If History Rhymes, What Will Your Verse Be?

By John Tillman

Mark Twain is (probably falsely) credited with the aphorism, “History rhymes.” This is a more nuanced truism than “History Repeating.” The “rhyming” of history does not mean that events are precisely replicated, but that similar events repeat in regular patterns, like poetry.

Like history, biblical prophecy rhymes.

Prophets, like Zechariah, wrote primarily to their contemporary audience about their immediate or not-too-distant future. But these events have layered meanings that were, or will be, fulfilled in the life of Jesus, in our lives today, and in the last days of our cosmos at the renewing of Heaven and Earth.

God parted the sea for Israel to escape from Egypt through the waters. (Ex 14.21-22; Neh 9.11; Isa 63.12) In Zechariah’s vision, God will part a mountain for Jerusalem to escape through a narrow valley. What will God part for us?

In the creation story, God divided the waters to create the waters of the sky and the waters of the seas. (Gen 1.6-7) In Zechariah’s vision, God will cause living waters to flow from Jerusalem, dividing those waters to flow both east and west to all peoples in all directions. What will God provide through us?

Most of Zechariah’s visions focused on the rebuilding and restoration following the devastation of Jerusalem in his day. But he also wrote about the coming devastation and restoration of the cosmos. Like the post-exilic Jews Zechariah wrote to, we know a final catastrophe and victory are coming, but until then, we have a rebuilding and restoration mission (2 Cor 5.18-19). 

Obstacles, whether uncrossable seas or immovable mountains, cannot keep God’s people from his purposes or keep God from coming to us. God makes the way. Nothing can or will separate us from God’s love or from the eternal fellowship of God’s people to come. No catastrophe, consequence, or calamity now or in the final days will compare to the joy and glory to come. (Rom 8.18) After everything, we will be with God, and he will be with us. So what will you do until that day?

Prophets lay down beats that echo in the future and step to the mic, dropping verses about events of their moment. But the beat will go on in our moment and in moments yet to come. What will we say and do when the mic passes to us?

“The powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” (“O Me! O Life!”)

What will your verse be?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and make melody. — Psalm 57.7


– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: The End of Evil

While it feels like our world is “always winter and never spring” God is coming to make an end of evil.

The End of Evil

Read more: Save Yourself (And Us)

We live in a “save yourself” culture. We put ourselves first and save ourselves from everything. This is one reason Jesus is foolish to our culture.

Save Yourself (And Us)
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The Context of The Widow’s Mite

Links for today’s readings:

May 29  Read: Zechariah 11 Listen: (2:40) Read: Luke 20 Listen: (5:07)

Links for this weekend’s readings:

May 30  Read: Zechariah 12-13.1 Listen: (2:30) Read: Luke 21 Listen: (4:18)
May 31  Read: Zechariah 13.2-9 Listen: (1:40) Read: Luke 22 Listen: (7:58)

Scripture Focus: Luke 20.47; 21.2-4, 6

They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely…
He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.””…
As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”..

Reflection: The Context of The Widow’s Mite

By John Tillman

Many lessons about the widow’s mite focus on how beautiful her faith is. 

The widow’s faith is beautiful because it is centered on God, not on an institution that is corrupted by sinful leadership. Her gift is beautiful because it shows how deep her faith goes—all the way down to her last pennies. Her gift is beautiful because it shows where her treasure truly lies.

We should praise the widow’s faith, as Jesus did, but taken in context, this scripture has more to say about unscrupulous religious leaders than about generous poor people. It tells us that judgment is coming on leaders who take advantage of the poor. 

In Luke and in Mark, the widow enters in the middle of a scene where Christ is confronting the religious leaders’ materialism and hypocrisy and, just afterward, tells his disciples that the Temple they value so much will be torn down and destroyed.

Luke includes the detail that Jesus “looked up” and saw the widow’s deed in the midst of his teaching. The words just off of his lips are ones of judgment on religious leaders who “devour widows’ houses.” When Jesus points out the widow, he is showing us that his meaning is not metaphorical. The widow’s story gives us someone to emulate in faith, but also points out someone we should serve with action.

Scripture doesn’t tell us what happened to the widow. Some propose that God would miraculously provide for her. If forced to conjecture, I pray that one of Christ’s disciples, being as concerned about the destruction of the widow’s life as about the destruction of the Temple, would take her in. Often miracles are simply disciples taking practical action. (I like to imagine that perhaps it was Mark.)

The bright light of the widow’s faith shines within the darkness of hypocrisy and abuse. What does the Spirit of Christ speak to you in the light of her faith? 

Are we like the religious leaders? Are we projecting piety while living extravagantly?

Are we like the rich? Are we giving because it looks good or until we feel good?

Are we like the disciples? Are we over-impressed with wealth and success, equating it with God’s favor?

Can we learn to live like the widow? Are we able to live in faith, despite our systematic victimization, despite our poverty, and despite the existence of corruption?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence

I have said to the Lord, “You are my God; listen, O Lord, to my supplication. — Psalm 140.6

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Vulnerable Quartet

The “quartet of the vulnerable” is a term for those vulnerable to harm, particularly in the Bible: the widow, the orphan, the immigrant, and the poor.

Vulnerable Quartet
Read more: Poverty, Policy, and Posture

The biblical causes of poverty are many. The biblical response to poverty is not. God expects compassion and action on behalf of the poor.

Poverty, Policy, and Posture
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Ruinous Shepherds

Links for today’s readings:

May 28  Read: Zechariah 10 Listen: (2:11) Read: Luke 19 Listen: (5:29)

Scripture Focus: Zechariah 10.2-3

2 The idols speak deceitfully, 

diviners see visions that lie; 

they tell dreams that are false, 

they give comfort in vain. 

Therefore the people wander like sheep 

oppressed for lack of a shepherd. 

3 “My anger burns against the shepherds, 

and I will punish the leaders; 

for the Lord Almighty will care 

for his flock, the people of Judah, 

and make them like a proud horse in battle.

Reflection: Ruinous Shepherds

By John Tillman

Most of us don’t understand leaving flocks of sheep in another’s care. But most of us have had pets.

Imagine trusting a friend to pet-sit your dog while you’re on a long trip. Before you left, the dog was house trained and well disciplined, rarely damaging furniture and never biting or harming anyone.

When you return, you find your friend spent the whole time drunk, abandoning the discipline and order put in place for the dog. The furniture is chewed and stuffing from sofas and other items is scattered through the house. The dog was not let out at proper times and there is feces and urine in the house and stains from previous incidents. The dog was not fed proper food at proper times and has become food aggressive, jumping on anyone holding food and biting or attempting to bite guests.

Your home and dog are in chaos because of the person charged with caring for the dog. You will be angry at the dog for its new behaviors, but your deepest anger will be toward your friend.

Retraining the dog will be unpleasant and difficult for both you and the dog. The dog, if it could speak, would probably call the retraining program harsh or cruel, even though it is for the dog’s benefit.

As difficult as it will be to retrain your dog, it might be more difficult to repair your relationship with your friend. They ruined your dog! They not only harmed the dog but made the dog dangerous to others.

This is the type of anger God has for “shepherds” of his people who misuse, abuse, or abandon their responsibilities. This behavior is especially egregious when motivated by the pursuit of pleasure, power, or wealth. We can be made dangerous to others by abusive shepherds. All, like sheep, stray. But when leaders drive flocks to error, God is especially angry and will harshly punish those responsible.

We, however, are more responsible for our own behavior than sheep or dogs. We can’t blame all our sins on leaders. When we follow ruinous and foolish shepherds, support them, endorse them, and become like them, we join ourselves to them and the consequences God will bring on them.

Rejoice when bad leaders are called to account. But don’t forget that we also are responsible and must submit to “retraining” through repentance.

Woe to ruinous shepherds and those who follow them.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

He looks at the earth and it trembles; he touches the mountains and they smoke. — Psalm 104.33

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Until I Come Back

Christ’s followers have been given opportunities to know him, resources to cultivate for him, and needy people to serve for him.

Until I Come Back
Read more: Bad Shepherds

Pointing a finger and blaming “false shepherds” is common in American Christianity. How do we know who is telling the truth?

Bad Shepherds
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