Daily Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:8 So don’t be ashamed of bearing testimony to our Lord or to me, his prisoner. On the contrary, accept your share in suffering disgrace for the sake of the Good News. God will give you the strength for it, 9 since he delivered us and called us to a life of holiness as his people. It was not because of our deeds, but because of his own purpose and the grace which he gave to us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He did this before the beginning of time, 10 but made it public only now through the appearing of our Deliverer, the Messiah Yeshua, who abolished death and, through the Good News, revealed life and immortality.11 It was for this Good News that I was appointed a proclaimer, emissary and teacher of the Goyim; 12 and this is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know him in whom I have put my trust, and I am persuaded that he can keep safe until that Day what he has entrusted to me.
Reflection Questions:
Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
Before there was Siri or Ask.com, there were folks like Mr. Desimal – specialists in the field of information retrieval staffing the Reference Desks at your local library who were prepared to find the answer to any question. I thought it would be interesting to hear his thoughts on today’s passage.
DL: I’ve always loved libraries. One of my favorite comics depicts an Old-West Sheriff walking through the aisles of shelves saying, “It’s quiet…..almost too quiet.” So Mr. Desimal, what is your job like?
Mr. Desimal: Please call me Dewey. First off, we do more than just say, “Shhh.” In our heyday, we were Wikipedia, Pinterest, & Google all rolled into one. We’d resolve family disputes, like what is the tallest building in Kansas City. Or we’d help patrons find “that book – you know the one with a green cover by that famous guy.” Or we’d work with job seekers, like the young man who asked if we had letters of reference – he needed 3 of them for his job interview the next day.
DL: So, what do you think about Paul’s letter to his apprentice, Timothy?
Dewey Desimal: I love it when Scriptures gives us answers to our tough questions. Ask away.
DL: Why might Timothy & his band of believers be ashamed of their faith in Christ?
Dewey Desimal: Remember the governing officials of the day labeled Christ as a criminal & had Him put to death in humiliating fashion. Recall that many of Christ’s followers, including Paul, had been arrested multiple times & were viewed by the state as dangerous subversives. Finally, we need to acknowledge that Christians were very out of sync with the popular mores of the day.
DL: Was Jesus & His teachings of forgiveness a new idea for God?
Dewey Desimal: No. As Paul notes, God has been a loving & forgiving God before the beginning of time. While we may be tempted to view the God of the Old Testament as harsh & judging and consider the God of the New Testament as being loving & forgiving, we have to realize that God did not change. Our perception of God changed after His love was personified in Christ. Actually, this view of the Old Testament God verses New Testament God is a huge compliment to Jesus, because it meant He successfully accomplished God’s purpose of demonstrating just how much God loves His children.
DL: Do we deserve His gift of grace?
Dewey Desimal: Nope. Paul reminds us that we have done nothing to earn this gift. We are not saved because we are Godly people. Rather, we are saved so we can become Godly people – people once again in sync with God. Those who chose not to believe in Christ struggle with hopelessness precisely because they slowly begin to realize that achieving peace & perfection on their own is impossible.
DL: So we are saved. What next?
Dewey Desimal: As Paul writes, God calls us to a holy life – a life of love & purpose. While we can (& should) revel in the peace of salvation, we are then called to share this Good News with those around us, & to be a witness & a teacher for Christ for those who do not yet know of His love.
DL: Finally, so what IS the tallest building in Kansas City?
Dewey Desimal: The library, naturally – it has the most stories
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
____________________________
2 Timothy appears to be a letter Paul wrote to his friend and protégé Timothy from a prison cell in Rome, when he knew he was facing execution. In that setting, probably seeing others dying daily or weekly, he wrote that Jesus “destroyed death and brought life and immortality into clear focus through the good news.” So, even facing his own physical death, he could say, with confidence, “I’m not ashamed. I know the one in whom I’ve placed my trust.”
- Scholar William Barclay offered this perspective on Jesus' triumph over death: “It is one of the facts of history that if human effort could have obliterated Christianity, it would have perished long ago; but men cannot kill that which is immortal.” Paul’s confident words about Jesus are still in print and inspiring us today, while the winds of history have blown away those who condemned him. How can Jesus' destruction of death help us find peace in a world frightened by Isis and other forms of terrorism?
- Scholar N. T. Wright conveyed the challenge of Paul’s example: “Our task is to be faithful and responsible before God, as he is utterly faithful and reliable for us. Along that path lies the kind of life which will never be ashamed, in whichever direction the winds of fashion, political fortune and popular opinion may blow.” In what areas do you sense God calling you to be more faithful and responsible in the way you live your life?
Today’s Prayer:
Lord God, help me to value the gift of Jesus, my savior, as highly as I ought, and to live faithfully, responsibility and triumphantly as he did. Amen.
Insights from Darren LippeDarren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
Before there was Siri or Ask.com, there were folks like Mr. Desimal – specialists in the field of information retrieval staffing the Reference Desks at your local library who were prepared to find the answer to any question. I thought it would be interesting to hear his thoughts on today’s passage.
DL: I’ve always loved libraries. One of my favorite comics depicts an Old-West Sheriff walking through the aisles of shelves saying, “It’s quiet…..almost too quiet.” So Mr. Desimal, what is your job like?
Mr. Desimal: Please call me Dewey. First off, we do more than just say, “Shhh.” In our heyday, we were Wikipedia, Pinterest, & Google all rolled into one. We’d resolve family disputes, like what is the tallest building in Kansas City. Or we’d help patrons find “that book – you know the one with a green cover by that famous guy.” Or we’d work with job seekers, like the young man who asked if we had letters of reference – he needed 3 of them for his job interview the next day.
DL: So, what do you think about Paul’s letter to his apprentice, Timothy?
Dewey Desimal: I love it when Scriptures gives us answers to our tough questions. Ask away.
DL: Why might Timothy & his band of believers be ashamed of their faith in Christ?
Dewey Desimal: Remember the governing officials of the day labeled Christ as a criminal & had Him put to death in humiliating fashion. Recall that many of Christ’s followers, including Paul, had been arrested multiple times & were viewed by the state as dangerous subversives. Finally, we need to acknowledge that Christians were very out of sync with the popular mores of the day.
DL: Was Jesus & His teachings of forgiveness a new idea for God?
Dewey Desimal: No. As Paul notes, God has been a loving & forgiving God before the beginning of time. While we may be tempted to view the God of the Old Testament as harsh & judging and consider the God of the New Testament as being loving & forgiving, we have to realize that God did not change. Our perception of God changed after His love was personified in Christ. Actually, this view of the Old Testament God verses New Testament God is a huge compliment to Jesus, because it meant He successfully accomplished God’s purpose of demonstrating just how much God loves His children.
DL: Do we deserve His gift of grace?
Dewey Desimal: Nope. Paul reminds us that we have done nothing to earn this gift. We are not saved because we are Godly people. Rather, we are saved so we can become Godly people – people once again in sync with God. Those who chose not to believe in Christ struggle with hopelessness precisely because they slowly begin to realize that achieving peace & perfection on their own is impossible.
DL: So we are saved. What next?
Dewey Desimal: As Paul writes, God calls us to a holy life – a life of love & purpose. While we can (& should) revel in the peace of salvation, we are then called to share this Good News with those around us, & to be a witness & a teacher for Christ for those who do not yet know of His love.
DL: Finally, so what IS the tallest building in Kansas City?
Dewey Desimal: The library, naturally – it has the most stories
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
____________________________
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