Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another… Hebrews 10:25
“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the Sabbath day. And he stood up to read; and there was given to him” a list of excuses that shed light on the spotty attendance. Reuben could not afford to miss the swap meet. Nathan took his kids to DAVIDLAND. Miriam went to check out the Phoenician Mall. Hannah was hosting brunch. Jude was climbing Mount Hermon. Samuel was cramming for an exam. Rachel had to visit her prickly mother-in-law. Saul’s donkey broke down. Eli despised the soft music. Scores had a rough week and needed to sleep in. Several went to worship God in nature.
On that particular day Jesus of Nazareth was actually reading from Isaiah and the crowd was amazed at His “gracious words.” When those turned gutsy, the mood turned ugly and the mob murderous. The discredited “carpenter’s son” fled to Capernaum. “And he was teaching them on the Sabbath; and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority” (Luke 4:16-32). All hell did not break loose there, but a demon was cast out after loudly addressing Jesus as “the Holy One of God.” {Part 1 of 2)
Comment: What comes to mind first when we consider today’s still spotty church attendance? COVID-19, perhaps? In March 2020, the WHO called it a pandemic.and home quarantine became a way of life. Leprosy was the dreaded disease long ago that led to cruel permanent isolation. The perceptive writer of our Hebrews text invites us to zero in on the word HABIT instead. Flossing teeth and paying our bills mark us as responsible adults. Kids pick their nose in public, along with other bad habits. Ours make us hatch New Year’s resolutions that usually have a short shelf life. How would we categorize our behaviors right now? Not unlike money or technology, habits can make for bad masters or good servants.
As a slave to ample salt on my soft-boiled eggs, I was fittingly “egged on” by none other than the righteous Job from the land of Uz. He wrote, “Can something tasteless be eaten without salt, or is there taste in the white of an egg? My soul refuses to touch them; they are like loathsome food to me” (6:6-7). So, what motivated me to fire this rather tough boss? The doctor’s visit where I normally joke with nurse Rachel that I don’t have “white-coat syndrome.” Then I stand up and the blood pressure goes down. But recently it stayed high a third time, causing me to quit cold turkey my love of jazzing up my bland eggs, even though the doctor is happy with my BP numbers at home. To my surprise, not only has this been rather easy, but it’s actually letting me enjoy the egg’s texture. More satisfying still is the fact that at each breakfast I pray for the friend who has successfully overcome throat cancer, but lost much weight and has trouble getting it back. Eating is no fun if you can’t taste the food. So, this has become my habitual plea, “Lord, please encourage him and his family, and restore his tastebuds.”
Comments