Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
There is a very pleasant formality in the form of letters in the first century. The writer introduces who they are, and acknowledges the person or peoples they are writing to. They say something nice.
In this case, Jude offers mercy, peace, and love.
These are not random words pulled out of thin air. They are three things that only God can give and that humans need to survive.
Continue reading “Jude 1: 2 — Form”
…who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:
As we begin our study of Jude’s letter, he tells us who he is and who he is writing to. The people he writes to “have been called” by God to walk in light and mercy. Today he adds that they are “loved in God the Father.” (NIV)
The Greek in this instance is either difficult to translate or it reflects an idiom that was common in Jude’s day but is not common now. The English Standard Version (ESV) translates the Greek this way: “…beloved in God the Father….” This formulation makes more sense to me than the NIV in this case.
Unless a person knows Greek, it is a good idea to explore different translations when a passage is difficult for you. This Bible website allows you to see all the available English translations at once.
Continue reading “Jude 1:1c — A Hard Thing”
To those who have been called…
The second mystery of Jude’s letter is found in these six little words: “To those who have been called.” What does he mean by “called,” and who are these people who have been called?
To answer the question of what it means to be “called,” let’s turn to Peter’s first letter:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
— 1 Peter 2: 9-10
Continue reading “Jude 1: 1b — Six Little Words”
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James…
Today we begin a study of one of the five shortest books of the Bible. The book of Jude is the last before the last. It is the book before Revelation.
Tucked into this very short epistle is a mystery about who wrote it. Obviously, it was written by someone named Jude, but which Jude?
Continue reading “Jude 1:1a — Jude Who?”
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
How do you tell if someone has wandered from the truth?
What truth are we talking about?
What does it mean to bring them back? Back to what? Where?
I have to admit that being able to turn a sinner from the error of their way sounds like a wonderful thing . Can you imagine the rush that comes from knowing you have saved someone from death? And how easy! Simply turn them from the error of their way!
But what does that mean?
Continue reading “James 5: 19-20 — The Right Way”
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
Yes, Elijah was a human being. There is no indication in scripture that Elijah was anything more than a man. And yet he was called to be a prophet of God. He listened to God’s words and did what God wanted him to do.
Perhaps more important than whether he was human or not, was his righteousness. He obeyed God even at the risk of his own life.
The interesting thing I see about Elijah is that there is no difference between what Elijah wanted and what God wanted. Elijah prayed in harmony with God’s will. It is as if they were singing a duet together in close harmony. Elijah’s prayer was God’s will.
Continue reading “James 5: 17-18 — Harmony”
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
We are almost at the end of James’ letter to the “twelve tribes.” Throughout his letter, James talks about what it means to be a righteous person.
A righteous person considers trials to be a joy. He knows that testing leads to perseverance, and perseverance leads to maturity. A righteous person is mature in faith. They are complete.
A righteous person has the wisdom the comes from God because they have asked and not doubted. They are of a single mind, one that is devoted to the Lord.
Continue reading “James 5: 16b — Righteousness”
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
It is the day after Easter. News of the most amazing event in history has spread around the globe. Everyone has been confronted by the reality of this amazing story. God in the flesh is killed by the beings he created. Three days later, the Son of God is seen alive again. Not just by one or two people but by hundreds of people who knew him before he died.
Myself and others, maybe even you, have chosen to believe in his resurrection and promise of forgiveness. Now what?
Now what, indeed.
Continue reading “James 5: 16a — Now What?”
If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
Today’s post happens to land on April 12, 2020. This day is special because it is Easter Sunday. It is unique because this year is the year of the COVIC-19 pandemic. This makes an odd backdrop to this year’s Easter. The pandemic has thrown the world into a panic. Thanks largely to a strategy of isolating people from each other, the Coronavirus has failed to reach what might be called critical mass in our country. Instead of being overwhelmed, many hospitals are empty.
Unfortunately, the isolation that has slowed the spread of the virus has also kept us away from church. So when Easter morning dawns today, there will be an eerie silence in most, if not all, of America’s churches.
What does this mean?
Continue reading “James 5: 15b — Artwork Redeemed”
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.
The title for our meditation is the Greek word, “sōzō.” It is the word that the NIV translates as made “well” in today’s verse. In English, we generally expect that if someone is made well, they are restored to complete health. After looking into the meaning of the Greek, sōzō, I am not entirely sure that is exactly what James meant.
Forgive me, I don’t mean to be questioning the fine minds that did the translation for NIV. Instead, I am questioning our understanding of what it means to be made well. Once again the challenge is discerning who’s point of view we should look at the word through; God’s or ours.
Continue reading “James 5: 15a — Sōzō”