Sunday School Lesson for August 2, 2020 (Faith and Wisdom: James 1:1-11)

James 1:1

1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.

Greetings!

I Corinthians 15: 7

7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.

As we continue to pursue Wisdom, we turn to the Book of James. There are a few things that need to be established in order to place this book in its proper context.

1. As there are several ‘James’ mentioned in the New Testament, the writer of this tome is generally thought to be James, the half brother of Jesus.

John 7:5

 5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

2. He did not believe Jesus was Messiah during his earthy ministry. Only after the resurrection did James become s believer.

Galatians 1: 18-19

18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter,[g] and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 

3. James was regarded as an Apostle and as a preeminent leader of the Church at Jerusalem by the other Apostles.

These are important facts to know as a preface to the book of James. Let’s get started. In James1:1 we are introduced to James, who, interestingly, does not identify himself as ‘the brother of the Lord, but rather as a ‘slave’ of the Lord. In doing so, immediately sets the tone for the remainder of the book: humility. Humility must guide the life of believers from spiritual birth to spiritual maturity. James, in wisdom, demonstrates one of the greatest lessons of example: lead by example. Pay attention.

Verse one also informs us that James is writing to … a predominately Jewish audience. While there is a great deal of debate about who James is writing to, James makes it clear that he is writing to Jewish Christians (Messianic Jews) that have been forcibly dispersed from Israel because of their conversion to Christianity. This truth also contributes to the tone of the book. To this point, allow me to, add that while James was writing explicitly to Jewish believers, Christians of every ethnos benefit from James’ heartfelt entreaty to his fellow, former countrymen. God, through the Holy Spirit, used James to instruct the entirety of the Ecclesia (the Universal Church).

James 1: 2-4

2 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

How many of us know that it is easier to grow in faith from a position of humility? When we are tested, we may not know the why, we may not completely comprehend the depth of the what, but, as believers, if we will trust that God knows and that he cares, that he loves us; if we will just hold to these simple, foundational truths; Hallelujah! Troubles will come. I certainly have had my share. But we serve God, who is able to use any tests that we endure to our eternal benefit. Amen!

James 1: 5-8

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

And when you find yourself lacking, ask God. Isn’t that what humility looks like? Who else would you ask? The wisdom of God in Joseph confounded the pharoahs of Egypt. The wisdom of God in Daniel caused Babylonian and Persion kings to throw up their hands in surrender to God. Additionally, Solomon was found to be highly favoured by God for simply requesting … wisdom. Money, fame, possessions; none are as important to the believer as wisdom. Fear not. Ask. God is faithful.

James 1: 9-11

9 Believers who are[b] poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

This first lesson closes with a final thought: God is not a respecter of persons. He makes no difference between the haves and the have nots. God looks on the heart. We mistakenly attribute riches to blessing. That’s poor theology, and not necessarily good Christianity. God cares about people, not about stuff. To the poor He say’s, “ Don’t worry about stuff. Keep your eyes and yor devotion on me.” To the rich he says, “Remember where your stuff came from. In all things, honor me.”

I Peter 5:5

5. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

That concludes the first of this multi-week over view on the book of James. Remember the prelude to this lesson. We delved just a little into the background of James. We will further explore his motivations in upcoming lessons.

Selah,

wb

Sunday School Lesson for July 26, 2020: Wisdom to Follow (John 14: 1-14)

 

Prelude: Nowhere to go…

John 13:37-38

37 “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.”

38 Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.

I’ve been in this space. No room to maneuver. Out of options. Rock bottom. Fearful. Uncertain. Alone. This is the realization unfolding before disciples. Jesus has informed the disciples that he is leaving. This will be their last... supper... together.

Interlude: “..my Redeemer lives”

John 14:1

1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

Out of the fog. A light in the darkness. His voice soothes. His presence heals. Jesus wants his disciples to know that all is not lost. He also wants them to know that he is still an integral part of God’s plan for them, but how?

John 14:2-3

 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.[a] If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

Their reservations are confirmed. Jesus lets his disciples know their accommodations await them. And in time, he will return for them. They are not abandoned.

John 14:4-5

4 And you know the way to where I am going.”

5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

I’ve had conversations like this, haven’t you? You are saying one thing and, apparently, the person you are conversing with is saying something entirely different. Up is left, Down is in. What? Listen to Thomas, “Lord… we have no idea…” We are still grasping for understanding. Lord, help us.

 

John 14:6-7

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is.[c] From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

Here’s where you have to listen with your heart. Allow me to paraphrase Jesus’ words in order to provide clarity. Jesus said, “ I AM. No one can come to the I AM except through the I AM.” Did you get it” 

John 8: 58

58 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am

 

John 10:30

30 “The Father and I are one.”

Jesus has provoked his enemies with these same words: I AM. Now he seeks to provoke his closest friends….in their deep despair… to faith, and in doing so, to hope… in love. I AM from the lips of Jesus… no sweeter words. 

John 14: 8

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

“Immediate Need Gratification” or, in more modern terms  “Instant Gratification”

•  is the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay or deferment. Basically, it's when you want it; and you want it now. ... Waiting is hard, and there is an innate desire to have what we want when we want it, which is usually without any delay.

My mother finished college after having started a family. Subsequently, she would transfer knowledge from her classroom to our living room on a regular basis. We learned the term “Immediate Need Gratification”  from one of her Psychology classes. I am certain that she embraced the term as a teaching tool for five children for whom ‘enough was never enough’ and who wanted what they wanted when they wanted it. Who knew there was a name for such a thing? I have another question: who knew that something that we thought was a  product of our ‘fast food’ society would be an identifiable and entirely human dysfunction in biblical times? And yet, here’s an exasperated Philip asking Jesus to just ‘show us the Father…”, “Just show us the end of the movie”, ”just give us the CLIF NOTES version”, “Scottie, beam us up!”.

John 14:9-10

9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 

Now Jesus presses the point, plainly restating that he is the I AM, the First and the Last, The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, Literally, the ‘Ancient of Days’. How are the disciples to process this great truth? How are we?

John 14:11

11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.

In this moment, the disciples are face to face with the Creator of all that exists. So are we. What does that imply? If God...bothered...to come to you... personally…. with a very simple imperative, “Just believe!”, how would you respond? I mean….it’s...GOD? What do you do? Is there anything that God can require of you that cannot be accomplished by you? Let me put it another way… 

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14a)

The short answer is ...no. Armed with that information and that assurance, what next?

John 14:12-14

12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

‘Just ask!’. After all. It’s not about what you asked. It’s about who you asked. Don’t overthink it. Just keep a pure heart … and ask!

Selah..

wb

Micah 6:8

...the Lord has told you what is good,

    and this is what he requires of you:

to do what is right, to love mercy,

    and to walk humbly with your God.

Sunday School Lesson for July 19, 2020: The Wisdom of Jesus (Mark 6:1-6)

Mark 6:1

1 Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown.

Home. There is nothing that feels quite like coming home. Whether you have been away for a few hours or a few years, there is no place like home. In this particular instance, Jesus’s return marked a brief respite from a very intensive yet fruitful ministry outreach.  Miracles, healings, deliverance; all occurred on this junket.

Mark 6:2a

 2a. The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue,...

Sometimes it is nice to come home and recharge, to reconnect with family and loved ones. It’s nice to have time for quietness, prayer, and meditation. Jesus had a few days before the next Sabbath. I’m sure it was time much appreciated. Then came the Sabbath…

Mark 6:2b

2b. and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?”

Herein lies the great wisdom of God: the Gospel. This message that Jesus preached, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” was accompanied by the power of God. It left those who heard and witnessed it amazed.

Mark 6:3

3. Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary[a] and the brother of James, Joseph,[b] Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Believe it or not, God is at work here. 

Acts 10:15

15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”

Jesus encounters opposition from his neighbors. They scoff, they criticize in unbelief. Yes, they have seen the wonders by Jesus’ hand, but no, their minds, their intellect won’t accept….

• I’m in the middle of a hard curve. Give me a minute…

Mark 16:20

20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

I was in a church service one Sunday. The Spirit was high.  The minister stepped from the pulpit and proclaimed, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to lay hands on the sick!” many came to be prayed for. There were two elderly women that had come in separately. Both seemed feeble and were supported by walkers. Additionally, they both were assisted by people that had accompanied them. In the case of the first sister, her two grown sons accompanied her, one on either side. When the minister made the call, she made her way to the altar, the other sister remained seated. The minister anointed her with oil and laid hands on her. After the service, that woman walked out of the service carrying that walker. When her sons approached to assist, she brushed them off. It was obvious, she got what she came for.

Mark 6:5-6

 5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.

This new thing that Jesus was doing, this ‘Good News that he preached was accompanied by special miracles. The same was true for the early disciples. The onus was on the hearers of his words to simply believe the ‘Good News.’ The problem: the miracles and the bearer of the message didn’t match. Was not Jesus just a village carpenter? Were not the disciples just lowly fishermen? Has not that same complaint filled the preaching of the Gospel to this day? Israel was waiting on a King, not a carpenter. Jesus didn’t meet the description. Neither do you.

Yet, God is still using commoners to preach his Word. Jesus prepared the way for regular people like you and I to preach his Word. God is not differentiating between Jew and Greek any longer. Nor between slave or free. He does not even distinguish between male and female. All are the same in his eyes. No one is beneath the Gospel. No one is beyond salvation. Jesus showed us the way…

I Corinthians 12:31b

And yet I show you a more excellent way.

James 4:6

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

“God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble.”

Beloved, let us be thankful that God devised a plan to redeem...us all.

Selah

wb

Sunday School Lesson for July 12, 2020: The Boy Jesus (Ecclesiastes 3:1,7b; Luke 2:39-52)

Ecclesiastes 3:1,7b

1 ….For everything, there is a season,

    a time for every activity under heaven.

7b.  ...A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

I find it interesting that we know nearly nothing concerning Jesus’ childhood. In the infinite wisdom of God, having this episode of Jesus’ childhood as the lone example speaks to timing and providence more so than to a simple historic rendering of young Jesus.  The Bible simply records that at the age of twelve, Jesus spoke.

Luke 2: 39-40

39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

This portion of the lesson directs us to the type of parents Joseph and Mary were. They took the responsibility of parenthood seriously. You must first observe that they followed the letter of the Law in raising the child Jesus. No shortcuts. No time off. Both had been instructed by God that the son they were rearing was not theirs, but that he was begotten of God and that he would be the Messiah, the hope of all Israel.

You can also see the fruit of their labor.  The Bible says that Jesus was healthy and strong. That speaks to the care with which they raised Jesus. They made sure his physical and mental needs were met. The Bible also says about the child Jesus that he was filled with wisdom and that God’s favor was upon him. That’s a little harder to pin down. You see, in order for these characteristics to be observed requires a spiritual component: discernment. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11a

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart,

Spiritual discernment is normally reserved for the spiritually mature. What you can surmise then is that these character traits, wisdom, and God’s favor, were observed by the elders in Jesus’ community.  Growing up, there were elders around us who recognized our particular talents. Some could draw, some could sing, some showed athletic promise, some showed intellectual acumen. When elders in the community saw those talents, they encouraged us and… they remembered. Not only would they remember, but they reminded us that we had a seed of greatness within us. Discernment. Luke would have had to have interviewed some aunts and uncles; some older relatives to get that information

Luke 2:41-45

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

Mark 6:3

3 Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary[a] and the brother of James, Joseph,[b] Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Allow me to add flavor to the episode of Jesus becoming separated from his parents on the trip home from the Passover celebration. Twelve-year-old Jesus had younger siblings. Mark and Matthew identify four of Jesus’ brothers by name and they both mention that Jesus had sisters (plural) as well. So with this in mind, be reminded that Jesus, the eldest of Joseph and Mary’s children has also gained a reputation as someone who is both strong and wise. Subsequently, it’s understandable that both mom and dad trusted him and may have given him more leeway and less direct supervision. Especially when there are younger siblings to care for.

Luke 2: 46-50

45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”

49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”[a] 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.

Imagine their anguish when Jesus is suddenly unaccounted for. The anxiety as they begin to backtrack to Jerusalem in search of Mary’s firstborn son. Imagine their relief and growing astonishment as they return to Jerusalem and are directed to the Temple where Jesus has been recently seen. Then, as they approach the portico where the religious leaders visit to debate the scriptures and the events of the day, what are they to think when they see Jesus, sitting calmly in the midst of these august leaders of the nation of Israel. Relief? Gratitude? Consternation? All of these emotions and so many more …. in an instant. “Jesus! Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” Note Jesus’ response:  “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 

My Father’s house. Did you hear that? My. Father’s. House. Was it always this hard to get Jesus out of the synagogue on every Sabbath? I don’t know. What I do know is that he feels entirely at home in the Temple. Every column, every vessel, every ornament, everything in the Temple must speak to Jesus’ subconscious in unimaginable ways. It must so remind him of ...home.

“In the first place..”

Did you know that the phrase, “In the first place..” is actually a mnemonic; a memory prompter the ancient  Romans would use to help them remember and deliver speeches. They would imagine a house of many rooms, then mentally place a portion of the speech in each room. When delivering the speech, they would mentally picture each room individually, thus prompting themselves to remember each part of the speech as mentally moved from room to room. Imagine then, what Jesus might have experienced as he moved around the Temple.

Luke: 2:51-52

51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Proverbs 1:8-9

8 My child, listen when your father corrects you.

    Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.

 

9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace

    and be a chain of honor around your neck

Let me close with a couple of thoughts: God was not finished with Joseph and Mary. The last two verses indicate that Jesus had more learning and growing yet to do under their tutelage, not the tutelage of Israel’s religious leaders. What did Jesus learn about Love in their home? What may he have earned about Faith and Hope? How may he have seen Grace exemplified in their humble abode in Galilee? After all, a loving home should be where all of those spiritual graces are first encountered.

ADDENDUM: 

John 7:10

10 But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went,...

If I were preaching this message. I would take a moment to add to my appreciation of the parenting of Joseph and Mary. After all, Jesus had four brothers, and scripture records that they were devout in their observance of the religious festivals. Where did they learn that? In the same house where Jesus was raised. I’ll further support that point by observing that two of Jesus’ brothers are forever canonized in Scripture. That’s right, both James and Jude have writings in Scripture that guide and comfort the Church to this day. Looks like God had a plan for them too. It had to be developed in the house of Joseph and Mary. What a testament to the unwavering commitment to godly parenting….    Selah

-wb

What Bible story has the greatest impact on society today?

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…” Genesis 1:1. The secular community rejects this postulate. The church accepts this postulate by faith but fails to embrace the science that lends evidence to what we believe. Both errors have contributed to the dumbing down of the society at large, which in turn contributes to much of the strife we are currently experiencing worldwide.

Take for instance the concept of Irreducible Complexity, simply termed “The Watchmaker’s Analogy”. The concept is not new and it is not exclusively Christian. Simply stated; If one found a complex mechanism in a field, one could safely assume that it did not simply grow out of the ground, but rather was created purposefully by an intelligent designer. 

To refute so simple a concept, evolutionists have substituted the elements of time (endless) and chance for a Creator. The theory of evolution, with its unprovable postulate, that everything evolved from nothing and it’s lack of evidence that any living thing is evolving, actually promotes racism through its core belief in the concept of ‘Survival of the Fittest’. 

The church, in failing to embrace the simple logic of concepts like Irreducible Complexity, end up thumping their bibles and rejecting science ‘in toto’. Thus the intellectual and faith communities unwittingly promote societal regression, with each group blaming the other for the problem..

In the vein of “The Age of Enlightenment” the faith community can correct this problem by embracing science as a pointer to the Majesty of God.