Today’s Scripture, the Book of Esther, which starts so gloomily in today’s passage, tells one of those epic stories that never fail to inspire generation after generation.  Indeed, that is what it does for the Jewish people as it recounts a time of rescue when their entire fate hung in the balance.  And, not only does it do that, but it reminds them, and us, how ‘bit players’, people who aren’t really the lead characters, can have a tremendous role in deciding how things turn out.  We may not thing that it matters what we do, but we, just like Esther, were destined ‘for a time like this’, and do have an impact.

I’m sure that Paul and Silas, by all ordinary human standards, should have felt helpless and hopeless.  After all, they had just been attacked by a mob ‘out for their blood’, and rather than be protected by the authorities, had been stripped, beaten and thrown into jail.  And not just any jail, or any part of the jail, but the deepest and more secure part, where they were their feet were then chained to a block of wood.  But here, at midnight no less, we hear of them singing praises to God.  I’m sure that their fellow inmates, their fellow prisoners, must have ‘wondered’ about them.  However, nevertheless, in this dismal and seemingly dead-end situation, God was able to intervene.  And so too, can He for each of us as well.

I’m not sure whether it’s a sign of getting older, but I often find that I’m less tolerant these days, more likely to be ‘bugged’ by certain things.  And so, here I find myself having to ask myself some serious questions, namely, What am I bugged about, and why?  And is it something that I really should be bugged about?  (In asking, and answering, these questions I might actually discover that there are other, more worthy things, that I should be bugged about instead).  Anyway, it is something worth exploring.

The way that our federal politics seems at present to be shaping up suggests that we may well be engulfed in an election before long--and certainly, if you live in Saskatchewan, its fall election is a ‘given’. And so what you get is a number of candidates and parties that are 'promising the moon' in order to get your support and vote--but, is that realistic? Can they actually fulfil those promises--or the hopes and trust that we place in them? Often they can’t--or don’t. Then the same thing goes for many products and services that we see advertised. None of them really measure up--but then, neither do we measure up either. We all fail when the going gets tough. That’s why depending on the Lord, and on Him alone, makes total sense.

I’m afraid that I am quite adverse to confrontation or dissension of any sort, especially given that I seldom see them dealt with in constructive or affirming ways.  Far too often they are dealt in nasty and totally adversarial ways--which, it seems, is exactly how the altercation between Paul and Barnabas was played out.  But, perhaps, there is one thing I hate even more, and that is being proven wrong.  And maybe this is what happened with Paul, whom history generally applauds as ‘the great one.’  But later in life, he does seem to ‘eat humble pie’ and acknowledge that John Mark has turned out okay.  Paul doesn’t quite admit that he was wrong, but close to it.  Anyway, in his acceptance of John Mark, he acknowledges that perhaps Barnabas was right all along in giving John Mark another chance.  I would hope that I, and all of us, can behave in like manner, both in giving each other, and everyone, another chance, and in admitting that perhaps we are wrong at times.

The ‘suffering servant songs’, as they have been so aptly named, are one of the most important--and, to some, puzzling passages in all of Scripture.  I say ‘puzzling’ because nowhere do they state who it is who is being spoken of.  However, for Christians it is no puzzle, because we see the life and ministry of Jesus perfectly described in them--years and years before any of it actually happened!  And so for us, it makes it all the more easy to believe and trust in Him, and hopefully, to love, follow and obey Him, which, of course, is the purpose of the ‘whole exercise.'

People at the time of Jesus were unsure of what to make of Jesus, and of that, they could hardly be blamed, for they did not have full or complete information about Him.  But we, today, do not have that excuse.  Apart from the Scriptures, which are wonderfully explicit about Jesus, if only we will read them, there are plenteous books that can assist us in this.  Years ago, Josh McDowell penned a book named Evidence That Demands a Verdict and more recently Lee Strobel has come up with The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith, which covers some of the same ground--and more.  And if the Resurrection is a striking point, Frank Morison, a seasoned lawyer and sceptic, wrote a book entitled, Who Moved the Stone?  And so, if we really do want to know for sure, there are plenty of ways to find out.

But then there is a subsidiary question: do we who purport to believe really live it out in our lives, live it out so that everyone around us, and see this up front, personal evidence for themselves, the evidence of what difference the presence of Jesus actually makes in someone’s life.  That too, is a critical factor in coming to belief as well.

The scene in Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem, following the death of His friend Lazarus, has to be one of the most moving scenes in all of Scripture, for Jesus is visibly moved by its sorrow and grief.  And that, even though He knew fully well what the outcome would be.  I believe that Jesus is likewise moved by our struggles and infirmities, even though, in like manner, He knows what will be the eventual result.  I like to think that He enters fully into our griefs, feels with us in them and is moved by them, which makes Him a Saviour like none other.  Thanks be to God.

I’m sure that most, if not all, of us would stand in the very same place as Martha and Mary. We might well believe great things of God in the abstract, that is, in theory, but not necessarily in practical things, in the here and now--things like the war in Ukraine or between Israel and Hamas, or the state of the church, or, more personal things like health or finances or relationships. Can we ever dare hope for divine intervention in such matters? Maybe we need to pray as the distraught father once prayed (see Mark 9:24): “Lord, I do have faith. Help me to have even more.”

Today’s meditation raises a very somber and searching question, namely, what do we do when God does not measure up to or live up to our expectations? Do we give up on Him, or, do we hang in there with Him and trust Him no matter what? In many ways, the latter choice makes total sense because His knowledge of what is best for us and the world, without any doubt at all, will always be far beyond and superior to ours, which means that He will always see a bigger and better picture than we do.

Almost always, almost without exception, I preach on one of the lessons appointed for a particular Sunday, usually on the gospel reading.  However, Sunday, September 8 was an exception.  When Muriel Foster, our deacon, and I were setting out the schedule of September services, we consulted the Anglican Church calendar which said that September 9 was Labour Day.  We both agreed that preaching on work and labour would be a good topic so that is what I worked on.  Only later did I realize my mistake.  

In addition to articles on Labour Day and on work in general, I found two books to be particularly helpful, Every Good Endeavor (Connecting Your Work to God’s Work), by Timothy Keller, and Brave Men Choose, by Garth Lean (chapter 3, “Reluctant Revolutionaries: The Tolpuddle Labourers, pp. 70-86).  The Tolpuddle Labourers, a group of Christian men, started one of the first labour unions--still illegal at the time--in Great Britain to help impoverished farm workers.

I found today’s passage and meditation to be rather challenging, for I must admit that I don’t treat all people equally. When someone comes to the church and is loud, demanding and abusive, I have trouble seeing past that behaviour to the hurting person inside. I’m sorry, but that’s the way that it is. I suspect that others are like that as well. Anyway, that’s one of my struggles.

Today’s passage from John’s Gospel includes part of Jesus’ discourse on Himself as the Good Shepherd. It immediately raises two questions. The first is the identity of the not-so-good, or bad, shepherds. While we can suggest that they could include the other people that try to lead us or run our lives, they could in actuality, be anything or anyone that seeks to rule us or give us a pattern or direction for life. Surely, all of them pale in comparison with the direction or rule that Jesus can give us. The second question follows from that, namely whether we are willing to be His sheep and submit to His ever loving rule, care and direction. Surely, if Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the best shepherd, we would not want anything or anyone else--but do we? Sadly, we sometimes say ‘no’ to Him and give other things and people the rule of our lives instead, which are quite poor. Here’ hoping that we can all let Him have the rule instead.

Today’s meditation has two very important ’take aways’.  The first is that Jesus is truly ‘Emmanuel’, God with us.  No matter what we experience or go through, He is there for us, there with us, and still able to help us.  The second is that God is still at work, regardless of how it may presently seem to us.  Our present circumstances, and certainly our world scene, may seem absolutely bewildering and awful, but God is still there, still has a plan, and is still working it out for the good of our world--and us!  So, let us not lose hope.  Let us still, like Job, stick to our trust in God.

People at the time of Jesus got somewhat riled at Him when He insisted on trying to imitate God, His Heavenly Father, and do the things that He saw God doing.  Interestingly, the same thing can happen in today’s world.  A number of years ago--this was when I was just a young fledgling Christian--a novel came out entitled, “In His Steps”.  In it, a group of people were challenged to pause before doing anything and ask God, ‘what would Jesus do?’  Some people took this idea very seriously and acted upon this notion, and were criticized soundly for it.  And more recently, the same idea or principle was brought forward once again, albeit with the same reactions.   Yes, I have to agree with the nay-sayers that Jesus’ situation was different etc. etc. and so what He did isn’t always appropriate.  We probably shouldn’t try to walk on water or give over our bodies to be crucified.  However, I think that the idea of thinking before we act and pondering Jesus’ words and actions in light of our decisions probably isn’t that bad an idea.  We may not always strike gold, but I think that our lives, and the lives of those around us, might be dramatically different--and better.   It’s worth a try.

In my childhood, it was the best kept secret of all time.  I went to church regularly, gave, and participated widely, and yet I felt something missing.  I felt that there was something more, something that was being alluded to in our worship and practice, but never openly stated.  As a result, to me the Christian faith was a matter of do’s and don’t, of trying to measure up and be good enough.  There was never a mention of knowing Jesus Christ personally, much less how one might go about getting it.  It was, as JC Ryle puts it, a ‘charitable assumption’, the assumption that as Bible believing, reformed Christians, we just naturally knew God in Christ Jesus.  But, for me, it wasn’t an assumption that worked at all, because I didn’t have that relationship.  In fact, it sort of grated on me when others--evangelicals--suggested that I wasn’t really a Christian!  I’m guessing that this is how the crowds felt when Jesus accused them of not knowing God.  Anyway, no what way you put it, it is essential.

Sadly, and unfortunately, we often underrate the power and efficacy of concerted corporate prayer, and so today’s passage is an eloquent reminder of just how powerful it is.  Peter’s fate seemed absolutely fixed.  Herod had already executed one of the church’s leaders, James, and was well on his way to doing the same with Peter.  But then the church stepped into the gap--and prayed without ceasing.  And what was seemingly impossible happened!  Peter was set free.  Such was the power of God--and the power of prayer.  May we, you and I, learn from this and follow their example.