Exaudi Saturday - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Saturday of Exaudi 
Numbers 20:22-21:9      Luke 20:45-21:19 

There has been talk, as I mentioned in one of these missives at some point in the past, that some people see this pandemic and some other things as signs of the end of days. Now our nation is consumed with riots and other protests. Is this what Jesus means when He says that “nation will rise against nation?” There have always been wars. I am going to use this as a starting point to deviate a bit today, this is an excuse to address things that are maybe only tangentially tied to this text, but which I want to take the time to address in this space. Hey, this is after all, my blog. I will also make it devotional, a meditation upon the Word and will of God. But it will not be as tightly tied to the specific texts as you read them from above.

What is happening in the Twin Cities, and has spread to other parts of the country, has arisen because there is a sickness in our country (dare I say, our world). No, the sickness is not COVID-19! The sickness to which I refer is that we see our neighbors – and make judgements about our neighbors – based upon a few outwardly visible physical features.

Of course, we are nice about it. George Floyd is an African-American, not a black man. But who are we trying to kid? I’m a Bohemian-German-American, but I’m not called that. I’m simply a white man or Caucasian. Whatever the label, there is behind it the prejudice against different races, and as long as we continue to use the labels, that prejudice will continue to prevail.

I am not white. In fact, as the summer progresses, there will be certain parts of my body which will be exposed to the sun, and the melanin in my skin, God’s intended means to protect my skin from burning, will instead bring about “tanning” of my skin (usually I call it reddening, as there is a red tint to my tan).

God created Adam in His image, brought forth Eve by using a rib from Adam’s side, and all people have been born as progeny from this first couple. We are ONE race! We all have the same God who created us! It is His Son who died upon the cross to redeem all mankind.

Every creature that exists (here I am going to simplify language a bit for the sake of brevity) procreates according to its kind. Dogs can breed with other dogs, but not with horses, or cats, or… Horses can breed with other horses, not with monkeys, or pigeons, or… And so it is with all the creatures God created.

If men were of different kinds, different races, then…

Yeah, I’ll just let that sit there, I do not need to explain it further.

It saddens me to see brother rise up against brother, to see neighbors fear and hate those whom God created – just like them – in His image. Not only did God create each of us in His own image (my image will change a little in color this weekend as I spend some time in the garden, or outside doing other tasks), but God sent His Son to love them (us) all. In our human flesh, as one of our race, one of human-kind – not a dog, cat, porcupine, or other creature – He took our sins into His own flesh. He took all our hatred and sinful fear into His own flesh, putting it to death upon the cross, and burying it in His tomb. Three days later, He rose from the dead! His death as the victory over all sin proclaimed accomplished by the open-throated roar of the empty tomb.

I love being an American, for our forefathers said it well when they “declare”ed ‘all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ All men are equal – Created to be so by God.

As a child, I also grew up saying, and believing, that we are “one nation, under God.”

I am not perfect, nor are any of us. Is it because I have a specific degree of more or less melanin? Is my imperfection the color of my eyes? Is it the shape of my nose? Is my imperfection the fact that my hair has changed color, or the fact that I have more or less of it on my head than does my neighbor?

My imperfection is the same shared by every other man, woman, and child who has ever, will ever, or who presently walks this planet with me – it is the fallen state of the image of God we ALL share. We are all sinners! In that, we are all no different!

We all need to be freed from our bondage to sin – freed from our sinful hatred and fear of our brothers who share our human flesh. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus our Savior who accomplished this for us.

To live in Christ, is to live in His love unto the forgiveness of sins. To live in that forgiveness, is to be freed to love others, just as Christ – Who shared our human flesh – loved us.

You know what to do!

Let us pray:    Heavenly Father, forgive me those times where I have not loved my neighbor as You have loved me – selflessly and sacrificially. Where I have sinned against my neighbor, move them to forgive me as You have forgiven me. As I go forth each day, in Christ, move me to love all whom you may place in my life as you have loved me. In the name of Jesus. Amen.