We Are Prophets

OT Lesson: Deuteronomy 18:15-20 (NRSV)

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: ‘If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.’ Then the Lord replied to me: ‘They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put My words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in My name, I Myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in My name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.’

NT Lesson: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 (CEB)

Now concerning meat that has been sacrificed to a false god: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes people arrogant, but love builds people up. If anyone thinks they know something, they don’t yet know as much as they should know. But if someone loves God, then they are known by God.

So concerning the actual food involved in these sacrifices to false gods, we know that a false god isn’t anything in this world, and that there is no God except for the one God. Granted, there are so-called “gods,” in heaven and on the earth, as there are many gods and many lords. However, for us believers,

There is one God the Father.
All things come from Him, and we belong to Him.
And there is one Lord Jesus Christ.
All things exist through him, and we live through him.

But not everybody knows this. Some are eating this food as though it really is food sacrificed to a real idol, because they were used to idol worship until now. Their conscience is weak because it has been damaged. Food won’t bring us close to God. We’re not missing out if we don’t eat, and we don’t have any advantage if we do eat. But watch out or else this freedom of yours might be a problem for those who are weak. Suppose someone sees you (the person who has knowledge) eating in an idol’s temple. Won’t the person with a weak conscience be encouraged to eat the meat sacrificed to false gods? The weak brother or sister for whom Christ died is destroyed by your knowledge. You sin against Christ if you sin against your brothers and sisters and hurt their weak consciences this way. This is why, if food causes the downfall of my brother or sister, I won’t eat meat ever again, or else I may cause my brother or sister to fall.

Sermon

Introduction

Good morning. At last, we are greeted by warmer days. The relentless rain of the past few days has washed away all the snow and ice from our roads. Now, the air is filled with the loud revving of motorcycles in my neighbourhood. It is the same in Canada. There, when they experience their first warm weather, typically from late April to early May, the first thing you notice is not the blooming flowers or the fluttering butterflies, but the resonating roar of motorcycles everywhere. The only difference here is that we witness these signs of spring three months earlier than in Winnipeg. Regardless, I do hope you are enjoying this milder weather.

A few days ago, I visited Sharon Clem at the Waters. I hadn’t seen her since her transfer from St. Vincent hospital on 86th street, what with the Christmas season and the subsequent inclement weather. The good news is that she was conscious, sitting upright in her wheelchair with the assistance of a nurse. Together, we attended her physical therapy session. She was able to move some of her muscles, comprehend the nurse’s instructions, and seemed to understand my words too. She could respond with a ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ though forming complete sentences remains a challenge for her. However, the fact that she can vocalise is promising.

In other news, Mildred Flanary is soon moving into Crown Pointe, either tomorrow or in the next few days. So, please keep both Sharon and Mildred in your prayers.

A Prophet

In today’s Old Testament lesson, God promises the Israelites a prophet akin to Moses. Before delving further, it is crucial to understand the context. This lesson is part of Moses’ farewell sermon. After a forty-year journey through the wilderness, Moses has led the Israelites to the brink of the Promised Land. Recalling God’s earlier words, Moses knew his time was short. God had told him, “You will see the Promised Land, but you shall not enter it.” Gazing at the land from a distance, Moses realised he had only a few days left on Earth with his people, Israel. Serving as both their pastor and political leader for over four decades, he had become a father figure to them. Now, he worried about their future. They had made numerous mistakes even under his guidance; without him, who knew what folly they might commit. So, he delivered a lengthy sermon, possibly spanning several hours. This passage forms part of that sermon. He speaks of a prophet, promised by God before.

But Joshua cannot be that prophet. Firstly, Joshua, being primarily a political leader and military general, was not a preacher, whereas a prophet is essentially a preacher. Secondly, this promised prophet was to be raised by God in the future, while Joshua had already been appointed as Moses’ political successor. Had Joshua been the intended prophet, God and Moses would have likely said, “Here is Joshua, Moses’ successor. You must listen to him.” Instead, God assured the Israelites of a future prophet, unknown to them at that time.

So, who is this prophet that God speaks of? There is a joke that asks why Jews are so adept in business, making lots of money. Because they have so many prophets. Indeed, the Old Testament is replete with prophets. Some are well-known, others less so. We have Elijah, his disciple Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Jonah, Malachi, Amos, and more. Do you know who the shortest prophet was? We may not know the tallest, but the shortest is Nehemiah, or as some seminarians humorously say, Knee-High-Meyer. These prophets, each extraordinary in their own right, preached God’s word. However, God promised a singular prophet, one with authority and power akin to Moses. None of the Old Testament prophets quite matched this description. Hence, they are not the prophet of the promise.

Jesus Is the Prophet

Jesus is the prophet akin to Moses, as God promised. Let us explore how Jesus resembles Moses, particularly through the lens of the Gospel of Matthew. When Jesus was born, the king Herod ordered the massacre of many infants, yet Jesus was spared. Similarly, during Moses’ birth, Pharaoh decreed the killing of Hebrew babies, but Moses survived. Following their miraculous escapes in infancy, both Jesus and Moses found refuge in Egypt until their respective times came. Moses fasted for forty days and nights before receiving God’s Word. In parallel, Jesus also fasted forty days and nights before commencing His ministry. Whereas Moses traversed the waters by parting the Red Sea, Jesus walked upon them. Moses delivered the law, God’s Word, to the people at Mount Sinai, while Jesus proclaimed the gospel, the good news, also God’s Word, on a mountain. Moses killed the Passover lamb while Jesus Himself became the Passover Lamb. Moses, akin to a political leader or king, contrasts with Jesus, who is the King of kings. Therefore, Jesus is the prophet like Moses, promised in today’s Old Testament lesson. Consequently, we should listen to and obey Jesus.

Prophets Are Still Prophets

Just because Jesus is the prophet doesn’t mean that the other prophets we know, like Isaiah, Elijah, Samuel, Nathan, and others, are not prophets. They too are remarkable prophets. In fact, we all are prophets, not just the figures named in the Bible. Many of you might be familiar with the theological concept of ‘the Priesthood of All Believers.’ In Old Testament times, there was only one High Priest who could enter the Holy of Holies once a year to worship God. Every priest then was in the order of Aaron. The Book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ is the eternal and permanent high priest, according to the order of Melchizedek. Now, by accepting Jesus Christ into our hearts, we too become priests—not a select few, but all of us who have sincerely received Jesus Christ. This is why we can confidently enter the sanctuary and worship God every Sunday. Attending church on Sundays is thus more a privilege than a duty. Similarly, we are all prophets because Jesus Christ, the true prophet promised and fulfilled by God, lives within us.

Prophets Give up

The Apostle Paul, one of the greatest prophets in the New Testament, authored today’s NT lesson, delivering a truly profound message. In essence, he declares that he would abstain from eating meat if it jeopardises someone else’s faith. Paul is not referring to ritually unclean meats like pork or camel; rather, he speaks of beef, which is ritually clean and permissible for him to eat. In making this declaration, Paul is prepared to forgo his rights if exercising them impedes the salvation of others or the spread of the gospel. This aligns with Jesus’ message that we should be careful not to cause other believers to stumble. Jesus warns, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung round their neck and they were thrown into the sea.” Just as he preached, Paul sacrificed much more than just his dietary preferences. He relinquished a life of comfort with his wife. Though entitled to travel with his wife like other apostles, he chose a solitary path to more effectively spread the gospel.

Paul hailed from an affluent family. Despite being Jewish not Italian, he was born a Roman citizen, indicating his father’s substantial wealth. In the United States, there are many ways to come legally. For example, you can marry a citizen like I did. There is another way called the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which requires a substantial investment in this country directly for a temporary green card, not citizenship. After the initial investment, five more years of satisfying the US government, you can finally get a citizenship. This underscores the immense wealth needed in ancient Rome to obtain citizenship, akin to a centurion who admitted to paying a hefty sum for his Roman citizenship. Also Paul was an international student from his youth for many years in Jerusalem. Being an international students requires a lot of money. Furthermore he studied under Gamaliel, the most renowned Rabbi of the time, suggesting high tuition fees and further indicating his family’s wealth. Yet, he forsook it all to serve God as a prophet.

Moses, too, gave up a life of ease and wealth. Raised as a Prince of Egypt, his life was destined for comfort and enjoyment. Moreover, being an adoptee placed him outside the lethal power struggles of the royal court, ensuring his safety. Despite this seemingly perfect life, he chose to serve God as a prophet.

Let us also consider Elisha, Elijah’s disciple, who came from a wealthy family. When Elijah called him to be a prophet, he was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, amounting to twenty-four oxen. In a time when most people didn’t own a single ox, Elisha’s possession of twenty-four oxen, and possibly more, indicates significant wealth. After receiving his call, Elisha slaughtered the oxen and hosted a large feast for his town. This act suggests he had resources well beyond those twenty-four oxen. Elisha, like Moses and Paul, chose to abandon a life of comfort to become a prophet.

Jesus Gave up

How, then, does the Prophet Jesus Christ fit into this narrative? Jesus descended to Earth from heaven, sacrificing His heavenly existence. This act is in a completely different league compared to being a rich farmer’s son or a prince of Egypt. The Creator God took on human flesh, endured suffering, and died for His creation. This was not a relationship of Creator and creatures, nor of Lord and slaves, but one of profound friendship. Jesus loved us all and laid down His life for His friends, us—the ultimate act of love. He esteemed our salvation above His own life and willingly sacrificed it.

Just like Jesus, Apostle Paul, Moses, Elisha, Isaiah, and all the other prophets and apostles placed a higher value on the gospel and the salvation of others than on their own personal happiness. In doing so, they made the ultimate sacrifice of giving up.

Conclusion

Friends, in just a few weeks, with Ash Wednesday, Lent begins. This season marks the journey of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, to His ultimate sacrifice—a forty-day path marked by the pain of relinquishment. Through His self-denial, He edged closer to our salvation, one step at a time. In this season of Lent, let us too strive to draw nearer to our Saviour each day by giving something up. When you return home today, I encourage you to contemplate what you might forgo. You have a few weeks to reflect. Consider what hinders your path to God, what obstructs your ability and opportunity to share God’s word with our friends and neighbours. Let us identify these barriers at the start of Lent, and commit to relinquishing them during this holy and solemn season. Through our own sacrifices of giving up those things that we might value more than our Saviour, we can become true prophets of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those in our community. Amen.