The Meyer Minute

The Meyer Minute for August 31, 2021

Martin Luther about devotion. “It happens often that in my meditation I come across such rich thoughts, that I disregard the other six petitions (of the Lord’s Prayer)…. I have learned much more from this kind of listening than I could have from much reading and reflection.” (“A Simple Way to Pray”) 

That happened to me the other morning. “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there” (Psalm 139:7-8). That last line stopped my reading. When I die, You are there.

I admit I’m apprehensive about death, not death as a theological topic, but I’m fearful about my own dying. I know what I believe, but a voice whispers, “What if you close your eyes and there is nothing. You are no more?” Psalm 139 says God is. “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14). God is not just omnipresent; He is here with me now, and He will be at my side when He calls me to Himself. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). My mistake is thinking about myself when that time comes. No, Dale, let yourself go and focus on Jesus. “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).

After sharing my apprehension with some pastors, they essentially shot me down. Where’s the empathy? When we hear sermons about Christian confidence in death, we think…or I do; is this only me? “Something must be wrong with me because I’m fearful.” C.F.W. Walther: “Many preachers picture the Christian as a person who does not fear death.  That is a serious misrepresentation, because the great majority of Christians are afraid to die.  If a Christian does not fear death and declares that he is ready to die at any time, God has bestowed a special grace upon him.  Some have expressed this sentiment before their physician told them that they would not live another night, but after that they were seized with a terrible fear.”  (Law and Gospel, 313)

Thoughts not from a sermon but from the Spirit in devotion.

The Meyer Minute for August 30, 2021

Dr. Thomas J. Egger was installed and inaugurated last Friday as the eleventh president of Concordia Seminary. I was invited to offer a prayer at the banquet that ended the festive day, and offer it to you now.  

O God, “your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). You have enlightened Concordia Seminary throughout its long history. We beg You not to take your Holy Spirit from us but continue to enlighten us by Your Word as we make our pilgrimage into the future. Give President Egger a vision that looks higher and sees farther on this road we travel, giving him insight that transcends and transforms the busyness of each day. Continue Your graces to Mrs. Egger as she complements the president in his service and is a loving helpmeet in their home. We pray that the scholarship and unity of the faculty will continue to bring light from above to these most challenging times for congregations in communities, nation, and world. For the staff, we pray their administration will be filled with care of individual souls whom You love and zeal for mission to reach more for our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank You for the families and congregations who are raising up the next generations to continue the advance of the Gospel when our own journeys have come to the heavenly inheritance.  

Now You are blessing us with this food for the nurture of our bodies as You grace us with the fellowship that gives us joy in one another.  

And at the end of this day may we cling to Your promises for the future and close each day of grace confessing to one another with reverent fear, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32). Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. “Give me life, O Lord, according to your word! Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your rules. Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart” (Psalm 119:107-108, 111). For Jesus’ sake. Amen. 

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The Meyer Minute for August 27, 2021

I promise this will be my last Minute about marriage…at least for a while…at least for this week! 

Here’s a passage to raise the eyebrows of men and women: Wives, “do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3-4). Really? Sounds Amish or Mennonite. 

What Peter writes is consistent with traditional Roman attitudes. From the second or third century B.C.: “Her clothes should not be transparent or ornate…. In this way she will avoid being over-dressed or luxurious or made-up, and not give other women cause to be uncomfortably envious. She should not wear gold or emeralds at all…. She should not apply imported or artificial coloring to her face – with her own natural coloring, by washing only with water, she can ornament herself with modesty….”  

In New Testament times, Seneca wrote to his mother. “You – unlike so many – never succumbed to immorality, the worst evil of the century; jewels and pearls did not bend you… You never polluted yourself with make-up, and you never wore a dress that covered about as much on as it did off. Your only ornament, the kind of beauty that time does not tarnish, is the great honor of modesty.”  

And Jewish attitudes? “Most rabbis supported wives painting their eyes, rouging themselves, and dressing colorfully around the house to stay attractive to their husbands. But some early Jewish tradition attributed eye makeup, ornaments, and colorful dyes to the instruction of fallen angels, leading to more immorality.” (Craig Keener, 1 Peter: A Commentary, 229) 

Peter wrote to Christian wives of unbelieving husbands. Just by believing in Christ, she was challenging her husband. Overdo your appearance and he’ll suspect you’re unfaithful! Not good for the church’s reputation. I think the Contemporary English Version paraphrases it nicely. “Don’t depend on things like fancy hairdos or gold jewelry or expensive clothes to make you look beautiful. Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet. This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special.” Worth keeping in mind when you see how some people present themselves on social media. 

The Meyer Minute for August 26, 2021

One reason I’ve been writing about marriage in the Roman Empire is because I’m writing a commentary on 1 Peter for Concordia Publishing House. This work has heightened my pastoral concern that we easily read the Bible with blinders on, assuming our lives are lived just like people in Bible times. Human nature is the same, but our American context is so different. More about marriage. 

“Adultery was a crime on the part of women but not necessarily for men. Elite men could always take their pleasure with slave girls, market women, actresses, or other lowly women considered ‘infamis,’ that is disreputable and beneath the attention of the law. As long as a husband avoided respectable women as sexual partners and did not demean himself in acts considered unmanly (e.g., the passive role in homosexual coupling), his extramarital activities were not worth mentioning. The ‘matrona’ had no leeway – any sexual liaison outside of marriage was forbidden.” (Eva D’Ambra, “Roman Women,” 49). 

What “don’t tread on me” American individualists imagine are repressive biblical teachings about the role of a woman in marriage, are in fact teachings that expose and work against the double standard Ms. D’Ambra described. When Paul says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” Paul is taking on, among other things, the sexual wanderings that Romans rationalized for men but not for women. Same with Peter. “Husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7). Peter is reminding husbands their conduct is being judged by God, that Christ is saving the wife and bringing her to a heavenly inheritance with him, so don’t think your worship of God is acceptable when you’re practicing a hypocrite’s double standard. 

I am so happy to be free of administration and church politics so that I can teach. If congregations are missing zeal in their corporate life, if we wonder how we can impact this American society that has put the church on the periphery, the answer is us getting into deep Bible study, Christ-centered learning for marriage and life.      

The Meyer Minute for August 25, 2021

“Bloom where you are planted.” My word for the week has been “submission,” the Bible’s how-to way…yes, it’s actually very practical…for actively bringing pure love into marriage and family.   

To people hung up on the word “submit,” consider how men lorded it over women in antiquity. The Greek comedian Philemon (c. 362 – c. 262 B.C.) wrote, “It is a good wife’s duty, O Nikostrate, to be devoted to her husband, but in subordination; a wife who prevails is a great evil.” The philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.): “The male is by nature superior, and the female inferior; and the one rules, and the other is ruled…. The courage of a man is shown in commanding, of a woman in obeying.”  

Those were Greeks. The Romans were the same mind. From the Twelve Tables, an early compilation of Roman laws: “Women, even though they are of full age, because of their levity of mind shall be under guardianship….” An epitaph to a deceased wife: “Here lies Ennia Fructuosa, dearest wife, whose modesty was proved and whose obedience praised.” Marcus Aurelius (121-180 A.D.): “I must thank heaven for such a wife as mine, so submissive, so loving, and so artless.” The Roman jurist Gaius (130-180 A.D) wrote a comprehensive review of Roman law. “While it is customary for both men and women to be in power, only women fall into marital subordination.” Unlike Americans, people in the Roman Empire wouldn’t bat an eye when biblical authors talked about submission.  

For them, it was about power. For us, “submission” is shorthand for reflecting the selfless love of Christ. Your husband doesn’t believe? Peter’s advice was, my words, don’t nag about going to church. Instead, be a wife filled with winsome Christian conduct and hope” (1 Peter 3:1-6). You’re a believing husband? Marriage is not about your manliness. Live with your wife as an equal before God (1 Peter 3:7). And Paul, in that famous passage, tells us all that marriage reflects the mystery of Christ’s love for the church. “Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…. submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:1, 21-33).  

Christians bloom wherever we’re planted. “Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible” (Ephesians 6:24).   

The Meyer Minute for August 24, 2021

The troubling passage about wives submitting to husbands, Ephesians 5:22-33, must be understood in the light of Christ. The key is verse 25. “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Husband, Jesus died for you. Jesus died for your spouse. He literally gave His life so she can have eternal life. In view of that, can’t you put the dishes in the dishwasher? Can’t you clean up your clutter that bothers her? You’ve had a long, hard day. So has she. Can’t you turn your grousing into presence and encouragement to your bride? I speak from my own faults. Years ago, I asked Diane if I could help her. “If you have to ask, you don’t care.” Do we bother to know our wives well enough to help without being asked? If we would model Christ’s selfless love to our wives, they will return love. It’s patterned after Christ’s love for the Church and the Church returning love to Christ. That’s what “submission” means. 

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful… Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). 

As a parish pastor, I met three times with a couple before their wedding. The first meeting was to talk about the wedding service. The second meeting was to look at Genesis chapter 2, the institution of marriage. I would start the third meeting by saying, “Let’s look at this passage where the Bible says wives should submit to their husbands.” The bride-to-be got a worried look, while the groom cracked a grin. After talking through the passage in light of Jesus’ love for us, after my stressing, “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,” the bride was smiling, and the groom realized that true love means serious, selfless service. 

Ephesians 5:21 must be included as the lead for these verses, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” A woman once wrote me. “Yes, you can say that the husband is the head of the wife. Just remember, the wife is the neck who turns the head.” Who’s smiling now? 

The Meyer Minute for August 23, 2021

“Wives, submit to your husbands, as to the Lord.” So began the epistle lesson in many churches yesterday, Ephesians 5:22-33. Oh, yeah? This isn’t how many Americans picture marriage. Independent minded individualistic Americans don’t submit to anybody. “Don’t tread on me!” For this Minute, let’s focus on “as to the Lord.” Single, divorced, widow or widower, if you follow Christ, there is something in this word “submit” for us all to think about.  

Right now Jesus is not in the manger, not on the cross, not in the tomb, not on the Mount of Ascension. Now? The creed says, “He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.” When He was visibly present on earth, He put his glory aside to serve you. He healed the sick, raised the dead, preached, died, and rose for your forgiveness and life. And now as exalted Lord, He is still serving you and me. He prays to the Father for you. He gives you His Spirit. He speaks through His Word, guiding us how to live and what to believe. He serves us at table, giving forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. As He unites us at His table, He promises to bring us together in heaven. Although the Lord of all, Jesus is still servant of all. 

The Spirit is forming you in the likeness of Christ. The Spirit that entered you in Baptism, comes through the Word and Sacrament, the Spirit of the Lord and Servant is shaping you to show faith through selfless love toward others.  “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:3-7).  

Without centering on Christ, the Ephesians passage about submission is admittedly hard to accept. “As to the Lord” is where we start. More tomorrow.  

The Meyer Minute for August 20, 2021

“The righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112:6-7). 

Where’s God in the torrent of terrible news? He’s as close as sitting and doing nothing. “Mary…sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted…. ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be take away from her’” (Luke 10:39-42). 

“‘Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.’ The Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden… He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:23-24). That’s where we are, Mary, Martha, you, me, all outside of paradise. It wasn’t just that Mary sat with Jesus. Jesus sat with her. Immanuel, God with us wherever we are. "I am always with you" (Matthew 28:20). “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul” (Psalm 94:19).  

It’s the weekend, Sabbath time as the Bible teaches. “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.” That’s the first Immanuel moment in the Bible, God with us in the days of our week. Sabbath started in paradise, but now our Sabbaths are outside of paradise, looking in. Faith and hope. Sitting with Jesus transcends our troubled times. “Take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you" (Isaiah 26:3). Jesus is the tree of life forever.   

“He opens us again the door / Of paradise today;  

The angel guards the gate no more. To God our thanks we pay” 

(The Lutheran Hymnal, 105:8) 

The Meyer Minute for August 19, 2021

Quite by chance, I read something that describes the debacle in Afghanistan and America’s lack of credibility with our allies. I have been reading the Roman historian Livy about the enmity between Carthage and Rome, the two dominant powers of the Mediterranean in the third century B.C.  The neutral Spanish town Saguntum was about to be attacked by Hannibal and the Carthaginians. Saguntum appealed to Rome for help, but Rome dithered. Saguntum was sacked, 218 B.C. Romans woke up to reality, Hannibal is now coming to kill us, so they go to Spain to rouse allies. Here’s what the Roman envoys were told. 

“Men of Rome, it seems hardly decent to ask us to prefer your friendship to that of Carthage, considering the precedent of those who have been rash enough to do so. Was not your betrayal of your friends in Saguntum even more brutal than their destruction by their enemies the Carthaginians? I suggest you look for allies in some spot where what happened to Saguntum has never been heard of. The fall of that town will be a signal and melancholy warning to the peoples of Spain never to count upon Roman friendship nor to trust Rome’s word” (Livy, “The War with Hannibal,” XXI, 19). 

A learning moment for faith. “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:10-12). 

“The victory of God means our defeat; it means our humiliation; it means the scorn and wrath of God on all human pride, on trying to be something. It means the bringing to silence of the world and all of its shrieks. It means the crossing up of all of our thoughts and plans; it means the Cross, the Cross above the world. It means that man, even the most noble, whether he likes it or not, has to go to dust, and with him all gods and idols and lords of this world. The Cross of Jesus Christ—that means the bitter mockery of God over the height of all human achievements, the bitter suffering of God in all human depths, the Lordship of God over all the world” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in “For All the Saints,” IV, 418).  

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The Meyer Minute for August 18, 2021

A summer highlight for me was last week’s “Field of Dreams” ballgame. Growing up in the south suburbs, I became a White Sox fan, geography determining destiny. Well, there were some Cub fans around, but we won’t talk about that. As a kid, the last Sox appearance in the World Series was 1919, which they lost because eight players took bribes, good Chicago style. In 1921 the new commissioner of baseball, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, banned the eight Sox for life, including the great “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. In the movie, Ray Kinsella hears a voice in his cornfield, “If you build it, he will come.” He built the field, and Shoeless Joe and the others came out of the corn to play.

On the other side of Iowa, outside Mapleton, there’s another open patch surrounded by corn fields. Dilapidated farm buildings were renovated and they come, thousands a year come. Old and young… amazing, in our aging churches the young as well as the old come to Mission Central to learn about mission work around the world. The old barn is filled with fascinating artifacts from mission fields far away. Photographs with miracle stories surround the fellowship hall. As unlikely as a major league game in Iowa, in the middle of corn fields is a hub of missions, the field of a true dream.

“It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills, and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths’” (Isaiah 2:2-3).

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” – these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). In Iowa or in your congregation, if we build mission, they will come. God gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6).