Epiphany week 4

Psalm: Psalm 111
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise. 

(Psalm 111:10)

Our passages this week invite us to explore the idea of a prophet starting in the Old Testament and leading into the New.  In Deuteronomy, the Lord decides to raise up prophets for Israel when they are in the Promise Land.  Originally in Exodus when the Lord gives the 10 Commandments the people are so frightened by the thunder and smoking mountain that they ask Moses to only have him speak to them because if God did then they will die.  So Moses becomes the mouthpiece of God.  In Deuteronomy 18 we see that the prophetic role will continue.  The Israelites must listen to the prophets or they will be judged by God.  I must say that the way to know if a prophet is true or not is not very comforting.  The only way will people will know if the prophet is from God is if their words come true.  In the meantime, the people are to obey the word,s just in case.  It really is a catch -22 or better safe than sorry.

In Mark, we read the first miracle of Jesus presented in the Gospels and that Jesus taught with authority.  What surprised the people in the synagogue was that Jesus taught as one having authority.  Jesus was speaking as a prophet at a time when no prophet had been seen in Israel in hundreds of years.  Jesus not only taught with authority, but he was also able to order demons to leave and listen.  This first miracle of Jesus helps us to see why the disciples and others thought Jesus was a prophet.  Jesus acted like the mouthpiece of God and performed miracles in the vein of the prophets.

As we follow the story of the prophet, 1 Cor. 8 opens up the role of prophet to all believers.  More accurately, I guess, Jesus, through his Spirit, has opened up the role of prophet to us. Under the Levitical Law food rules were very set with no leeway.  But, Paul writes and says each believer is to follow food rules in relation to their fellow believers. If one’s brother or sister has a problem with eating food sacrificed to idols, then neither should we.  This is actually a continuation of Paul’s discussion we read to weeks ago in 1 Cor. 6:12.  Something might be permit able under Christ, but that doesn’t mean it is beneficial for us or for our brothers and sisters.  In this role, we kind of take the role of prophet in the line of Moses and are able to speak the words of God to our fellow believers.  Through the Holy Spirit we are able and empowered to be the mouthpiece of God.  This is a role we must not take lightly.

Rather a short blog this week, but my hope is that by writing these you will open up the Bible and really read these four passages for yourself.  May the Lord guide and bless you this week.