January 24th - Reflection

Judges 6:11-24 (NRSV)
God calls Gideon to lead the people

Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior." Gideon answered him, "But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian." Then the Lord turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you." He responded, "But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The Lord said to him, "But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them." Then he said to him, "If now I have found favor with you, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. Do not depart from here until I come to you, and bring out my present, and set it before you." And he said, "I will stay until you return."

So Gideon went into his house and prepared a kid, and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour; the meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the oak and presented them. The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. Then Gideon perceived that it was the angel of the Lord; and Gideon said, "Help me, Lord God! For I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face." But the Lord said to him, "Peace be to you; do not fear, you shall not die." Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it, The Lord is peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

Reflection
God brings proof and peace and a call to action through a sacrifice. Right before Gideon's eyes he witnesses the salvation gospel unfold.

Jesus comes to us. Jesus comes to us if we ask for him or not. Jesus comes to us. Jesus is with us. Just as the angel declared to Gideon, the Lord is with you. God calls us to action and gives us what we need in order to take that action. But how many times do we doubt this call? How many times do we say we are not qualified? How many times do we declare we need help? How many times do we bring up the too busy plea? This is God's call! If it is truly a call from God, why not test it? Test it...pray about it..take the call seriously.

So Gideon did just this. More of the gospel is revealed to Gideon. Take your offering and place it on the altar. Just as Jesus the Lamb of God was offered for us once and for all, Gideon places the offering on the stone. Fire consumed the offering and the angel was gone. There's your proof Gideon. God has come to you, provided the offering, took on the heavenly fire.

For us Jesus was the offering, he took on sin, death and the devil and was gone for a few days. Resurrected, he led his disciple to take action and proclaim the glory of the salvation they had seen to all the world.

And we have seen Jesus face to face. Seen him in the eyes of those we serve, seen him in the hearts of those we serve beside, and heard his gospel proclaimed in Word and deed.

I think Gideon too saw Jesus this day. Gideon saw Jesus and the peace only Jesus can bring, even in the midst of battle. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, you teach me to trust in you even in the midst of the battle. Lead me this day in your path through your presence. --- Amen