Mary Magdalene

For those who follow a lectionary and remember different biblical characters on certain days of the year, Wednesday, July 22, was Mary Magdalene’s day. Now it may seem odd to have special days to remember people in the Bible, but it is better than not remembering them at all. It is also better than observing “National Pancake Day” (February 25) or “National Hammock Day” (which was also July 22).

Mary Magdalene is worth remembering. She was delivered from seven demons (Lk 8:2). Seven is often used to represent completeness. It could be that she literally had seven demons, or the term may indicate how completely she was in the control of evil forces. Either way, the fact Jesus delivered her gives us hope. Whatever our problems, whatever our sins, to whatever extent we have come under the control of evil, there is hope for us.

Sometimes we imagine that Jesus may be able to deliver us from the guilt of sin, but that those who have been deeply involved in evil will never be of much use to the Master. Mary is an example that disproved that theory.

Mary the demon-possessed was chosen as the first witness of the resurrection (Jn 20:11-18). In those days, many people would not accept the testimony of a woman. This was especially true of a woman with a checkered past. But the Lord chose Mary as the first to witness his resurrection and announce it to others.

It seems that the Lord has often chosen to use unexpected instruments in his work. Mary is, of course, not the only example; but she certainly is a prominent example. Yes, the Lord can use the highly educated. He can use the middle-class, the respectable, the expected ones. But he also chooses to use the down and out, the troubled and even the demon possessed. He can use me. He can use you.

It is good to remember Mary Magdalene. It is better to remember that the Lord who cast out her demons, and used her as his first witness, can cleanse and use us as well.

Geerhardus Vos

In 1992, I purchased a book by Geerhardus Vos. I did not like it. He did not seem to be saying anything of significance.

In May of this year, I was supposed to attend a conference in Pennsylvania. But the conference was cancelled by the pandemic. As a consolation, the conference organizers sent me several free books. One of them was by Geerhardus Vos.

This time, before reading what Vos wrote, I read the forward, which was by Sinclair Ferguson. Ferguson noted that Vos was difficult to read for at least two reasons. First, his native tongue was Dutch, and he often seems to be thinking in Dutch although writing in English. Secondly, Vos is simply over our heads at times. His students (he taught at Princeton from 1892 to 1932) often found that he assumed them to have knowledge that they did not actually have.

I have not gone far in the free book, but what I have read has impressed me immensely. Perhaps this book is a better sample of his writing. Perhaps I am older and more ready to understand. Or perhaps the hint that Sinclair Ferguson dropped was what I needed. Essentially, Ferguson was saying, “If you do not get something out of reading this, the problem is not with the author, but with you.”

I do not recommend that every Christian read the writings of Geerhardus Vos. But I do recommend that every Christian read the Bible. In making that recommendation, I am aware that we will not always understand what we read. But a lack of understanding is not always the fault of the author. Sometimes the reader is the problem. Let’s not blame God for our lack of understanding. Our preconceived notions, our sinfulness, our lack of concentration and persistence are more likely the root cause of our failure to understand.

Geerhardus Vos – even the man’s name should give us the hint that perhaps his writings will require study, not mere causal reading.

God, the creator and ruler of all, the source of all wisdom, the possessor of all knowledge – perhaps we ought not to expect that we will always understand him immediately and without effort.

When Tempted to Complain

A friend in Nigeria sent a report on his work. I am not going to go over the details. I want to quote just one sentence. But before I do so, I will say that this is a highly respected and trusted brother. He has been faithfully engaged in the work for more than fifty years. I have known him since 1993. So, with that preface, here is the one sentence.

“The lock-down makes many people to die because of hunger.”

Please pause a moment and think about that.

I know that the restrictions that we have experienced the last few weeks have been annoying. Sadly, the tensions of these days have brought out the worst in some people. But do you really know anyone who has gone hungry, really dangerously hungry?

A relative told me recently that she had to use the store brand of peanut butter, because the brand the family normally used has been out of stock. Some of us would take that as a terrible burden. Many folks in Nigeria would love to have the worst brand of peanut butter on the market.

I am reminded of a statement made by a Canadian who worked down the road from us in Nigeria in the 1990s. Jerry stopped by the house one day, about three months after he came to Nigeria. As we visited, he said, “You know, I am forty years old. I have done a lot of complaining in those years. After three months here I realize that I have never had anything to complain about in my entire life.”

I am also reminded of a few other things, but I will mention just two.
1. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain” (Philippians 2:14-16, ESV).
2. “He is a poor preacher who does not preach better than he practices” (R.L. Whiteside).

Dogs do not Bark at their Familiar Friends

Samuel Rutherford had a knack for expressing great truths in a few words. He told a friend, who was stung by the criticisms of worldly people, “If ye were not strangers here, the dogs of the world would not bark at you.”

Indeed, those who are true to the Lord will often be dishonored, slandered, and treated as impostors (see 2 Corinthians 6:8). Jesus himself warned us, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours” (Jn 15:10).

It is, therefore, a huge mistake to measure our success by the reaction of the world to our message. Measured by that standard, Jesus was a failure and Simon (the magician) was a success (Acts 8:9-10).

We must remember that “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are” (1 Cor 1:27-28).

Now, of course, we must be careful that when the world slanders us it is indeed slander. They must not be given any proper cause of complaint. Any laziness or dishonesty on our part will ruin our good influence (cf 1 Pet 3:13-16). But if we do what is right and are criticized for it, that is what we should have expected. The dogs of this world will bark at strangers who ultimately belong to a different world. But “it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (1 Pet 3:17).

So, if a dog barks at you this week, consider the matter carefully. Perhaps he is paying you a compliment. Perhaps he is acknowledging your identification with the Lord.

Exceptions and Rules in a Crisis and Beyond

As I am writing, the whole world is in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. In nations all around the world, governments have claimed special powers and forbidden activities that, under normal circumstances cannot be regulated by the government. The danger of this illness has also caused churches to modify their activities. Some churches are not meeting at all. Some are meeting electronically via Zoom, Facebook, or some other medium. In the midst of this crisis a lot of things have changed.

Many people are asking, “Will things ever return to normal?” Some are asking, “Should things ever return to normal?” A few are not asking questions but are making statements such as, “Our old normal was not working very well, and we should not ever go back to it.”

I believe that the Bible speaks to this situation in a couple of ways. It has words of wisdom that we ought to consider at this time, and that we should remember once the crisis has passed.

Some changes should be kept

1 Samuel 30 contains the account of an event that led David to the conclusion that a new rule was needed in his army and that it should become a permanent rule. Ziklag, the city where David was living at the time, had been sacked and all the people carried off. This happened because David and his men were out of town. When they returned to Ziklag and found their wives and children carried off as captives, they pursued the invaders.

1 Samuel 30:1-2, 7-10, 18-21
Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” 9 So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.
18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. 20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David’s spoil.” 21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.” 23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.

So we see that, in this case, a decision made in relation to a particular case became a standing rule to be followed. That is sometimes the right thing to do. If we see that a practice adopted in a given crisis works well, does not contradict a principle of justice or a command of God, then we may do well to adopt it as an ongoing practice.

In the case of the current crisis I believe that we will find some new practices that should be continued.
For example, our congregation has developed a greater presence on Facebook and has made greater use of other technologies to stay in touch with one another and to reach out to the unchurched. I believe that this will and should continue.

Changes we should not keep
But there are other practices that I pray will not remain once the virus is under control. I am sure that you agree.

None of us wants the barber shops to stay closed forever. Hopefully, none of us believes that our state governors have a right to rule by decree. Essentially, our civil rights have been temporarily suspended. A needless continuation of that situation would be very dangerous for our nation. In fact, it would spell the end of our nation as it has existed for the last 200 years.

Currently, none of our church elders is making visits to the homes of our members. None of the elders are inviting members into their own homes. I trust that this will not continue once the virus is under control. Church elders are supposed to be known for their hospitality (1 Tim 3:2). Currently we can claim the virus as an excuse for suspending that, but if we keep it up beyond the virus, that would indicate a serious problem.

Currently, because most of our members should not assemble with us, they are listening in to our worship via phone or computer. That should not continue indefinitely.

Currently, because health experts have warned that singing has a tendency to spread the virus, we are making considerable use of recorded music. But that change should not be maintained once the virus has passed. Professional singers sound better than we do, no doubt. But sounding better is not the point. There is a simple principle at stake here. Just as we cannot offer someone else’s money as our offering to God, we cannot offer someone else’s singing as our praise to God (2 Sam 24:22-24).

Consider this passage from the Mosaic law.
Numbers 9:1-13
And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.” 4 So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. 5 And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did. 6 And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 And those men said to him, “We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the LORD’s offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” 8 And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.” 9 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the LORD. 11 In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. 13 But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the LORD’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.

Yes, God is willing to make an exception for the one that needs an exception made. But the exception is NOT to become an excuse to neglect to do what could have been done! A case is noted in the time of Hezekiah. The whole nation missed the date of the Passover, and some partook while ritually unclean. The Levites assisted in tasks that normally should have been done only by the priests. The Lord allowed these things on this occasion, but the exceptional case was not allowed to continue.

2 Chronicles 30:13-22
And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great assembly. 14 They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away and threw into the brook Kidron. 15 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. 16 They took their accustomed posts according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests threw the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. Therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate it to the LORD. 18 For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” 20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 21 And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with all their might to the LORD. 22 And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the LORD. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

The elders of this congregation, and all congregations that I know of, have allowed public meetings of the church to be suspended for a time. That should not continue a single day beyond the necessary time. Many congregations have made use of recorded music, because we are not in a position to sing together as usual. That also should not be continued beyond the necessary time. Children’s Bible classes have been suspended and will remain suspended for quite some time. But they are likely to resume at some point.

Please do not assume that it is right to continue an exception that is introduced on a special occasion. It may not be. Some exceptions are exceptions only to our usual practice – they do not involve changes to what God has commanded. Those can be continued. If they are found to honor God, they should be continued. But others, if they were continued beyond the current crisis, would indicate disrespect for what God has commanded. Exceptions of that nature will be ended as soon as is practical.

Crack Players

Kipling began the description of a polo match by mentioning that one of the teams was "a team of crack players instead of a crack team; and that made all the difference in the world." I know little about polo, but I think that I understand his point all the same. In team sports, having the best players gives no assurance of victory. A team with moderately talented players will often defeat a team of highly gifted players. Teamwork is often victorious over talent.

The biblical writers tell us the same thing.

Paul reminds us that the church is a body; and that a body is made up of many members, but these members must think of the body not of themselves. The eyes must look out for the welfare of the whole body, not just the eyes. The mouth eats for the good of the whole body, not for its own enjoyment. The feet never go anywhere without taking the rest of the body along (see 1 Corinthians 12 for his actual wording).

Jesus emphasizes how we treat each other as central to our success in evangelism. It is not some hot new strategy that we need for convincing the unbeliever. It is a new attitude toward one another. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35, ESV).

The Wisdom literature had hinted at a similar concept. In Psalm 133 we read, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1, ESV). And in Ecclesiastes we are reminded, “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl 4:12, ESV).

Attempting to be a Lone Ranger Christian is as likely to succeed as an attempt to manufacture round squares. I would rather herd cats, or drive a car with square wheels, than to shepherd a church of individualists.

Planning Ahead

Normally by this time of year we are making or have made our Summer plans. This is no normal year. Most of us have no idea what we will be doing in June or July. We have no idea what we will be allowed to do. Most of the planning that we normally do this time of year has become impossible. But there are some things we can still plan and that we ought to plan.

We should plan to worship. We may be able to assemble and worship together, or we may have to continue worshipping at home, but we certainly should be planning to worship. A lot of things are in short supply this year, but I have not heard of any shortage of Bibles or hymnals. If we cannot go out as often as in the past, let’s get our homes set up for worship. To the extent we are able to go out, let’s be sure that we include worshipping together in our plans.

We should plan to honor the Lord in how we deal with inconveniences. This is one area where we may have abundant opportunities! It is certainly possible to honor the Lord when things are going well, but sometimes it is our response to troubles and trials that honors him most.

We should plan to serve others. Again, this is an area where we may have an unusual level of opportunities. Is there a neighbor who is extra susceptible to the virus? Could we not offer to do their shopping for them? Certainly, we could at least phone those who will be extra lonely at this time.

We should plan to pray. The uncertainty of these times should help us to remember that we are not the ones who are really in control. I have not been able to study any more than normal the last few weeks. Study, for me, requires a well-established schedule; and I have not had that. The phone has rung at the oddest times. But prayer opportunities have remained limitless.

Yes, we are way off schedule. Yes, most of the things we normally plan for the summer cannot be planned this year; but let’s plan to worship, to honor, to serve, and to pray.