We tend to take this geographic universalism for granted, but that worship might occur literally anywhere on Earth was one of the truly new features of the New Covenant. This universalism may be one reason for John's parenthetical note in verse 25. Jesus was of course the Messiah ("Anointed One") of those who spoke Hebrew, the Jews. At the same time, however, he had been sent by his Father to seek out worshipers from all the nations of the world. Thus John reminds us of the translation of Jesus' title in Greek, the common language of the nations into which the good news, that God might be worshiped anywhere on the basis of Christ's sacrifice, was about to go.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Messiah (who is called Christ)
Particularly from John 4:19 on, Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman by Jacob's well is concerned with the impending geographic liturgical universalism he will introduce; that is, because he will shortly offer himself up as the final and complete sacrifice to atone for the sins of his people, animal sacrifice will no longer be necessary and worship will not have to occur on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem (John 4:21-24). While one might have lived anywhere in the world and still maintained faith in Israel's God, the restriction of true worship, which of necessity had to include sacrifice to atone for sin, to only one Temple no doubt was a discouragement and hindrance to at least some potential converts. Soon the Samaritan woman, and by implication anyone, will be able to worship God anywhere if they will do so in the Holy Spirit and in truth (i.e., according to the commands of Scripture).
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Lord's Day February 24, 2008
This Sunday I'll be preaching on John 4:5-26 ("Living Water") at Park Hill Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. and Emmanuel Reformed Church at 4 p.m. At 5 p.m., the Rev. Dirk Boersma will preach on Mark 9:23-24 at Park Hill.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Parking Wild Animals
The famous San Diego Zoo operates the much larger Wild Animal Park, far from the beach in northern San Diego County. One can see the entire park on the tram ride. (I realize it’s probably not called a “tram ride;” most likely it’s a “Jungle Safari” or somesuch. But you know what I mean.)
The tram driver delivers a spiel about the different animals and their environments. During the course of this monologue, he tells you how the park is breeding endangered species for eventual reintroduction into their native habitats. The assumption of his speech, and of the park’s management philosophy, is that two environments exist in the world: the Wild, in which man plays no part and where plants and animals follow their natural course; and the Park, where man, for a limited time and for specified ends, controls the lives and breeding of animals and plants.
But is this dichotomy, between the “natural” and the “controlled,” valid? I think not; it assumes man is not in charge of the natural environment. Scripture, however, teaches that God has given man dominion, the authority to rule, over the entire world (Genesis 1:26-30). Thus, there can be no part of the Earth in which man is not in charge. (One reason that we find human beings living in every imaginable environment on the planet.) Man can never escape his responsibility to rule.
Given the inescapable universality of dominion, how are we to interpret the existence of the Wild, those vast stretches of land where very few people can be found, where feral beasts seem to run the show? Man, as ruler, has chosen to let these areas “grow free.” Through our land use choices, man creates “natural habitats,” and let wild animals live there. The Wild is the Park!
The nearest analogy would be a man who puts his mower away forever and lets his lawn go. He may do so for any number of reasons, good or bad: he doesn’t have the time; he’s lazy; he enjoys seeing what turns up on its own; he wants to try xeriscaping; etc. My point is, a choice not to mow is as deliberate as a choice to mow. Both are approaches to his responsibilities as a homeowner.
The difference between Los Angeles County and Yellowstone Park is not that man is in charge in the one place and animals in the other. Instead, it is that we have chosen to build in the one, and not build in the other; to control water in the one, and let it flow freely in the other; to improve on God’s creation in the one, and observe it in the other. I’m hard pressed to say which is the better choice; in fact, both, in principle, are equally good. God has given us the entire world, and told us to glorify him with it. We ought to do this responsibly, but we have a relatively free hand with the resources.
The view from the tram is binary: part of the world is natural, where man has no say; the other part, where man runs things, is artificial. This view is false. In the view from the Church, man, as a servant of the Lord, runs everything everywhere. All is natural because all is under man’s dominion. All creation is a wild animal park.
The tram driver delivers a spiel about the different animals and their environments. During the course of this monologue, he tells you how the park is breeding endangered species for eventual reintroduction into their native habitats. The assumption of his speech, and of the park’s management philosophy, is that two environments exist in the world: the Wild, in which man plays no part and where plants and animals follow their natural course; and the Park, where man, for a limited time and for specified ends, controls the lives and breeding of animals and plants.
But is this dichotomy, between the “natural” and the “controlled,” valid? I think not; it assumes man is not in charge of the natural environment. Scripture, however, teaches that God has given man dominion, the authority to rule, over the entire world (Genesis 1:26-30). Thus, there can be no part of the Earth in which man is not in charge. (One reason that we find human beings living in every imaginable environment on the planet.) Man can never escape his responsibility to rule.
Given the inescapable universality of dominion, how are we to interpret the existence of the Wild, those vast stretches of land where very few people can be found, where feral beasts seem to run the show? Man, as ruler, has chosen to let these areas “grow free.” Through our land use choices, man creates “natural habitats,” and let wild animals live there. The Wild is the Park!
The nearest analogy would be a man who puts his mower away forever and lets his lawn go. He may do so for any number of reasons, good or bad: he doesn’t have the time; he’s lazy; he enjoys seeing what turns up on its own; he wants to try xeriscaping; etc. My point is, a choice not to mow is as deliberate as a choice to mow. Both are approaches to his responsibilities as a homeowner.
The difference between Los Angeles County and Yellowstone Park is not that man is in charge in the one place and animals in the other. Instead, it is that we have chosen to build in the one, and not build in the other; to control water in the one, and let it flow freely in the other; to improve on God’s creation in the one, and observe it in the other. I’m hard pressed to say which is the better choice; in fact, both, in principle, are equally good. God has given us the entire world, and told us to glorify him with it. We ought to do this responsibly, but we have a relatively free hand with the resources.
The view from the tram is binary: part of the world is natural, where man has no say; the other part, where man runs things, is artificial. This view is false. In the view from the Church, man, as a servant of the Lord, runs everything everywhere. All is natural because all is under man’s dominion. All creation is a wild animal park.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Lord's Day February 17, 2008
This Sunday at Park Hill Presbyterian Church I'll be preaching on John 3:16-17 ("God's Love for the World") at 11 a.m., and Luke 18:31-43 ("Our Warrior King") at 5 p.m.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Lord's Day February 10, 2008
This Sunday I'll be preaching on Matthew 4:1-11 ("Spiritual Warfare") at 11 a.m., and on 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 ("Raised Up in Glory," a catechetical sermon on Westminster Shorter Catechism #38) at around 1 p.m. (whenever folks are finishing up their desserts after the fellowship meal), both at Park Hill Presbyterian Church.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Write smart
This ad has been running on the back of Kroger brand corn flakes for some time now. While Kroger properly placed a period at the close of the first sentence of its ad copy, it could not find the question marks required for the three clauses it offered to end the second sentence. And while Kroger did an admirable job of maintaining subject-verb agreement for the first two of those clauses, it just couldn't keep it up through to the bitter end. Eating smart does not, apparently, lead to writing smart.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Lord's Day February 3, 2008
This Sunday at Park Hill Presbyterian Church I'll be preaching on Matthew 17:1-13 ("Hear Him") at 11 a.m. and Luke 18:18-30 ("Being Good") at 5 p.m.
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