"Acceptance in Community” International Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson

For Week Ending March 28, 2010

Purpose: To realize that the covenant God has made with us includes those we may consider outsiders

Scripture Text: Ruth 2:5-12, Ruth 3:9-11 (NRVS)

Ruth 2:5-12
(5)Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, ‘To whom does this young woman belong?’ (6)The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, ‘She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. (7)She said, “Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.” So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment.’

(8) Then Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. (9)Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.’ (10)Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, ‘Why have I found favour in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?’ (11)But Boaz answered her, ‘All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. (12)May the LORD reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!’

Ruth 3:9-11
(9)He said, ‘Who are you?’ And she answered, ‘I am Ruth, your servant; spread your cloak over your servant, for you are next-of-kin.’ (10)He said, ‘May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter; this last instance of your loyalty is better than the first; you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. (11)And now, my daughter, do not be afraid; I will do for you all that you ask, for all the assembly of my people know that you are a worthy woman.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

This week we continue our study in the Book of Ruth and also our look at community and how we have choices about how we relate to various parts of our community.

Because Boaz's mother was a Canaanite from Jericho, he may have been a bit more sympathetic to foreigners than others within the Bethlehem community. Also the story of Ruth appears to be a series of nudges rather than one mighty act. I think God often works with small nudges in a direction as opposed to some great and wondrous act.

It appears Ruth had come to Boaz's field looking for permission to glean. God had earlier commanded in Leviticus 19:9-10 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD your God.” Ruth may not have known this or else she was aware that she may not be welcome to glean because she was a Moabite. Regardless Ruth appears to have been at the field all day awaiting permission to glean in the field of Boaz. You have to admire Ruth's fortitude and patience to stand all day waiting for permission from Boaz. It is hard to know if Boaz acts out of compassion or out of some primal urge, but he makes a small decision to not only allow but almost commands that Ruth not glean in any other field but his. Boaz also gives Ruth an advantage over all the other poor and foreigners that were gleaning, she would not have to stop and go get water on her own but could drink from his servants’ water supply. Boaz shows us an example of God's grace when he goes beyond the law and offers Ruth something she does not deserve.

Ruth shows her gratitude and respect by bowing to Boaz, and admitting she was not worthy, because she was a foreigner, an example for us when we are the benefactors of God's mercy and grace. Even though Boaz had just been introduced to Ruth, he had evidently heard of her and Naomi's story. Boaz was obviously impressed with the fact that Ruth had chosen to help Naomi return to her homeland; also she had accepted the God of Naomi as the God she wished to follow. Like many of us Ruth had sought refuge “Under His wings.” There are times when we are rewarded for our good works, but the reward should never be the motive for doing what God has called us to do.

In the last part of our lesson, Ruth follows Naomi's instructions and spends the night sleeping at the feet of Boaz, and Boaz responds by offering to marry Ruth, but only after he made certain that she would keep her dignity and also Naomi would receive all that was due her under the law. Boaz restrains himself from touching her, blesses her as a father, encourages her as a friend, promises her as a kinsman, rewards her as patron, and sends her away with gifts and hope, and she is happier than when she came to him.

That is the same as what we receive from God when we offer ourselves as His servant. We were at one time outside of God's grace, but now we have received His grace plus more, unworthy yet loved, without hope now full of hope.

Have you ever experienced the feeling of being an outsider? Have you ever been guilty of not accepting outsiders into your community of friends or family? What lesson did you learn from this study of Ruth?

“Mission to the Community” International Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending March 7, 2010

Purpose: To recognize the importance of obeying God's call to serve a community

Scripture Text: Jonah 1:1-3; Jonah 3:1-9 (NRSV)

Jonah 1:1-3
(1)Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, (2)‘Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.’ (3)But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

Jonah 3:1-9
(1)The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, (2)‘Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.’ (3)So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. (4)Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ (5)And the people of My Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.

(6) When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.(7)Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: ‘By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. (8)Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. (9)Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.’

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

For the next 3 months we will be talking about “community” in our lesson series. In the Old Testament the communities were labeled in Hebrew by “tribe” (sheber and matteh), “clan” (mishpachah) and “family” (beth ab). In the New Testament primarily two Greek terms are used for “family” (patria) and “household” (oikos).

Our lesson text is really about two communities, one is Nineveh and the other is the Northern Kingdom of Israel, where Jonah was a prophet. Many modern day scholars have a problem with the Book of Jonah, and refuse to take it as a historical fact but would rather believe it as a parable, or allegory. For me, since Jesus referenced it in Matthew (12:39-41; 16:4) and Luke (11:29-30) it seems clear that it was an actual event.

Jonah was a prophet, in the time of Jeroboam II (790-749 B.C.), in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, after the division of the Nation of Israel after the reign of Solomon (II Kings 14:25), and was a factor in restoring part of the territory taken by the Assyrians, the very people Jonah is sent to save from destruction.

Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire and that Empire was the most powerful force in the world at this time in history. They ruled from modern day Iran to Egypt. Assyria was plundering and absorbing the Northern Kingdom of Israel, a piece at a time. No wonder that Jonah was not just hesitant but outright defiant when ask by God to go and preach a message of repentance to such a despicable place. Jonah was more interested in destroying Nineveh, than saving Nineveh. When Jonah goes to Joppa and gets on a boat bound for Spain he was defying God's call, unlike Moses and others that made excuses Jonah just did the opposite of what God wanted him to do. No wonder he ends up back in Joppa as part of fish vomit.

So what was God thinking, why Nineveh? A few interesting observations, Jonah was from Garth-Hepher very close to Jesus' home town of Nazareth, and Joppa was the place where Peter saw a vision and realized the Gospel was not just for the Jews, but for all nations (Acts 10). So it is no great leap of faith, when we say, the story of Jonah is a picture of the Messiah's resurrection and mission to all nations. God, seven centuries before Jesus comes as a babe in manger, reaches out to Nineveh and offers them a chance at redemption and they were not His chosen people.

I like the frankness of Jonah's message, unlike other prophets that were all about their words, Jonah only uses a few to declare God's message, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” This must have come as quite a shock to the most powerful Empire on earth. Regardless, the people believed what Jonah was saying and much to Jonah's disgust they repented. It is possible this bought a few years for the Northern Kingdom, or it resulted in the action referred to earlier, of Israel reclaiming some of its lost territory. If indeed that is true, we can see that Jonah's actions benefited both communities. Both communities received a blessing, but God reaching out to those that were not His chosen people, is the real message. It is a true representation of Jesus’ ministry to the whole world.

Eventually God used the Assyrian Empire to Judge the Northern Kingdom of Israel for their worship of other Gods, but in the process He was able to make a great city like Nineveh stop and worship Him, if only for a few brief minutes in history. That is the power of God at work in the world. It should be noted that after the captivity that lasted for seventy years, the remnant of Jews that remained became very careful not to worship other Gods. Maybe that lesson was learned. As for Jonah, God continued to teach him about grace and mercy. Notice the final verse from The Book of Jonah (4:11) And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?’ That is grace.

When we receive God's call we have choices, we can delay, ignore, defy, make excuses or run the other way. How do you respond when God calls you to a special task? What did you learn from Jonah's experience?

"Revealed in Rejection" International Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending January 31, 2010

Purpose: To acknowledge that Jesus' message challenges our presuppositions and demands a response

Scripture Text: Matthew 13:54-58 (NRSV)

Matthew 13:54-58
(54) He came to his home town and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? (55)Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? (56)And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?’ (57)And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour except in their own country and in their own house.’ (58)And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

One of my favorite pastors used to say, “The most difficult part about preaching is thinking you can say anything that will impress your wife.” It is difficult to make an impression with those that know you best. That is the situation Jesus is in when he returns to his hometown of Nazareth. After the Diaspora, synagogues were established in almost all Jewish communities, and they were the cultural center as well as a center for teaching and sharing in the history of the Jewish people.

Jesus had probably attended the synagogue many times as a boy and young man, but prior to this he had never been asked to read from the scripture as far as we can tell. I experience some of the same thing when I return to my own little country church and the little “snotty nosed kids” that I knew when I was a young man are now the leaders of the congregation.

It is hard for us to accept that people are anything different than what we remember. When my wife and I were first married we went to a small church, but this small church was the home church for one of the leading evangelist in America at the time. He was known in church circles all over the world but if he happened to be home on a Sunday and chose not to come to church, he was the biggest sinner in town, according to some members. Of course, he felt, if he came, the pastor would automatically ask him to preach that morning, and he could not win.

In order to get a better understanding of this event you need to read it in Luke 4:16-30, in that passage we find that Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2a, which says "The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour,” When he had finished reading the passage he sat down and simply said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus had just told them he was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy and they should recognize that he had done all of the things mentioned in this passage. Of course this created quite a stir amongst the congregation and the leaders of the synagogue. They knew very well he was the brother of James, Joseph, Simon and Jude and his sisters, and the son of Mary, in fact wasn't he a carpenter's son. Where does Jesus get off trying to pass himself off as something other than what he was; “a carpenter's son.”

Probably for the same reason, our home town evangelist, never held evangelistic meetings in our church, Jesus “did not do many deeds of power” in the Nazareth community. It is difficult for us, because of our presuppositions, to receive the message that God is trying to communicate to us. Maybe that is why we hate to hear even constructive criticism from friends and family, we cannot separate the message from the messenger. We pay good money to hire a stranger to tell us what our friends and family already knows about us. Jesus could perform miracles and interpret scripture, but in Nazareth he will always be a carpenter's son. We should not make the same mistake! Jesus was God incarnate, and He came to redeem mankind and to proclaim “the year of the Lord's favour,” He came to us and He brought God's grace with him; the long-suffering Jesus became one of us. The fact that Jesus did not finish the passage from Isaiah that says “and the day of vengeance of our God” shows both his grace and His coming again, as judge.

If you read the entire story from Luke you will see it was not just Nazareth, but Jesus refers to the entire Jewish nation, when he speaks of the fact that there were many widows in Israel when Elijah went to Sidon to minister to a widow there, and there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, but none was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. Jesus is preparing them for the fact that He has come to the entire world, not just to Nazareth and Israel. Just as Nazareth rejects Jesus, so does all of Israel. Do you get it?

"Equipped for New Life" Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending May 31, 2009

Purpose: To claim God's power to stand firm against the spiritual forces of evil.

Scripture Text: Ephesians 6:10-18 (NRSV)

Ephesians 6:10-18 (10) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. (11)Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12)For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (13)Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. (14)Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.(15)As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. (16)With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (17)Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

(18) Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

As in last weeks lesson, the very first line, tells us what should happen if we want to be successful Christians. “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power”.

The second point I would make is that it is God's armor we are to put on, not our own. God has provided us with all we need to defeat the enemy, but unless we are willing to put it on, it has little value or protection against those powers that would defeat us. The “cosmic powers” require special armor. There may be some powers that we can defeat with just the “sword of the spirit”. There may be other powers we can defeat with the “breastplate of righteousness”. We must always be ready “to proclaim the gospel of peace”. Verse 14 says “Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist”. But we must revert back to verse 11, “put on the whole armor of God”. We must be willing to put on all of the combat gear that God has made available to us, as his followers.

It may be hard for us as American Christians to comprehend the struggles that others face. Since the beginning of the Iraq war the number of Chaldean Christians has decreased by a million believers. The Syrian Orthodox has lost forty percent of their followers since the 2003 invasion. There is disturbing information now out about the population growth of Europe and Russia. The Russian army may be made up of forty percent Muslims. Islam will soon be the majority religion in France, Spain and England and within a short period of time it will replace Christianity as the most popular religion in the world.

This should be a sobering thought to all believers, we know that Christians are persecuted in the Islamic world; we have read and heard many stories of families being torn apart.

Certainly these “cosmic powers” will require all of Christendom to put on the “whole armor of God”. One of the area's that has changed in America is we are no longer just social Christians, we no longer attend church just because the doors are open, it is no longer socially necessary to attend church, in fact the opposite now seems more socially acceptable. Those that choose to attend are doing it for the right reasons, the church may now just play a small role in our current culture, but our resolve should be stronger than ever and our mission more defined, we are at war with the world. Those that make up the community of believers are in a definite minority. In verse 13, we are called to do all we can do; and then, when there is nothing you can do, stand – knowing you do not stand alone, and we stand with all of the armor God has made available to us.

The final call is for us to be alert and to pray always, and always pray in the spirit, and always persevere in supplication for the saints. Why should we be heartened by what is going on in our churches? Is our strength in numbers, or is it in the armor? How can we come out of today's woes stronger?

"New Life in the Home" Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending May 24, 2009

Purpose: To recognize that God calls all Christians, male and female,young and old, to lives of mutual submission.

Scripture Text: Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4 (NRSV)

Background: Ephesians 5:1-6:4

Ephesians 5:21-33
21) Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

(22) Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. (23)For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Saviour. (24)Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands.

(25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, (26) in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, (27) so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind—yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. (28)In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (29)For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, (30)because we are members of his body. (31)‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ (32)This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church. (33)Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband.

Ephesians 6:4
(6)Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (2) ‘Honor your father and mother’—this is the first commandment with a promise: (3) ‘so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ (4) And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

As I read the title for today's lesson, it made me very nervous. I am not sure at my age “New life in the home” would be the title I would have chosen, I am trying my best to stay out of the “home”. All of that aside, the make up of the home is a very important part of the family unit. As our leaders have taught us we must use the scriptures, tradition, experience and reason, to help us as we interpret the bible. It is why we study the bible and not just read it.

The traditional family of the first century in an eastern culture, would be considerably different than today's family structure, therefore some statements made by the writer need the light of today in our existing culture to shine on them to make them relevant for today. That is not discounting the scripture, it is simply applying truths after studying, and using what we have been taught and have reasoned by experience.

There are too many examples of women leaders in both the Old and New Testament to make an assumption that women have no place in God's church. The writer of Ephesians is talking about mutual submission.

In today's world, there are many examples of relationships that fail, or are very difficult. On TV there are some reality programs that try and deal with the conflicts and problems of a relationship. “Jon and Kate plus Eight” offers an example of a husband and wife struggling with their relationship and eight children, and that may not survive the present difficulties they are going through. Another program called “Wife Swap” whose premise is two mothers and wives swap places for a short period of time and deal with each others dysfunctional families. Usually one is real strict while the other is laid back and does not believe in discipline. Amazingly they come out of the experiment with a better understanding of what is important for a family relationship.

Our text covers many of the problems these TV programs highlight. Relationships are difficult, and they are especially difficult if God is not involved in the marriage or in the home. Our relationships need to be based on the same love that Christ has shown to His church. If we claim the name of Christ our relationships need to reflect His love, whether it is husband and wife, employer/employee, parents and children, or older parents and older children.

This subject is so important that it is covered almost identically in two books of the bible, this passage in Ephesians and the passage in Colossians 3:18;-4:1.

Is there a secret for making a relationship work that you would like to share? There are many single parent families, how does this scripture text apply to them? How can the Church best minister to these families?

"New Revelation in Christ" - Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson
For Week Ending May 17, 2009

Purpose: To proclaim against all opposition that the church be a diverse community of persons demonstrating God's impartiality and love for all people.

Scripture Text: Ephesians 3:1-13 (NRSV)

Ephesians 3:1-13
(1)This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— (2) for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, (3) and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, (4) a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. (5)In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: (6) that are the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

(7) Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. (8)Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, (9) and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; (10) so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (11)This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, (12) in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. (13) I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

As we continue in our study of Ephesians for the balance of this quarter, today's lesson provides a real challenge to each of us as well as our churches. As we have stated, in earlier commentary, Paul's reason for writing this circular letter to the early churches of Asia was an effort to bring together both Greek and Jew in the body of Christ.

The point of this portion of scripture seems to be; we are all equal in God's sight, Jew, Greek or whatever we are (v6) “fellow heirs, members of the same body, sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel”. Paul reveals he has been given an understanding of the (v4) “mystery of Christ”.

Back in the book of Genesis in chapter 11, God had scattered the people and given them diversity in language because they were content to settle a small portion of his creation. God intended for all of us to be diverse and unique, God also intends for all of us to love one another. Our diversity is not something to make us afraid, but rather is something we should embrace, it is part of the mystery of God, and it is in our, (v10) rich variety that the rulers in “heavenly places” will realize that God's church has received the wisdom of God.

In verse 17 of this chapter, the writer says “and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love”. Paul seems to imply that the church's faith, and love for one another is what will separate them from the rest of God's creation.

From the beginning God had a plan, and that plan has been revealed to Paul and to the prophets, this mystery was hidden from the, (v5) “sons of men”. From the tower of Babel to the resurrection of Christ and the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, from the calling of one man named Abram an establishing a nation of separated people, all was part of God's plan. Who could be more diverse that the sons of Isaac, (Jacob and Esau) or even the sons of Jacob.

God wants us to be diverse, it is by showing our love for those that are different in culture, race, ethnicity, and even in beliefs, that we can show the world that the love of Christ in our hearts is what makes us part of God's family. I think that God calls his people to love those that are unloved and unlovely, those that may have a different sexual orientation than others, we are called to love them all, and I do not see any exceptions to God's law of love.

Is it easier to love those that are different than us, or do you find it harder to love some of those you know more about? Can our knowledge of someone get in the way of our love? Why is Ephesians 3:17 so important in our ability to love?