The Fourth Week of November
- Hannah Jones-Nelson
- 2 hours ago
- 6 min read
Jeremiah 23:1-6
1 Watch out, you shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, declares the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, proclaims about the shepherds who “tend to” my people: You are the ones who have scattered my flock and driven them away. You haven’t attended to their needs, so I will take revenge on you for the terrible things you have done to them, declares the Lord. 3 I myself will gather the few remaining sheep from all the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will place over them shepherds who care for them. Then they will no longer be afraid or dread harm, nor will any be missing, declares the Lord.
5 The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous descendant from David’s line, and he will rule as a wise king. He will do what is just and right in the land. 6 During his lifetime, Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And his name will be The Lord Is Our Righteousness.
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in times of great trouble.
2 That’s why we won’t be afraid when the world falls apart,
when the mountains crumble into the center of the sea,
3 when its waters roar and rage,
when the mountains shake because of its surging waves. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams gladden God’s city,
the holiest dwelling of the Most High.
5 God is in that city. It will never crumble.
God will help it when morning dawns.
6 Nations roar; kingdoms crumble.
God utters his voice; the earth melts.
7 The Lord of heavenly forces is with us!
The God of Jacob is our place of safety. Selah
8 Come, see the Lord’s deeds,
what devastation he has imposed on the earth—
9 bringing wars to an end in every corner of the world,
breaking the bow and shattering the spear, burning chariots with fire.
10 “That’s enough! Now know that I am God!
I am exalted among all nations; I am exalted throughout the world!”
11 The Lord of heavenly forces is with us!
The God of Jacob is our place of safety. Selah
Colossians 1:11-20
11 by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; 12 and by giving thanks with joy to the Father. He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God’s holy people. 13 He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins.
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God,
the one who is first over all creation,
16 Because all things were created by him:
both in the heavens and on the earth,
the things that are visible and the things that are invisible.
Whether they are thrones or powers,
or rulers or authorities,
all things were created through him and for him.
17 He existed before all things,
and all things are held together in him.
18 He is the head of the body, the church,
who is the beginning, the one who is firstborn from among the dead
so that he might occupy the first place in everything.
19 Because all the fullness of God was pleased to live in him,
20 and he reconciled all things to himself through him—
whether things on earth or in the heavens.
He brought peace through the blood of his cross.
Luke 23:33-43
33 When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” They drew lots as a way of dividing up his clothing.
35 The people were standing around watching, but the leaders sneered at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he really is the Christ sent from God, the chosen one.”
36 The soldiers also mocked him. They came up to him, offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you really are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 Above his head was a notice of the formal charge against him. It read “This is the king of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals hanging next to Jesus insulted him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
40 Responding, the other criminal spoke harshly to him, “Don’t you fear God, seeing that you’ve also been sentenced to die? 41 We are rightly condemned, for we are receiving the appropriate sentence for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus replied, “I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise.”
We read…
Do we deserve God’s rescue? We can see the theme of rescue throughout our passages this week, but the story from Luke 23 might cause us to pause and ask important questions. When we hear the words in Psalm 46 about God being our refuge, our strength, our help when we’re in trouble, it’s comforting. We are encouraged when we hear these verses and remember that this is who God is. But when we get to the story about Jesus on the cross, it might be easy to wonder - what did that criminal do to deserve Jesus’s favor? Clearly he deserved punishment, he was being sentenced to death. Justice was being served! But Jesus still offered him grace, mercy, forgiveness, and kindness. Jesus was his refuge in these last few moments of life.
God doesn’t rescue us because we’ve earned it. Whether we find ourselves in trouble because of our own actions, someone else’s actions, or for unknown reasons, God is there for us. And this way of loving doesn’t always line up with our own ideas of justice. It isn’t fair or even, but God’s justice and righteousness has been graciously offered to us as a gift. How does this make you feel? And how are you called to live in light of this?
We think…
What stands out to you in these verses?
Does anything confuse you or not make sense?
How do these verses compare to your own experience in life or in the church?
What are you considering?
What questions come to mind?
What does it mean for God to be our refuge?
Why does Jesus offer forgiveness to the man on the cross?
We feel…
What emotions are you experiencing today? How are you making space for these feelings?
Where have you seen God today or this week?
What is pointing you to God (maybe it is something in creation, maybe a friend or adult that cares for you)?
What has God made new in your life? In your heart?
When has it felt like your world is falling apart (like in Psalm 46)? How has God helped you through that?
How does the story in Luke 23 make you feel? How is God’s justice and mercy connected to God’s willingness to rescue and help us?
We believe…
Colossians 1 talks about how Jesus existed before all things, that all things are held together by him, and that the fullness of God lives in him. We believe that Jesus is one person in the Trinity (God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and that Jesus is fully God and fully human. The Trinity can be confusing to talk about, because the math definitely doesn’t add up in our normal human math standards. What do you mean 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 but also 3 but mostly 1?
You can’t pass calculus with those numbers, but the Trinity is an important doctrine of the Christian church. At the core of our belief is this: God is one and united. God the Father does not act in a different way than Jesus or the Spirit. So when we look to the life of Jesus, what he said/did/taught, we are listening in on God’s direct teachings to us. Jesus didn’t sneak behind God the Father’s back to rescue us or to love us. God (the Trinity) was united in Jesus coming to be with us.
We practice…
This song has been one of my favorites to hear over the last few years, and the words come directly from Colossians 1. Take a few minutes to listen in whatever posture you find most comfortable. Maybe you’d like to sing along, read the words, or just simply pause and listen. Put away your distractions, clear your mind, and hear the good news Jesus has to offer you today.
Comments