Joel 2:1-2 and 12-17, Psalm 51:1-17, 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10, Mark 6:1-6 and 16-21
This life of teacher-servitude is a life of offense to both believers who need to return to God and unbelievers who need to be taught God’s ways and brought back.
Some tragedies are so striking that it feels like a movie. Joel 2:1-2 reads like the apocalyptic text of the Book of Revelation 9 after the fifth trumpet blows. In Joel, it was a dark and stormy night when suddenly the alarm went off! The soldiers knew this was not a drill, it was war and no one is safe. Then our hero appears. But when God appears there is judgment for both the sinner and the saint.
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. (Joel 2:12-13)
What sort of sacrifice should we bring the Lord upon our return? “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalms 51:17). We need to be washed clean of the sin that is right in front of us. Our sin… my sin and contrition is my scapegoat. In this psalm, David speaks of being cleaned with bitter herbs and having open heart surgery. Then one can go from being a student to a teacher.
Paul and David are parallel to one another. “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you” (Psalms 51:13). “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” David comes preaching works but Paul comes preaching the gospel. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:20b-21). As Paul explains, Jesus washes us clean so that God will relent in his judgement. Then he explains what it means to be a servant-teacher. “As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses… in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love” (2 Corinthians 6:4, 6).
This life of teacher-servitude is a life of offense to both believers who need to return to God and unbelievers who need to be taught God’s ways and brought back. Joel heralds the enemy at the gate and Jesus heralds the enemy within the gate when he said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home” (Mark 6:4). Yet some outside the gate will hear and some will be like Herodias who, “nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him.” But some will be like Herod who, “feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him” (Mark 6:19-20).
The importance of these texts are that they explain the gospel that leads to cleansing salvation, a life of justice as the hands and feet of God after we have been made clean, and discipleship. Paul summarizes it well when he writes to the Corinthians, “in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left… sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (2 Corinthians 6:7, 10). This is also an opportunity to repent for not doing all that we are called to do. Not just sharing the gospel but also making many rich.
Pastor Shimar is a seminary student and lead pastor of Feasts of God church. Follow him on most social media platforms @ShimarKeithSays. https://linktr.ee/shimarkeithsays
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