Something I know both from reading the Bible and from life experience is this: Faith is a potent, powerful thing.
Jesus said that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains (in Matthew 17:20). Jesus demonstrated this by casting out demons that had been tormenting people for decades, by feeding the masses with multiplied provisions, by healing people who were sick beyond recovery, and in a host of other things. Personally, I’ve been amazed when I’ve seen divine power play itself out. Prayers are answered, astounding things happen, and I think to myself, “This could only be from God.” I like the descriptor some have used in calling these kinds of things "God sightings". Sometimes in reading the Bible you also get the sense that this great power needs to be managed carefully. In some ways it’s like electricity: It can do wonderful things - from lighting the streets, to cooling our homes, to powering our computers. But if you don't handle it right it can kill you. This isn’t a perfect illustration, but it came to mind with a recent reading of Leviticus 10:1-3. Aaron and his four sons (Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar) had all just been ordained to the priesthood (back in Leviticus 8:10-13). It was different from ordained clergy today, but it was still very exciting. They would be serving a mediating role between God and the people of Israel; it was a function within the realm of divine power. It was a high point of their lives. But suddenly two of Aaron's four sons were killed by the altar fire. What went wrong? They appear to have been careless in carrying out their priestly duties (10:1-2); they may have also been drunk while they were doing it (10:8-9). Either way, what followed was a series of warnings in the interest of saving lives – repeatedly emphasizing the risk of death (in 10:6-8). We’re in a different time of history now. The New Testament teaches us that in Christ there’s a priesthood of all believers (I Peter 2:9). There’s no middle-man. We can all go directly to God, since Jesus alone is our high priest (Hebrews 8:1-7). But there are some implications for Christian living today that come from this part of history. One is with our common regard for life. Over the last several months we have been easing out of the pandemic, praise the Lord. The development and availability of vaccines has been a wonderful answer to prayer. But we’re not out of the woods yet. The new delta variant of the coronavirus is still a concern, and we should not be careless. Protecting the lives of the people around us is a huge priority. As it was in Moses’ and Aaron’s time, this may require us tending to some annoying scruples. But we need to do these things if it’s going to protect lives. It’s all a part of being faithful to what God calls us to do. A second implication comes with how we honor the holiness and glory of God. Often what’s more significant than the faith/life experience is how it gets interpreted. In Leviticus 10:3 Moses interpreted the tragedy with an emphasis on God, upholding His holiness/glory before both the clergy and the laity. I doubt God will zap any of us dead for some kind of sacrilege, but this still applies to those times when we feel God’s honor is being brought under contempt. I grow weary of people who say, “Christianity is under attack! We need a tough politician who’s going to defend Christianity!” Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican or something else, if you think that God needs a politician to defend Him, then your god is too small. God is well and capable of upholding His honor for Himself. Our focus is to bring honor to Him in our lives – in worship, learning, witness, service, and prayer. This is why we regularly pray the petition in the Lord’s prayer: “Hallowed be thy name” (in Matthew 6:9, Luke 11:2). God bless you. Andrew McHenry, Pastor – First Congregational Church of Oroville
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Andrew McHenryI am a husband, a Congregational pastor, and a native Kansan currently living in Thermalito, California. In the past I have also been a prison chaplain and a youth pastor. Interests include reading, railroads, prog rock, KU, and the KC Royals. Archives
April 2024
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