And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel." – Ezekiel 3:1

Today's Scripture Reading (June 11, 2023): Ezekiel 3

Illustrations can be powerful. I remember watching an older pastor, a guy who always wore a suit and tie on Sunday mornings, take off his jacket and roll up his sleeves to apply bloodsuckers to his bare arms. His point was that this world will always try to suck the life out of you if you let it. But there is a time when you need to get the suckers off your arms. I saw the sermon over a decade ago and still remember the scene. I wish I were creative enough to think of more illustrations like that. I have smashed wine glasses, burned money (which I know is illegal, but the one-hundred-dollar bill I burned was counterfeit, so making the bill was also unlawful. After admitting this, I might be going to jail), smashed a Walkman (in making this list I realize that I really like to destroy things, probably some mental problem from my childhood), and played with marbles and dominoes. I have given away rocks, bolts, and nuts to remind people to keep short lists with God. I hope they left a mark on those who heard the teaching, but who knows?

Ezekiel is told to eat a scroll. The scroll is the one he received at the end of Ezekiel 2; "Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe" (Ezekiel 2:9-10). But eating the scroll is an illustration of what Ezekiel really believes. Ezekiel could easily preach what he thought he was supposed to believe or even the denominational stance. But that wasn't enough for God. God wanted Ezekiel to preach what he had internalized, or what he had eaten among the people. The prophet was to preach the faith by which he lived; nothing else would do.

I think God is calling us, the modern-day prophets, to be Ezekiels and preach the faith we have internalized. Unfortunately, I am afraid that some people in our congregations want us to lie, to speak the truth that they believe rather than whatever it might be that God has revealed to us. The working pastor is often no longer seen as the prophet we need to be because the people will not allow them to be that. In this, we share many struggles of the Old Testament prophets like Jeremiah. We have become the preachers of denominational beliefs rather than the speakers of God's words.

We will disagree on some topics, but that shouldn't mean the end of the relationship on either side. I want to be an Ezekiel, and while you might disagree with me, this I will guarantee. What I preach, write, or teach is what has been revealed to me. It is the gospel that I have eaten and internalized. If you disagree, that's okay, but you need to know that I will not lie to make you happy. But also know that I love you and want you to stand in my circle of influence.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 4