Genesis 13:1-18 Change, and the Promise of the Land

Observation: Right on the heals of the famine that drove them to Egypt, Abram and Sarai return to the Negeb (southern Israel). And the tide has turned: not only is Abram blessed with tons of livestock and possessions, his son Lot is as well, to the point where "the land could not support the two of them living together." It's fascinating to me that, even at the dawn of humanity, people recognized that the earth's resources need time to recover and it was possible to ruin the very land which gives you life. So Abram and Lot decide to part ways, so that their families can be at peace. 

Application: Goodbyes are hard. Change is hard. Sometimes we will stay in a familiar situation, just because it's familiar, even if it becomes unhealthy for everyone involved. I can relate to Abram and Lot, both of them knowing it's time to split up, but wondering who will have the courage to say it. 

I appreciate Abram's leadership in this moment, saying the hard thing: that it's time for change. Not only that, but allowing Lot, who is younger and less experienced, to have his pick of the land, so that he can thrive, was a mature decision. 

There have been times in my life when I've been in a comfortable place, and yet not growing as I should, or bearing the fruit God needs me to bear for the sake of God's Reign. Saying "goodbye" to comfort and "hello" to challenge and growth is excruciating, and the pain sometimes lasts for years. After Lot settled in....drumroll please....Sodom, I bet he had nights thinking back, saying, "Things weren't perfect with Abram, but I sure wish I could go back to that stability." But his path had moved on from there, and the same God who gave him abundance in the past, walks with him into the future. 

Prayer: God, change is hard. Help me bear it, and be there for others who are also grieving what was, so that we can find you in what is, and what is yet to be. Amen.   

Genesis 12:10-20 Abram and Sarai Immigrate to Egypt

Observation: Abram and Sarai Immigrate to Egypt because there is a famine in their own country. What Abram does seems ill-advised to me. He's worried about being killed, and having his wife Sarai stolen by the Egyptians. So he tells people she's his sister, which leads to Pharaoh marrying Sarai, and God sends a plague in retribution, and Abram and Sarai end up getting kicked out of Egypt when Pharaoh finds out the truth. To me it seems like Abram panicked and ruined a potentially good situation. But then, I've never had to pick up and go to a foreign country because of famine. In the ancient world, this happened often.

Application: One take-away I get from this is to just be honest and trust in God. God had already promised land to Abram's offspring. Why would God do that if Abram was about to get murdered in Egypt?

But another takeaway I get is that God's command to "welcome the stranger" comes right out of Abram's and Sarai's experience. God's people know what it's like to be immigrants, to have to leave home for an unfamiliar place, and hide a part of themselves for fear of rejection or worse. God's people are called to have compassion for immigrants because we all were immigrants once--even Abram and Sarai.

Prayer: God, remind me of my immigrant roots, and help me reach out in love to those new to my community and my country. Amen. 

Acts 19:28-41 Jesus Vs Profitable Gods

Observation: Another great story from the Book of Acts. Today's snippet comes from Ephesus, where Paul's preaching about Jesus has gotten him into trouble with some devotees of Ephesus' patron goddess: Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. These fine, red-blooded patriotic local folks are in an uproar about Paul's preaching of this foreign god, and start chanting "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" My favorite verse says that in the chaos, "some were shouting one thing, some another, and most of them did not know why they had come together." If that doesn't describe human behavior around controversial issues, I don't know what does. One thing our reading for today does not reveal: Paul's chief adversaries are those who make a bundle of money selling silver Artemis statues...

Application: After over a thousand years of Christianity being a dominant faith in Western society, it's hard to imagine what it would be like for Jesus to be a "foreign" god. What if you had never heard his name before? What if you had been raised to believe your nation had a special patron god, who bestowed blessings and favor only on your community, and looked with approval on all you did, so long as you made sacrifices to your national god? Suppose into the midst of your community walked a preacher, who had a bigger story to tell? The story of a God who loves, not just you and your town, but everyone? Even those who don't believe? Even your enemies? Suppose this God loved this world so much, that, rather than demanding our sacrifices, he sacrificed himself, to save us from our own worst, most hateful impulses? Suppose this God required no membership fee, no sacrifices, but only your trust?

I'll be honest: I think that this God, to many, remains a "foreign" God. Jesus will continue to be a "foreign" God, for as long as there is money to be made, and influence to be gained, by preaching a more exclusive, nationalistic, prejudiced "god". As long as there is someone out there saying God loves only who we love and hates who we hate, that God wants us to be rich and is okay with others living hand to mouth, that God blesses everything we already feel like doing, and absolves us from any responsibility to do more, Jesus of Nazareth will remain a foreign God.

Be assured: if we think preaching the real Jesus, who blessed the poor and the mourning, who healed and fed the crowds for free, who commanded us to love our enemies, couldn't cause a riot today, maybe Jesus is a little "foreign" to us, too.

Prayer: Jesus, may we live your way in this world, no matter the consequences. May I be a little more like you today, and a little more "foreign" to this world as it is. Amen.