CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary
Advent Devotional for Thursday, December 23
I don’t get Obadiah. After Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, Obadiah railed against neighboring Edom for not getting involved. Had he actually expected Edom to act at no benefit to themselves, out of brotherhood traced back many generations, against the onslaught of the most powerful enemy ever seen in their lifetime? The historical alliance between Obadiah’s people and the Edomites had been shaky at best. Did Obadiah expect that Edom would mourn over Jerusalem’s destruction? Treasures had been left unguarded after the raid, there for the taking. Did Obadiah expect Edom to just leave them alone? The Edomites were just doing what normal people do, acting in their own interest. Did Obadiah expect otherwise? And did he expect God to render judgment against them for doing so? Sure, it’s wonderful when we all love and sacrifice for each other, but should that be an expectation?
What if we were less like Elijah—who whined, “I am the only one left!” — and more like Obadiah, who trusted God’s people so much that he was righteously indignant when they abandoned him? What if we practiced, even for just a little while, expecting love and sacrifice from those who call themselves our brothers and sisters and servants of the same Lord? What if we dared to hold them accountable, just as we submit ourselves accountable to them? And what if we prayed and hoped and worshipped as if we really believed God to be what we say—Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Lord? What if we climbed over the rubble of disappointment and cynicism of the “holiday season,” just as Obadiah climbed over the destruction of Jerusalem, and we took expectation seriously in this season of expectation?
Source of all we treasure, embodiment of all we adore, breath of all that inspires us, we name you with many names, but we so often forget who you are. Restore our trust, we pray. Restore us so that we may truly reflect your light in the world. Amen.
Stella Burkhalter (MDiv’10)
Associate Pastor, Covenant United Methodist Church, Austin, Texas
For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.
No comments:
Post a Comment