Tuesday 19 September 2023

Psalm 119:129-144

Background

The author of the second letter of Peter is keen to equip members of Christian communities with resources to resist the influence of false teaching. He is keen for the recipients to recall the goodness, truth and love that faith in Jesus Christ is offering them, and to support one another with mutual affection and love. They can be assured that the message they have heard is true because it has been conveyed to them by those who knew Jesus and witnessed at first hand his life and teaching. Indeed because of this, they have had "the prophetic message more fully confirmed" (v. 19a).

The message and the faith they have received is likened to "a lamp shining in a dark place" (v. 19b), to which they are encouraged to give their full attention. For small, embryonic and fragile early church communities, the world around them was often perceived to be dark and threatening. This may have been experienced through direct and hostile persecution, or through the "destructive opinions'’ (2:1b) and "deceptive words" (2:3a) of those who sought to undermine them.

One way of guarding against the deception is to recognise that Scripture is not to be interpreted by isolated individuals with no checks and balances on them. Any form of prophetic message or teaching will tend to be more reliable if it comes out of a faithful, prayerful community; from "men and women moved by the Holy Spirit [who] spoke from God." (v. 21b)

This continues to be the case, whether or not the context is a hostile one. There is room for radical, outlandish and prophetic voices, and the discomfort they bring at times is necessary and fruitful, but working out what the Holy Spirit is saying is invariably a communal process. We will do well, together, to be attentive to the lamps shining in our midst.

To Ponder:

• Who are the modern day prophets in your society?
• Have you ever experienced hostility towards your beliefs – or can you imagine what that might be like? What could be some good ways of responding?
• Have you ever experienced God communicating with you and what was it like? Who would you share such an experience with?

Prayer

Loving God, we pray for faith communities who feel persecuted or fearful. Help them not to turn in on themselves but to remain open and generous and wise. May the Holy Spirit inspire and enliven them. Amen.