Psalm 80:1-3
1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
2before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us!
3Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Stir up your might, and come to save us!
Our adult Sunday School class is watching The Chosen together and studying the scripture passages that are covered in each episode. Last Sunday, we watched the episode about Nicodemus coming to meet with Jesus. In the dramatization, Jesus says, “I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you, Nicodemus. I didn’t come to save you from the Romans. I came to save you from Sin.” That quote is not in scripture, but it is a great summary of the tension between the people’s longing for a military hero messiah, and the Messiah they got in Jesus.
We cry out for God to save us from all sorts of things. When those cries come from the depths of suffering and despair, God’s perceived silence can be deafening. Telling someone who is being persecuted, or who is living in horrible circumstances, that Jesus offers us life in all its fullness in the midst of human suffering is a hard sell.
I think that, if we’re going to proclaim that Good News to suffering people, we must also be prepared to do something about their suffering. We can’t cure cancer, or eliminate poverty, or bring back the dead, but we can do what Jesus told us to do – feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit those who are lonely or in prison, and care for the stranger in our midst.
Prayer: Lord Jesus: Show me how to proclaim your Good News in ways that can be seen and felt as well as heard. AMEN