Episode 828
Staying Vigilant: The Call to Justice in the Face of Complacency | Ep 828
This episode delves into the imperative of remaining vigilant to issues of justice, drawing upon the biblical passage from Luke 21:34 to 22:6. We reflect on Jesus's admonition to avoid being dulled by the distractions of consumer culture, emphasizing the necessity to remain alert to the systemic injustices that pervade our society. Our discussion further explores the revolutionary nature of Jesus's teachings, as he traverses between the domains of institutional power and marginalized spaces, thereby challenging existing authority while fostering an alternative community. Additionally, we consider the collaboration between religious authorities and Judas as a poignant illustration of how systems of oppression operate, prompting us to scrutinize our own complicity in these dynamics. Ultimately, we encourage a proactive examination of what may be numbing our awareness to injustice and propose actionable steps to cultivate a heightened consciousness in our daily lives.
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.
Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available seven days a week by 6:00 am ET. The episodes are no longer than ten minutes long and are...
- Understandable: A reading from the New Testament (usually the Gospel) selected from the Revised Common Lectionary using "The Message" translation.
- Relatable: You will have a couple of "points to ponder" from the text which will relate to your life
- Applicable: Every episode includes a way you can take action based on the reading
- A recommended resource to help you go deeper in biblical study and spiritual direction.
- A prayer for your day.
A companion resource to the Voice of God Daily Podcast is the “ABC Bible Study Guide” available by clicking HERE.
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Remember… “All scripture is God-breathed and useful”(2 Timothy 3:16)
Throughout the podcast, Dr. Brad Miller articulates a compelling exhortation for listeners to engage in critical reflection and prayerful consideration regarding their roles in the face of societal injustices. The overarching theme is one of awakening—an appeal to recognize the often-unseen forces that perpetuate oppression and to reject the temptation to overlook the pain of others in favor of personal comfort. This notion is further elaborated through the practical suggestions provided for maintaining vigilance, such as assessing one’s media consumption and actively participating in local organizations dedicated to fostering social change. Dr. Miller emphasizes the importance of community involvement and personal agency in counteracting the effects of systemic injustice, encouraging a collective movement towards compassion and accountability. The episode concludes with a heartfelt prayer, invoking divine assistance in the quest for awareness and action, thus reinforcing the spiritual dimension of the call to justice. In essence, this episode serves not only as a biblical reflection but also as a transformative guide for living out one’s faith in a world that demands active engagement and moral courage.
Takeaways:
- The podcast emphasizes the importance of remaining vigilant against social injustices and systemic oppression.
- It highlights the need to resist the temptations of consumer culture that dull our awareness of urgent social issues.
- The speaker reflects on how Jesus's teachings challenge us to confront our own privileges and complacency in the face of suffering.
- A key takeaway is the call to action, encouraging listeners to engage with their communities to promote justice and equity.
- The discussion includes a critique of how privilege can lead individuals to betray movements for justice, echoing contemporary issues.
- The episode urges us to audit our media consumption and replace mindless activities with learning about current injustices.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- voiceofgoddaily.com
Transcript
Brad Miller.
Speaker A:Hello good people.
Speaker A:Welcome to Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:My name is Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller.
Speaker A:Glad to be with you here on a daily visit to the Bible Daily visit to the New Testament reading of the Bible selected for this very day from the Revised Common Lectionary.
Speaker A:That's a three year cycle of reading the Bible.
Speaker A:We're in year C, we're in the Lenten season, the days in preparation leading up to Easter.
Speaker A:We do this by making the Bible understandable by reading from the message.
Speaker A:We make it relatable by giving you a couple of points to ponder applicable but giving you an action step to take.
Speaker A:We have a prayer.
Speaker A:We do all of that in under 10 minutes.
Speaker A:We bring it's all brought to you by our website, voiceofgoddaily.com which is the home of the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Method.
Speaker A:Here's our reading for the day.
Speaker A: Luke: Speaker A:But be on your guard.
Speaker A:Don't let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping.
Speaker A:Otherwise that day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap.
Speaker A:For it's going to come on to everyone, everywhere at once.
Speaker A:So whatever you do, don't fall asleep at the wheel.
Speaker A:Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that's coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.
Speaker A:He spent his days in the temple teaching, but his nights out on the mountain called Olives, all the people were up at the crack of dawn to come to the temple and listen to him.
Speaker A:The Passover meal, the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, also called Passover, drew near.
Speaker A:The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way to do away with Jesus.
Speaker A:But fearful of the people, they were also looking for a way to cover their tracks.
Speaker A:That's when Satan entered Judas, the one called iscariot.
Speaker A:He was one of the 12 and leaving the others, he conferred with the high priest and the temple guards about how he might betray Jesus to them.
Speaker A:They couldn't believe their good luck and agreed to pay him well.
Speaker A:He gave them his word and started looking for a way to betray Jesus, but out of sight of the crowd.
Speaker A:Hmm.
Speaker A:Well, let's take a deeper look at this scripture here, here about Jesus's teachings about staying alert.
Speaker A:And it kind of begins this process of the Passion narrative leading us towards the trial and the crucifixion, the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Speaker A:Here are some points to ponder.
Speaker A:We're talking here about going beyond individual consumption.
Speaker A:Jesus warns against being dulled by parties and drinking and shopping, a surprisingly contemporary critique of consumer culture, don't you think?
Speaker A:This isn't about personal morality policing, but rather it's a call to stay alert to systems of injustice and oppression.
Speaker A:How often do privilege and comfort numb us to the urgent needs for social change all around us?
Speaker A:Another point is about revolutionary teaching.
Speaker A:Jesus spends his days teaching in the temple, which was the center of religious and economic power, while spending nights on the Mount of Olives, a place associated with prophetic tradition and social transformation.
Speaker A:This physical movement between the spaces of power and to spaces of marginalization reflects the radical nature of Jesus's ministry, challenging institutional authority while building an alternative community.
Speaker A:Third point, understanding systems of power.
Speaker A:The collaboration between religious authorities and Judas reveals how systems of oppression work through both institutional power and individual cooperation.
Speaker A:Rather than demonizing Jesus, we might consider how privilege and power still tempt us to betray movements for justice and liberation even today.
Speaker A:Here's your action Step Examine what might be dulling your edge to injustice.
Speaker A:Choose a specific way to stay awake.
Speaker A:This could mean think about auditing your media consumption.
Speaker A:What are you listening to?
Speaker A:What are you watching?
Speaker A:And replace an hour of something that's kind of mindless and meaninglessness with learning about some current situation of injustice.
Speaker A:For instance, you might want to join a local organization which is working to change something that is unjust to something that is unjust, that is just.
Speaker A:You might even want to examine your own privilege.
Speaker A:But how?
Speaker A:What is keeping you comfortable while others suffer?
Speaker A:Some things to consider we're going to consider them a little deeper in prayer here in just a moment.
Speaker A:But I did want you to know that we have a great resource to help you go deeper into the Scriptures.
Speaker A:You can find it at our website, voiceofgoddaily.com it's called the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Guide.
Speaker A:It will help you take and complement what we learn here on the Daily Bible Refresh and put it in your own context, in your own situation, in your own daily Bible reading.
Speaker A:I hope that you will pick it up is there@voiceofgoddaily.com let's pray divine Awakener Shake us from our comfortable slumber.
Speaker A:We confess how easily we can be lulled into complacency by privilege and convenience.
Speaker A:Help us to stay alert, to stay awake both to the pain and the possibility in our world.
Speaker A:God gave us courage to stand with those who suffer under systems of oppression.
Speaker A:Guard us against the temptation to choose comfort over solidarity.
Speaker A:May we, like Jesus, find strength in both prophetic action and contemporary resistance.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Well, it's always a joy to be with you.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:I hope that you are making this a part of your daily routine and habit to join me for a few minutes to have our time of daily Bible refresh.
Speaker A:We usually drop these episodes before 6:00am Eastern Eastern Time.
Speaker A:Hope that you'll join us.
Speaker A:You can find everything@voiceofgoddaily.com that includes a back catalog of over 800 episodes of this podcast, which are here for you until tomorrow morning.
Speaker A:Friends, My name is Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Mueller.
Speaker A:Remember that God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love hasn't dried up, it's created new.
Speaker A:Every morning, Sa.
