by Rick Brand
In this morning's newspaper there was a Beetle Bailey cartoon strip that has Beetle sitting under a tree. Zero comes and asks Beetle what he is doing. Beetle says he is "watching the clouds, listening to the birds, smeeling the fresh ari, seeing little animals and flowers..." Zero sits down next to Beetle and says "Wow, I didn't know so much was going on."
That is right out of Psalm 147 and I put that in my folder as a possible piece for the sermon. But I was alert to it because of the preparation I had done on Monday.
Tuesday is commentary work. Isaiah, the Psalm and Mark seem to me to be moving in one direction together so I will work on them and leave out I Corinthians.
There is a great story about the great mission champion John McKay who was touring with a group of Evangelical leaders. They went into the home of a local and the host in great humility offered the traditional gift of a glass of "home brew." The Evangelicals refused. McKay took a glass and praised the host for its great quality. The host, wanting to offer something to the Evangelicals, brought out his smoking pipe. Again the Evangelicals refused and McKay took a puff. The host brought them to his table, but the food was all local and the Evangelicals did not respond well to it. McKay took some of all of it and ate it with a smile. When the group left the Evangelical leaders jumped all over McKay. How could you drink, smoke and eat that stuff? McKay just said, "Somebody in there had to act like a Christian." Paul says something along those lines as well. But I do not think that passage fits in with the other passages about the Greatness of God and God gift to us of the ability to hang on (walk and not faint, to get up and go about our business)
We all have our favorite commentaries and some have more than others as resources. Some of the comments quoted from the ones I used:
Isaiah affirms "the promise that God sustains, supports, carries, upholds us in times of danger, distress, and oppression." "Isaiah argues for the great incomparable power of God." "God's power is visible" in every place we turn our eyes" "God always has the power to deliver us, and we must be patient in trust and not question why God is slow." "The prophet gives a reproof to the people of God for their fears and despondence in capitivity. He silences their fears that God lacks the power, intent, or concern for them. In all conditions God will provide enough for hope.Those who wait in Babylon and believe God does not care, is not working, does not have the power to sustain them are reminded of the God who has the power of creation, the power to act in history before, and is still the one who is able to give all levels of need.
Psalm 147 is another hymn of praise to God for his universal power and providential care. The Psalm provides evidences of God's care.
The Mark passage gives us the miracle stories of healing and power, but seems to down play their significance. In the commentaries we are reminded that the healing of the Mother-in-law is on the Sabbath which is always a problem. That Jesus touches the woman which is a problem, and she gets up and prepares supper for them which might have been a problem. But it is typical that Jesus healings and miracles consistently restore people to their before problem life. Seldom does a miracle from Jesus result in a lottery winning type experience. Peter's Mother-in-law is healed and she is restored to her previous role in life. Those healed that night are returned to their "average, normal, life."
At the end of the day there appears to me to be a word of reminder to people of the greatness of God to be able to keep us going, to sustains us in the hard places.
(from www.goodpreacher.com/blog/)