Easter Sunday

HE IS RISEN!

 

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

 

HALLELUJAH!

Mark 16:1-8 (TNIV)

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"  4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.  6 "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "  8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

THOUGHTS:

Lent is over.  We move on not merely by reverting to life as it was before.  We are changed.  We have not reached a final destination, but we have taken another step along the journey.  Spending time with God, we grow closer to God.  Think about the ways that you will continue down the journey, and the communities that you immerse yourself along the way.  Contine to pray each day about how you can live in tune with God.  Celebrate the spectacular grace of Easter.

 

PRAYER:

God, you are great in ways we cannot fully comprehend.  We thank you for freeing us through, and in, Jesus.  May we always strive to try to see the world through your compassionate and loving eyes.  For Jesus's sake.  AMEN. 

 

HE IS RISEN!   HE IS RISEN INDEED!   HALLELUJAH!

 

Lent Day #40

Matthew 27:57-66 (NRSV)

⁵⁷When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. ⁵⁹So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth ⁶⁰and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. ⁶¹Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. ⁶²The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate ⁶³and said, "Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise again.' ⁶⁴Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, 'He has been raised from the dead,' and the last deception would be worse than the first." ⁶⁵Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can." ⁶⁶So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

 

THOUGHTS:

The gospels tell us that Jesus was laid in the tomb on Friday evening, but they don't tell us a lot about the events of that Saturday. 

It was the Sabbath, so the disciples wouldn't have been working. 

 

I imagine they were in shock.  They had seen Jesus perform so many miracles -- it is possible that some of them held out a little hope that he would pull off a miraculous show-stopper to cheat death even as he hung on the cross.  Their hearts must have felt completely torn apart when they realized he had died.  They may have been skeptical about him being able to rise from the dead.  (Once dead, isn't it had to do anything -- including raise yourself?)   Yet the Romans remembered his words and stationed guards to prevent the disciples from pulling off any pranks.  They acknowledge that they think the story of a resurrected Jesus would not go well for them.

 

Today, we know the rest of the story.  Even while envisioning the Christ laying in the tomb, we know that tomorrow that tomb will be empty.  As we think about these events today, we aren't mired in grief, but rather wait in anticipation.  We sit watch ... waiting for tomorrow morning ...

 

PRAYER:

Today, spend some time thinking about your Lenten experience -- ponder something that sticks out in your mind or how your heart has been affected this year.  Consider where you think God may be calling you as Easter approaches.  Pray -- chat with God about these things...

Lent Day #39 - Good Friday

Matthew 26:62-66 (ESV)
62 And the high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?" 63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." 64 Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven." 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?" They answered, "He deserves death."

THOUGHTS:
Today is "Good Friday". Why do we call the day Jesus died "good"?

It is a day that proclaims God's purpose of loving and redeeming the world
through the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is a day that is good because
God was drawing the world to God's self in Christ. As seen in John's gospel,
particularly, God was in control. God was not making the best of a bad
situation, but was working out God's intention for the world — winning salvation
for all people. We call it "good" because we look backward at the crucifixion
through the lens of Easter! (From http://archives.umc.org/frames.asp?url=http%3A//www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp%3Fact%3Dreader%26item_id=2619&loc_id=9%2C10,32,49)

There is a great article by George S. Johnson in "The Lutheran" this month about the 'other' reason Jesus died on the cross. It acknowledges that Jesus died to atone for our sins, but it also points out that that isn't the reason that the Roman government hung him on a cross. The article focuses on looking at the reasons that scripture gives for how Jesus ends up on the cross, including:

• advocating that there are things more important than rules;
• violating Jewish laws governing actions on the Sabbath;
• blasphemous teachings about forgiveness;
• confronting the system of domination that violated God's intentions; and
• exposing corruption in religion.

When you read your Bible, do you see Jesus as subversive and countercultural?

Those in power saw Jesus as a threat to the peace and security of their society, yet many of us prefer to picture Jesus in a nice peaceful role. When we receive communion, do we remember that the death of Jesus was the consequence for confronting oppression?


A couple of quotes from the article:

"The proclamation of the gospel includes a declaration of God's justice: God's action to bring about an alternative to violence, greed, hunger and domination."


"As I read the Scriptures, I'm reminded that Jesus died because he was considered a threat to a society that neglected the poor and worshiped the sword."

I can't help but notice a parallel to a martyr from a more recent time: Martin Luther King, Jr. also died challenging the status quo. His powerful words show he knew he was well outside the bounds of the established system:

"These are extreme times, and the question isn't whether or not we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will you be extremists for love or for hatred?"

Read Matthew 16:24-25 (ESV):

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

What is your cross?

PRAYER:

God, today as I ask that you help me to understand what cross you've given me to bear. Help me to faithfully carry out the tasks that you have given to this servant of yours. For the sake of Jesus. AMEN.

Lent Day #38 - Maundy Thursday

John 13:3-17 (ESV)
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" 7 Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand." 8 Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." 9 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" 10 Jesus said to him, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you." 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "Not all of you are clean."

12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

THOUGHTS:
Today is "Maundy Thursday" or "Holy Thursday". Today the Church remembers:

• The Last Supper
• The Institution of the Eucharist (communion)
• Jesus washing the feet of the disciples
• Judas betraying Jesus
• Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane
• The arrest of Jesus
• etc.

The Gospels are jam packed with the events of Jesus life corresponding to today and tomorrow.

I'm looking at the message accompanying the foot-washing. We, as disciples of the Christ, are called to service. Foot-washing is foreign to our context -- we don't walk around every day on dusty ground in sandals. Some churches still do it to commemorate the event, and it can be a powerful reminder of both our call to service, and our call not to prevent ourselves from being served.

The first part of this seems easier. When we are able to knock down the walls of selfishness around us, we see the needs of others. Helping them feels good. It can be "cool" to serve others. Feeding the homeless, giving money to charity, we like these things. It makes me feel generous and philanthropic. No matter how small, service to others feels good and right -- maybe even natural.

Jesus points out that serving and caring for others doesn't make us better than them. We care for them because we are like them. Sure, there may be differences, but we are all human. We all struggle. Sometimes the situations we find ourselves in get the best of us.

We aren't as good at accepting the service of others. We like to feel independent. "I don't need your help -- I can do it on my own. I can take care of myself. I can dig myself out of this hole." This is selfish pride. Like Simon Peter, we arrogantly assert that we don't need the body of Christ (our communities) to dote on us. Instead of feeling entitled to be cared for, we feel entitled to be independent. We don't want to feel like a charity case.

The "Maundy" in "Maundy Thursday" is derived from the first word of the Latin version of John 13:34 (ESV):

34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."

Compare verse 34 to verses 14-15. These are mutual relationships. We are all to love one another. We are all to serve one another. Are there times that we try to prevent others from loving and serving us? Are there ways that we can be more open to allowing others to support us, even as we work to better support them?

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, today we pray that you give us the strength to love and serve those around us, while giving us a humble heart open to allowing others to meet our needs as well. For Jesus sake. AMEN.

Lent Day #37

John 12:31-33 (NRSV)
³¹"Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." ³³He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

THOUGHTS:
These words were spoken by Jesus in the days before his crucifixion. John tells us that he said them to indicate the nature of his death -- lifted up from the earth upon a cross.

Think about it. Jesus says that the world was judged crucifixion. He says that when he is lifted up upon a cross, he will draw all people to himself. A few days later on the cross, in Luke 23:34 (ESV):

34 And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.

The judgement of Jesus is one of grace and forgiveness. The judgement of Jesus is mercy for all people. This is certainly good news!

PRAYER:
Holy God, we thank for you your grace and forgiveness, which we know we could never earn. Help us to accept the knowledge that we are so dearly beloved. Help us to share this good news with all people through our lives. Allow us the privilege of serving you. AMEN.

Lent Day #36

James 2:14-18 (NET)
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm and eat well," but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works.

THOUGHTS:
Martin Luther didn't like James, dismissing it as "an epistle of straw" at odds with the "good news" found in the Pauline doctrine of justification by grace through faith. Compare the verses above to Ephesians 2:8-9 (CEV):

8 You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9 It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.

James pulls from Hebrew history and the teachings of Jesus to make the point that faith is active. It isn't merely a profession from our mind and lips. It isn't just a feeling resting in our hearts. Faith manifests itself in how we live our lives.

I admit that I am sometimes intoxicated with God's grace. My faith finds a home in this message of grace that comes out of the Gospels and Paul's letters. I struggle with judgement that isn't coated with grace. Yet I value James as an important reminder that our faith is lived out. If you have an extra half-hour this week, read all of James (it's quite short).

Remember that we cannot earn salvation with our works, but also pray about how your actions represent your faith. Is our faith alive -- moving us to act, or is it just a collection of inanimate thoughts? Jesus says those who believe do his work (AKA "God's will"). See John 14:12, (ESV):

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."

Do you live like you believe?


PRAYER:
Oh God, we know that our actions fall short, and we praise you for loving and accepting us anyway. Fill us with your love for all people, so that our faith bubbles out of us into our actions -- so that we live our faith. May we always do your will. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN.

Lent Day #35

Mark 11:12-14,20-25 (ESV)

12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it.

20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered." 22 And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

THOUGHTS:
It feels to me like when Jesus encounters the fig tree, we see a different side of Jesus. Hungry, he approaches a tree in the hopes of eating figs. Since it isn't fig season he finds none. Therefore, he curses the tree so that no one will ever eat from it again.

What emotions were running through Jesus that day?

Does it seem silly to you? Imagine a farmer who owned an orchard of apple trees in Maryland going out today, finding no apples, and therefore cutting down all the apple trees. What does this mean?

I expect Jesus to recognize that it isn't fig season and he's ruining a perfectly good fig tree. I expect him to think about all the hungry people the tree might be able to feed when fig season rolls around. He apparently doesn't.

Is the whole thing just an illustration of the power of faith for the disciples? Maybe, but couldn't that have been accomplished just as effectively by saying "Next time I see you, I want a few dozen figs." The next morning as they walk by, the disciples would be equally shocked. The teaching about the power of faith would pack the same power.

That brings me right back to wondering what emotions Jesus was dealing with the day he encountered the fig tree. Scripture records this event as happening within a couple of days after Palm Sunday. Is Jesus so focused on the end of his life that he lashes out in anger and bitterness at the world around him?

I consulted some resources that seem to chalk it up to "parabolic action" -- a lived out parable. My Bible commentary fumbles around a little bit, suggesting that maybe the fig tree represents the Jewish people -- that the unfruitful tree represets an unfaithful people symbolizing that this was not the proper time for the Jewish leaders to bear fruit by accepting Jesus.

Think about it. Pray about it. What do you think?

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, we admit that we sometimes struggle to understand. We ask that you guide us to understand those things you want us to know, and to help us to accept on faith those things that are beyond us. For Jesus sake, AMEN.

Sixth Sunday in Lent

It's Palm Sunday - the last Sunday in Lent. On Sundays, I change the format to share a few interesting quotes from things I've read lately. To see quotes from past Sundays, visit http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com/search/label/Sundays%20in%20Lent

-----

[Pastor Lisandro Orlov] said a lot of intriguing and challenging things about the relationship between the church and those in the world who are stigmatized and excluded. A few statements, in particular, really stood out for me. These aren't exact quotes, but they are close:

• Be more than the boundary established in your culture.
• My job each Sunday is to scandalize my parish.
• Be a sanctuary for the dignity of all people.

Pastor Lisandro was emphasizing that living the Gospel is not easy. It can mean walking with people and in places that are unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and sometimes unacceptable to people around you. But it's also incredibly important, enriching, and ultimately just.
- Nancy Michaelis, From http://blogs.elca.org/hungerrumblings/2008/02/scandalous.html

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Christians also worked off of the fact that hospitality was an expectation, a fundamental practice in the Christian community. It was also the way the Gospel was spread, by people who were traveling.

The other piece is that the church met in homes initially, so to be welcomed into households was to be welcomed into the church, which is God's household. There was this wonderful mix of theology and practice: the Church as the household of God. One of the key practices in God's household is to be as hospitable as God.
- Dr. Christine Pohl, From http://thewearypilgrim.typepad.com/the_weary_pilgrim/2008/02/the-church-as-g.html


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Inherent in a fast is a feast. When we fast from food, we feast on prayer and God's bountiful love. When we fast from divisive patterns of relating with others, we feast on the amazing awareness that each face we see is the face of Christ. When we fast from building social, economic, and political walls, we feast on our universal oneness with the One.
- Marilyn Brown Oden (Wilderness Wanderings), From http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/03/voice-of-the-day-when-we-fast.html

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Jesus Christ was far less mainstream and far more controversial than Christians are willing to be. His lifestyle was well beyond the acceptable range for behaviour in your average Baptist or Free Methodist Church. He was accused, apparently in light of some supposed evidence, of living flagrantly and with moral license.
- Scott Williams, From http://scott.club365.net/2008/03/musings-from-salem-oregon.htm

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If loving other people is a bit of heaven then certainly isolation is a bit of hell, and to that degree, here on earth, we decide in which state we would like to live.
- Donald Miller, in "Blue Like Jazz"

Lent Day #34

John 12:12-16 (NET)

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. They began to shout, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!" 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 "Do not be afraid, people of Zion; look, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt!" 16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened to him.)

THOUGHTS:
Tomorrow is Palm Sunday -- the beginning of what is known as "Holy Week" (Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday). Many congregations will begin their worship tomorrow with a procession waving palms and singing "Hosanna". We continue to play out the drama of this story some 2000 years later.

The entry into Jerusalem can be interpreted as an acted parable. There is significance in the details.

The messiah that the Jews were expecting is one type of guy who would likely come riding into town on a majestic stallion to kick the Roman occupiers out. He would come in with a royal aura all around him and kick butt. That's not what they got.

Think about this: Jesus could have just walked into the city. That's how he got most places -- even sometimes across the water. Why the young donkey?

If he had walked into town, the stories would probably an unshakable majestic quality all the same. We could get the sense that "He strode purposefully upon the palms though the gates of the city." That's not they way the story goes either.

Jesus rode in on a donkey. No matter how many times we re-tell the story ... no matter how royal and majestic we try to make it sound ... there is something humiliating and humorous about the savior of the world having a "triumphal" entry to the city seated upon a young donkey. It is OK to laugh a little at the sheer ridiculousness of the thought.

Maybe Jesus chose a donkey because it symbolized the type of messiah he was going to be. Maybe it was supposed to show that he wasn't about dealing out royal butt-kickings. The entry on a donkey's colt seems to me to be even more humble than walking into town. Maybe the statement is "I come as one of the oppressed, upon a beast of burden ... and I will carry out my mission as one of the oppressed."

Regardless, the crowds ignore the nature of the transportation and praise him like a king. Maybe the message doesn't sink in until a few days later ... until he's been hanging out in town without any change in the oppressive power structure. Maybe it is this intense disappointment that causes the same crowd that praised him on Sunday to shout "crucify him!" later in the week...

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, help us to love and worship you for who you are. Help us to sift though all the images of who we are told you are and who we want you to be. Help us to know you, to accept you, and to love you as you love us. AMEN.

Lent Day #33

Luke 19:1-10 (ESV)

1 [Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." 9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

THOUGHTS:
In the Roman Empire, taxes weren't collected based on complex formulas based on income and deductions like we use today. Roman citizens didn't have to pay the taxes -- that burden fell on all the conquered nations. Tax collectors bid on the priviledge to collect the taxes in each community. Whoever bid highest would then front some portion of the money to the treasury. Then, the tax collector basically went around squeezing people to cover what they thought they could collect. Anything they raised above the pledged about was personal profit. It sounds to me like the tax system worked a lot like the mob payoffs on TV.

As you can imagine, tax collection was exceedingly profitable, and tax collectors were not popular. Zacchaeus was a "vertically challenged" tax collector, and he was stinking rich. Try to imagine his situation for a moment. He probably owned whatever he wanted, but he probably didn't have many friends. He made his riches through extortion. When he walked down the street, people might have tried not notice him. Can you imagine what they said behind his back? He may have felt like he was very important sometimes, but I bet he also had a big gaping hole inside -- I doubt his riches brought him joy.

Zacchaeus climbs a tree to see Jesus moving through the crowds. Why? Scripture says he was "seeking to see who Jesus was." Had he been up the tree to see others in the past? Was it a mere whim or was he specifically intrigued about Jesus from stories he had heard? Jesus sees him in the tree and calls him by name, asking Zacchaeus to take him home for lunch. Zacchaeus "hurried" and "received him joyfully". I wonder if the reason he was so joyful was because he felt overwhelmed by the love and compassion of Jesus. This is all we now of Zacchaeus -- we're left to assume that this one encounter -- this one shared lunch -- changed Zacchaeus' life.

He was lost and he probably knew it. He obviously knew he had treated people unfairly. He had all the money he could ask for, but he was lost. After meeting Jesus, he volunteers to give half of his good to the poor and pay back four times any unfair profits. Talk about life changing!

How has Jesus changed your life?

PRAYER:
God, thank you for coming for the lost and broken. Help us to admit that we are lost. Make us whole through Christ. AMEN.

Lent Day #32

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." 41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

THOUGHTS (By Pastor Dan Krewson):

I enjoyed reading Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl. What a delightful collection of insights and emotions in such a dreadful time. At a young age she knew the value of what was truly needful. When she packed her back to take into hiding, the first thing she took, was her diary...she wrote:

Preoccupied by the thought of going into hiding,
I stuck the craziest things in the bag, but I'm not sorry.
Memories mean more to me than dresses.

With distractions a-plenty in this life, Anne teaches us (as does Mary) the importance finding value not in things or activity or accomplishments, but in people - or rather in-between people - in the relationships between us and others. These are the most cherished gifts life offers us.

PRAYER:

Make a list of distractions in your life which keep you from 'sitting at the feet of Jesus.' Meditate on how you can let go of one or more- even if it is for just 15 minutes. A simple breath prayer - inhale: speak to me O Lord. On exhale: your servant is listening…

Lent Day #31

Luke 13:10-17 (ESV)
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability." 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." 15 Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" 17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

THOUGHTS (By Pastor Dan Krewson):




What beverage is poured in for the grandest of celebrations? To toast the couple? To celebrate the business venture? To congratulate the retiree? A beverage that was developed in a certain region of France, 75 miles east of Paris. Champagne is the name of the region and the beverage, but did you know that a Benedictine Monk was one who helped to develop the luxury beverage in the 17th century? He was serving the nearby abbey of Hautvillers (oat-viyaay). The name of the young monk, Dom Perignon. When he first tasted the fruitful bubbly he said, "I am drinking in the stars."





Why is it that Christians all too often are known, not for their zest for life and joyfulness, but for their narrow-mindedness or for being judgemental? Neitze once said that he would join the ranks of the redeemed when they looked more redeemed! We have been given good news of redemption! Not the dull-stale news of a bland life - but the beautiful - uplifting news of fullness of life in Christ! Live as if you have been given the good stuff - the top shelf - the cream of the crop - not the left-overs of life.

PRAYER:
Thank God for all the blessings in your life today.
Dear Lord, today I thank you for _______. Help me to appreciate all the blessings I've been given. Help me to live more fully and joyfully. AMEN.

Lent Day #30

Ephesians 4:25-32 (NRSV)
25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil. 28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

THOUGHTS:
Verse 26: "Be angry but do not sin ..."
Verse 31: "Put away from you all ... anger ..."

Sometimes it seems we are given mixed messages. Yet, maybe we aren't. Jesus appears to get angry (for example with the moneychangers in the temple ... and in other passages with the Pharisees). Yet we are told he never sinned. The key may be that the feeling passes: "... do not let the sun go down on your anger ..." Is there a righteous anger?

Anger seems so negative to me. It can eat me up inside. It can lash out in damaging ways. It can certainly be a factor in my sin, but maybe it isn't the anger that is sinful, but how I deal with it. How do we find constructive and positive ways to deal with our anger?

This passage is so jam-packed. Look back at the beginning -- why do we speak truth to our neighbors (fellow humans)? Verse 25 says that "we are members of one another." Think about that. Doesn't it mean that you are part of me and I am part of you? That you are part of your enemy and your enemy is part of you?

How does that make you feel? How does it affect the way you think about your actions?

Does that allow you to follow verse 31, putting aside all anger, bitterness, and malice. Does seeing yourself in others help you to be kind and forgiving?

Verse 32 is so powerful to me. It says to forgive one another as God in Christ has forgiven. We are told that God forgives in such a way that the sin is not even remembered. (Look back at to Isaiah 43:25 - discussed Lent Day #24). 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 says:

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Through Christ, God reconciled the world to God -- effectively erasing all of our shortcomings from the mind and memory of God. Take a minute to let that soak in -- it still blows my mind sometimes. Now look at verse 32 again: that's the kind of forgiveness we are to practice.

Read the passage above one last time. There is more there than I touched upon. What details are still tugging at you?

PRAYER:

Dearest God, your forgiveness is so vast that we sometimes forget to acknowledge it. We struggle to accept the knowledge that your forgiveness of us is so complete. We also have trouble embracing the thought that might immerse our enemies in this same forgiveness. Help us to forgive all those around us with your kind of forgiveness. Help us to see the world through your loving eyes. In Christ. AMEN.

NOTES:

Remember that you can always find the devotions for past days at http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com/

You may even find more hyperlinks in the posts there to help you cross reference past posts or get more information on a person that gets quoted in a post.

Lent Day #29

Luke 10:29-37 (ESV)
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."

THOUGHTS:
This parable immediately follows Luke's version of the passage we looked at on Saturday. Jesus just told the lawyer that he will live if he loves God with his everything and loves his neighbor as himself. The lawyer is obviously concerned with the bit about loving his neighbor. I wonder if he is hoping Jesus will say, "those family who lives next door" or "those who look like you and think like you". Most likely, the popular answer would have been "your fellow Israelites".

Instead, Jesus basically says: "Who do you hate most? Yeah, him -- he's your neighbor."

Jews hated the Samaritans. They wouldn't use dishes that had been used by them, or socialize with them. Samaritans were certainly not considered "neighbors". The were spat upon and certainly did not look fondly upon the Jews either! It's unmistakable that Jesus advocates that we love our enemies. Look at Matthew 5:43-44 (ESV) where Jesus says:

43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"

It isn't a love that equates to mere toleration either. Jesus says to love our neighbors as ourselves. This story in Luke also gives a model for what that might look like. The Samaritan tenderly bandages his wounds, picks up his enemy and transports him to a place he can recover, and pays the whole bill to achieve a full recovery. He doesn't say, "I'll pay the bill if he can't afford it" -- he offers to pay the bill unconditionally. This Samaritan gives up his own time, energy, and money to help his enemy.

Have we watered down, or ignored, the message of Jesus?

I struggle a lot with passing motorists in need along the highway. I run a tight schedule and tend to have the following choice:
1. Arrive late for a meeting (which I may be running) and help change a flat tire, jump start a battery, or push a car out of the mud, etc.
2. Arrive on time and ignore those in need along the side of the highway.

That is not even an enemy. As often as not, I choose to ignore a random stranger because I can't be late. I know that they are probably running late too -- and more so by the minute. I put my own schedule and needs above theirs -- the exact definition of loving myself more than my neighbor.

What about an actual enemy? What about:
... someone who got you unfairly fired from a job?
... a member of a rival sports team?
... a person you believe to be part of Al-Qaeda or the Taliban?
... someone who killed your friend or family member?

Would you, could you, love them as yourself?


PRAYER:
Dear Lord, help us to understand this very difficult teaching -- not just with our minds, but with our hearts. Help us to learn to truly love our neighbors as ourselves. Guide us though these challenging times. Aide us in acting for the benefit of others, rather than always for ourselves. For Jesus sake, AMEN.

Fifth Sunday in Lent

It's once again Sunday -- the day when we feast and celebrate the resurrection of Christ! More details can be found at http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com/
Some things to think about this week:

-----

"I think joy and sweetness and affection are a spiritual path. We're here to know God, to love and serve God, and to be blown away by the beauty and miracle of nature. You just have to get rid of so much baggage to be light enough to dance, to sing, to play. You don't have time to carry grudges; you don't have time to cling to the need to be right."
- Anne Lamott, From http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/CULTURE/439077059


"At any given point in time, each of us, as believers, can take a look at the spiritual landscape and share from our perspective what we see. We can share the real impressions in our heart about what God's Spirit is doing in our lives, in the church, and in the world today. In fact, when we do that, we find greater revelation in the sharing of vision with one another."
- From http://kingdomgrace.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/prophetic-words/

"You are different. You are different because now you know that God exists, and [God] alone matters. It is an overwhelming, awesome thought.... You are different in the sense that now all people belong to you and are part of you, and you belong to all people. At the same time, you belong only to God, and you belong to [God] totally. There is a distinction between you and others, and at the same time, there is no distinction at all, but a blending of all into one. The demarcation that exists is a spiritual one, born of what you have lived and what you can never explain."
- Catherine de Hueck Doherty "Soul of My Soul", From http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/01/voice-of-the-day-you-are-diffe-1.html

President Jimmy Carter opened the conference with a challenge that strikes at the heart of division within the Baptist and Christian church at large. Carter named the wedge issues that have fragmented the church - from the ordination of women to homosexuality, abortion, capital punishment, etc. - and then asked the participants whether a shared belief in the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ and a commitment to spreading the gospel was more important than all these divisions combined. Carter compared these divisions to the ones that Paul addressed in his letters to the early church in Corinth. According to Carter, "these animosities have become a cancer that is mestacizing in the body of Christ."
- From http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/02/a-new-baptist-unity-for-social.html

Lent Day #28

Matthew 22:34-40 (ESV)
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

THOUGHTS:
One of the fads of Christianity of the past decade has been the WWJD craze. There are T-shirts, bracelets, books, and more all reminding us to ask ourselves "What Would Jesus Do?" It's a valid question, but if we want to boil discipleship down to one question, is it the best question?

Jesus said over and over again that he was here to do the will of God. Maybe a better question is "What is God calling me to do in this situation?" It's not as catchy, I know. Maybe I'll have to work on that.

Or maybe the answer is staring at us right here in these verses. Jesus is flat out asked what the most important commandment. Frequently, Jesus answers questions with more questions. This time he doesn't. He says that "all the Law and the Prophets" -- the bulk of Hebrew scripture -- can be boiled down to loving God and loving our neighbor. In a bit more detail, we are to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. In ***, Jesus includes "all of your might" in the list. Think about these items. Our heart is associated with our feelings that bubble up from our gut. Our soul is viewed as our spiritual essence. Our mind is how we logically process and understand information. Our might encompasses our determination and physical endurance. We are to love God with the totality of our being -- with EVERYTHING we are.

Do we even have *control* over ALL of these aspects? If they are involuntary, can we train these aspects of ourselves?

How do we love God with all of our heart, and all of our soul, and all of our mind, and all of our might?

Maybe instead of WWJD, we should ask in each situation "How do I show love for God and neighbor?"

PRAYER:
Dearest Lord, help us to learn to love you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and might. Thank you for being with us as we go through our days. Please immerse us in your grace and peace. In the name of Jesus, the Christ, your son. AMEN.

Lent Day #27

Psalm 118:24-29 (NIV)
24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.
27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.



THOUGHTS:
Today, most of you are in the midst of another day of chilly rain. Meanwhile, I'm in Ohio/Kentucky where it is snowing. Now, I love snow -- it's so beautiful as it floats down from the sky and blankets the earth in a covering of white. It's also fun to play in! That being said, the headline for the local newspaper today reads, "worst storm of the year". I just spend 75 minutes traveling 22 miles on slippery highway in my wife's lightweight car.



I'm here for a wedding, and I find myself praying that everyone has safe travels and is able to make it to this happy event. Yesterday at the rehearsal, the view from the pavillion overlooking Cincinatti was stunning. Today, I can no longer see the skyscrapers across the Ohio River when I look out of my hotel window. Will we see the lights of the skyline at night ... or merely the wall of white that we see now? Predictions call for as much as 13 inches of snow to fall before we drive to Columbus tomorrow. Driving in this isn't much better than getting soaked while walking across campus.



It's easy to rejoice in the beautiful sunny spring days that come. It's the days like these when the weather throws us for a loop that maybe we need to remember to rejoice. Your gut instinct may not be joyful, but take the time to be thankful for another day of experiences -- another day of life. Celebrate God's love for you. This day, rejoice!



PRAYER:
Oh God, we praise you for this day. It may not be what we wanted or expected, but we rejoice in the bounty of all that you have made. In Jesus name, AMEN.


NOTES:
Yes, this picture was actually taken out of my hotel room window and there really are abundant skyscrapers just past the bridges in the wall of white...

Lent Day #26

1 Corinthians 10:23-33 (ESV)
23 "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

THOUGHTS:
What does Paul mean here? It is easy to understand that "not all things are helpful" ... that "not all things build up". His main point here is about food, but it is clear when he says "whatever you do" in verse 31 that he intends for this type of thinking to apply to extend to everything.

We know that there are many things we can do that are harmful or destructive. Some of these things are There are many things we know are harmful and destructive. There are things that can be done and said that tear down our neighbor and our environment. Paul indicates that it's also not helpful to do things that lead others away from faith. He says that we shouldn't do those things that lead others away from faith ... away from God.

He says that his liberty should be determined by "someone else's conscience" (verse 29). I have a hard time with this. I agree that we shouldn't be hypocrites -- that we live according to our beliefs. Yet, should we also try to live within a box of what others believe a Christian should be like? There are people who believe a Christian should never drink a drop of alcohol, yet Jesus drank wine. I could list for paragraphs various things that people think "good Christians" should or should not do -- with no scriptural basis.

So what does this passage mean for us today?

PRAYER:
Dear God, help us to wrestle with Your Word. Help us to live in the questions, knowing that we find you in the struggle and sometimes answers aren't the point. Allow us to immerse ourselves in you, that we might truly live. AMEN.

Lent Day #25

Romans 8:1-2 (ESV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

THOUGHTS:
In Jesus the Christ we have been set free from the law of sin and death. What does this mean to you?

Do you live any differently because of this knowledge? Do you think this frees us to do whatever we want with no consequences? Probably not. We all know that there are consequences for our actions. We can hurt those around us. We know that we should love God and neighbor...

Maybe this "law of the Spirit of life" has set us free to love neighbor even when the law doesn't require it.

How does this impact your life?

PRAYER:
God, we ask that you are with us each day -- that every day you help us to set our hearts and minds on your ways -- that you help us to use this freedom we find in Jesus for doing your work here and now. Please lead us and guide us all the days of our lives. AMEN.

Lent Day #24

Isaiah 43:22-26 (ESV)
22 "Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
or wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.

26 Put me in remembrance; let us argue together;
set forth your case, that you may be proved right."

THOUGHTS:
The speaker here is God (see Isaiah 43:15). There is a common perception is that God is all wrath and retribution in the Hebrew Scriptures ... and that the Christian Scriptures are all Jesus, love, and grace. In truth, we find a lot of love and grace throughout the Bible (and yes, there is some smiting too). It's not a simple story about a "vengeful God" and a "loving Jesus" who shelters us from God's smiting. Sometimes, it seems like God is a bit moody, but we see repeatedly where God loves all of creation. God tries time and time again to reconcile the world even in the midst of his dissatisfaction with our sins. God seeks to draw us in under God's wings and hold us close.

God gives us free will and then longs for us to focus our attention on God. Sometimes I can't help thinking that God seems immature -- that God's jealously seems to win out and control decisions. In these times, I am comforted that God kept trying and trying to erase the roadblocks that kept us far away -- that God is always doing new things (see Isaiah 43:19). At the times I want to argue with God, I take comfort in the fact that this is part of the Judeo-Christian heritage. It isn't sacrilegious or irreverent or heretical to argue with God. God invites us to argue together -- insisting that we could even be proved right! (See Isaiah 43:26 above.)

One of my favorite things about this passage is the imagery of God's forgiveness in verse 25. It says that when God forgives us, our sins are no longer remembered -- the forgiveness is so complete that it is like the sins never even happened! Here is another translation of Isaiah 43:25 (JPS)

"It is I, I who -- for My own sake --
Wipe your transgressions away
And remember your sins no more."

Wait -- for whose sake? God forgives us for God's sake. Why?

I think maybe God will do whatever it takes to erase the things that separate us from God.

What do you think?

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, we thank you for the sheer depth of your love. Help us to remember that your ways are not our ways, and help us to do our part to remove the walls we build up between us and You. We know that we can't do it on our own. We want to dwell freely in your shadow and to recognize Your Spirit moving in the world around us. In Jesus name, AMEN.

Lent Day #23

Luke 5:17-26 (ESV)

17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, "Man, your sins are forgiven you." 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the man who was paralyzed—"I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home." 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen extraordinary things today."

THOUGHTS (By Pastor Dan Krewson):

Jesus forgives sins. We may have been taught this so many times that we pass it by unquestioningly. Yet this text reminds us, that those who first encountered Jesus were astounded that he would claim to forgive sins. That was God's area of expertise. How is it that this carpenter turned preacher, Jesus of Nazareth, could say such a thing? Do you remember when the power of forgiveness astounded you? As a boy, I recall my brothers and I broke a ceramic eagle clock (while playing football in the house!). Our parents weren't around when it happened so we debated whether to glue it back together and not tell them, or confess and bear the brunt of the consequences. When it was all said and done we did both - admitted our mistake and then glued its wings back together in hopes of a reprieve! Much to our delight, mom and dad were not as concerned with the ceramic clock as they were with teaching us the power of forgiveness (of course, we did not play football again inside!). But they made it clear they still loved us - and they placed that mended eagle clock on top of the TV from then on - perhaps knowing that the glued-on wings would serve as a constant reminder to the power of forgiveness. Those who encounter Jesus discover that in his presence - there is forgiveness of sin - what an amazing and wonderful gift! Give thanks for the power and release which comes when forgiveness mends a broken relationship or a broken heart.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY'S JOURNEY:

(By Rev. Peter Trow)

Let there be respect for the earth,
Peace for its people,
Love in our lives,
Delight in the good,
Forgiveness for past wrongs
And from now on, a new start.

Fourth Sunday in Lent

It is Sunday and we once again celebrate the resurrection of the Christ. Sundays aren't part of Lent -- they are days when we recognize that the tomb is empty and we shout for joy! For more info on this, track back through past Sundays at http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com/
Some thoughts for the journey:

-----

To put away judgmentalism is to practice grace. It's the recognition that if you experienced your neighbor's situation as they experience it, that you, too, might sin as they sin. In terms of your religious practice, grace doesn't change the terms of sin. It does change, however, your response to sin. And isn't that what love is supposed to be about?
-- From http://treereach.blogspot.com/2008/02/judgmental.html

"Too often I looked at being relevant, popular, and powerful as ingredients of an effective ministry. The truth, however, is that these are not vocations but temptations. Jesus asks, "Do you love me?" Jesus sends us out to be shephers, and Jesus promises a life in which we increasingly have to stretch out our hands and be led to places where we would rather not go. He asks us to move from a concern for relevance to a life of prayer, from worries about popularity to communal and mutual ministry, and from a leadership built on power to a leadership in which we critically discern where God is leading us and our people."
-- Henri Nouwen "In the Name of Jesus", From http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/01/too-often-i-looked-at.html

A quote from the film "A Time for Burning":
"the gospel is not about an air-conditioned building and stained-glass, it is a place where men reach for justice, love, and understanding." - bill youngdahl, the white pastor who lost his job over this simple request.
-- From http://kathyescobar.com/2008/02/26/a-time-for-burning/


"To live, we must daily break the bread and shed the blood of creation. ... When we do this knowingly, lovingly, skillfully, reverently, it is a sacrament. When we do it ignorantly, greedily, clumsily, destructively, it is a desecration. ... In such desecration, we condemn ourselves to spiritual and moral loneliness and others to want." How can your life be a living sacrament to the wonders of creation?
-- Wendell Berry, "The Gift of Good Land", From the ELCA's "Living Earth: A 40-Day Reflection on
Our Relationship With God's Creation"

Lent Day #22

Matthew 4:8-11 (ESV)
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

"'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

THOUGHTS:

Jesus has just been tempted to turn rocks into bread to fill his belly and to throw himself off a high height to prove he is God's son. Now he is tempted to abandon his faith in God's plan ... to turn his back on God's will ... and to reign the earth in power and glory. In some ways, he's tempted to do what many expected the Messiah would do: take over and rule (justly with divine wisdom, of course).

He doesn't do it. He asserts that he is God's man, through and through. He proclaims that he will follow God's plan even if it seems foolish at times. He proclaims that God is the only entity he will worship or serve.

We worship many things, even though we tend to deny it. Most of us worship money. If you think you don't, hand me $100 of your money and tell me to set it on fire. I know you can find better things to spend your money on. That's not the point...

What if I were to pull out my own $100 bill and light it in front of you? Do you feel you body tighten just to think about it? Why?

What else do we worship? Many of us worship our time -- how hard is it to sacrifice our own plans to help someone else, especially someone we don't know? Some of us worship technology -- we drool at the excesses of our modern society. Others of us worship our own ideas -- we think that our opinions are superior and others are wrong. It's hard not to worship our stuff -- have you ever felt personally injured when you watch one of your favorite possessions break? What do you worship?

Take a moment for self-examination and really dig deep. Confess your failings to God. We all fall short -- it's part of being human. Yet we seek to repent -- to really turn from our ways to try to put God first in our lives...

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, help us to worship you, and only you, with all of our strength, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our might. Help us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Help us to put you first and foremost in our lives. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.

Lent Day #21

This immediately follows the verses from yesterday, where Jesus was tempted eat rocks (after turning them into bread).

MATTHEW 4:5-7 (ESV)

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

"'He will command his angels concerning you,' and

"'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

THOUGHTS:

This is an odd temptation. The temptation yesterday made more sense, didn't it? Scripture tells us that Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. He was HUNGRY, and he was presented with an option to eat BIG, filling, loaves of bread. Cause and effect are pretty clear.

Today, Jesus sees himself on the highest point of the temple in Jerusalem, presented with the option to prove he is the "Son of God".

We still don't know if the devil is a literal being or figurative representation of what Jesus experienced, but either option seems reasonable. We also shouldn't be concerned with whether Jesus was historically sitting on top of a spire, or immersed in an illusion in the wilderness of the same thing. Either way, it is fair to say that Jesus was really faced with the temptation.

So what is the cause and effect? We are told Jesus is tempted to prove he is the Son of God by base-jumping with only angels as a parachute. Cause = jumping. Effect = proof he's God's son or death if he isn't. And who is supposed to be convinced by this proof?

God and the angels presumably know the answer already, as they are supposed to provide the proof.

The "devil" appears to already know who Jesus is...otherwise it wouldn't make much sense to tempt him in these ways. If I'm hungry and tempted to turn rocks into bread, I don't need to consider scripture -- I can dismiss the idea is unrealistic. I just can't do it -- I don't have the power! For the first temptation to be a temptation, both Jesus and the "devil" must believe he has the power to turn rocks into bread. Besides, if the proof is for the "devil" who whisked him to the pinnacle, that might be able to be easily obtained. If Jesus was physically moved here, why not physically move him over 20 feet and see what happens? (Granted, this doesn't work if the temptation is an illusion.)

So, to whom is Jesus supposed to be proving himself? Could it be that Jesus is struggling with his own identity? Is Jesus struggling with doubts about the path he's choosing? Is Jesus being tempted to prove to *himself* that he really is "the One" by testing God? Is Jesus wondering if being Messiah is really the right career for him?

Many of us still struggle with this today. Are we in the right major? Are we in the right jobs? Are we on the right path? Should we work our way up to the top of this ladder, or slide down and start seeking other options? Are my plans going to work?

I think maybe this is exactly what this temptation is. I know I'm not the only pint-sized punk who has ever had the arrogance to ask "am I the second coming?" (Yes, I've had friends admit they pondered the same question as a child.) From a child's point of view, it's not really all that different from when I wondered if I could be Superman or any other hero. I was certainly skeptical about it. Little tests at lifting heavy things, jumping up to see if I could fly, trying to turn water into juice or part a puddle. None of it worked and I concluded I was just the me I already knew, and that was OK too.

Maybe Jesus had his own moment of skepticism about his future. His response was to *trust* God. Maybe he is living out what he talks about later: "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34 NIV).

PRAYER:

God, help us to trust in you. Help us to face the worrisome decisions in life with faith, and lead us to make good decisions. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.

NOTES:
Reminder that we will gather this afternoon to watch the Simpsons, discuss, and play games. I'll bring the munchies too! Feel free to bring friends. JC meeting room B from 3pm-6pm. Get more info at http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran