Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 32
October 28, 2024
Lost Sheep: Monday Monologues (podcast), October 28, 2024
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Lost Sheep. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
Lost Sheep: Monday Monologues (podcast), October 28, 2024
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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October 27, 2024
Sacrificial Prayer
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Beloved Lord Jesus,
We praise you for your life of service, your death on the cross, and your resurrection to give us the hope of salvation.
Forgive us when we fail to model your sacrificial life and neglect to share your love with those around us.
Thank you for the many blessings of this life, include life, health, family, and work.
In the power of your Holy Spirit, grant us strength for sacrificial living, grace for those we meet, and the peace that passes all understanding.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Sacrificial Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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Oración Sacrifico
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
Amado Señor Jesús,
Te alabamos por tu vida de servicio, tu muerte en la cruz y tu resurrección para darnos la esperanza de la salvación.
Perdónanos cuando no somos modelo de tu vida de sacrificio y descuidamos compartir tu amor con quienes nos rodean.
Gracias por las muchas bendiciones de esta vida, incluida la vida, la salud, la familia y el trabajo.
En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, concédenos fuerza para una vida de sacrificio, gracia para aquellos con quienes nos encontramos y la paz que sobrepasa todo entendimiento.
En el precioso nombre de Jesús, Amén.
Oración Sacrifico
Also see:
El Rostro de Dios en las Parábolas
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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October 25, 2024
Lost Sheep
Go home to your friends
and tell them how much the Lord has done for you,
and how he has had mercy on you.
(Mk 5:19)
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
The idea that grace comes with obligations bothers many Christians, who question any doctrine that they feel is inconsistent with a “loving God.” Doctrines like original sin, election, and judgment do not comport well with their image of God. For them, grace means universal salvation, which implies that any obligation imposed by grace is simply unacceptable.
By contrast, Dietrich Bonhoeffer railed about the problem of “cheap grace,” which he defined as:
“The preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living, and incarnate.” (Bonhoeffer 1995, 44-45).
Bonhoeffer is clearly in the minority today because practically every worship service where confessional prayers are offered is immediately followed with a pastoral declaration of universal forgiveness. Worse, influential authors, such as Jack Rogers, have gone so far as to formally advocate for the Bible to be interpreted relative to the double-love command (Matt 24:36-40), disparaging any verse inconsistent with their interpretation of love (Rogers 2009, 65).
Healing of the Man with an Unclean Spirit
Divergent views on God’s grace lie at the heart of cultural conflict within the church today. Interpreting Jesus’ miracles and parables can offer insight into this conflict.
Consider the healing of the man with an unclean spirit, which appears in the three synoptic Gospels and in each case follows the account of the storm on the Galilee. Mark’s version is the longest and offers details of obvious interest to a modern reader.
Only in Mark do we learn that the crossing of the Galilee involved multiple boats and took place in the evening—a reason perhaps why Jesus was sleeping on the boat—(Mark 4:35-36) and that this man cuts himself with stones (Mark 5:5), which implies that he was a cutter and likely a teenager.
Our hearts go out to teenagers who cut themselves, an affliction in which emotional pain is so great that physical pain is easier to bear. This man was likely abused or went through some other trauma, like being a child soldier or an orphan. Mark’s account leaves us with a much different impression than Luke or Matthew’s, where the man is described as demon possessed—and it suggests why Jesus may have gone out of his way to heal this man.
Grace in the Mark and Luke accounts includes the stipulation cited above (Mark 5:19). The man is healed and is immediately commissioned by Jesus to evangelize the people of the Decapolis region. The Decapolis was named for ten independent, Roman cities (Mark 5:20). This is a remarkable request because the only knowledge that this man had of Jesus was his own healing and the entire region was predominantly gentile, not Jewish. The herding of pigs, which play an important role in this man’s healing, was largely unknown among Jews because of dietary restrictions.
Parable of the Lost Sheep
While grace in the healing of the man with the unclean spirit was followed by a request that the man evangelize his home town, the Parable of the Lost Sheep provides an important counter example. Consider the parable again:
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:4-7)
One read of this parable is that sheep cannot be expected to respond to their recovery by the shepherd. It seems to be forgiveness without repentance.
A subtler reading of this passage arises when one takes Jesus’ teaching when he refers to his followers as his flock. Jesus says in his sermon: “When he [the Good Shepherd] has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice … I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” (John 10:4, 14) The inference here is that grace is followed by faith among those elected for salvation.
Healing of the Ten Lepers
We see this response in the healing of the ten lepers (Luke 17:12-19). Jesus said:
“Go and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.” (Luke 17:14-16)
What is interesting here is that the healing required a stipulation: “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” There is also a response: The Samaritan returned to thank Jesus, which is described as an act of faith. All ten were healed, but only one displayed faith.
While I do not believe that the controversies over cheap grace will end with this brief discussion, it is clear that the nature of grace described in the healings and the parables warrants careful study.
References
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. 1995. The Cost of Discipleship (Orig Pub 1937). Translated by R. H. Fuller and Irmgard Booth. New York: Simon & Schuster—A Touchstone Book.
Rogers, Jack. 2009. Jesus, The Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.
Lost Sheep
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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Oveja Perdida
Vete a tu casa, a los tuyos,
y cuén tales cuán grandes cosas el Señor ha hecho por ti,
y cómo tuvo misericordia de ti.
(Marco 5:19)
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
La idea de que la gracia viene acompañada de obligaciones molesta a muchos cristianos, que cuestionan cualquier doctrina que consideren incompatible con un “Dios amoroso.” Doctrinas como el pecado original, la elección y el juicio no concuerdan bien con su imagen de Dios. Para ellos, la gracia significa salvación universal, lo que implica que cualquier obligación impuesta por la gracia es simplemente inaceptable.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer criticó el problema de la “gracia barata,” que definió como:
“La predicación del perdón sin requerir arrepentimiento, el bautismo sin disciplina eclesiástica, la comunión sin confesión, la absolución sin confesión personal. La gracia barata es gracia sin discipulado, gracia sin cruz, gracia sin Jesucristo vivo y encarnado”. (Bonhoeffer 1995, 44–45).
Bonhoeffer está claramente en minoría hoy porque prácticamente cada servicio de adoración donde se ofrecen oraciones confesionales es seguido inmediatamente por una declaración pastoral de perdón universal. Peor aún, autores influyentes, como Jack Rogers, han llegado incluso a abogar formalmente por que la Biblia se interprete en relación con el mandamiento del doble amor (Mateo 24:36-40), menospreciando cualquier versículo que sea inconsistente con su interpretación licenciosa del amor. (Rogers 2009, 65).
La Curación del Hombre con un Espíritu Inmundo
Puntos de vista divergentes sobre la gracia de Dios se encuentran en el centro del conflicto cultural dentro de la iglesia actual. Interpretar los milagros y las parábolas de Jesús puede ofrecer una idea de este conflicto.
Consideremos la curación del hombre con un espíritu inmundo, que aparece en los tres evangelios sinópticos (Mateo, Marcos y Lucas), y en cada caso sigue el relato de la tormenta en Galilea. La versión de Marcos es la más larga y ofrece detalles de evidente interés para el lector moderno.
Sólo en Marcos aprendemos que la travesía de Galilea involucró a varias embarcaciones y tuvo lugar por la tarde. Quizás esta sea una razón por la cual Jesús estaba durmiendo en el barco (Mark 4:35–36). También aprendemos que este hombre se corta con piedras (Marcos 5:5), lo que implica que era un cortador y probablemente un adolescente.
Nuestros corazones están con los adolescentes que se cortan, una aflicción en la que el dolor emocional es tan grande que el dolor físico es más fácil de soportar. Este hombre probablemente sufrió abusos o pasó por algún otro trauma, como ser niño soldado o huérfano. El relato de Marcos nos deja una impresión muy diferente a la de Lucas o Mateo, donde se describe al hombre como endemoniado. Podríamos también sugiere por qué Jesús pudo haber hecho todo lo posible para sanar a este hombre.
La gracia en los relatos de Marcos y Lucas incluye la estipulación citada anteriormente (Marcos 5:19). El hombre es curado e inmediatamente Jesús le encarga evangelizar a la gente de la región de Decápolis. La Decápolis recibió su nombre de diez ciudades romanas independientes (Marcos 5:20). Esta es una petición notable porque el único conocimiento que este hombre tenía de Jesús era su propia curación y toda la región era predominantemente gentil, no judía. La cría de cerdos, que desempeña un papel importante en la curación de este hombre, era en gran medida desconocida entre los judíos debido a las restricciones dietéticas.
Parábola de las Ovejas Perdidas
Si bien la gracia en la curación del hombre con el espíritu inmundo fue seguida por una petición de que el hombre evangelizara su ciudad natal, la Parábola de la Oveja Perdida proporciona un contraejemplo importante. Considere la parábola nuevamente:
¨¿Qué hombre de ustedes, si tiene cien ovejas y una de ellas se pierde, no deja las noventa y nueve en el campo y va tras la que está perdida hasta que la halla? Al encontrarla, la pone sobre sus hombros, gozoso. Cuando llega a su casa, reúne a los amigos y a los vecinos, diciéndoles: Alégrense conmigo, porque he hallado mi oveja que se había perdido. Les digo que de la misma manera, habrá más gozo en el cielo por un pecador que se arrepiente que por noventa y nueve justos que no necesitan arrepentimiento.¨ (Lucas 15:4–7)
Una lectura de esta parábola es que no se puede esperar que las ovejas respondan a su recuperación por parte del pastor, como en el caso del hombre con el espíritu inmundo. Parece ser perdón sin arrepentimiento.
Una lectura más sutil de este pasaje surge cuando Jesús se refiere a sus seguidores como su rebaño. Jesús dice en su sermón: ¨Cuando saca todas las suyas, va delante de ellas, y las ovejas lo siguen porque conocen su voz … Yo soy el buen pastor, y conozco mis ovejas y ellas me conocen.¨ (Juan 10:4, 14) La inferencia aquí es que la gracia es seguida por la fe entre aquellos elegidos para la salvación.
La Curación de los Diez Leprosos
Vemos esta respuesta en la curación de los diez leprosos (Lucas 17:12–19). Jesús dijo:
¨Cuando El los vio, les dijo: Vayan y muéstrense a los sacerdotes. Y sucedió que mientras iban, quedaron limpios. Entonces uno de ellos, al ver que había sido sanado, se volvió glorificando a Dios en alta voz. Cayó sobre su rostro a los pies de Jesús, y le dio gracias; y éste era Samaritano. Jesús le preguntó: ¿No fueron diez los que quedaron limpios? Y los otros nueve, ¿dónde están?¨ (Lucas 17:14–16)
Lo interesante aquí es que la curación requería una estipulación: “Vayan y muéstrense a los sacerdotes.” También hay una respuesta: El samaritano volvió a agradecer a Jesús, lo que se describe como un acto de fe. Los diez fueron sanados, pero sólo uno mostró fe.
Recientemente hemos experimentado una curación similar. En 2021, los investigadores desarrollaron una vacuna contra el virus corona en menos de un año. Este avance no tuvo precedentes y puede haber salvado millones de vidas en todo el mundo. ¿Fue esto simplemente otro descubrimiento científico o fue la mano de Dios obrando en nuestra generación? Por mi, he descrito con frecuencia los avances científicos como los huevos de Pascua de Dios: Pequeños chocolates que escondemos donde sabemos que nuestros hijos los encontrarán.
Referencias
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. 1995. The Cost of Discipleship (Orig Pub 1937). Translated by R. H. Fuller and Irmgard Booth. New York: Simon & Schuster—A Touchstone Book.
Rogers, Jack. 2009. Jesus, The Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.
Oveja Perdida
Also see:
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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October 22, 2024
Gibson: Preaching Special Services
Scott M. Gibson. 2001. Preaching for Special Services. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra
One of the more perplexing challenges that pastors face is always being on call. Recently, the pastor on duty at a luncheon I attend got caught up in traffic; I found myself presented with an unexpected mic. For a plodder, someone who always works from a 5-year plan, these special occasions can be especially challenging.
Introduction
In his book, Preaching for Special Services, Scott Gibson writes:
“A pastor must be able to step with ease into a number of different speaking venues. In addition to a regular preaching schedule, you as a pastor face an endless parade of special occasions at which you are asked to speak.” (Back cover)
He goes on to cite the Apostle Paul’s admonition: “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Tim. 4:2 ESV) The purpose of such preaching, he says, “is to give a clear, listener-sensitive, biblically based word to men and women who are sometimes eager and often desperate to hear it.” (18)
Organization
In this short book, Gibson focuses on 4 special occasions that make up the core of his 6 chapters:
Preaching for Special Services
Wedding Services
Funeral Services
Baptism and Infant Presentation Sermons
Preaching at the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Speaking on Other Occasions
The foreword was written by Haddon W. Robinson who taught preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary for many years and is famous for “big idea” preaching.
The idea in “big idea” preaching is to identify the subject of a particular passage of scripture, usually a pericope, and its complement. The subject is what the author is talking about and the complement is what is said about the subject (19). In special occasion preaching, Gibson emphasizes the need for brevity and clarity where the preacher must be clear about the biblical text, clear about the audience, clear about the occasion, and clear in what they say (21). Tall order on occasions where the circumstances may limit the time available for preparation.
Why Preach Special Occasions?
Outside of the obvious response—because you are asked—Gibson offers this response:
“Preaching at these times allows the preacher to speak the word of God to those gathered, to round out the worship, to bring focus to the occasion.” (17)
When I am asked, I refer to these special occasions as difficult transitions in life where God is especially present to those who call on him. Of course, preaching helps us reflect on God’s presence and his special presence.
If you are like me, this is the sort of book that gets bought and remains on the bookshelf until a special occasion arises when a good reference comes in handy. In my case, I am working on a wedding so let me review Gibson’s comments about weddings.
In each of his presentations on special occasions, he reviews the history of the church’s customs with respect the particular occasion. Gibson notes that in pre-Christian Rome and Greece, weddings were celebrated with an epithalamium, which is a poem celebrating the wedding—kind of like Song of Songs in the Old Testament. Gibson’s comments about weddings in medieval Europe are interesting:
“Preaching took place at the synagogue or at the wedding feast. The preacher was the groom, the father of the groom, or the father of the bride.” (27)
In my case, I am both a volunteer pastor and father of the bride.
Gibson sees the wedding sermon as: “a window to understanding God’s design for marriage.” (30). In particular, the marriage is not simply a covenant, but a covenant before God, having both his oversight and blessing. Gibson furthermore sees the wedding service having both theological and practical objectives, celebrating the mystery of marriage (32). The wedding sermon should use concrete language, be brief, clear, personal, and have central idea (35-37).
Scott M. Gibson’s Preaching for Special Services is a helpful reference for pastors and aspiring pastors. Others who speak occasionally may also find it interesting. Although I had a wedding in mind in reading, other chapters helped me prepare sermon notes in advance of writing.
References
Robinson, Haddon W. 2001. Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
A periscope is a unit of scripture with one unified thought, usually a story or parable, which is often no more than 10-20 verses.
Here a covenant is more than a business partnership, but, taking the business analogy, it is more of a merger where compatible corporate cultures often determine the long-term viability of the merger.
Gibson: Preaching Special Services
Also see:
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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October 21, 2024
Hidden Treasure: Monday Monologues (podcast), October 21, 2024
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Hidden Treasure. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
Hidden Treasure: Monday Monologues (podcast), October 21, 2024
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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October 20, 2024
Prayer for Undeserved Grace
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Righteous Father,
We praise you for your many miracles and other blessings that we do not deserve.
We confess that we are so undeserving that we do not even recognize when we are blessed, like the tech investor who got lucky and took it as being smart.
Thank you for your willingness to forgive our hardened hearts and clouded minds.
In the power of your Holy Spirit, forgive our ungrateful responses and foolish thoughts. Be patient with us and give us teachable hearts. May our lessons be learned rather than lead to our undoing.
In Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
Prayer for Undeserved Grace
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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Oración por la Gracia Inmerecida
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
Padre Justo,
Te alabamos por tus muchos milagros y otras bendiciones que no merecemos.
Confesamos que somos tan indignos que ni siquiera reconocemos cuando somos bendecidos.
Es como el inversor en bolsa que tuvo suerte, pero lo consideró si mismo inteligente e imprudentemente lo perdió todo.
Gracias por su disposición a perdonar nuestros corazones endurecidos y nuestras mentes nubladas.
En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, perdona nuestras respuestas ingratas y nuestros pensamientos tontos. Ten paciencia con nosotros y danos corazones enseñables. Que nuestras lecciones se aprendan en lugar de conducirnos a nuestra perdición.
En el precioso nombre de Jesús, Amén.
Oración por la Gracia Inmerecida
Also see:
El Rostro de Dios en las Parábolas
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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October 18, 2024
The Hidden Treasure
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
The second characteristic of God in Exodus 34:6 is grace. Philip Yancy (1997, 14) writes: “Trace the roots of grace, or charis in Greek, and you will find a verb that means ‘I rejoice, I am glad.’” If grace is an undeserved blessing, then grace is nowhere more evident than in the healing and resurrection miracles that Jesus performed.
Consider the story of the Widow’s son:
“As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep.Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say to you, arise. And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.” (Lk 7:12-15)
We know that this resurrection is an act of undeserved grace, because the mother and the son have done nothing to deserve this miracle. In fact, we know nothing about them at all from the story, except that the mother is a widow, the son is her only son, and the son is dead.
The fact that the widow’s son is an only son suggests that the widow is especially destitute in a male-dominated culture—the widow has no one to support or defend her. She cannot inherit property and will likely either have to beg or prostitute herself to survive. This story reminds us of Elijah’s resurrection of the widow of Zarephath’s son (1 Kgs. 17) and of God’s special concern for widows in general (Exod 22:22).
Needless to say, if the widow is deserving, it is solely because of her status as a widow, not from any action on her own part. In the raising of Lazarus, who was four days dead and buried, this point was even more emphatically emphasized—how much faith did Lazarus have? (Metaxas 2015, 72) We are not told. The resurrection was an act of divine grace, not of mercy or restitution for services rendered. The many healing and resurrection stories found in the Gospels likewise assure us that Jesus is divinely gracious.
Hidden treasure
Jesus’ parable of the Hidden Treasure likewise points to God’s grace, but it also suggests that our response to grace is important.
Jesus tells us: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matt 13:44)
Interestingly, here we are not told what this treasure is. We might envision this story as a man who, on plowing a rented field, digs up a pot full of gold coins. The core idea here is that the treasure in this story is a windfall gain, totally undeserved but that requires further investment to realize the gain.
Just like Bill Gates, I was playing with computers in the early 1970s, but unlike Mr. Gates I did not undertake investment in computers or even envision the development of a personal computer. I was like the man who prayed to God to win the lottery only to hear a voice from heaven advising him to buy a lottery ticket! How many of us haven’t wanted the treasure without being willing to risk making an investment?
In case we missed his point, Jesus told a second parable like the first: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matt 13:45-46). These two parables are then followed by a third parable highlighting God’s judgment.
The point here is that many times God’s grace requires action on our part to receive the blessing. God does not dispense miracles and grace for naught. Normally, a miracle is a sign of God’s presence in our lives.
The Hidden Treasure
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Bos_24 , Signup
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