Readings:
Jeremiah 28:5-9
Psalm 89:1-4; 15-18
Romans 6:12-23
Devotional:
Vision or action. Strategy or execution. These ideas find friction points all the time. In the workplace, you might have plenty of ideas about where to go next or what should be happening, but not enough hands to do it. Or maybe there is plenty of good work to be done, but you keep getting new or different ideas thrown in the mix that confuse the efforts. We use lots of business jargon to complain about the mismatch of focus, always looking for alignment.
I often find myself in this same tension, in a meeting or in a group trying to find the connection between where we all want to be and whatever we are doing in the moment.
But have you ever been in one of those group projects that defies all odds and actually works? Somehow, it’s like you’re sharing the same brain. Everyone knows the goal, everyone is simultaneously involved in their part while still improving, adjusting or building on one another. The vision and execution grow and compliment each other. Whatever would block or hinder the collaboration gets removed. The final thing, whatever it was, has included everyone and has been refined as it’s been built. Almost invariably, in this rarest of working wonders, you get more than the project or event or achievement. There’s a forged connection that transcends both the original idea and the effort to build it, establishing something new and enduring.
If I’m honest with myself, I’m a sucker for the vision, the strategy. I like the hope and “next” part of it. But as I chatted with a friend this week, they reflected, “I get the idea, but I don’t get the ‘how’ of it. How do we do it?” They wanted to know the execution, the day-to-day of making all the ideas work practically. I tend to forget about the seemingly elusive, transcendent reality, the one that is both now and future, is both the being and becoming, and is ultimately the one that has the most powerful, lasting impact.
Our cast of characters and authors in this week’s lectionary showcase the same concepts: vision, execution, more.
Let’s start with Jeremiah. To really understand the few sentences in our reading, you need to know what happens before and after. Earlier in chapter 27, Jeremiah has been given a vision (the prophet’s reward from last Sunday) wherein Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar are going to remain as rulers over Judah (and several other regions). The various tools and instruments of worship were going to remain displaced from the Temple; the exiled people were not going to be returning. Like so many prophet’s messages, this one wasn’t exactly an exciting rallying cry for those who heard it. Then, in the very next chapter, a different prophet, Hananiah, says all the opposite things: they would be freed from Nebuchadnezzar, the instruments and exiles all returned. The people far preferred this option—no more exile or enslavement? Yes, please. So Jeremiah says, “I hope it’s true!” But then he notes that the people would know which vision to believe based on what happened. They would know if Hananiah’s vision of peace was true if peace actually came. Spoiler: Nebuchadnezzar stays in control, and Hananiah's promised peace did not come. Jeremiah had the vision of what was next, proven as it happened, but the people weren’t aligned—they didn’t take the actions Jeremiah advised, believing what was presented to them. Instead they misplaced their confidence and mistakenly believed Hananiah.
Which brings us to Ethan, the author of Psalm 89. Ethan lived at the height of David and Solomon’s empires, and was a noted wise man. It’s believed that Ethan either foretells the eventual fall to Babylon at the end of the Psalm, or that his descendants update portions once they were in exile. In either case, Psalm 89 shows us the very practical “how” of execution, particularly in a hard season of being captive. Having heard the vision, the promised covenant to David and the enduring lovingkindness of God, Ethan makes his actions clear: he’s going to sing of what he beholds. He’s going to spend time in God’s presence, continuing to rejoice, experiencing exultation through His righteousness. Ethan says it’s God that gives them dignity (exalts our horn), protection and strength. Ethan takes action to participate in life with God, to align with His perspective and be persuaded by Him. And the fruit of his execution is a life characterized by wisdom.
If you’ll remember from Sunday’s passage in Matthew, we heard about the reward of a prophet (vision) and the reward of a righteous man (righteousness)—vision and action, strategy and execution. Hierarchically, these sound pretty important. Even socially, receiving a prophet in your home or a righteous man in your home would have carried its own clout. You would have earned the credit of their name associated with your household. But then we heard about the disciples, the little ones. The ones of whom Jesus said, “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” The ones who we learned carry something far more than mere vision or action, but realization—the reality of hope and effort unified and brought to Life itself. The disciples carry with them a reward of communion, the actualization of Immanuel “God with us.” Indeed, little becomes great in His name.
So when we then read Romans, we understand Paul’s urgings. The tools and instruments, the people of God, are not exiled to captivity of sin any longer. We’re not enslaved or disgraced by misplaced confidence. We’re not fooled by the empty promises of our Hananiahs. We see the vision. And further, Paul says the people of God were committed. Not of their own effort, but Someone entrusted them to the teaching, and they became obedient. It happened to them. Persuaded like Ethan of the lovingkindness of God, we know the promises made to us, and we respond in action. We become aligned as we draw near to God, and we find ourselves like the righteous man, rewarded with righteousness.
That’s not the whole of it. Don’t forget the unicorn group project. We’re after the more, the pre-existent, the lasting and enduring of singular reality. Our best existence is abundant life in Him. With and within God, whose Righteousness exempts any enslavement, we find ourselves enjoying life at its fullest, finding the things that hinder us being removed. Our thinking is aligned. (Or as Paul writes, we aren't enslaved to sin, nor do we obey its lusts.) The items from the dumpster fire are cut off of us as He actively engages with us, invites us to His table, draws us to His communion, overtakes us with compassion. The free gift of God is indeed eternal life in Jesus Christ.
No wonder Jesus says in Matthew that those who receive disciples won’t lose their reward. Life with Him is a standing offer, and there’s no version of it that leaves us lacking. We find fullness, we find dignity, we find lost and lonely restored, we find strength and protection, we find confidence and hope. We see vision and action united, brought to the ageless reality of today through communion in Him.
It’s with this present hope, Oneness with God right now, that we can be and become, free from disgrace or exile.
A Prayer for Each Moment
God Our Reward,
You extend Yourself as a gift, expanding Your very life that we might be full and whole. Where we would imagine ourselves outside or disgraced, may we find ourselves pulled within, fully belonging and participating in Your midst, wholly experiencing reality as You intend it. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.
Amen.
A Prayer for Each Other
Our Father,
You restore our dignity, lifting us to be bearers of Your image and name. As we marvel at Your ageless kindness and loyalty to us, may we recognize Your strength and grace equipping us to extend the same in our families and friendships.
Amen
Blessing
May we extend the love and kindness of God without limitations, knowing we receive and give freely in His name.
Photo by Patrick on Unsplash
Jeremiah 28:5-9
Psalm 89:1-4; 15-18
Romans 6:12-23
Devotional:
Vision or action. Strategy or execution. These ideas find friction points all the time. In the workplace, you might have plenty of ideas about where to go next or what should be happening, but not enough hands to do it. Or maybe there is plenty of good work to be done, but you keep getting new or different ideas thrown in the mix that confuse the efforts. We use lots of business jargon to complain about the mismatch of focus, always looking for alignment.
I often find myself in this same tension, in a meeting or in a group trying to find the connection between where we all want to be and whatever we are doing in the moment.
But have you ever been in one of those group projects that defies all odds and actually works? Somehow, it’s like you’re sharing the same brain. Everyone knows the goal, everyone is simultaneously involved in their part while still improving, adjusting or building on one another. The vision and execution grow and compliment each other. Whatever would block or hinder the collaboration gets removed. The final thing, whatever it was, has included everyone and has been refined as it’s been built. Almost invariably, in this rarest of working wonders, you get more than the project or event or achievement. There’s a forged connection that transcends both the original idea and the effort to build it, establishing something new and enduring.
If I’m honest with myself, I’m a sucker for the vision, the strategy. I like the hope and “next” part of it. But as I chatted with a friend this week, they reflected, “I get the idea, but I don’t get the ‘how’ of it. How do we do it?” They wanted to know the execution, the day-to-day of making all the ideas work practically. I tend to forget about the seemingly elusive, transcendent reality, the one that is both now and future, is both the being and becoming, and is ultimately the one that has the most powerful, lasting impact.
Our cast of characters and authors in this week’s lectionary showcase the same concepts: vision, execution, more.
Let’s start with Jeremiah. To really understand the few sentences in our reading, you need to know what happens before and after. Earlier in chapter 27, Jeremiah has been given a vision (the prophet’s reward from last Sunday) wherein Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar are going to remain as rulers over Judah (and several other regions). The various tools and instruments of worship were going to remain displaced from the Temple; the exiled people were not going to be returning. Like so many prophet’s messages, this one wasn’t exactly an exciting rallying cry for those who heard it. Then, in the very next chapter, a different prophet, Hananiah, says all the opposite things: they would be freed from Nebuchadnezzar, the instruments and exiles all returned. The people far preferred this option—no more exile or enslavement? Yes, please. So Jeremiah says, “I hope it’s true!” But then he notes that the people would know which vision to believe based on what happened. They would know if Hananiah’s vision of peace was true if peace actually came. Spoiler: Nebuchadnezzar stays in control, and Hananiah's promised peace did not come. Jeremiah had the vision of what was next, proven as it happened, but the people weren’t aligned—they didn’t take the actions Jeremiah advised, believing what was presented to them. Instead they misplaced their confidence and mistakenly believed Hananiah.
Which brings us to Ethan, the author of Psalm 89. Ethan lived at the height of David and Solomon’s empires, and was a noted wise man. It’s believed that Ethan either foretells the eventual fall to Babylon at the end of the Psalm, or that his descendants update portions once they were in exile. In either case, Psalm 89 shows us the very practical “how” of execution, particularly in a hard season of being captive. Having heard the vision, the promised covenant to David and the enduring lovingkindness of God, Ethan makes his actions clear: he’s going to sing of what he beholds. He’s going to spend time in God’s presence, continuing to rejoice, experiencing exultation through His righteousness. Ethan says it’s God that gives them dignity (exalts our horn), protection and strength. Ethan takes action to participate in life with God, to align with His perspective and be persuaded by Him. And the fruit of his execution is a life characterized by wisdom.
If you’ll remember from Sunday’s passage in Matthew, we heard about the reward of a prophet (vision) and the reward of a righteous man (righteousness)—vision and action, strategy and execution. Hierarchically, these sound pretty important. Even socially, receiving a prophet in your home or a righteous man in your home would have carried its own clout. You would have earned the credit of their name associated with your household. But then we heard about the disciples, the little ones. The ones of whom Jesus said, “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” The ones who we learned carry something far more than mere vision or action, but realization—the reality of hope and effort unified and brought to Life itself. The disciples carry with them a reward of communion, the actualization of Immanuel “God with us.” Indeed, little becomes great in His name.
So when we then read Romans, we understand Paul’s urgings. The tools and instruments, the people of God, are not exiled to captivity of sin any longer. We’re not enslaved or disgraced by misplaced confidence. We’re not fooled by the empty promises of our Hananiahs. We see the vision. And further, Paul says the people of God were committed. Not of their own effort, but Someone entrusted them to the teaching, and they became obedient. It happened to them. Persuaded like Ethan of the lovingkindness of God, we know the promises made to us, and we respond in action. We become aligned as we draw near to God, and we find ourselves like the righteous man, rewarded with righteousness.
That’s not the whole of it. Don’t forget the unicorn group project. We’re after the more, the pre-existent, the lasting and enduring of singular reality. Our best existence is abundant life in Him. With and within God, whose Righteousness exempts any enslavement, we find ourselves enjoying life at its fullest, finding the things that hinder us being removed. Our thinking is aligned. (Or as Paul writes, we aren't enslaved to sin, nor do we obey its lusts.) The items from the dumpster fire are cut off of us as He actively engages with us, invites us to His table, draws us to His communion, overtakes us with compassion. The free gift of God is indeed eternal life in Jesus Christ.
No wonder Jesus says in Matthew that those who receive disciples won’t lose their reward. Life with Him is a standing offer, and there’s no version of it that leaves us lacking. We find fullness, we find dignity, we find lost and lonely restored, we find strength and protection, we find confidence and hope. We see vision and action united, brought to the ageless reality of today through communion in Him.
It’s with this present hope, Oneness with God right now, that we can be and become, free from disgrace or exile.
A Prayer for Each Moment
God Our Reward,
You extend Yourself as a gift, expanding Your very life that we might be full and whole. Where we would imagine ourselves outside or disgraced, may we find ourselves pulled within, fully belonging and participating in Your midst, wholly experiencing reality as You intend it. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.
Amen.
A Prayer for Each Other
Our Father,
You restore our dignity, lifting us to be bearers of Your image and name. As we marvel at Your ageless kindness and loyalty to us, may we recognize Your strength and grace equipping us to extend the same in our families and friendships.
Amen
Blessing
May we extend the love and kindness of God without limitations, knowing we receive and give freely in His name.
Photo by Patrick on Unsplash
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