In our Men’s Bible Study, we have been learning about the ways of the ancient world which is the setting of Biblical stories. It felt to me like it was a really tough life. Our modern world is so accustomed to comforts, shortcuts and lenient and just laws but, by the look of things, the ancient world does not seem survivable by our standards. For example, the ancient world didn’t have soaps, so they were easily vulnerable to skin diseases like leprosy. I did realize something though; we share the same human hearts and aspirations: They also wanted to do well in life just like us. Well, you may say, it depends on what you mean by doing well: You mean doing well by God’s standards or doing well by human standards? We have that too. Our Old Testament began with a story of God sending the prophet Elijah outside Israel because Israel had become so corrupt with idolatry, that God was so done with them. It seems like God wanted to remind them that He is the Lord and creator of all. Israel was doing well by human standards, and they forgot God’s covenant/God’s standards. God was not pleased. The same scenario is observed in the New Testament when Jesus points out the corruption of Israel’s leaders in the temple. They were getting richer while poor widows were going hungry. I am afraid that in our modern world, it is possible to be more attracted by human standards rather than God’s. Our prayer is that we would come to love God’s standards as our own.
Let the battle begin: On one hand, one can say that as long as we live in this world, people’s standards will always attract us. We all want to make it in some way economically, spiritually, you name it, we want to do well. This sounds innocent! But when we look at God’s rebuke of Israel, we come to realize that not every choice we make with a memo “I am trying to make it” can pass God’s standards. That was Israel’s problem. E.g., a Covid Test in the Us can cost from $0-20 but can also reach $ 120, but in Africa, why does it cost $ 350? Does it mean that someone is getting richer? Maybe. It would be sad if it was so. Because Israel’s leaders goofed up, the prophet was sent to a widow in Zarephath a city in Sidon. Btw, that’s where Queen Jezebel comes from! She was Elijah’s #1 enemy! So, because of Israel ‘s corruption, God’s favor turned to a dead place like Sidon where Baal was a god of rain, yet they had drought! Israel was supposed to be a blessing to other nations, it failed miserably. Yet God still acted to bring life in a place like that, which tells us that even in the land of the enemy, God’s favor and life can be seen: A poor widow was blessed.
On the other hand, we just celebrated All Saints last Sunday, a remembrance of those who courageously lived their lives for the sake of God, they did not care about human standards, they cared more about God’s standards. They knew the cost of following human standards, how temporary it is and how it doesn’t pay well. It never pays well because it never gets to be enough, its goals shift all time depending on the trend! But you see, Jesus tells us: “My burden is lighter and in me, you will find rest for your souls.” The trouble is, when we are so into these human standards, we can’t rest because these goals that we put ourselves into, are a heavy burden we were never meant to carry… The saints knew how to rest in God, simplify their lives and resist the world of materialism. Certainly, the saints were no pushovers, they knew, their only hope and focus, was God’s grace.
Jesus brings up this same issue in the temple looking at a poor widow placing all her money in the Temple’s treasury. The irony was that Jesus was uncovering the corruption of Israel’s leaders who didn’t care about poor widows’ welfare but God cared. These leaders were following human standards by getting richer while the widow went hungry. The question is: Is it right for us to continue pursuing our earthly goals even if it means others will suffer loss for it? This sounds to me like a human standard which cannot and won’t pass God’s standards: Love your neighbor as yourself; the golden rule: Don’t do to others what you do not wish others to do to you! Sounds reasonable? I love my God!
May you be encouraged by the lives of Saints, knowing that it is possible to live only for God. May we seek God’s strength to bypass human standards and learn more of God’s standards and make them our own. That’s where we can truly find Life and Peace.
Amen.
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