The Diaspora

[Originally preached 16 May, 2004
James 1.1b

One of the benefits of studying the openings of the letters of the New Testament is that you can see some of the themes that the author will be writing about. Today, we look at the ‘to whom’ part of the opening. As we do, you’ll see some of what James is concerned about. I used the ESV to read our text because the NKJV translated a technical term as ‘scattered abroad’. Now, I understand why they did that. In a way, it is an accurate translation, yet it missed what James was writing. The term that I am referring to is ‘the Diaspora’ or ‘the Dispersion’. This term refers to the Jews who were dispersed or scattered abroad. The term is used in John 7.

The Jews said to one another, ‘Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?’ John 7:35

Over the centuries the Jews left their homeland. Sometimes it was by choice. But very often it wasn’t. Here, just think of the Babylonian exile where so many of Judah were forcibly taken away. Some did return to the Promised Land. But there were still some who did not. Those who continued to live away from Israel were called ‘the Diaspora’.

Now, why was this important? What was so critical about living in Israel? What was there that you couldn’t find elsewhere? Jerusalem was there. Remember the significance of Jerusalem. That was the only place for the temple, the only place for sacrifice. Jerusalem was important because it was the place of God’s special presence. Jerusalem was unique. And so, we read about one of the sons of the Diaspora, Daniel, and his habit of prayer. How did he do it? He opened his window facing Jerusalem and then he prayed. That was where God was and I think that it’s safe to say that that was where Daniel wanted to be.

So, James takes all of this, ‘the Diaspora’, and applies it to the Church. This is who we are. Now, does this mean that our homeland is a piece of ground in the Middle East? Is it somehow a problem that we have been separated from come city in modern Israel? No. We are separated from our homeland. But that home isn’t anywhere on this globe. Our true home is the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem. We are exiles from our true home. And this defines who we are. We are ‘the twelve tribes of the Diaspora’, the true Israel exiled from our home. We will see James bring this fact to bear in different ways as we work our way through his letter.

Now, in light of all of this, let me raise a question. What does it mean for us as exiles to live in this foreign place, far from home? Specifically, how shall we respond to this world? That may sound theoretical, but it is a question that you have already answered. You answer it every day as you make every day choices. What I would like to do is to get you to think about the ways that you answer that question and to get you to refine your answers. James will deal with this in some rather specific ways. What I would like to do this morning is to look at that more generally. My concern this morning will have to do with two extremes to be avoided as we all answer the question of how we, the Diaspora, are to live here.

There are those who understand our situation as the Church in exile and, in response, work to construct a huge wall between us and them, between the Church and the world. They establish their little Christian enclaves. These enclaves might be some little community huddled together. It might even be as small as a single family. In fact, there are some who have been called ‘homers’. Everything is centered in the home: home school, home church, home births, home business. They do all that they can to isolate themselves from the world. Some aren’t quite extreme. They recognize that they need to have a job and they need to buy things at a store. But they want to remain pure of the stain of the world and so they still try to limit their contact. As a result, those who think this way retreat from the world around them and abandon it to its coming destruction. Is this what James is pointing to in calling us ‘the Diaspora’? Is that what the Scriptures are exhorting us to do? It is helpful to note that Jesus spoke to this whole issue. Listen.

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus defines His Church as salt and light. Whatever else may be true, the Church is to be involved in the world. It pursues that involvement in order to change the world by the Gospel. How can you do that if you remove yourself from the world? How can you be faithful if your goal is to have as little contact with the world as possible? Jesus made this a part of His High Priestly prayer.

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. John 17:14-18

Jesus is clear. We are not the world. The Church is different from the world. We are the Diaspora. And yet, we have a mission. We are sent into the world. Just as the Father sent the Son into the world that the world might be saved, [John 3.17] Jesus has sent us into the world with the same purpose, that the world might be saved. So, we are not to huddle up as the Church or even as individual families, marking time until we leave this place for our true home. We have a mission while we are here. We are called to be involved in this world. We are called to change the world by the proclamation of the Gospel.

Now, I told you that there are two extremes to avoid. Now it’s time for the other. If the first extreme is emphasizing our exile status so much that we retreat from the world, the second extreme is forgetting all about our exile status and thus to become just like the world. James will speak rather forcefully to this, especially in chapter four. We need to remember that there is a fundamental difference between us and them. We are the Church. We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Our goals are different. Our desires are different. And the reason is that we have been made to be different. Our natures have been changed by the Spirit. Our Lord is not the same as their lord. We are slaves of Jesus. They are slaves of sin and Satan. When this most basic aspect of who we are is forgotten, then everything falls apart. We blend into the scenery. But how can we achieve our mission of changing the world if we are just like them? Remember Babylon, the prostitute. There have been sad times in the history of the Church when it has been hard to see the difference between the Church and the world. The desires are the same, the goals the same, the definition of success is the same. How we spend our time, our money, our energies, all look the same. There is the religious veneer and the moral stance on things. But is that the essence of the difference? Is the mission to change the world by the Gospel being accomplished or is it closer to the truth that the Church is being changed by the message of the world? While the first extreme is running away from the world, this extreme is running to join the world. So much for being the exiles of the Diaspora. In both cases, the result is the same: failure in terms of our mission.

Those are the extremes. Now, how shall we deal with them? I hope that you can see that there is a need for a delicate balance. To use an old phrase that isn’t heard nearly enough, we need to be in the world but not of it. This place is not our home. The hopes and dreams and goals of this place ultimately make no sense for us. We are different. And yet, we are called to be engaged with what is going on in this place. We are called to be salt and light. In the world but not of it. That is a difficult balance to establish and then maintain. You can get a sense of how balanced we are by examining how we are doing at our mission of bringing the Gospel to bear on people’s lives. Let’s examine that a bit.

Each week I bring the Gospel to bear on your lives. I do that not because I think that you aren’t converted. I do that because there is more of the Gospel for you to grasp. For one thing, there is more sin in your lives to be identified and repented of. Hopefully, you’ll see that as we move through James. Consider his list of topics: lust, hearing the word but not doing it, faith that is all talk and no show, tongues that are out of control, conflict within the Church, your prayer life. There is more sin to be identified and repented of. But that leads to the second part of the Gospel. There is more of Christ to be believed and embraced and enjoyed. The responsibility imposed on me is to apply the Gospel to you. The responsibility imposed on you is that you take what you hear and apply it to yourselves and your families. You men who are heads of households are especially responsible to see this happen. Are your wives getting it? Your children? As you look over the past, do you see more sin being revealed and repented of in you family? Do you see Christ becoming more precious to your family as faith in Him grows? Notice what happens as this takes place. First, the difference between us and them becomes more obvious. And that isn’t because of some superficial differences. It’s because we are believing the Gospel more. It is becoming clearer to us that this isn’t home. We are exiles here. Our hopes and dreams are not rooted here. But then, secondly, as we bump up against the world in the normal routines of daily living, the Gospel that we are believing more will make itself felt. The differences of the goals and choices and desires for ourselves and our children will become more and more obvious. Our understanding of what is good and right will grow and show itself. Our disdain of the trinkets of this world will be evident, not because we will be critical of others but because we won’t choose like the rest. To be sure, some people will be put off by all of this. We will seem strange and even threatening. But there will be those who will be attracted to what they see. They will be attracted as they see Jesus being formed in us. They will come wanting to have what we have. And we will see progress in our mission. The balance is being established and maintained.

In all of this you’ll notice that I have not been very specific when it comes to the ‘how to’ part. There is a reason for that. There is no formula for establishing and maintaining balance. You are different people in different situations with different abilities and different callings. You touch the world in different ways. There is no formula for me to give you as a group so that each of you can mechanically apply it to your slice of the world. But this doesn’t mean that everyone goes off on his own to figure out this balance. You will not be able to discern on your own what balance will look like in your life. You need the rest of the saints. And that’s true for a couple of reasons. We need each other because Satan is crafty. He will deceive you into one extreme or the other and you won’t even know that it’s happening. You need the rest of the saints to keep an eye on you and to warn you if it appears that you are falling to one side or the other. Another reason that you need the rest of the saints is that it takes wisdom to maintain that balance in the details of life. It takes wisdom to properly pursue the mission. One important way that God gives wisdom is through the insights of others who have worked through the same issues that you are dealing with. So, what is Men’s Group about? It’s a bunch of guys working to figure out how to be engaged with this world as a man without falling into some extreme. Right now the specific area is how to be a husband. We’ve all heard the world’s take on that. Now, we want to know what the Gospel has to say. What is the Women’s Group, WIC? It’s the same thing for the women. How do you establish and maintain the right balance as a Christian woman? By looking at the Scriptures, sharing their experiences, encouraging one another, these women are working at getting some answers to that question. It’s the same with the other things that we do as a church, even the luncheon. We need each other if we’re going to make it. Thinking that you don’t need to rest is just evidence that you’re on your way to an extreme.

As we work our way through James, you’re going to be challenged. He will speak about specific areas where balance is needed. Please be praying that the preaching of the Word will provide some guidance so that you will be able to avoid the extremes and accomplish the mission.

Exiles

Isaiah 40

I have fond memories of my first real encounter with Isaiah 40. I was in college and still a very young Christian. But I was being taught the truths of the Bible. And so, certain portions of the Scriptures stood out to me. One reason they did was that they revealed the beauty of a very impressive God. I wasn't impressed with God very much before this time. But I began to be. Isaiah 40 is one of those portions that revealed this impressive God to me. What a vision of God! This was someone that I could worship. It was quite the antidote to the anemic God I had known before. And I think that this was Isaiah's goal. He wanted the people to be amazed by a powerful vision of an impressive God.

However, Isaiah did not have me in mind when he wrote this. To appreciate who his intended audience was you need to understand some things about this book of the Bible. Isaiah was sent by God to a very rebellious people. He was sent to proclaim God's coming judgment on Israel, His people. So, the first section of his book is, for the most part, doom and gloom. There are exceptions but that's the main theme: God's justice is coming to a rebellious people, Israel. 'Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."' Isaiah preached that justice would come.

Once we begin chapter 40, though, Isaiah is no longer preaching to his contemporaries. No, he directs his words to a future generation. He writes for the sake of those who would later experience this promised justice. He writes for those who would become exiles. The armies of Babylon came, as promised. They conquered Israel and emptied Jerusalem. As a result, they removed much of the populace of Israel. Daniel and his friends were among these exiles in Babylon. These are the same exiles who were exhorted by another prophet of God, Jeremiah. 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. ... For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.' And so, the exiles would settle in and work and pray for the welfare of this other city, Babylon. And after a time, they enjoyed a measure of good. There had been marriages and births. They had worked and had succeeded. Life wasn't all that bad. And yet, Babylon was not Jerusalem. So, we find Daniel in this city of exile, opening his windows that he might pray facing toward Jerusalem – the city of God, the city of his heritage, the city that was home. And Daniel prayed that his God would keep the promise He had made to return His people from exile. Babylon was fine. There was much for Daniel to do and to enjoy there. But Babylon was not Jerusalem. For Daniel, the exile, Babylon was not home.

Isaiah anticipates all this. And he has a message, our text, to encourage the exiles. It is a message of comfort to the people of God. 'Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.' This message has a promise that there would be a return, a new exodus from a this latter-day Egypt into the wilderness and then into the Promised Land. 'A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.' And this will certainly come about. The people can rest assured. And why? Their God has given His Word which cannot fail. 'The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.' And this God is the very impressive God who can do anything. 'Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him.' And then, as a last section of the chapter, Isaiah anticipates how these displaced people will feel after a few generations of exile in Babylon. 'Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God"?' And to this Isaiah answers, 'He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.' Isaiah 40, words of comfort and hope to exiles.

Though Isaiah wrote these words with those Israelites in mind, what he wrote is for our benefit also. It speaks to us because we also are exiles. The problem has always been about exile from God. Back to the beginning. What was the result of Adam and Eve's sin? They were kicked out of the Garden. Exile. Do you remember Psalm 42? 'As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?' What's the Psalmist talking about? Exile. What was the punishment of Israel's rebellious sin? Exile. This has always been the problem. What makes this even clearer is that the Gospel writers applied words from Isaiah 40 to John the Baptist. Remember, he was one 'crying in the wilderness'. That means that John's ministry was to exiles, even though the people he preached to were not in Babylon but in Jerusalem. John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord who would come to restore exiles to their true home. Jesus is the impressive God who comes, as He had promised, to bring back the exiles – us.

We see this same theme reflected in some other places in the New Testament. First, from the Apostle Paul: 'But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.' If our citizenship is in heaven what are we doing here? Exile. And then something from the Apostle John. How does he describe the beginning of the age to come? 'And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.' What is this but no more exile. We are returned home, to our true home, the new Jerusalem, the heavenly city of God.

The thing I want you to get is this: we are exiles. We live in our own Babylon and not in the city of God. It's important that you get this because it explains oh so much of what happens with us. We are exiles.

Now, understand. Daniel's Babylon was a nice place. There probably was no finer city in all of that empire. The prayers for its welfare were bearing good fruit. But every thing there was – well, it was Babylonian. There was always that little reminder that something was not quite right, that it was after all a foreign city, a city of exile. Likewise, our Babylon is a nice place. There is much good to enjoy. But, everything here also has that little reminder that something is not quite right. We live, after all, in a fallen city. So, even the best things are touched by that reminder. Great vacations come to an end, and it's back to the real world. Close and loving relationships hit those little bumps, resulting in conflict of some sort. And sometimes it's just a vague notion, a feeling of – something. We feel the fact of our exile. We feel it every day. The problem, though, is that we don't label those things in terms of exile. Instead, we provide an excuse by telling ourselves, 'Well, what are you going to do? Life's like that.' Yes, life in exile is like that but not life at home. So, you feel the distance from others – others you should not feel any distance from. You might even use the 'L' word to describe how you feel: 'lonely'. The hopes that you had just aren't happening. 'Well, what are you going to do? Life's like that.' And we give the same excuse for other like experiences. 'Well, what are you going to do? Life's like that.' These are problems of exile. And we would do well to understand them as such.

There are times, though, when the excuse of expecting too much from life doesn't help anymore. Disappointment is replaced by a sense of weariness. Isaiah anticipated this. He puts these words in the mouth of the exiles. 'My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God.' These are words about neglect and injustice. And it is God who neglects us, and it is because of Him that we experience injustice – or at least that's how it feels. We don't usually use this kind of language. Instead, when that weariness hits, we tell ourselves that dealing with life is up to us, and it's too much to handle – Isn't that the feeling of being neglected? – and that what is going on with us just isn't right – Isn't that a sense of injustice? We feel what we do because we are exiles in a foreign city far from home.

There are a couple of ways that people deal with this. First, some try to imagine this to be home. Babylon is home. There is no Jerusalem. These people do their best to make this feel like home. Having a bit of money helps. That way a person can enjoy more of Babylon, more of its toys, more of the fun things it offers, more ways to be convinced that Babylon isn't all that bad. But the problems don't go away. They remain. And every once in a while, when his plan isn't doing so well, this person hears himself say, 'Well, what are you going to do? Life's like that.' Then, there's the alternative of just trying to keep Babylon out. Here, think monastery. 'Babylon is on the other side of the wall. But we're safe in here. In here, there's sense of no exile.' What is that but trying to create a little enclave to hide from what is really going on.

But these sorts of alternatives don't work. They try to deny a truth. We are not home. We are in exile – an exile that too often feels like neglect and injustice. And that is hard. And it is wearying. So, what are we to do? Something from Paul. 'For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.' Paul is in exile, and he knows it. And he knows where home is. 'To die is gain.' Paul knows that to depart from this life is far better because then he will be with Jesus. Then, he will be home. No more exile. Paul wants to die. But that isn't his last word on this. 'My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith.' Paul opts to stay in Babylon, away from home. And he opts for that for the sake of the saints. 'But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.' Paul loves the saints. And as a result, he experiences neglect – or what feels like it – as well as injustice. Remember where Paul was when he wrote this letter. He was in some foul prison. But he is content to remain in exile for the sake of the saints. In this Paul is simply imitating Jesus who voluntarily exiled Himself for our sake first at His birth and then most especially at the Cross.

This explains what we are to do. We live in exile, in Babylon. Exile feels like neglect and injustice. It is wearying. But we do not run from these things or try to hide from them. We endure them for the good of our fellow exiles – for their progress and joy in the faith – for as long as Jesus wants.

But it costs. And that's why the closing promise of our text is so precious.

'Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.'

We are exiles. That defines our situation in Babylon. We are exiles, and we are waiting for our Lord. It is only when He returns that the exile will be over, completely over. Then, we will be returned to our true home. But while we wait, we seek the welfare of our Babylon. At the heart of that is the Gospel. Our goal is not merely to make the best of a bad situation. It isn't even to try to get lot of people forgiven of their sins. Our goal is to change the world. And we start that by caring for each other. But changing the world is hard. Dealing with the sense of neglect and the injustice that is part of this is wearying. Some of you have jobs that abuse and frustrate. We all have bodies that bit by bit wear out and don't work nearly as well as they are supposed to. There's the silent indictment of that pile of laundry. Temptations await us. And death, though conquered, still does its ugly work of bereavement. Neglect and injustice. And it is wearying. But that is why we have this promise. Those who are exiles, who strive to follow Jesus in this Babylon – these live with one eye on the city of man, seeking its welfare, but with the other these watch the horizon eagerly waiting for Jesus to show up to take us home. These will be blessed by the Spirit. They will be given new strength. They will soar like eagles. And, as a result, they will be able to run and run and run for Jesus and never give up.