Because Sometimes it Does Matter What the Neighbors Think

Scripture Passage that Caught my attention today: Ezekiel 36:22 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.

Observation: Reminds me of a line in the Lord’s Prayer (“Hallowed be thy name”) and Martin Luther’s explanation of that phrase.

Application: To explain the phrase “Hallowed be Thy Name,” Martin Luther said that “God’s name certainly is holy in and of itself, but we ask in this prayer that we may keep it holy.”

Back in Ezekiel’s day God’s name was holy too. Unfortunately, the people weren’t doing their part to keep it holy, to honor God in relation to the honor that God was due. So God didn’t perform mighty acts in response to the people’s change of heart. Rather, even before their hearts could change, God acted in order that God’s own name might be understood in a positive light. So even though it is not wise to base our actions solely on what other people might think, it is worth at least considering what other people might think, at least in relation to how it might portray the God we claim to worship. God cares about such things and, in that respect and many others, we are not an island unto ourselves. Never have been. Never will be.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live in ways that demonstrate our dependence on you and our thanksgiving to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Ezekiel 36-37, Psalm 110, and Revelation 19)