By Dr. Lani Wilson

Good Morning, prayer and fasting servants. We are in the last third of 2015. I hope this first week of September finds you well and still determined to seek God’s voice in all we do. Let’s enjoy the last few weeks of summer!

Our word this week is “flexible.” I wasn’t even sure there would be a reference in any version of the Bible to this word when I searched the different translations. Yet, there it was in The Message Bible:

There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant-’I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual’-you wouldn’t be nitpicking like this. The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; he’s in charge. Matthew 12:6-8

Jesus was responding to criticism from the Pharisees about his disciples eating grain from the fields as they walked from village to village (Matthew 12:1-2). As He usually did Jesus responded by citing and referring to Hebrew scripture (Matthew 12:3-4), scriptures that were many centuries old by the time Jesus was born; scriptures that the Pharisees knew all too well. As usual, Jesus was “changing up the game” in ways that have to still be relevant to us 2000 years later. Why does it “have to still be relevant?” The Christ’s role modeling for us is at the heart of Christianity and faith and practice must be our response. Whatever our individual experiences and understandings about Him teach and tell us, He still speaks to us: That must be what just one of the immeasurable things a living God does.

So why would Jesus cite the scripture that talks about a “flexible heart?” The Hebrew Bible scripture that Jesus was referring to in Matthew 12:6-8 is found in Hosea.

I’m after love that lasts, not more religion. I want you to know God, not go to more prayer meetings. Hosea 6:6 (TMB)

Jesus also mentioned the same scripture when He was criticized for eating at Matthew (Levi) the tax collector’s house after Jesus called Matthew to follow Him.

Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers. “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riff-raff?” Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ’I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." Matthew 9:10-13 (TMB)

We are familiar with the biblical references in these passages: Jesus was condemning the Pharisees for their hypocrisy in Chapter 12. They were rigid about keeping the laws as prescribed by Mosaic Law of the Torah, but they were not meeting the needs of the people for whom the law was written: The classic diametric of the “letter of the law” versus the “spirit and intent of the law.” In Chapter 9 Jesus attacked two issues: The sick versus the healthy, those inside the church and those outside, insiders versus outsiders. From this we get the oft cited saying, “the church is a hospital for the sick, not the healthy.” It’s catchy, comes from Jesus’ own words, and should reassure people that the church is a place where one’s brokenness can be made whole again; that’s the plan. Secondly, Jesus tells the Pharisees to “go figure out” what the Hosea 6:6 scripture meant: God wants Her church to serve and take care of people, not “coddle” those inside the church. Thus, God in Christ Jesus was and is telling us that a flexible heart is one that loves people first and foremost, not one that is bound to structure, ritual, rules, and appearances. Of course, we all strive to have just that, flexible hearts that welcome anyone “who goes to church,” “comes to Christ,” “finds God,” right? If we think about the hospital metaphor, we might find that we have unknowingly extended Jesus’ metaphor. In Chapter 9 Jesus states that His purpose for coming is for those who need to be healed, both inside and outside the church. When He tells the Pharisees to “go figure out” what Hosea 6:6 meant, He was referring to the Temple Cult hypocrisy, those in the church. He was saying that He wanted them to do what they were set aside to do, take care of the people of God. Then He said that He came for the outsiders, to heal the sick. We have extended the metaphor by referring to hospitals in reference to this verse but of course, there were no hospitals in Jesus’ time. If we use this metaphor for modern times, we have to acknowledge that only the sickest patients have to stay in hospitals. If that is our metaphor, then we are talking about ourselves in the church as well. Thus, to have a flexible heart must mean not only to welcome in those who are actively ailing and seeking spiritual, physical, and psychological relief, but also to continue to offer respite within the church body because we will continue to need healing all throughout life’s stages.

Christianity has morphed into a complex, hybrid organism that has thousands of denominations claiming 2.6 billion members worldwide.

The figures on Christian movements in this report were commissioned by the Pew Forum from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass. CSGC researchers generated their estimates based in large part on figures provided by Christian denominations and organizations around the world. CSGC has obtained denominational membership information from about 41,000 organizations worldwide.
Pew Research Center: The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections April 2, 2015

In this same study it is projected that the United States will have slightly fewer Christians and simultaneously, an interesting increase in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In the United States, Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 2050, and Judaism will no longer be the largest non-Christian religion. Muslims will be more numerous in the U.S. than people who identify as Jewish on the basis of religion. Four out of every 10 Christians in the world will live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Ibid.

Christianity will remain the dominant world religion, but it is projected that two-fifths of the world’s Christians will live in sub-Saharan Africa by 2050. What about the African Diaspora here in the United States? What will our flexible hearts look like then? What does it mean for us as African-American Christians “down here on the ground?” What does the rise of non-denominationalism mean for the historic African-American church? Where do we fit in this picture? What is The Nazarene calling us to do in the 21st century and is it any different from what He called His first disciples to do? What should our little outpost in East Oakland be doing differently or are we on track doing what The Christ requires?

These are sticky questions with complex components, but one thing we might reflect on is the character of our church. Character means “the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual” (Apple Online Dictionary). Surely, the Body of Christ has character, and it must reflect the character of Christ Jesus: Jesus was flexible.

She was thinking to herself, "If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well." The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with. At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?" His disciples said, "What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ’Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!" But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story. Jesus said to her, "Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague. (TMB)

They landed in the country of the Gadarenes and were met by two madmen, victims of demons, coming out of the cemetery.
The men had terrorized the region for so long that no one considered it safe to walk down that stretch of road anymore. Seeing Jesus, the madmen screamed out, "What business do you have giving us a hard time? You’re the Son of God! You weren’t supposed to show up here yet!" Off in the distance a herd of pigs was browsing and rooting. 31 The evil spirits begged Jesus, "If you kick us out of these men, let us live in the pigs."Jesus said, "Go ahead, but get out of here!" Crazed, the pigs stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned.

• In the presence of the Pharisees in the synagogue on the Sabbath, Jesus healed the man with a withered hand and challenged the Pharisees to dispute that God wants to “saves lives” (Mark 3:1-5 TMB).

Then he went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand. The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction. He said to the man with the crippled hand, "Stand here where we can see you. Then he spoke to the people: "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" No one said a word. He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out-it was as good as new!

The Bible often uses the word “reed” in many passages when talking about a stick, wood, a club or a staff. This plant is probably the closest relative to modern day bamboo.

Giant Cane: Arundo donax

Bible-library.com/reed

 

The reed of Egypt and Palestine is the Arundo donax, which grows to the height of 12 feet, its stalk jointed like the bamboo, "with a magnificent panicle of blossom at the top, and so slender and yielding that it will lie perfectly flat under a gust of wind, and immediately resume its upright position." It is used to illustrate weakness (2 Kings 18:21; Ezek. 29:6), also fickleness or instability (Matt. 11:7; comp. Eph. 4:14)
Bible-library.org, Easton’s Bible Dictionary

 

Reed: A name given to many tall and coarse grasses or grasslike plants, and their slender, often jointed, stems, such as the various kinds of bamboo, and especially the common reed of Europe and North America (Phragmites communis). [1913 Webster]
Classicnet.bible.org/lexicon

Ironically, the reed or cane or bamboo-like stalk is used to “illustrate weakness…fickleness or instability” in the Bible. In other parts of the world bamboo is a staple plant for sustainability.

Listed below are some of the characteristics of bamboo: an effective erosion control plant and natural control barrier due to its widespread root system and large canopy; reduces runoff, prevents massive soil erosion; keeps twice so much water in the watershed; sustains riverbanks; protects surrounding environment during typhoons due to its height; regenerates and resilient even after strong typhoons; helps mitigate water pollution due to its high nitrogen consumption; minimizes CO2 gases (sequesters up to 12 tons of CO2 from the air per hectare); and generates up to 35% more oxygen then equivalent stand of trees.

Bamboo is an important component of development wherein all types of people have adequate access to. It requires little attention during its growing/production cycle and can occupy the same ecological niche as that of trees. It is well suited for agroforestry and healthy ecosystems. It requires only a modest capital investment to generate a steady income. Around the globe, a lot of individuals and communities are dependent on bamboo for their subsistence, shelter and every-day utilities.
Bamboo Information Network www.pcaarrd.com/dost.gov.ph

During the torture and crucifixion of Christ Jesus, he was beaten on the head with a reed/club/stick while the Roman guards laughed and mocked him. “Then they spit on him and hit him on the head with the stick” (Mathew 27:30 TMB). “They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship” (Mark 15:19 TMB). This fast-growing, hollow, woody grass plant is known for its ability to bend and not break. If you live in the tropics, you learn to avoid walking through bamboo because it splinters and the slivers are extremely painful in your skin. It can bend over almost completely to the ground and dangerously snaps straight back up into its upright place. It is pliable, sturdy, easy-to-use, resistant to pests, antipathogenic, and it is still used as a means of corporal punishment. In Southeast Asia it is used in “caning,” the act of whipping someone on the back with a rattan cane. Thus, while it is used as a means of inflicting horrible pain, its resilient, flexible characteristic is its best quality and sustains entire communities. Thus, its flexibility can be used for good or naught. Are we as flexible for good use like bamboo or a reed on the new Damascus Road or for naught sitting in the pews in Allen Temple? Just how flexible are supposed to be, LORD?

LORD God, in terrible, sometimes terrifying times like now, we come to You seeking protection and courage. Go before us when we stand up for those who are in harm’s way. Go before those who are on every front line there is for Your justice. Remind us that you were the first true Revolutionary whose battle was won for eternity. Keep us close to You and help us model Your behavior, Your attitudes, Your courage, and Your discipline when we oppose forces of evil. The paths are easy to see, LORD. We need Your vision to stay focused and Your compassion to stay in the fight. Although some of us have been on the battlefield for decades, there is still fight left in us. Point us in the right direction, at the right speed, and in the right way, lest we fall off the path and miss Your parade. You promised us that You are coming back in victory for the final smack down of evil. Give us strength, patience, wisdom, and love to endure until that time or until our time to come on Home. Just how flexible are we supposed to be, LORD? THAT flexible.

And we’ll be so careful to give you the glory, honor, and praise forever more.

Amen.