Romans 10:5-15
Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’ But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ down) ‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’
Reflection
What am I to do? I'm to open my mouth or even present my words to proclaim Jesus Christ resurrected and living and ascended into heaven all for all y'alls! You can take it to the bank and believe in Jesus! I have been given the good news. I don't know why but I have been given the good news!
I have been blessed with a mother and a father that took the promises they made at my baptism to heart and brought me the learn the Ten Commandments, the Creeds and placed a Bible in my possession that would enable me one day to make these same promises to God. I was given a chance for some reason or another to believe. Yes, it was the feet of those who bring the good news, in my mother and father, that blessed me with the chance to hear the good news. Then it was up to me and where God would lead me.
So what about other y'alls? What about the y'alls that didn't have a mother or father that brought the good news into your life? Perhaps... just maybe... if you are reading this, even I can be the feet of one who brings the good news to you? Perhaps... just maybe... if you continue to read and take this in, you too will dig and dig and go out deeper and deeper and discover Jesus in y'alls life and in y'alls daily walk.
God didn't come into my life just for me! No, God came into my life because God chose to love me and save me and take me to live the resurrected life in the here and now. And I'm not the only one that God chose. God chose all y'alls as well! God doesn't care if you are Jew or Greek or rich or poor or round or shaped like a stick or purple or even Martian. God cares for all of creation and loves all of creation enough to start up an eighth day of resurrected life for all y'alls.
God created all that exists in six days so to speak and rested on the seventh. I'm not talking about 24 hour days, how could I limit God to time? But during this time, these seven days, I chose to sin. I chose of my own accord to sin. God didn't make me sin and no one else made me sin. I sinned! I'll bet all y'alls have chosen to sin too! But God had a plan for this. A plan right from the git go. A plan right from... maybe even before... the beginning. God has a plan and put that plan into action. God created in the period of seven days right up to the coming of Jesus... and then the eighth day... now until Christ returns and then... and then... eternity.
God came to this place and to all y'alls as flesh and blood in the form of a baby that became a man that lived and suffered and died for the sin that I and all y'alls would choose to do. God came in the form of Spirit and flesh. The Spirit was there at the beginning along with the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ. It's beyond what I can understand but I'm not God either, so I don't expect to understand.
In Jesus, God put to death sin. God didn't want us to be tricked into sin by our own thinking or even by the devil. God wanted a world much different than what I and all y'alls have made this to be, so he sent Jesus to begin that eighth day of creation... that day God came to the world... that day that Jesus healed and taught and walked with women and men... that day sin died on the cross... that day that goes on and on when we in unity with all y'alls live the resurrected life until Christ comes again. Yes that wonderful eighth day... that wonderful Sunday... that day that Jesus rose from the dead in flesh and spirit. A day of wonderful mystery and great promise to me and all y'alls.
That eighth day... that day of Jesus resurrection permits us... gifts us... graces us with the ability to live a life of faith free from the bondage of sin. We still sin... me and all y'alls still sin and we look to the cross to see the freedom Jesus gave us from sin in his death. We look and repent and seek to do God's will here and now but we still live in the hope and the joy of the coming of Jesus once again. We live out the joy of that wonderful Sunday that falls on the eighth day of creation. A day that God loved me and all y'alls so much that God sent Jesus into this world to give me and all y'alls eternal life.
Look at my feet! There, you now see the one who brings the gospel to you... the good news... the wonderful eighth day... that Sunday in which we all live until Jesus comes again.
Now go and believe! Go and be feet to another y'all. Go and dig deep. Go and row out to the deep water and plunge in deep. Go and you will see Jesus all around you and in every time and place that you could ever imagine.
Y'alls will see Jesus in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, in the Creeds, in the Ten Commandments, in baptism and the Lord's Supper, in the Word proclaimed, in all places and throughout all time. It's the eighth day after all. Expect to see Jesus all over the place. Expect the Holy Spirit everywhere. Expect creation to change and mold itself into what God intends.
Yes! It's the eighth day... that wonderful resurrection Sunday that lasts from when the Word became flesh until Jesus returns again. Go look and find it out on your own. I know all y'alls will see God and believe! I know that you will be the feets to other y'alls too! Thanks be to God!
Song
The song is called "hooleh!" from Yiddish slang meaning something like "forget-all-your-issues-just-radiate joy".
There are also number of Yiddish and Hebrew words. Yiddish is so rich and excruciatingly difficult to translate, but here's an attempt.
- "tantz tantz" is yiddish for "dance dance"
- "takeh takeh" is yiddish for a myriad of things including "indeed", "is that so?!", "really?", "really!"
The Hebrew phrases at the beginning of the verse are taken from the classic "who knows one" that are sung at the Passover seder.
Enjoy.
(source http://www.videostatic.com/watch-it/2014/03/10/8th-day-hooleh-chaim-marcus-dir)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO-tj1UtUDM
This time do me one favor
Mitzvah lihyot bi'simcha
Shnayim ani yodeiya
When you share it that's the flavor
Mitzvah lihyot bi'simcha
This whole world spins on divine,
Nothing you can do when it's dancing time.
Tantz tantz, tahkeh tahkeh
Hooleh, hooleh, hooleh
Tantz tantz, tahkeh tahkeh
Heilikger hooleh.
This joy is blind to color
A dark day’s like any other
Mitzvah lihyot bi'simcha
You can dance the heavens open
Just enough to slip some hope in
Mitzvah lihyot bi'simcha
This whole world...
Tantz tantz...
Prayer
Lord, open my eyes to the joy of the resurrection. Open my heart to receive your Word. Open my mouth to proclaim the gospel you have graciously given me to proclaim. Open the ears of those who hear your Word that they may receive the love and hope you have to give... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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