Messenger
Scripture References
Ezekiel 2:1-5
Ezekiel’s Call
1 And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.
2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Paul’s Visions and His Thorn
1 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Mark 6:1-13
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
1 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.[1] 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
Historic Messenger
“The British are coming; the British are coming…” Oh yes…Listen my children and you shall hear, of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. This famous historic message warned the militia of a British attack on Lexington and Concord back in 1775. This message gives the colonists a key advantage in the battle against the invading red coats. Revere and other riders followed a signal from the Old North Church bell tower in Boston with a predetermined lantern signal of “one if by land, two if by sea” indicating the ensuing route of invasion by the British.
It would have been much quicker I’m sure to have sent a group text message. But instead, Paul Revere spurred that mare half the night to alert those that needed to hear. This is one of many historical messages during the Revolutionary War that contributed to the eventual political ties that were severed between the United States and Great Britain. Ultimately, resulting in a successful declaration of independence that we celebrated this past week.
Messages From Our Lord To Ezekiel
Our readings today include important messages as well. Ones given to Ezekiel and Paul, then a message sent by Jesus to the twelve. You might say these messages are historical in the sense that they are documented in Biblical times…
But on the other hand, they also apply to us today. Messages we must receive, and messages we must deliver.
First, let’s look at the message in the Old Testament lesson given by the Lord to Ezekiel. God wants Ezekiel to go to the Israelites that have been exiled… who are known to be a rebellious people… who have had all hope squashed right out of them…. who are stubborn and have a history of rejecting prophets like himself… with a message that “hey, even though you brought this on yourself, whether you realize it or not, repent and you will become stronger because of it”.
Not an easy message to give even for us today … or to receive for that matter. Ezekiel I’m sure, would rather been given the task of that midnight ride.
God’s Message To Paul
Then we read in the Epistle lesson of 2 Corinthians, where we find Paul is given a message as well. Paul reflets on his Damascus road experience where he was struck blind and thus had a heavenly experience with Jesus. Now, an apostle for Christ, Paul asks God for the thorn in his side to be taken away. God’s message? Nope… sorry, for “your strength is made perfect in your weakness.” This paradox is not easy to comprehend when you are the one bearing a thorn in your side.
Turning the reins now to the Gospel of Mark, we can start to connect these similar messages. Jesus is sending the 12 disciples out with healing powers to grow the kingdom. Not an easy task as it somewhat paralleled with what Ezekiel was experiencing… Rejection and unbelief. Reaching out to people that really didn’t want to listen to them in the first place.
We learn that Jesus himself was even rejected by His own family and those He grew up with. This kind of persecution, especially by loved ones, is a thorn in and of itself.
Messages About The Kingdom
What do these messages say about the kingdom of God? If Paul Revere were riding by, he might yell… you’re wasting your time… you are going to fail… you will be forsaken… Well, he wouldn’t be wrong. In the kingdom of God, we will have moments of inadequacy, our morality will be weakened, and our efforts will appear to be in vain…
Have you received any of these rigid messages in your life? Ones that you would rather not hear. Or for that matter, delivered a message that nobody else wants to hear? Either way, a tough pill to swallow… that feeling of inadequacy and lack of assurance that you will have the strength to tackle the task you are asked to do. Finding out that living this Christian life is not just a walk in the park… However, God’s lantern in His kingdom lights up a promise that He will work as much through our failures as He does through our strengths.
Through Ezekiel’s humiliation, God fulfilled his inadequacy… God left the thorn in Paul’s side to make him stronger… Jesus ultimately carried a cross up a hill to where He suffered and died… a failure in the eyes of the world. All our failures, pain, and strife are more than we will probably want to admit… but they can be seen as occasions for us to succeed in the kingdom of God. God’s strength, shown in mercy, is made more evident, more perfect, during these adversities…
The Grace Lantern
I have witnessed this in a friend of mine with his long battle with cancer. This terminal disease has made him stronger in faith and a great witness for Christ. He has taken that thorn in his side and become a mighty Christian warrior. Knowing his story has given me a new lens to look through when I think I have a thorn in my side… Those times when I have trouble seeing how God can possibly use a health problem, loss of a loved one, or other things that are fogging over visions of something good coming from these things. Knowing him made me realize that it all becomes clearer… with that light of grace God shines upon us… when we turn our focus to the Cross…
Value In The Rot And Decay
Do you know anyone who composts? It takes some interesting ingredients to do this effectively. Eggshells, food waste, shredded paper, lawn clippings, dryer lint, hair, and just about anything you can imagine that will decompose. Layer it, keep it moist, let it heat up, turn it occasionally, and then wait. It might be a good idea to have this pile behind the woodshed, because this rotting mixture might not be too pleasant. But boy howdy, once this blend ferments and decays to maturity, will make for some amazing topsoil. Mix that in the soil and Plants will flourish with this compost.
Fertile soil is filled with dead and rotting things. That is the message that is being delivered by our Lord who provides our strength. Using the weakness fermenting in our lives that make us feel like just a layer of rejected material in a compost pile that will turn into a greater good. The kingdom of God is often found working in the rot and decay.
It is important to keep in mind that understanding this analogy of the kingdom is only accomplished by looking within the framework of God’s loving mercy. The presence of that thorn in our side, changes nothing for us. It is only through the power of God’s grace that we are made strong.
Look To The Cross
That is what the Lord said to Paul in his vision. Our Lord tells him in verse 9 , “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Then Paul goes on to say, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
This becomes a wakeup call for expectations we might have when faced with these trials in our life. While sometimes we get to see amazing success, there is no promise of that. Only a promise that God is with us, helping us, and that He will make our lives meaningful in His kingdom… His way, His timing.
Jesus provides the reality defining this truth by what He accomplished on the cross. When we look to Jesus, we will find comfort in Him. Being in a weak spot can be a great place to be, if you know that Jesus is suffering in that place with you. Placing all trust in Him and not leaning on our own understanding.
Why Worry, God Is In Charge
So, when the villagers heard the message from Paul Revere that the British were coming, what questions do you think they had? Where, when, why…? The same questions that might still linger in our minds with the message God is giving us about His kingdom.
I read a bumper sticker once that said, “Why worry, God is in charge.” We all know this is true, however, who among us is strong enough in our walk with Christ to not worry?
God is in charge, and we must keep in mind that He also knows what is best for us. But we must also keep in mind… this is the same God who charged Ezekiel to give a message that many prophets before him failed to deliver… This is the same God who sent His only Son to the cross… Do we forget about Paul’s thorn in the flesh?
Call it what you want, but we worry because we are weak before our God who is in charge. That is “where, when, and why”, we need to turn to Him. Look at Paul, he did not get to choose whether the thorn in his flesh went away. He was “stuck” with it… But that is why he was “content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.”
My Weakness
The media and bumper stickers can say we are self-sufficient and strong, but we are not. Our health might be OK today, but possibly not tomorrow. I get aches and pains and wonder what I would do if I couldn’t work, drive, or even type on the computer… My weakness surfaces when I listen to the bickering back and forth and vain promises of politicians who are spinning out of control… I misplaced my phone the other day and realized how helpless I am without that ability to communicate. I open the hood of my truck and realize the only thing I can do under there is check the oil.
Many things in our daily life, large or small, show that no matter how hard you try, our humanity will reveal our weaknesses… What do you have that makes you feel inadequate or vulnerable? The future of your kids? Financial woes, job dilemmas, rejection, health problems?
All these things are our weaknesses, the thorns in our flesh… Paul has a thorn in his flesh and embraces that weakness for what it does. That is what strengthens his faith and that is what will strengthen ours as well. That is when we turn to Christ with prayer and supplication… trusting in His providential care… and finding peace because we know God is in charge.
Strength Made Perfect In Weakness
Being weak serves the kingdom of God by giving us these powerful messages about Jesus. His strength sees us through, not our own. Admitting to being weak because of our sin gives Jesus the honor of loving us despite our weakness. For this is where we boast and give our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ all the credit, from whom all good things come in our life.
Look at the weakness Jesus had. Isaiah said in chapter 52 verse 2, “he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” Isaiah was talking about Jesus, who was stricken, smitten, and afflicted. He was handed over to violent men and they did their worst. He was weak. Yet, we turn to that moment of His weakness for our greatest comfort. It is no different for us. In our weakest moments, we look most like Christ our Savior.
Messages From The Cross
The world may judge us as failures and losers. But God’s judgment prevails. He sees His Son written large upon us when we suffer in service to His Kingdom. We are strong in that loving grace.
That is the message we must deliver. But more importantly, the message of the power we receive through the cross.
Martin Luther says, “it is also highly necessary that we suffer not only that God may prove his honor, power, and strength against the devil, but also in order that when we are not in trouble and suffering… this excellent treasure which we have may not merely make us sleepy and secure.” God gives us thorns so that we will not get spiritually sleepy in this life, but instead, directs our focus to the treasure we have in Jesus and His eternal promises which will be ours forever… as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
Independance Through Christ
A light in the belltower was pivotal for the independence of America. Our independence with Christ relies on a light as well. The light that shines bright… could it be… one if by land or two if by sea? Our eternal message is the light we shine for all to receive. A victory won by Christ on the cross and the light of a new day that is waiting before us. The battle is won, the victory is ours. Ride like never before boasting ever more gladly of that promise … of our eternal independence in Him.