Stewardship of Life

Strange Tools and Enduring Words

By Sharron R. Blezard, November 13, 2014

Narrative Lectionary Reflection for November 16, 2014 (Year 1)

Isaiah 36:1-3, 13-20; 37:1-7; then 2:1-4

In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:2-3

I have to admit that I struggled with this week’s lesson. There’s just a whole lot here and so many moving parts. There’s bullying, warmongering, fear, lament, promise, and some pretty strange instruments for peacemaking. In the end the message is pretty much the same: It’s not about us at all; it’s all about God.

We humans love that illusion of control and power—until it’s shattered by someone or something more powerful than us. In the case of God’s chosen people in this passage from Isaiah, the power monger du jour happens to be King Sennacherib of Assyria. He’s just doing what rulers do; they take over other less powerful rulers to expand their holdings and influence. In other historical accounts we find a more balanced picture painted of Sennacherib. He rebuilt Nineveh (granted he used slave labor), he was quite the gardener (introducing cotton), and he was technologically astute for his time. But no human holds power forever, and Sennacherib was killed by one of his own children. Words did not win the day. Yep, it’s not about us; it’s about God.

God uses some pretty inventive, unsuspected, and creative means through ordinary human beings. That much is abundantly clear. When we pay attention and follow the words and ways of the Lord, things tend to go better. Granted, following God is not always easy, pretty, or harmless. Even though the verses from Isaiah 36:1-3 (placed at the end of this week’s lesson) talk about turning swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks as a peacemaking effort, these tools are still unsettling. A plowshare wreaks havoc with the soil, turning it so that it can be prepared for planting. A pruning hook is used to cut away dead wood so that a tree or shrub can be more fruitful. Yes, these are agricultural rather than battlefield tools, and as such are life-giving rather than life-robbing. But they’re not exactly tinker toys, and they still require some skill to use well.

For the church today, these are hopeful words and powerful images. We still face bullies and a culture that appears more powerful than our Christian worldview. Most of us no longer use pruning hooks and plowshares, but we do use Word, water, and meal in our peacemaking and discipleship efforts. And we still have plenty of work to do. The key is to remember—always—that the success of the church does not depend on our puny efforts, however well-intentioned they may be. God doesn’t need us. We need God, and God responded to that need by sending Jesus into the world to show us a different way of being. Our Lord, instead of pruning hooks and plowshares took the cross to make peace once and for all.

We still fuss and fume and wage war with one another. We still worry about the words of bullies who take issue with our way of being in the world, with our discipleship and worship. Not much has changed in that respect. Fortunately, God is steadfast, too, and is still in control and still instructing us in how to make peace and not learn war anymore. One day we’ll get it, when the world is fully reconciled to God, but until then we keep working at it by pruning the deadwood of our lives and constantly turning the soil of our hearts and minds so that we may bear much good fruit. Do not be dismayed. God is with you, with me, with all of us. You can count on these words.

In Worship or with Youth

What unlikely tools do we use for peacemaking today? I am reminded of the power of social media (Arab Spring), of the power of the pen (writing letters), and the power of our monetary gifts to support advocacy. Invite people to discuss in small groups how peacemaking happens today and how they can make a difference. If you show images, consider showing the famous photo from Tiananmen Square, the breaking down of the Berlin Wall, images from Arab Spring, etc.

Alternately, consider the question “How do we make peace with ourselves?” How do plowshares and pruning hooks serve as metaphors for the work God calls us to do in our own lives? As Advent approaches this is a good time to contemplate what we need to do to make ourselves ready to once again receive Jesus into our world and the Word into our hearts.

With Children

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” This old saying just isn’t true! Words do have the power to cause great hurt and pain. We learn that words scared King Hezekiah and his aides right into sackcloth and ashes and filled them with fear. How can we use wise words? How can we listen for the words of  God? Where do we find the words of God? Show children a Bible and tell them that in the Bible we are told 365 times to “fear not.” That’s one reminder for every day of the year. These are good words to remember: “Don’t be afraid.” Because God is with us, we do not have to fear. End with a short prayer of blessing and encouragement.

(Photos: Amanda Slater, Justin Ennis, and fourthandfifteen, Creative Commons. Thanks!)