John Tillman - The Park Forum

August 15, 2024August 10, 2024

Wealth is a Dangerous Tool

Scripture Focus: James 5.1-5
1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.

Reflection: Wealth is a Dangerous Tool
By John Tillman

When people think the New Testament is soft and the Old Testament is harsh, they probably haven’t read James.

Among other teachings, James holds some of the harshest words in scripture directed towards the wealthy. They are so harsh we often feel the need to soften them.

We tend to focus on the idea that the wealthy have a responsibility to use resources ethically. This is true and important. God repeatedly expresses concern for vulnerable people and his wrath towards those who fail to help, or worse, take advantage of them. Tim Keller described God’s special concern for a biblical “quartet of the vulnerable” that included orphans, widows, foreigners, and the poor. The law and the prophets describe neglect and oppression of these people as shedding blood which cries out to God.

James mentioned unethical practices we should avoid. Hoarding is storing up wealth for ourselves beyond what we need. Wage theft is unpaid, partial, or unfair wages. Self-indulgence is treating ourselves to luxuries. Over-consumption can mean food, entertainment, or anything else we binge on.

But James didn’t start with “You are not doing good with your wealth.” James’s first point was “Your wealth is doing evil to you.”

James didn’t seem to think of wealth as a passive, neutral tool. James described wealth as actively harming us, corrupting us, poisoning us. He called it a corrosive force that will “eat your flesh like fire” and bring misery.

Is wealth harming us because we misuse it or are we misusing it because it corrupts and harms us? I think James would say, “Both.”

So, is it all bad news? What should we do?

We must avoid unethical practices and do as much good with our resources as we can. But we can’t completely avoid participating in harm. Even if we pay the best wages, we benefit from those that don’t. Even when we do good with our wealth, evil exists within the flaws and failures of whatever system through which we earned it. If Solomon, the wisest to ever live was corrupted by wealth, we can’t rely on our wisdom.

Take James’s words to heart and don’t soften them. Let them inspire humility and respectful fear. If wealth is a tool, it is a dangerous one. Handle your wealth like a hazard—like a radioactive substance. The more you have, the more shielding you need from its corruption.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
When Jesus was at dinner in his [Matthew’s] house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this he said to them, “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the upright, but sinners.” — Mark 2.15-17

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

Today’s Readings
Jeremiah 9 (Listen 4:38)
James 5 (Listen 3:01)

Read more about Readers’ Choice
Readers’ Choice starts in September, so it’s time to share your favorite posts of the year. Tell us your faves via email, direct message, or the linked form.

https://forms.gle/9vyYwVxa1kZZn7AKA

Read more about Kingmakers Unmade
Wealth has unique and difficult dangers that can poison us.

Kingmakers Unmade

August 13, 2024August 10, 2024

A Different Kind of Greeter

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 7.2-11
2 “Stand at the gate of the Lord’s house and there proclaim this message: “ ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. 3 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. 4 Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” 5 If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, 6 if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. 8 But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. 9 “ ‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things? 11 Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord.

Reflection: A Different Kind of Greeter
By John Tillman

Jeremiah wouldn’t make a great church door greeter.

Even as a mostly introverted person, I love churches with smiling, happy, engaging greeters. Having greeters actively welcoming people is an important part of the modern church environment.

God sent Jeremiah to “greet” people at the Temple’s entrance but God didn’t tell him to have a warm smile and a pleasant demeanor. Jeremiah stood at the door and warned people sternly. Imagine a scowling prophet, growling something like the following to you as you arrive to church:

“I don’t care how happy you act when you enter these doors or how much you say you love this place and love God! You must change your ways! You are deceived if you think you can oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed innocent blood, and bow down to other forces and idols, and I won’t notice! Instead of a place of worship, you have made this a den of robbers!”

Jeremiah is hot-tempered and prickly Instead of warm and fuzzy. Jesus remixed Jeremiah when he cleansed the Temple. (Matthew 21.12-14; Mark 11.15-17; Luke 19.45-46)

Unlike modern churches, the Temple was designed only for Jews and believers. There were restrictions on who could enter and how far. Because Jesus did away with those distinctions modern churches welcome anyone, believer or unbeliever, into holy space without exception. The devout believer, the absolute skeptic, and the sin-addicted outsider are all welcome. We are all sick and Jesus is the doctor.

But what if we think we aren’t sick?

Jeremiah’s warning told the seemingly devout they were deceived. They thought they were righteous sheep but were ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7.15; Acts 20.29) They thought they were rich but were poor, blind, and naked. (Revelation 3.17) Jeremiah, and God, judged them not by their demeanor but their deeds.As we enter worship, let us imagine a different kind of greeter. As you pass smiling people, ask the Holy Spirit, “What parts of Jeremiah’s warning apply to us today?” Would Jeremiah (or Jesus) say to us, “You have made this a den of robbers”?

Are we shedding blood? (Or profiting from suffering?)
Are we oppressing foreigners or other vulnerable people? (Or supporting those who are?)
Are we devoted to the idols of culture, such as politics, pleasure, wealth, or notoriety?

Don’t despair. When Jesus cleared the temple of “robbers,” he called the wounded to himself. Go to Jesus. Repent. Fall on his mercy and grace.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endures forever. — Psalm 136.1-2

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

Today’s Readings
Jeremiah 7 (Listen 5:18)
James 3 (Listen 2:38)

Read more about Readers’ Choice
Readers’ Choice starts in September, so it’s time to share your favorite posts of the year. Tell us your faves via email, direct message, or the linked form.

https://forms.gle/9vyYwVxa1kZZn7AKA

Read more about Where is the Love?
Who does Jesus love? Who or what is he fighting for? …allow Jesus to clean out your Temple courts…Are you willing to let him do it?

Where is the Love?

July 12, 2024July 12, 2024

Calluses Aren’t Forever

Scripture Focus: Acts 28.23-28
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26 “ ‘Go to this people and say,
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
27 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

Reflection: Calluses Aren’t Forever
By John Tillman

Calluses develop. We aren’t born with them.

Frequent friction forms calluses that are intended to protect us and, in some cases, help us. I have not played guitar in a long time, but my left hand used to have callus-tipped fingers. Even without a guitar in my hand, calluses marked me as an instrumentalist. If I nervously drummed my fingers on a table or desk, the tell-tale percussive taps of my calloused left hand were louder and sharper than the muted taps from my right.

Before the calluses formed, my tender fingertips could not stand to practice long without severe pain from the pressure and friction of the tiny metal strings. Once formed, the calluses, helped me play longer. (But not much better, unfortunately.)

The calloused hands of manual laborers testify to the hard work they regularly do. You don’t get calloused hands doing yard work once a week. You get them changing tires, or replacing roofs, or landscaping for long hours daily.

Physical calluses are badges of honor for hard work, frequently done. They indicate, in most cases, dedication and strength. The Bible speaks of calluses that are non-physical. We can have calloused ears that don’t hear, calloused hearts that don’t feel, calloused minds that refuse gospel arguments, and calloused souls that reject God.

Calluses of ears, hearts, minds, and souls don’t develop, as physical ones do, from hard work and frequent use. They develop from avoiding hard things and refusing to listen. When Paul addressed the Jewish community in Rome, “some were convinced…but others would not believe.” Paul quoted a warning from Isaiah to these individuals that they would become calloused. (Isaiah 6.9-10) Jesus also referred to this warning. (Matthew 13.13-16)

After his warning, Isaiah asked, “How long, Lord?” (Isaiah 6.11) The Lord’s answer included suffering and destruction, but also hope. God told Isaiah that the calloused hearts, ears, and eyes were temporary. Jesus and Paul knew this too. Calluses aren’t forever.

Do you know people with gospel-resistant calluses? Do they stop their ears? Do they refuse to listen? (Acts 7.51-52) Don’t give up on them. Pray that they will stop resisting.

I no longer play guitar and today my left hand is as soft and sensitive as my right. Stay sensitive to those with calloused hearts. Reducing friction allows calluses to soften. Paul spoke “all day long” and some believed. Have patience and don’t be ashamed to share the gospel with the calloused.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
Jesus taught us, saying: “Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” — Matthew 7.13-14

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

Today’s Readings
Isaiah 41 (Listen 5:00)
Acts 28 (Listen 4:56)

This Weekend’s Readings
Isaiah 42 (Listen 4:11), Psalm 107 (Listen 4:12)
Isaiah 43 (Listen 4:06), Psalms 108-109 (Listen 4:28)

Read more about Types of Blindness
Even those who already believe can be blinded…There are many types of blindness. Jesus heals them all.

Types of Blindness

Read more about Student Writers Month
Support our 2024 student writers. Donations from July 15 through August 9th will go to scholarship stipends. Read student bios and donate through our website.

Student Writers Month

July 11, 2024July 9, 2024

Someone Must Pay

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 40.1-2, 9-10
1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.

9 You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.

Reflection: Someone Must Pay
By John Tillman

When a baseball flies through a window.
When a distracted driver rear-ends a car.
When a phone, knocked to the ground, shatters.

When property is damaged, humans have a common instinct: “Somebody has to pay for that.” If we damage the property, the “somebody,” is us. If someone else damages our property, we seek restitution from them.

Even those who deny God or the Bible have a sense of this kind of justice. They cannot explain these intuitions or ground them in any logical cause, but they have them. The desire for justice is part of our created nature—a sliver of shattered imago dei within.

Sin goes beyond breaking God’s rules carved on stone tablets. Sin harms us, other humans, or God’s world, and for this reason, sin breaks God’s heart. This is why David, who harmed Bathsheba, Uriah, and Joab, says he sinned against God. (Psalm 51.4) This is why David’s line of kings, who crushed the poor, widows, and foreigners and promoted idolatry, grift, and violence, sinned against God. Sin is harm instead of health, poison instead of nutrition, and decay instead of cultivation. Someone must pay.

Shattered glass in windows, automobiles, and phone screens can easily be repaired or replaced. But what if the damage goes beyond cracked glass or bent metal? What about losses that cannot be replaced with an identical item from the shelf of a store? What about harm that is not easily assigned a monetary value? What recompense can we give for even a ruined day, much less a ruined life?

We often use metaphors of payment to discuss sin and salvation. There were earthly “payments” for Judah’s sins. Political and military defeat and exile were coming. But that didn’t pay for it. How could 70 years in exile pay for generations of harm?

We may have earthly consequences we must pay for our sins and failures. But these don’t pay for our sins.

Like Judah, our comfort is that God’s mercy, through Jesus Christ, cancels the sins of the repentant. Jesus brings reward and recompense we could never carry. He restores things we destroyed, repairs things we broke, and repays what we stole.

Join the voice in the wilderness proclaiming good news. (Luke 4.17-21) Speak tenderly of comfort to those harmed. Tell sinful Jerusalems, Judeas, Samarias, and the world to repent and believe the good news. (Luke 24.46-47; Acts 1.8)

For every harm, Jesus paid it all.Music:“Jesus Paid it All” lyrics by Elvina M. Hall, recording by Shane and Shane.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Gracious is the Lord and righteous; our God is full of compassion. — Psalm 116.4

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

Today’s Readings
Isaiah 40 (Listen 5:09)
Acts 27 (Listen 6:09)

Read more about Treasure in Our Sacks
We come with the false belief that we must buy blessings and the false pride that we have the means with which to do it.

Treasure in Our Sacks

Read more about Unobligated God
But thank God that he pays debts that he does not owe. He is a God who gives when he has no obligation.

Unobligated God

July 9, 2024July 7, 2024

The Impression That We Give

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 38.15-19
15 But what can I say?
He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.
I will walk humbly all my years
because of this anguish of my soul.
16 Lord, by such things people live;
and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
and let me live.
17 Surely it was for my benefit
that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me
from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins
behind your back.
18 For the grave cannot praise you,
death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit
cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living—they praise you,
as I am doing today;
parents tell their children
about your faithfulness.

Reflection: The Impression That We Give
By John Tillman

Have you ever been close to tragedy or been close to folks who have?

If you are humming a tune right now, you probably recognize the question above as the opening line of a popular song from 1997. “The Impression That I Get” doesn’t give the first impression of a song with deep meaning. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones bouncy, ska-infused beat sounds like a perfect summer party jam for the beach or pool, with a chorus people love to scream-sing along with. But the lyrics are deeper than a party pool or the shallow swim area at the beach. The song discusses seeing someone’s tragedy up close and doubting if you would have the faith, the strength, or the courage to face it.

“I’m not a coward, I’ve just never been tested
I’d like to think that if I was I would pass
Look at the tested and think “There but for the grace go I”
Might be a coward, I’m afraid of what I might find out”

We find out a lot about Hezekiah’s faith when he faces a deadly illness. Hezekiah described a painful time of emotional anguish as being crushed by the jaws of a devouring lion. Yet in prayer, weeping, and lament, Hezekiah reached out to God and was miraculously healed.

In Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, he found that the survivors of Nazi death camps had in common a transcendent source of meaning outside of career, family, or possessions. The greatest sources of inner hope and meaning are not self-created but discovered in God.

With purpose, we suffer on. With hope for something better, even if we’ll never experience it, we endure the present. Meaning and hope discovered in God create and sustain courage and cannot be taken away in suffering, even if everything, including your life, is.

What we discover in God, we must help guide others to discover. Hezekiah’s psalm isn’t a party jam but it is a freedom song, a testament of faith and hope not fear and panic. The next generation has plenty of panic and fear. They need the hope and purpose we discover in the gospel. Pain is not purposeless and God’s grace is sufficient for us. (2 Corinthians 12.9)

What stories of suffering have you been telling and what songs of hope have you been singing?
What impression of God’s faithfulness do we give?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Morning Psalm
Therefore I will praise you upon the lyre for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing to you with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
My lips will sing with joy when I play to you, and so will my soul which you have redeemed.
My tongue will proclaim your righteousness all day long, for they are ashamed and disgraced who sought to do me harm. — Psalm 71.22-24

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

Today’s Readings
Isaiah 38 (Listen 3:20)
Acts 25 (Listen 4:40)

Read more about From the Crucible of Suffering
Deep richness comes to people who face suffering biblically…joy and contentment difficult experiences cannot steal.

From the Crucible of Suffering

Read more about Worthy of Suffering
Every time the work was hindered, the apostles persevered. They had to…no, they got to continue preaching through many dangers.

Worthy of Suffering