Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her” (Matt. 26:13).
This past month we
celebrated Memorial Day. For many, Memorial Day is simply an extra day off
work, and a start to summer vacations. However, when we think about Memorial
Day in that likeness, we are missing the significance of it. Therefore, this
month, I would like us to consider the value of taking time to remember things
and the value that history gives to modern day living.
Memorial Day is a time
to think about those very special men and women who died serving our country.
Most people also take time to remember other loved ones who have passed away.
One writer said,
“America, sleep soundly tonight. The Soldiers of Bravo Company will tuck
you in with the power of freedom and all that it offers. They will ask
nothing in return of you and it is likely they never will. When you see
these few, these happy few, tell them you love them for their sacrifice and
that you slept well tonight” (written by CPT Kyle Comfort
Killed in Action May 8, 2010, Operation Enduring Freedom, 3rd Battalion, 75th
Ranger Regiment). Therefore, if you or a loved one of yours has or is serving
in our nation’s military, I would like to personally say thank you to you! It
is on account of people like you that we as a nation are still free.
Therefore, “We honor
those who died by remembering. It is part of our sacred duty as
Americans to simply and gratefully remember. Memorial Day is also a quiet
and insistent reminder to each of us that Freedom Is Not Free” (Wesley
Smith, “Memorial Day: Why We Remember Those Who Died for Our Nation”).
Another writer said,
“Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead, and I will measure
with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for
the laws of the land and their loyalty to high ideals” (Sir William Ewart Gladstone). This
statement is both true—and profound. It is why the United States has a
245-year history of honoring the men and women who have died while serving in
the defense of our nation. Holidays like Memorial Day reinforce our own
commitment to tender mercy, respect for the rule of law, and our personal
dedication to the high ideals on which America was founded. Those ideals
are more important than ever today.
Throughout the Bible we
can find God giving His people holidays and other things to help them remember.
In the Book of Genesis, just after the Global Flood of Noah’s day, God gave a
sign by which all people could remember God’s promise to never again destroy
the entire world again with a flood, namely, the rainbow (Gen. 9:9-17).
After God parted the
Jordan River enabling His people to safely cross while it was at flood stage,
God commanded them to set up a memorial which would stick up out of the water.
This would serve as a reminder to all of how God continually makes a way when
there seems to be no way. He did this in the 10 Plagues against the Egyptians,
the Red Sea crossing, providing for His people in the wilderness for 40 years,
the parting of the Jordan and His deliverance from Israel’s enemies who lived
in the Promised Land. And as a result all the peoples of the earth may know the
Lord (Josh. 4:21-24).
Similarly, throughout
Scripture we see God commanding His people to celebrate certain holidays,
taking time to remember. As Christians, we are called to take time to remember
the Lord Jesus’ death when we partake of communion. For us as a church, we
follow the practice of the New Testament church by partaking of the Lord’s
Supper on a weekly basis (Acts 2:46).
There is great value in
taking time to remember certain things. Sometimes remembering the past can be
painful. No doubt for some people Memorial Day is painful as they remember
loved ones who have passed away. Similarly, it must be painful for some to
recount the horrors that they or their friends and family members endured
during the holocaust. Likewise, it must be painful for some to remember events
that happened long before our time: things like the atrocities that took place
against the Native Americans who had settled in this country long before any of
us of European descent came to this land. And it must be painful for some
African Americans to think about how some of their ancestors were slaves.
However, seeking to remove statues and monuments of our history will not help
anyone moving forward as a nation. Those acts will only serve to lead ourselves
or our descendants to be slaves once again. As one individual wisely said,
“Those who cannot remember the
past are condemned to repeat it” (George Santayana).
Thus, we may not like
history, but history is just that, it is history. To deny it is to only lead to
it repeating once again. Therefore, there is great value in studying history.
Or worded differently, there is great value in taking time to remember certain
things.
Here are five things
that the Bible calls us to remember that I would like us to consider. First, we
need to remember God. Ecclesiastes 12:1-5 in the New Living Translation
says, “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator.
Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant
anymore.” Remember Him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is
dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. Remember
Him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before
your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember Him before your teeth—your
few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking
through the windows—see dimly.
Remember Him
before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades.
Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will
grow faint.
Remember Him
before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets;
before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along
without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires
sexual desire. Remember Him before you near the grave, your everlasting
home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.
Second, Scripture calls
us to remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32). Perhaps you are not familiar
with who Lot or his wife were. Lot was Abraham’s nephew who traveled with
Abraham to the Promised Land. When they got there, Abraham and Lot chose
separate areas to live. Lot chose the land of Sodom and Gomorrah. The people of
Sodom and Gomorrah lived a very seductive and ungodly lifestyle. God gave them
grace yet they refused to turn from their immoral lifestyles. As a result, God
eventually brought justice upon them and destroyed them. Meanwhile, Lot and his
wife were fleeing the area and were themselves warned about looking back to see
the destruction. Basically this was God telling Lot and his wife to turn away
from the lures of this sinful world. However, Lot’s wife’s heart still longed
for her sinful desires; so she looked back and received God’s judgment. We are
told to remember her so that we live righteously instead of giving into the
temptations of this world.
Third, the Bible calls
us to remember
the source of our blessings. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “Remember the Lord your
God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill
the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.” One writer explained
this verse by saying, “When we are intoxicated with unbroken success, it is too
easy to forget God. When things go smoothly, it seems that God is nowhere to be
found in the picture. As Christians, we must always remember that God is the
Source of all our blessings. It is not through our might, intellect, or ability
that we have gathered wealth. It is through God’s blessings that we are able to
enjoy life and the pleasures it gives” (Joshua Infantado).
Fourth, the Bible calls us to remember Jesus. Weekly as we partake of
the memorial of the Lord’s death, aka, communion, we are called to remember
Jesus. The Apostle Paul said, “For I received from the Lord what I also
passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took
bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is
My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same
way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new
covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance
of Me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim
the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:23-26).
Lastly, I want to encourage you to remember freedom. The Bible calls us to remember the freedom
that we now have in Christ. In Ephesians 2:11, Scripture calls us to remember
what life was like before we came to Christ. And then we read in verses 12 and
13, “Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from
citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the
promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in
Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the
blood of Christ.”
We now have freedom from the justice that our sins deserve.
We have freedom from guilt, shame, and regret. We have freedom from continuing
to give into our sinful desires. And we have freedom to love and serve others.
Therefore, this month, as we find ourselves between two
holidays: Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, I want to encourage you to
remember the sacrifice and service of those who have fought to protect our
freedom in this great country. And I want to encourage you to remember the
freedom that we have in Christ!
In His service,
Matt
No comments:
Post a Comment