Wilderness Wanderings Anthony Elenbaas and Michael Bootsma

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:16-21)

In response to some religious leaders that had accused Jesus of driving out demons by the power of the prince of demons, Jesus replied that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”  
There is an insidious scheme of the devil by which he seeks to do precisely that: divide the household of faith so that it might not stand.  He does this by causing us to avoid, fear, and imagine the worst of our siblings in Christ so that our love for one another might grow cold.  This is the very thing Jesus warns against in his words on the end times in Matthew 24.  Paul warns against it in 1 Corinthians 2:5-11 as well.  Even 1 Samuel 18 tells this story, especially verses 12-16 where King Saul’s fear grows and consumes him with mistrust, while David increasingly lives in a different world marked by love. 
The antidote to this sort of demonic division, is to receive the love of God who is love and to live this love of God very practically in our love for one another.  Said differently: the antidote is to receive Jesus—the word of love in action—and become like him in that loving action.  This is harder than it looks.  
We will toss around little slogans like “just love” or “love instead of hate.”  But very often when we do this, we are speaking of loving those that we find it easy to love—those we think that others should start loving just as much.  Jesus’ form of love is something harder than that.  
Jesus loved the sinners and the marginalized, yes, but Jesus also loved his enemies.  Jesus loved a sinful humanity that conspired to kill him in the form of a Sanhedrin, Pilate, and soldiers, and he loved this sinful humanity embodied in these people that were killing him, even as they were killing him.  The words on his lips were “Father, forgive.”  Who of us have loved a friend to that point, let alone an enemy?  
This work of love is beyond any of us, unless we are actively seeking to receive God’s own love for us to empower us to do it.  Only in God’s love can we offer costly words of forgiveness even before an offender has repented.  Only in God’s love can the impossible divides of fear and mistrust be overcome.  And they must be overcome.  “For whoever does not love their brother or sister” in the church “whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”  “He has given us this command: anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”  I am convinced this is the hardest command in the Bible, but also the most important—as the New Testament everywhere attests.  
On our own, this is impossible.  But with God, all things are possible.  And we know it’s possible, because this is what Jesus has done for us.  We love, because he first loved us.  
If you’d like some additional wisdom on what love through forgiveness is and isn’t, check out this booklet “Forgiveness Fundamentals” from CRC media ministry, Family Fire. 
 
 

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text of Matthew 6:19-24. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!
To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube.  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca
Money is not the primary theme of Matthew 6. What is? How much does this occupy your thoughts? Why are possessions so enticing? What do you do to get noticed? Giving to the poor gets noticed by God, it is a way of storing treasures in heaven. Why do you give or not give money to folks with financially less than yourself? If stuff is our goal, it will direct everything in our lives. How has a desire for stuff led you away from God? How has it brought darkness to your life? In what new ways can your stuff serve God? How will that liberate you from serving your stuff?

Saul therefore said, “Come here, all you who are leaders of the army, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. As surely as the Lord who rescues Israel lives, even if the guilt lies with my son [the gift of God], he must die.” But not one of them said a word. … Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and [the gift of God] my son.” And [the gift of God] was taken. Then Saul said to [the gift of God], “Tell me what you have done.” So [the gift of God] told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!” Saul said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, [gift of God].” But the men said to Saul, “Should [the gift of God] die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” So the men rescued [the gift of God], and he was not put to death. (1 Samuel 14:38-39, 42-45).

Our Father in heaven is the good gardener, but fruit can be hard to seen.  1 Samuel offers some lovely case studies to train our eyes for it.
The fruit born by Saul’s kingship is shown to be the fruit of death.  The fruit of God’s kingship, however, is the gift of life and salvation.  Jonathan embodies these “gifts of God” throughout the narrative.  It’s what his name literally means, which is why I’ve read this meaning into every instance of his name in the text above.
This text brings the showdown between Saul’s ways and God’s.  In the verses leading up to this moment, we have seen that Saul uses religious rituals and words devoid of faith, we have seen how he is willing to dehumanize his men and drag them nearer to sin, we have seen his rash oath-taking cut the men off from the promised land’s flow of honey, and now here another bad-faith oath places even his son and the very gift of God that brought salvation under the threat of death.
Jonathan’s story leading up to this moment is different though.  Even without the rituals of Israel’s religion, Jonathan is able to hear from God.  Jonathan is able to see and taste the honey of the land of God’s promise.  Through nothing more than Jonathan’s faith, God begins defeating the enemy in battle—causing the Philistines to begin striking each other.  God’s salvation, promises, and gifts are things that Jonathan can not only see and receive, but also participate in in ways that bring life and salvation to himself and the people.
Yet Saul has not understood that this great victory was a salvation-gift from God.  As far as Saul can tell—it is he who has “avenged myself on my enemies” (1 Sam 14:24).  Saul wants more.  He wants to continue doing his work in his own strength, constraining his men in whatever dehumanizing ways he needs to in order to see it done.  But a priest steps in and says: maybe we should inquire of the LORD.  So Saul does.  But he receives only silence.  Saul assumes there must be some sin afoot, and is angered by the thought that some misdeed in the camp could be keeping him from his prize.  So he declares that even if the fault lies with God’s most precious gift to him—his own son—Saul will kill that gift to get what he wants.  It’s a devil’s bargain if ever there was one.
But God will not be manipulated, despite Saul’s oaths and religious rituals.  Nor will the men.  They have seen and judged for themselves what is good.  They have seen God’s gifts: the ones they were kept from tasting—like the promised land flowing with milk and honey—but also the gift of God’s salvation come through God’s gift in Jonathan.    
The men decide that they can no longer abide with the death-dealing fruit of Saul.  They choose for God’s gift of life.  Jonathan is saved.  The men have judged these trees by their fruit and have chosen well.  Our Gardener God’s kingship brings life and his gifts are goo

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2).
On Tuesday, we reflected on Jesus as our spiritual food. As much as our bodies need care and nourishment, so do our souls. However, soul care is more complicated than physical care. We know how to care for our bodies, even, if do not do it very well. There are professionals we can turn to for advice.
But how do we care for our souls? What should we do to give our spirits the best chance to flourish? We know how a healthy body functions, but how does a healthy soul function? Are there professionals we can turn to? Yes. The church has always understood that one of the pastor’s primary tasks is that of soul care. Physicians and physical trainers tend to be directive; they tell us what we should do. However, pastors rarely do; they usually ask questions, probing questions. We cannot have the same expectations of pastors as we do of doctors and trainers.
If soul care seems daunting, then our text for today is encouraging. When it comes to soul care, God is the primary actor. He is the gardener. Our task is to abide in Jesus. We can ignore this or do things contrary to it. We do have a role to play in caring and nourishing our souls. BUT (all caps) God is the gardener. The Father shapes us, prunes. He does this for fruit production.
He will trim away attitudes and lifestyle choices that hinder spiritual fruit, such as, love, joy, patience, etc. God’s tools are his Word, His Spirit, his community. He will use things we experience, random people we encounter. He will till the soil of our lives, spread fertilizer. There will be times with lots of moisture and seasons of drought. Yes. It seems that God’s best gardening happens when we do not see or experience much on the surface. Underground, God is at work.
It's true that pruning sounds painful. Often it is. Yet, that God is gardener is good news and its encouraging. Learning to love, to live with joy and patience is tricky. There is no manual for it. Often, we have the experience that we are not making progress. And we get such varied advice. One person does this, another does that. Churches have different programs, different kinds of Bible Studies. What do we do? Should we change our patterns, modify our spiritual discipline regimes?
Since the spiritual disciplines are so varied, it is good to know that God is constantly at work in our lives producing spiritual fruit. He is the gardener. He is tilling the soil of our lives. As we pray, read the scriptures and observe our lives, we should be asking God to show us how He is gardening. What is he up to? What kind of fruit does he want to grow in us? This is why in pastoral practice we pastors should be asking questions, more than giving direction. Its our task to help God’s people perceive what God is up to.
If you haven’t experienced growth or fruit lately, don’t get discouraged. God is the gardener. He will cause fruit to grow. Fruit is essential for his mission in this world. He needs people who are Christ-like. Bearing fruit brings him glory. It draws others to him, so that they too can share in the life of Christ. If we abide in Jesus, the fruit will come. Trust him. The Father is the gardener.
As you stay connected to the vine:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.  While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he [was afraid because] Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.  “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”  The two of them made a covenant before the LORD.  Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh. (1 Samuel 23:14-18)

This is the story that introduces the cat and mouse game of David evading Saul in the wilderness.  It happens at “Horesh,” which is a word that can take two different meanings.  It can refer to a sort of silence or to the work of human hands.  In this set of verses, both meanings are in play. 
David is faced here with God’s “silence” (horesh) and his own fear of Saul.  The question is will he trust his fear and so rely on the “work of his own hands” (horesh) to solve it, as Saul does?  Or will he trust in this God who is horesh, silent? 
It is here in this wilderness that David must begin to learn a more mature fear of the Lord.  This is not the battle of David and Goliath where the battle lines are clear, the army and King stand behind him and the Lord before him.  No, now David is a fugitive from the State, driven from his home, searching in deserts and foreign countries for refuge, clinging to the promise of God while facing down God’s “horesh” silence.  
It is not unlike so many wilderness moments in our own life.  Something happens that unsettles us, leaves us feeling threatened.  A medical scare, a financial jolt, a shifting landscape underfoot in the society or institutions we thought were secure—even the church.  Faced with God’s relative silence and a threat looming overhead do we choose to fear the Lord or the threat?  
It is at this moment that Saul’s son Jonathan suddenly appears.  No one knew where David was.  Yet somehow Jonathan finds him.  His name means “gift of God.”  “Nathan” being the Hebrew word for “gift,” and “Jo” being a prefix that refers to God.  
The text says that God did not “nathan” (give) David into Saul’s hands.  But God’s hand does offer a “Jo-nathan” (gift of God) to David in the form of a friend who appears in a silent, wilderness moment to help David re-find his strength in God.  “Do not be afraid” Jonathan says.  They then reaffirm their love and commitment to one another and Jonathan leaves.  David remains in Horesh, this wilderness place of silence.  But now, somehow, David is no longer quite so alone or afraid.  God may be silent, but by his gifts of friendship, love, and encouragement, David can once again recognize God’s hand on the move.
As the story continues, Saul really does find out where David is and comes down in pursuit of him.  However, we discover that David is no longer in the “horesh” place of silence and testing.  Now he is in the Desert of “Maon,” a word which means “help” or “refuge.”  Though “Saul and his forces were closing in on David to capture them,” God suddenly intervenes to force Saul to turn away.  David and his men are saved, not by what their hands have done (horesh), but by the one in whom they have taken refuge (maon).  
God remains our refuge and strength today, though at times he is also silent.  The invitation is not to take matters into your own hands in those moments, but to trust him even if you can’t hear him.  His gifts are usually not far away.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:    
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejo

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2).
In John 15, Jesus offers us some keen insights into being His disciples. The Bible uses a variety of phrases to fill out our understanding of faith in God. In 2 Peter we had the phrase, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Yesterday, we heard two Old Testament phrases, “the way of the righteous” (Psalm 1:6) and the challenge to Israel, “now choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Here, Jesus uses agricultural imagery to help us understand the Christian life. Today, I want to consider only this: we humans are both physical and spiritual beings. Its easy for us to understand our physicality: eating, sleeping, working, playing – all physical activities. Healthy eating and sleeping patterns lead to better health. Becoming hungry and tired and sore remind us that we are physical. Moreover, many of us have discovered the limitations of virtual relationships. Physical presence offers us something that virtual realities miss.
But we are also spiritual beings. This is more difficult. For many decades, western culture has promoted the idea that we are only bodies. When we die, there is nothing left – finito. We are born, then we die, living a brief time in between; what we do with our time between birth and death doesn’t matter much. But Christians believe it does.
Spirituality is subtle. It has to do with our morality, discerning between right and wrong; it deals with attitudes and priorities. It also speaks to what happens when we die. As Christians, we believe that after death our bodies decompose while our souls go to be with God. But in the end, when Christ returns, our bodies will be resurrected to be reunited with our souls. They belong together.
As our bodies need food, drink and sleep, so our souls need nourishment. This is what Jesus addresses in John 15:1, “I am the true vine…” Here is one of those places where the Bible keeps Christianity very simple. To be a Christian is to be connected to the Christian vine: Jesus.
Jesus is the only soul food for Christians. He echoed Moses, “We do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). And then he added, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:48). If we want spiritual life, food for our souls, we must feed on Jesus. Feeding on Jesus leads us in the way of the righteous, it is choosing life, it enables us to discern between good and evil, it causes us to grow in grace and knowledge.
As you prepare for summer, here are some questions to ponder: How does being spiritual affect me? Do I care for both my body and my soul? We cannot truly separate these two. If we neglect our bodies, our souls tend to shrink. If we neglect our souls, we will either neglect our bodies or make them into idols.
How do I stay connected to the true vine? Bible reading, prayer, worship, etc. Reflect on how you best engage with these practices. Do I connect more with Jesus ‘in the prayer closet’ or ‘when I pray with others’? Do I enjoy reading the Bible by myself or does it come alive when I get to discuss it with others?
As you stay connected to the vine:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.