READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l God’s people should have an excellent work ethic as did Daniel! Naturally, the world values excellence too. But it was not the core value that Daniel and his friends had. It came second to their identities as exiles. All Christians should be ‘exiles before excellence’ to avoid becoming just like everyone else and caught in the values of the world.
Exiles neither isolate nor assimilate
Daniel was brought into exile when Jerusalem fell to Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted to show his dominance over Judah by taking temple artifacts and placing them in pagan temples to emphasize that his gods were more powerful than Yahweh. He also brought back some of the young men from the nobility to serve him. These young men represented the aspirations and future of Israel. But they were renamed with new names dedicating them to the Babylonian deities.
While Daniel and his friends seemed to accept this, they did take a stand at other times. They rejected food and drink coming from the Kings table as defiling. Daniel did not stage a rebellion but neither did he accept everything that was pushed at him. This shows how he lived in the tension of being “in but not of” the Babylonian culture. It is actually much easier to either isolate or assimilate so we do not live with uncomfortable tension.
Are we even aware that all Christians are exiles living in Babylon? Some of the issues we face are same sex relationships and artificial intelligence. Do we accept or reject? What about in the workplace? Do we pursue excellence in work and studies at the cost of our values and health. Research shows Christian parents have exactly the same goals of excellence and success as non-Christian parents, then lament that their children have drifted from the church. Our theology seems to focus on the hereafter but it needs to affect the way that we live today in order to reach the younger generation. Work attitude should be to work well and hard but respect the boundaries that protect health, family and Sabbath. The Church needs Christian exiles who work for the benefit and flourishing of others not just for the sake of profit. We are called to be different from the world we live in.
Exiles make a difference without being in authority
Both Daniel and Joseph were brought into a foreign land and served a foreign ruler. Both made a difference although they started at the bottom of the chain of authority. However it seems that everyone idolizes those at the top of this chain! From the Bible we know that the kings of Israel, for the most part, did a very bad job of ruling Israel and honoring God during the period between King Saul and the fall of Jerusalem.
Jesus neither isolated or assimilated. He was able to make a difference without being in authority. We would not be here as protestants if the Reformation had not taken place 500 years ago as a result of Martin Luther’s actions to call out the wrongful practices of the medieval church. The Methodist Church came about because of the example of John Wesley, who wanted to focus on living a life of holiness while serving society without being conformed to a worldly culture. These people were not in authority but they understood what it means to live as an exile!
We too need to live as exiles neither isolating or assimilating. We can make a difference without being in authority if we choose to live out our Christian faith authentically Can we be bold enough to live within this tension?
(Sermon notes by Frances Lim)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- How important is excellence to you? Why?
- What are some examples of Christians isolating themselves from culture in unhelpful ways? What are some examples of Christians assimilating to culture in unhelpful ways? As a Christian, do you find yourself leaning more towards isolation or assimilation?
- Currently, do you find yourself in a position to make a big difference in the world? Rather than seeking to make a big difference, in what small ways can you be different for God?
