PENTECOST • 50

What is the heart of God?

This week’s readings gives us a glimpse of God’s heart for us.

TO ACCOMPANY YOUR LECTIONARY READINGS, LISTEN TO THIS SONGS WHILE YOU MEDITATE ON THE WORD:

reading for: 20 Oct

Mark 10:46-52

Can We See God’s Heart through Jesus?

  • READ

In today’s reading, Mark narrates the story of Jesus’ encounter with a blind man named Bartimaeus. By this time, word has spread and Jesus has gained quite a following. Hence, wherever Jesus goes, a great crowd inevitably follows (v46). The buzz around Jesus gets the attention of Bartimaeus who cries out to Jesus and addresses him as the Son of David (v47). And the more the crowd tried to shut Bartimaeus up, the more he cried out to Jesus (v48).

However, unlike the crowd who paid no attention to Bartimaeus, Jesus took note of him and called for him (v49). Bartimaeus then threw himself before Jesus and asked for sight (vv50-51). In response, Jesus acknowledges Bartimaeus’ faith and proclaims that his faith has made him well (v52). The story ends with Bartimaeus receiving his sight and following Jesus.

What is the meaning of this story? Why did Mark narrate this encounter? Is it about perseverance or asking for healing? One thing that might be helpful in reading the gospels is to remember that the gospel writers were not bound by chronology. In other words, it was not necessary for them to narrate events in chronological order. They could choose to narrate according to a theme and insert stories, events and encounters that fit the theme.

The story of blind Bartimaeus sits right between the prediction of Jesus’ death and resurrection (Mark 10:32-34) and his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11). Jesus knows who he is, where he is going and what he is going to do. He is the Messiah who is on the journey to Jerusalem to die for the people of Israel. The question is – Does his disciples and the crowds who follow him know who he is and what he came to do?

Bartimaeus addressed Jesus as the Son of David and cried out to him for mercy because he believed that Jesus is the Messiah and that the Messiah is able to restore his sight. We know this because Jesus commended Bartimaeus’ faith and attributed his healing to it. Bartimaeus was blind and his faith enabled him to see. Thus, it is very possible that Mark had inserted this encounter to highlight the theme of blindness – not just physical but spiritual.

  • REFLECT

Bartimaeus may have been physically blind but he could certainly see with his faith and his faith made him see. On the contrary, Jesus’ disciples have sight but they do not see. They have been following him, listening to his teachings and hearing him foretell his death and resurrection. Yet, the disciples could not see what Jesus was doing.

The same could happen to you and I today. We may listen to sermon, attend LG and read our bibles but remain blind to what God is doing. In this new season, the call for us in CNL is to “Move Together with Christ” and the question for us to consider is – What is God doing? Do we have eyes to see what he is doing? Will we move together with him as one Body?

Continue to pray for eyes to see God’s heart for Gek Poh.

reading for: 21 Oct

Jeremiah 31:7-9

Do We Know God’s Heart?

  • READ

    Next to Jeremiah 29:11, the most famous passage in Jeremiah is probably Jeremiah 31:31-40. Jeremiah 31:31-40 speaks of a new covenant that God will make with Israel and of how he would write his laws on their hearts, that he will be their God and they shall be his people, and they shall know God. It is not our reading today but you might want to refer to it because today’s reading leads up to the prophesy and promise in Jeremiah 31:31-40.

    Today’s reading is taken from Jeremiah 31:7-9. There is singing, shouting, proclaiming and praising because God is going to save his people (v7). He will gather back his scattered people from all over the earth (v8). And when Israel repents, God will lead them back through a straight path for he is a father to Israel and he has not forgotten his children (v9). It is a hopeful picture of homecoming. Israel who has been in exile is coming home.

    This hopeful picture is also part of a bigger jubilant picture from vv1-14. From vv1-14, we read that there is much to rejoice and hope for because God loves his people and will remain faithful to them. He will rescue and redeem them. Like a shepherd who watches over his sheep, God will watch over his people and keep them safe. Their mourning will be turned into joy and they will find rest and comfort. All of this is the Lord’s doing.

    Now it might be a little hard for us to appreciate what is happening here and to catch the emotions because we are not living in the same conditions. So let us recall history and use our imaginations. The book of Jeremiah is set in a chaotic time between the fall of the Assyrian empire and the rise of the Babylonian empire. Israel was first conquered by Assyria and subsequently by Babylonia.

    As a result, the people of Israel were forcefully deported to different parts of the empire. Thus, they were scattered and lived in exile. Their children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors, families have been taken away from them. And it was not short term. Their captivity lasted more than a hundred year. Now, imagine if we were taken away from our homeland and separated from our friends and families and loved ones. How would we feel? Perhaps now we can better appreciate the hope of these verses and catch the exultation.

  • REFLECT

    I think we can all agree that we are well protected in Singapore. We live in a prosperous city and we are able to enjoy the pleasures of life because of the peace we have. For most of us in Singapore, COVID is likely the biggest disruption we have had to live with yet. It has disrupted our lives and to a certain extent, kept us apart. We can no longer gather in the same way as we have before.

    While our situation is nothing like that of Israel, there are among us in CNL, brothers and sisters who longs to go home but have been unable to do so. And it is no secret that Singapore is a city filled with foreigners who are in a sense are living in exile. In short, there are many in Singapore who can relate to today’s reading. Don’t we all long for homecoming? To be reunited and to be in the same room with the ones we love again.

    God has not forgotten about us nor is he indifferent to our plight. He is faithful and he will bring us home, both to our earthly homes and our heavenly homes. He will turn our mourning into dancing. Until then, we must continue to hold fast to the Lord and to his Word individually. And collectively as a church, we must stay connected and come together as one Body in Gek Poh. We must learn what it means to be the household of God so that all the families of the nations that are here in Singapore will be blessed through us.

reading for: 22 Oct

Hebrews 7:23-28

Are we Holding Fast to God’s Heart Through Christ?

  • READ

    The book of Hebrews begin with a staggering pronouncement – “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets but in these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2). And for the rest of the book, the author of Hebrew will proceed to argue that Jesus is far more superior and better and greater than anyone or anything and thus, we must hold fast and not abandon our faith in Jesus, the Son.

    Our text today is part of a larger argument that the author is making regarding the priesthood of Jesus by comparing Jesus to Israel’s priests. In Hebrews 7:23-24, the author reasons that unlike Israel’s priest who are limited by their mortality, Jesus is not bound by it. Israel's priests will eventually succumb to death and will not be able to “act on behalf of men in relation to God and to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins” (Hebrews 5:1). Not so with Jesus. He is able to be a priest forever because he lives forever. So only he can save us (v25).

    Therefore, the author contends that it is only right for Jesus to act as our high priest given that he is “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (v26). Moreover, Jesus has offered up himself as the ultimate sacrifice once and for all (v27). No other sacrifices is necessary because Jesus has settled it for good. From the time of Moses, there has been a need for a continuous priesthood and succession of high priests. However, now that the Son has come and have been made perfect, we have ourselves a far better and greater and superior high priest – one who lives forever (v28).

  • REFLECT

    What is the significance of Jesus being the perfect and eternal high priest? What does it mean for us today? How then should we live? One of the challenges in reading Hebrews is that it requires one to have a firm grasp of the Old Testament and especially the Torah (first five books of the Bible) in order to lay hold of its richness. For example, to fully appreciate today’s reading actually require us to understand the book of Leviticus, which talks about the priesthood and the sacrificial system that God established in Israel.

    Hence, one way to enrich our understanding is to check out Bible Project’s overview video on the book of Hebrews and Leviticus. And to make it more interactive and fruitful, perhaps we can watch it with our LG this week. Set aside sometime during LG to watch the videos together and have a discussion on it. Another way is to mediate on Hebrews 4:14-16, which spells out what it means to have Jesus as our high priest and how we ought to respond. Let us hold fast and stick close that we may receive mercy and grace in our times of need.

reading for: 23 Oct

Psalm 126

Is God Heart not Full of Mercy?

  • READ

    Psalm 126 looks back at a time where God had mercy on his people. The psalm begins by recalling events of the past where the LORD had brought about restoration (v1). As a result, the people were filled with joy and laughter and testified to the LORD’s doing among the nations (v2-3). Hence, the people cried out to the LORD for mercy and pleaded for the LORD to restore their fortunes as he had done in the past (v4). And the psalm ends by declaring that what is sowed in tears will be reaped in joy (v5-6).

    Psalm 126 is a psalm for times of crisis. In times of crisis when we can no longer see the road ahead, psalm 126 is a reminder to recall the goodness of God. Can we recall how God had delivered us in the past? Do we remember testifying of his goodness? Did he not had mercy on us then? Will he not have mercy on us now? Truly, his mercy is new every morning. We need only to ask for it. All that we have sowed in tears will be reaped in joy. We may come to God broken but he will leave us whole. Do we believe? Let faith arise!

  • REFLECT

    We feel troubled and find ourselves in trouble every so often. And we grow weary and exhausted the longer the situation persists. When that happens, what do we do? What can we do? We can’t exactly pray our misery and sorrow away, can we? Haven’t we all wished for God to just take it all away and wondered why doesn’t he do it?

    In John 16, Jesus told his disciples plainly that trouble will come and to “take heart”. And He promises them that one day their sorrow will be no more and all that will remain is joy. There is no escaping trouble and there is no easy answer to it. We are to take heart and look to God in our times of need.

    For those of us who are struggling and going through a difficult time, let us take heart. We can lament as the psalmist did and cry out for mercy as Bartimaeus did. Let us not forget that we have a great high priest who is always interceding on our behalf and that we can approach him to receive the grace we need. One day our mourning will be turned into dancing and on that day, we will reap shouts of joy for all the seeds of tears that we have sowed. And someday soon, we will all get home. Homecoming is coming.

    As for those of us who are in a better place in this season, what we can do is to hold space for our brothers and sisters in CNL, and for our friends and families beyond CNL who are troubled or in trouble. May we learn to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. God has done a great thing among us and he has truly parted the red sea for us. Let us not be stumbled by disbelief and miss the promise land that God is leading us into. May we move together with Christ for the sake of Life and the lives of those around us.

Season of PentecostCNL