Peter Misselbrook's Blog

Jan 27 2019 - Psalm 14 – The fool and his heart

The "fool" spoken of in this psalm is not someone lacking intelligence. Indeed, there are many highly intelligent people possessing many academic qualifications whom the psalmist might characterise using this uncomplimentary term.

The "fool" makes frequent appearances in the book of Proverbs as well as in this and several other psalms. The term is used to mean the opposite of the "wise" person. Wisdom is knowing how to live well in God's world and begins with the fear of God – reverence for him and a desire to learn of him and submit to him. The fool, on the contrary, "says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" This does not mean that such a person is an atheist; they may even profess to believe that God exists. Rather, it means that they live their lives as if there were no God – they are practical atheists. They do not believe, or perhaps do not wish to believe, that they are accountable to anyone other than themselves and so they are determined to live to please themselves. Their verdict on their own lives would be, "I did it my way."

This is the sin that entered the world through Adam and Eve. They refused to listen to God, wanting rather to be gods to themselves. And this is the evil that tears apart the world that God made for our enjoyment and our blessing. Paul quotes verses from this psalm in Romans 3:10-12 as part of a catalogue of quotations designed to show that the whole world has gone its own way in rebellion against God. When the Creator is not honoured, created life becomes the sphere of disorder and chaos. Life is then often marked by fear and terror (v.5).

But God is still on his throne (v.2) and he is at work to redeem and restore precisely such a messed up world as this. He had been at work through the children of Israel, the descendants of Jacob, at work to fulfil his promise of raising up from Abraham's descendants a Saviour in whom all peoples on earth would be blessed. At last God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to be its Saviour and to lay down his life as a ransom for sinners.

And now God is at work in and through us. Jesus took pity on us in our folly and confusion and came to our rescue. He has become our wisdom, righteousness and redemption. It is our delight to learn of him, follow him and serve him.

We may sometimes fear the scorn of those who do not share our faith and may even unashamedly assert that "There is no God." We may feel ill equipped to respond to them. But there is no reason for us to fear for we have God's own promise and assurance that he is with us (v.5). We need rather to turn to him in heartfelt prayer like that in the final verse of this psalm:

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When the LORD restores his people,
    let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! 

We need to plead with God that he would strengthen and revive his church so that God's saving power may flow from us to touch and transform our needy world into one in which the strong no longer oppress the weak (v.6) but where all honour God and care for one another.

Shine, Jesus, shine,
fill this land with the Father's glory;
blaze Spirit, blaze,
set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow,
flood the nations with grace and mercy;
send forth your word, Lord,
and let there be light.  [Graham Kendrick]

Jan 27 2020 - Luke 12:35-59 – The Lord who serves

Luke records a number of parables in which Jesus tells his disciples always to be ready for the day of his return. One such parable is recorded in Luke 12:35-40. Jesus tells his disciples that they/we must always be alert and prepared for his coming:

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes...  even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak... You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

But what I find most remarkable about this parable is what Jesus says of the way the master will treat his servants who have been keenly waiting for his return, "Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them" (12:37). What an extraordinary statement. Certainly this is no description of what one might expect a master to do, even for the best of his servants. Jesus is clearly speaking here of himself. He came into this world not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for sinners. He is the one who at the last Passover meal which he ate with his disciples, got up from the table, wrapped a towel around his waist, took a bowl of water and washed his disciples' feet. He who was the Lord of Glory came to us as the Suffering Servant.

And in this remarkable parable we learn that he does not lay aside this role with his return to glory – nor at his second coming. We know that when he returns he will come in glory to judge the living and the dead; yet, here we are told that he will remain the Servant King. He comes to serve his servants and to bless those who have longed for his appearing. As he broke the bread for the two travellers to Emmaus on the day of his resurrection, so shall he break bread for us when he returns – we shall share in the wedding banquet.

Meanwhile, our Servant King calls us to follow him in lives of glad service – to be about the Master’s business. Jesus has entrusted us with the care of his world and the work of his kingdom. It’s as if we have been entrusted again with the care of a garden. What will the Master find when he returns? Will it be neglected, overgrown and filled with thorns and thistles or will it be carefully tended, dug and planted, full of the fruits of our labour and made beautiful with the colour and scent of its flowers? How are we tending the garden entrusted to our care?

The promise of the Master’s return should keep us busy in his service, ready for the moment when he shall appear and looking towards his commendation, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Gracious Father, forgive me that I often live in a manner little different from those who do not know you and who do not look forward to Christ’s appearing. Help me not only to call Jesus “Lord” but to live, moment-by-moment in glad response to his love for me. Keep my lamp burning brightly. Help me by your Spirit to live in the light of his death and resurrection and towards the promise of his coming. Teach me the work you have for me to do and help me to do it willingly and well, just as Jesus gave himself willingly for me. May I delight in a life of service of you my God, of Christ my Lord and towards a world of need.

Peter Misselbrook