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On November 21, 1931, the passing of Zeke Marks was noted in the Weirton (WV) Daily Times. He was 75 years old, and a father of 9. Described as a “short man with a drooping moustache,” Marks is reported to have died of bronchial pneumonia. His obituary would ordinarily have appeared in the back section of the newspaper, but it was a feature story on the front page because Zeke Marks was King of the Gypsies.
Today, we use the more precise word Roma, or Romani, as “gypsy” is considered hurtful. But in his own day, Zeke Mark was known as the “Gypsy King.” More than 10,000 Roma flooded Weirton, WV for his funeral observance. They came from all over the United States, and a small West Virginia town which knew little of Romani culture got a rare glimpse inside their closely held traditions.
According to the Daily Times, Zeke’s mouth was tied with a red bandana – lest he rise from the dead and reveal the secrets of the underworld. His hands and feet were bound lest he wander away. In one hand he clutched a $5 gold coin – his fee for safe passage across the river Styx. Under the other arm was a jug of wine from which mourners swigged as they passed his casket.
All his earthly possessions were placed at the foot of the bronze casket, into which Zeke Marks was placed un-embalmed. Prominently displayed atop his possessions were the bills for the funeral, cemetery plot, monument, and suit of clothes – all marked “Paid.” According to mourners, this was to show that Zeke Marks “left the world a square man.” *
We do not scruple at debt the way past generations have. I remember the old folks saying, “owe no man a dollar, ask no man a dollar.” My grandparents’ generation was uncomfortable with any kind of debt. Now everyone from teens with their first job to the Federal Government gladly runs up deficits.
Doubtlessly, individuals and nation states would enjoy more, and longer lasting prosperity if they borrowed less and saved more. Usury (loaning money on interest) is forbidden in the Law of Moses (Leviticus25.36). But even if our financial house is in impeccable order, and all our bills can be displayed on our coffins marked “paid,” none of us, on our own, leaves this world a “square” man or woman.
The wages of sin is death. Romans 6.23a
Each individual sin incurs a debt of death. If I could live my life and sin only once I could, theoretically, die for that sin and square myself with God. But the single-sin life is just that – theoretical. None of us live a single-sin year, or even a single sin day. We thus amass an enormous debt which we are incapable of paying.
Fortunately for us, Jesus pays our debt. Jesus died that we could each leave the world “square.”
The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6.23b
Despite all the plans we make for our parting – all we hope to leave those who will survive us - we are, ourselves, powerless to do the one thing which will square us with the Only and Eternal God. Thankfully, Jesus does it for us. In Christ we leave the world square. Comfort is the legacy we may leave behind for our beloved ones (I Thessalonians 4.13-18).
Every week we remind ourselves that Someone else paid our debt. As we celebrate Jesus’ death each Lord’s Day, is not the accounting and tallying of our debt, of our being made “square” the measure of our “correctly discerning the body of Christ,” and “examining ourselves? Will we remain “square” if we neglect the accounting of all we have been forgiven?
In so many passages (I Corinthians 15.8-10, Philippians 3.4-16, I Timothy 1.12-17 for example) Paul expresses how he is personally empowered by the tallying, by remembering Who paid the check. We will be similarly empowered – we will feel loved, and free, and focused if we continually remember how much we owe, and who pays the bill.
- Barry Bryson
*“Death of a Gypsy King,” by Jane Kraina and Mary Zwierschowski in Golden Seal, Winter, 1998.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen many protests occurring across the country, some of which unfortunately turned into riots, all triggered by the senseless death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The pain, frustration, and anger that has given rise to the current Black Lives Matter movement is understandable, but at the same time heartbreaking. We know the pain is felt deeply by some members of our own congregation – it is having a negative impact on all of us, whether we realize it or not. The unfortunate truth is racial prejudice exists, and some of our own members probably have experienced it within the Lord’s church. It’s hard to know how to help, but we must start somewhere, because at Manassas, “the love of Christ compels us” (II Corinthians 5:14).
We may begin by all remembering that we live in a fallen, imperfect world, a fact certainly on display right now. Whatever the nation, whatever the time in history, whatever the form of government, prejudice has been present on this planet. It is, after all, Satan’s turf. We read about prejudice repeatedly in the New Testament. Jesus addressed it. His trip through Samaria and his engagement with the woman at the well in John chapter 4, both of which shocked his disciples, was, in part, a lesson on prejudice. Christians who came out of a Jewish background continually wrestled with prejudice against Christians who were born Gentiles. The apostle Peter himself fought against his own prejudice. It took a vision on a rooftop in Joppa in Acts chapter 10 to convince him to preach to a Gentile, Cornelius. It appeared he understood when he stated, “…I understand God shows no partiality.” But old habits die hard. In Galatians chapter 2, Paul had to confront Peter for his failure to associate with Gentile Christians when in the presence of Jewish Christians. He had been eating with the Gentiles but when the Jews showed up Peter pulled back from the Gentiles fearing the reaction of the Jews. Again, old habits die hard. And Peter’s habit was a bad one. And just like Peter, we bring our personal baggage to our Christian walk and often struggle to overcome it.
Most of us have been raised to be very proud of our nation and for good reason. Yet, in being proud of our country we should not put on blinders that keep us from seeing the facts that surround us. A word that should come to mind is “empathy” – the possessing of a sensitive understanding of someone else’s situation. Without question, the most empathetic person ever to be on planet earth is Jesus. He understands what we go through. He understands our challenges. He understands what we suffer. For the rest of us, we have to work at it. All of us need to work very hard at being more empathetic just like Jesus, even if being so does not come naturally. Our Savior strove to get to know everyone he met and often demonstrated just how much he knew them (again recall the woman at the well). Getting to know another human being better is always to our benefit, and theirs.
At Manassas, we are one of the more diverse bodies in the brotherhood of churches of Christ, and it is a great blessing to have different strengths that come from different parts of the body. Even within the eldership, we find that differing viewpoints are a major source of strength, and though in some instances it takes time to fully understand each other, we believe it is both Christ-like and of great benefit to do so. Our diverse Manassas church family is a shelter in a sea of turmoil, and we should also remember it’s a hospital for those wounded by this world. We are all here to nurture and care for one another and dress the wounds inflicted on us by the world.
But old habits do die hard. Each of us who have grown beyond young childhood probably can remember occasions when we treated another person differently because of his or her race or appearance. Even by pointing out something wonderful or lovely about another person, if it has to do with his or her skin color, it can cause discomfort or pain. And so we must strive to be like Paul in confronting Peter – let us see things from the perspective of others. Let us strive doubly hard to avoid inflicting wounds on one another, even by “well-meaning” compliments. Let us all continue in love for one another, sometimes leave our comfort zone to reach out and humbly strive to understand and depend upon each other more. Let us show patience – especially to those who are hurting or who have been personally affected by racism or any other life challenge. To be like Christ, we collectively and individually must be the salt and light to not only our brothers and sisters in Christ but also to our community. Doing so will make us a stronger and more resilient congregation, as well as a greater tool for God to use for good to this world.
To fulfill that mandate at the Manassas church of Christ, we strive to be like Christ, and this means:
We oppose racism in any form, by shining our light for Christ and rejecting racial discrimination as sinful behavior according to scripture. (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11)
We mourn the senseless deaths and acts of discrimination, hatred, and violence in this world. (Romans 12: 15)
We value and seek out diversity in our congregation. (I Timothy 2:4, I Corinthians 12:14-20)
We strive to be Christ-like by showing love and respect for all brothers and sisters, regardless of their skin color, age, gender or socio-economic status. (Romans 10:12, John 13:35)
We do our best to be God’s instrument for the Kingdom in this world, striving to follow scriptural principles and do what is right, even when it is hard to do so. (Matthew 7:12, II Corinthians 5: 20)
From this point forward, our prayerful request is for all to join us in redoubling our efforts to live these principles. Let’s show by our actions our commitment to serve and love God, by serving and loving each other and our fellow man as Jesus did, supporting those who are struggling (Galatians 6:2). For we know that some people have been especially hurt by racism or other prejudices. It will take more than words to accomplish the changes we desire, but violence and more hatred is not the answer. We can only change when we can hear and understand the hurt of others and respond to that hurt with love. We are available continuously to help everyone navigate the rough waters we all are currently experiencing. If you have been hurt or are hurting, as your elders we want to hear and understand your concerns. Please reach out to us, we want to lead in shining our lights for Christ.
- Your Shepherds
Hansen’s Disease, a chronic disease of humans caused by the Mycobacterium Leprae bacillus, characterized by lesions of the skin and superficial nerves; the disease may also involve the eyes, and mucous membranes of the nose and pharynx. Encyclopedia Britannica
I am not sure if the man Jesus meets after delivering the Sermon on the Mount has Hansen’s disease (more commonly known as “leprosy”) or not. But this event takes place in the First Century, and everything from psoriasis to contact dermatitis is taken to be leprosy. This is wise, of course. Hansen’s disease is hard to pass between persons. It requires long term contact with an active lesion. But until the 20th century there wasn’t an effective treatment. Today it is curable with a multi-drug therapy – but there is no known treatment, other than miracle, for the disease when Jesus meets the man, the “leper,” in Matthew 8.1-4.
The Law of Moses requires an extreme form of social distancing when someone shows symptoms of leprosy. They must remain unkempt, keep their mouth covered, self-quarantine, and shout “unclean” when someone approaches (Leviticus 13.45-46). There is also an elaborate protocol for coming off such quarantine, which involves examination by a priest, sacrifices, bathing, shaving, and washing clothes (Leviticus 14.1-32). Jesus always insists that the lepers he heals observe this protocol. Perhaps the best-known case of leprosy reported in the Old Testament is that of the Syrian General Naaman, who baptized himself in the Jordan seven times, at the direction of the prophet Elisha, and emerged clean (II Kings 5.1-14). The “leper” in Matthew 8 is seeking a similar miracle. Jesus obliges.
A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said, “be clean.” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. Matthew 8.2-3 NIV
Jesus can heal at a distance – this is made clear in the healing of the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8.5-13, Luke 7.1-10). It is not necessary for Jesus to reach out and touch this leper to make him well, but He does. I always find Matthew 8.3 one of the most moving verses in all the Gospels. What would it mean, after so much time, to experience human contact?
If this war with Covid-19 continues for many more weeks (months?), we may be able to empathize. The social distancing required of us is difficult, but wise. To act cavalierly in times like these is to violate the Golden Rule. We need to be available to help anyone in need, let’s be clear about that. But “helping” can be used as an excuse to get out of the house and into circulation – a selfish course to pursue indeed.
My old Church History professor from seminary, Dr. North, told a story about David Lipscomb and the Cholera Epidemic of 1873. It seems the good Christians of Nashville fled the city. Lipscomb stayed, and used his horse and wagon to carry Roman Catholic nuns around to nurse the sick. When the epidemic passed, Lipscomb was criticized for cooperating with “false teachers.” His answer to his critics was that if they had stayed to nurse the sick, he would have driven them around. Lipscomb’s point is well-taken. But David Lipscomb was helping, sacrificing – the way our health care workers are now – not driving around because he couldn’t bear to sit still.
There are a thousand lessons to be learned from Jesus’ healing the leper in Matthew 8, but I want to share only one – Jesus transcends social distancing.
Jesus did not hesitate to touch the leper – He was at no risk when He did. He is no less present with us now than He was before the Corona Virus invaded. In Him we are not distant from each other. We are His body – One body – together with Christ as our head (Ephesians 4.4-16). Physical separation does not part us in any lasting way (I Thessalonians 2.17-3.10). We are one family, one flock, one body and He is with us, all the way – even to the end of the age (Matthew 28.20).
- Barry Bryson
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is undistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke’s Third Law of the Future.
“Any sufficiently explained magic is indistinguishable from technology.” Halpern’s corollary to Clarke’s Third Law. *
A few weeks ago, during a Wednesday night Family Bible Study I showed the children my one trick, the collapsing handkerchief, and explained the trick to them. I then insisted that there was no such thing as magic – there are miracles, though. Clarke’s Third Law is certainly true. Any sufficiently advanced technology seems like magic. Mark Twain wrote about this in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. In this wonderful book Factory Superintendent Frank Morgan is transported back to Medieval England and is considered a greater wizard than Merlin because he knows about gunpowder and solar eclipses. I remember my Grandmother’s similar awe of color television. When the Voyager satellite was made to turn around and take a goodbye photograph of the solar system a few years back – I knew that there was an explanation for how that was even possible, but for all my lack of understanding, it might as well have been magic.
The flipside of the pendant is that when we feel we have sufficiently explained a phenomenon we lose all sense of wonder. In last night’s Wednesday Night Family Bible Study I talked about God’s amazing process of turning caterpillars into butterflies – a miracle so commonplace to us that it has become mundane.
We have learned so much about the universe. Human achievement and understanding are, indeed, amazing. It was 1970’s technology – less advanced than the key-fob of your car – which sent Voyager beyond the bubble of our solar system. But the more we know the smaller we should feel because each answer brings more questions. Our ignorance (or at least the perception of it) grows exponentially. The Large Hadron Collider at CERN discovered, then confirmed a year later the Higgs Boson – the particle which makes possible the existence of matter. One path of discovery was concluded, but a thousand others opened-up - each demanding a thousand more answers.
Our importance and our smallness are facts which exist simultaneously. Both are communicated by David in Psalm 139. In it, David reminds us that “we are fearfully and wonderfully made” (v.14) and that God’s immenseness dwarfs us:
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is too high, I cannot attain it. (v.9)
How precious are your thoughts to me, O God, how vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. (vv. 17-18).
COVID-19 has reminded us how wonderfully made we are, and how fragile we can become. It has shown us at our best and at our worst. It has demonstrated our potential for innovation, and for superstition, for selflessness and for selfishness. What this virus should do is remind us how special we are to God, and how small we are compared to Him.
There are times, during these times, when I have so much hope – not just that we will get through this, but that moving forward our human species will act sensibly. Then there are other times when this supposedly sentient species seems irredeemably selfish, stupid, and small. Of course, all of it is true, and all at the same time in this sinful world. The constant is God. God is good. God made us, and we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
In that farewell snapshot of the solar system Voyager took a few years ago, the earth is just a pixel, a spec of glitter in a sunbeam. Our solar system is a speck of glitter in the Milky Way Galaxy. Our Galaxy is a speck of glitter in the vast universe. God is bigger than all of it, and God made it for us. Those facts are immutable.
- Barry Bryson
*from “No Ghost in the Machine,” by Mark Halpern, in The American Scholar, Spring 2020, p.22.
Unhindered
How to Occupy One’s Time During Captivity: Part 2
And he stayed two full years in his own rented apartment, welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered. Acts 28.30-31
The last word of the book of Acts is “unhindered.” This is no coincidence. The book begins with the ascension of Jesus, and the descent of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of sending forth the gospel. From the beginning Satan uses every weapon in his arsenal to try to slow the advance of the kingdom. He fails. The book of Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome. This two-year period is followed, perhaps immediately, by time in actual prison and then Paul’s execution. Yet, forcing the Kingdom’s most productive missionary off the field in no way slows his work. Removing his head will not silence him either – in the New Testament he still speaks unhindered.
COVID-19 has confined us all at home – to a great extent. Last week we listened as God told us what to do during a time of confinement. We looked at the letter He wrote to the exiles in Babylon concerning how they should spend their time. We listened as he told us to “increase,” not decrease, and to spend our time seeking Him (Jeremiah 29.4-14). We also said that in the New Testament God shows us what we should be doing in such circumstances. This He does through the Apostle Paul during his period of house-arrest in Rome. Paul spends that time unhindered.
Acts 28.23-31 describes what Paul does as he finds himself restricted at home, waiting for his case to be adjudicated before Caesar. The first thing he does is welcome the leaders of the Jewish community to his apartment and share the gospel with them. He continues to welcome others into his quarters, and to share the gospel with them. Also, he writes. The letters to the churches at Ephesus, Philippi and Colossae, the letter to Philemon, and the second letter to Timothy were written from jail. Paul tells us repeatedly in these letters that he spends much time in prayer. Paul was truly unhindered during his time of confinement.
I am frequently reminded of the description Paul gives in II Corinthians 11.21-33 of his life on the road – the beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, criminal violence, starvation, exposure to the elements, and, worst of all – the stress. I wonder what he looked like with his shirt off – how scarred he must have been. Then there is the wear and tear his body suffered from the road itself – he travelled between 18,000 and 25,000 miles on his missionary journeys. During those two years of house-arrest he enjoyed the same bed every night. Every morning he arose knowing that he had a whole day ahead of him free of extraneous and ancillary concerns, a day free for work.
In addition to the challenges facing us – and they are daunting and many – we have been given some blessings. We have been forced to live lives less hectic and harassed. We have been forced to focus on that which is truly important. We are facing our physical isolation at a time when we have so many ways to stay connected to each other. We are unhindered.
And so, let us go forward to live unhindered lives. Let us comply with every directive of those responsible for public safety and let us be obedient to the Golden Rule (Matthew 7.12) – which coincide at this point. Let us stay in touch with each other in every way available to us. Let us find someone we know less well than we should and reach out to them. Let us connect with those in our circle of acquaintance who are lost and encourage them with the Word of God. Let us contribute every way we are challenged to contribute for those in need. Let us stay involved in the life of the family by studying, worshipping, and fellowshipping together despite our confinement.
Let us, as God’s family, spend this time unhindered.
