What Exactly Is the Good News?

Luke 4:38-44
The nature of God’s reign is inherently good. That’s one message we find in today’s gospel reading: “But [Jesus] said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’ So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea” (Luke 4:43-44). But what constitutes “good news”? The definition we choose will go a long way in determining how we understand God’s work within human history and beyond. Actually, this term is used a number of times in Luke, from the appearance of the angel Gabriel to Zechariah announcing the “good news” of the birth of John (1:19), to the angel’s sharing “good news of great joy” with shepherds guarding their flocks near Bethlehem (2:10). Jesus himself quotes the prophet Isaiah in claiming that his ministry includes bringing “good news to the poor” (4:18), a theme he returns to in his conversation with the disciples of John (7:22). This “good news” then is bound up in the work of Jesus Christ and those, like John, who point toward him.

But as joyous and profound as this “good news” is, it can not be isolated from the reality of the world as we know it. After all, much of Jesus’ time was dedicated to healing illnesses and casting out demons, to calming fears and announcing God’s judgment, to feeding the hungry and restoring the lost. These conditions and needs existed within the created order, plaguing many and making life more difficult. But the hunger and illness and fear in no way preclude the goodness of what God is doing in and through Jesus Christ. To all such cases Jesus brings good news in the form of the coming reign of God. Like a beam of light that ejects all darkness before it, the validity of God’s new creation opens a passage forward. Now lives lived in turmoil have a chance at redemption. Now hurt and anger can be set aside and reconciliation claimed. Angry voices can now be tuned to praise and sharp words to the work of building community.

Jesus shared good news wherever he went. That same good news remains a potent, indeed, all-consuming force for goodness and mercy. When we accept what God is doing now and what God has promised in the future, we prepare ourselves to do our part in changing the world.

Prayer: Almighty God, may we live as messengers of good news and as agents of your gospel until your kingdom arrives in it fullness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Heavenly Mandate

Luke 3:1-14
According to Luke’s account, John the Baptist gives clear guidance on what one does in order to live a righteous life. “And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages’” (Luke 3:10-14). The underlying theme is community, caring for one another and living in right relationship. Those with plenty should care for those in need. Those in authority should be careful not to abuse their power. In fact, all that is required to live a godly life seems to be summed up in John’s admonition to the soldiers, “and be satisfied with your wages.” Those who seek more than they need—be it in terms of wealth or power––are at risk of God’s judgment. “God said it, I believe it, that settles it,” quipped the old-time preacher. Here, the faithful obedience for which God calls is straight-forward and clear-cut. If you have enough, be satisfied with it as you seek to care for those who are without.

What also strikes me about these words is the complete absence of any human mandate. All the generosity, hospitality, responsibility, restraint, and respect, that John’s words imply are to be established according to the will of God and not because of a governmental decree or social policy. Regardless of what legislatures or agencies may (or may not) decide, the role of the believer is obvious: care for one another in obedience to God. As Paul says of the fruit of the Spirit, “There is no law against such things” (Galatians 5:23b).

How might John’s words inform our living today? For one thing, the people of God must demonstrate the human capacity for generosity and compassion instead of waiting for or demanding it of others. Governments serve a vital purpose and can do many good and essential things. But caring for others and sharing with those in need is too important to be relegated to elected officials. Likewise, while there are many points of disagreement between people of faith, there should be something close to unanimity when it comes to caring for the lost, the lonely, the poor, and the outcast. There are many ways to address the needs of the world, but only one Spirit necessary to motivate our actions.

John lays down an indelible pathway toward the coming kingdom with his challenge to “be satisfied” with what we are given as we work to mend the brokenness of our neighbors. As the old-time preacher reminds us, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.”

Prayer: Gracious God, help us to live with love and compassion for those around us, meeting needs and mending wounds, and so to live as an example to the world of what it means to follow you

Don’t Be Offended

Luke 7:18-35
In our passage from Luke’s gospel for today we read, “And (Jesus) answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me’” (Luke 7:22-23). This is a curious list of attributes that Jesus gives as evidence of his identity. Not the first several, of course. Healing the blind, the lame, those with leprosy, the deaf; raising the dead; bringing good news to the poor; all of these make sense. But what does it mean when Jesus blesses those who are not offended by him?

If we reflect back over earlier sections of Luke we may recall events in 4:18-19 where Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah as a means of inaugurating his ministry. There is some overlap in the sections. Both refer to healing the blind in particular, and to good news for the poor. These passages seem to serve the same purpose. But as a result of his comments in chapter 4, Jesus finds himself driven out of town and threatened with stoning (vv. 29-30). Why? Apparently the crowd that day had been offended by his words. Now, a bit further on in the gospel, John’s disciples ask Jesus to make his identity clear. Jesus points to the work he is doing but makes the additional comment that those who are willing to accept him will be blessed.

Are we offended by Jesus? Does he say and do things that we’d rather he didn’t? Does he push us in uncomfortable directions? In all honesty, if Jesus doesn’t fluster us it probably means we aren’t paying attention. But when we do listen, and when we are willing to hear Jesus’ words as grace and not as an inconvenience, we will find ourselves blessed by the encounter.

Prayer: O God, open our hearts to your word that we may become what you intend us to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Becoming Herod

Mark 6:13-29

Our gospel account for today raises a question about who stands at the center of our lives. “King Herod heard of it,” we read, “for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised’ (Mark 6:14-16). Clearly Herod was unable to see the big picture. As an earthly king he was convinced that everything centered on him, on his actions, on his beliefs. For this reason he, like so many others, was not able to understand who Jesus really was. Herod had sentenced John to death; now John must have been raised and sent to continue tormenting Herod. Somehow it all had to do with the king, right? Of course it didn’t. Jesus was, and is, at the center of everything, but Herod could not see it that way.

You don’t have to be a king to get it wrong, of course. All too often we put ourselves at the center of life judging everything according to our own perspective. Herod was so concerned with himself that he failed to see what grace Jesus was offering. Do we have the same problem? I know that from time to time I get so caught up in my own feelings that I neglect to see all that God is doing for me and for other through me. On these occasions I play the role of Herod, assuming that I must be at the center of life while ignoring the truth: Jesus alone is at the heart of all things and in him God’s grace abounds.

Prayer: Lord, help us to place you at the center of our lives so that we may see more clearly the blessings you offer and the love you pour out. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Season For Endorsements

John 1:29-42

As the process that leads to the election of the President of the United States continues to heat up we will begin to hear more and more endorsements or pledges of support for one candidate or another. Coincidentally that is exactly what John the Baptist is doing in our gospel reading for today. “And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on (Jesus). I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God’" (John 1:32-34).

“This is the Son of God.” Now there is an unambiguous statement of faith, and it comes from a man who had attracted the attention of even the most devout of religious leaders of his day. “I’m not the one,” John was saying, “but I know who he is, and I know what he has been sent to do. Believe in him.”

During this season of endorsements may we as people of faith add our voices to that of John the Baptist. Let us say with conviction, “This is the Son of God.” But more than saying the words, let us live them; let us point to Jesus Christ with our actions as well that the world may come to know and believe in the mercy of God as revealed in God’s Son.

Prayer: Lord, may our lives be dedicated to your service and may we bear witness to your Son Jesus Christ in all that we do. Amen.

Now a Word From Our Sponsor

Zechariah 7:8-8:8

Just in time for Christmas, the prophet Zechariah has a not-so-subtle reminder of what our relationship to God is all about. "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. But they refused to listen, and turned a stubborn shoulder, and stopped their ears in order not to hear. They made their hearts adamant in order not to hear the law and the words that the Lord of hosts had sent by his spirit through the former prophets" (Zechariah 7:9-12a). If we hold these words alongside the words of John the Baptist we begin to see the issues that Jesus Christ was sent to address, the claims that God was making in the stable in Bethlehem.

Right now, and just for a moment, reflect on how our global culture treats the poor and the disenfranchised in our midst. Then take another moment to consider how the message of Christmas speaks to the least and the lonely, those longing for the truth. Are there things that we can do better? Are there people for whom we can show more compassion? I suspect that there are. If we have in any way stopped up our ears to God's word, or allowed the sounds of our culture to drown it out, then Advent is the time to start paying attention again.

Now back to your regular holiday activities.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to hear and respond to your voice and your voice alone, during Advent and throughout the year. In the name of the one whose return we await. Amen.

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho

Matthew 21:23-32

Jesus told a parable about two brothers. When asked by his father to work in the field the first brother said no, but later relented and went. The second brother agreed to the task but changed his mind and did not go. “Which of the brothers did the will of the father?” Jesus asked. “The first one,” his listeners answered (Matthew 21:28-31). In contemporary terms the point of the story seems to be “better late than never.”

What if the second brother changes his mind yet again? What if, after thinking about what he has done, he realizes he was wrong and finally goes to the field to work? Will he not have done the father’s will then? In telling the parable Jesus is giving his listeners the opportunity to finally get it right. And more to the point, in relating the story to us as readers, Matthew’s gospel is giving us a chance to amend our own behavior. There are consequences to our actions or inaction, but Jesus parable is a call for repentance just as John the Baptist called for repentance before him.

As we wind our way through Advent we will have many chances to accept or decline the will of God. But in the anticipation and hopefulness associated with this season of the church year we will also have many chances to recognize our failures and to repent of them. Look around. In the shelters and on the street corners, in troubled homes and among the lonely and distressed there is still work to be done. Now, as much as ever, our hands and hearts are needed in the field. Now is the time to say, “I go, sir,” and to mean it and to do it.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to live out your claim on our lives, that we may serve your will in all we do, now and always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Make Up Your Mind Already!

Matthew 11:16-24

Jesus’ frustration is obvious on a number of occasions in scripture. Our reading from the gospel today is one example. Jesus said, “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” (Matthew 11:18-19). How slow we are to accept that which does not fit our own view of things! As I look at the church today, including my own denomination, I see conflict and confrontation on all sides. It is not enough to acknowledge “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all…” (Ephesians 4:5-6). Even a cool form of civility would be better than the disdain we have for one another.

“What do you want?” Jesus wonders. “What more can God do to earn your faithful obedience? You said that John the Baptist was crazy, but then you say that I am promiscuous. Make up your minds! Which way is it going to be?”

When I read Jesus’ words I am convicted: I am more a part of the problem than the solution. I carry grudges, assign blame, make excuses, and find ways to avoid God’s call for unity. May God both forgive me and lead me to change. In the mean time I feel a strong sense of call in my ministry to hold myself and others accountable for the blessings we have received, for the responsibilities that we share, and for the unity that God—what’s a good word here?—demands. If you feel that there is far too much finger pointing and too little responsibility-taking, if you feel that it has become too popular to break covenant with one another instead of praying with and learning from each other, if you feel that Jesus’ lament has been too long ignored, then you and I, whoever you are, must acknowledge that we have something in common. Then we must listen seriously to Jesus’ words again and again and again until it all sinks in.

Faith really isn’t about what we want! It is about what God wants!

Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I fail you by failing your people. Help me learn to obey your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Finding the Norm

Mark 2:13-22

How you ask a question can say a lot about your assumptions. For example, here is a verse from today’s reading in Mark. “Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, ‘Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’” (Mark 1:18). People were curious about the spiritual practices of Jesus and his disciples. That’s understandable. But notice how they express their curiosity. John and the Pharisees and their disciples fast (which is obviously the way it should be done) but you, Jesus, and your disciples do not fast (which is obviously not the way it should be done). How different the question sounds if we simply turn it around: Jesus, you and your disciples don’t fast (which is obviously the way it should be done), but John, the Pharisees, and their disciples do fast (which is obviously not the way it should be done).

So much of life depends on what you consider to be normal. My cousin grew up using Miracle Whip on sandwiches, but my father hated it so we used mayonnaise on our sandwiches instead. I hate short athletic socks because when I was in school you wanted your tube socks to reach practically to your knee and to have wide stripes at the top. But my kids won’t let me out of the house in shorts and socks that go much above my shoes. It all depends on what you consider to be normal. During this ministry Jesus was offering a new way, a different approach. He didn’t fast when others fasted, he didn’t shun sinners, tax collectors, or prostitutes.

But what about today? Is Jesus’ way the norm, or is Jesus the exception. Where there is a neighbor in need whose example do we follow? If we have a choice between the golf course and an hour of our week for worship to whom do we turn for guidance? Whose understanding of sacrifice, of giving, of service, of obedience to God do we see as usual? Does Jesus represent for us the way it should be done, or what it means to get too hung up in religion?

Finding the norm in life means finding the patterns that offer the most meaning to our world and that lead us to the most faithful manner of living in the here and now. So do we start with Jesus? Or do we find Jesus to be the odd man out?

Prayer: Lord, you alone offer the path to abundant life. When we find ourselves challenged to choose you or to stray after idols, help us to remain faithful that your will might be done in our living. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Just Add Righteousness

Luke 3:1-14

According to Luke, as John the Baptist preached and baptized he began to attract large crowds. Among those who came to him seeking direction for their lives were some unsavory types. As we read, “Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages’” (Luke 3:12-14). According to some commentators we may assume that both the tax collectors and soldiers to whom Luke refers were Jews in the employ of the Romans, and therefore considered traitors. Yet even they were moved to seek repentance. And what does John say to these people? He does not tell them to renounce their occupations. Instead he challenges them to fulfill their positions with righteousness and justice. Tax collectors should take no more than is due to them. Soldiers should be content with their income and not resort to extortion in order to earn more. By God’s grace what they have been given should be enough, John is saying.

Yes, there are activities that are wholly irredeemable. But society would be greatly blessed if people of faith would act with righteousness in the lawful tasks they undertake. I don’t think it is too much of a stretch to apply John the Baptist’s words to modern leaders of government and business. Those who cling to ideology, partisanship, and profitability — be they liberal or conservative –– at the expense of doing what is just are no better than extortionists. The tax collectors and soldiers to whom John spoke had made greed into an idol. Political or economic dogma is just as dangerous. Do the right thing, John says. Be content with what God has given you and act with a generosity of mind and spirit. I realize this is not an easy undertaking (in fact, the easy part is seeing the faults in other people). But if we are true in our desire to repent and get right with God we’ve got to be willing to change, to give up what may seem essential to us in order to meet the needs of others. In whatever we do, we must remain focused on God’s will. Anything else will serve to distance us from the righteousness of God.

Prayer: Lord, these are difficult times that require difficult choices. Help us at all times to live according to your will and to renounce the idolatries that scream for our attention. Amen.

Who Would Wash a Sow?

2 Peter 2:17-22

Matthew 11:2-15

Our reading from 2 Peter today includes an odd proverb. “The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud” (2 Peter 2:22), we read. My immediate thought was who the heck would bother to wash a sow? Surely that’s not standard operating procedure, any more than putting lipstick on a pit bull. But I guess it get a certain point across. There’s no reason to wash a sow precisely because it is just going to wallow in the mud again anyway. The writer of 2 Peter was warning readers against returning to the bad behavior of their earlier lives. Yet, what would you expect to see a sow do?

And what about the Messiah? John the Baptist seems to have needed some clarification from Jesus. Are you the one who is to come, or are we supposed to keep looking for someone else to show up? Jesus answered him saying, “Go tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them” (Matthew 11:4-6). In other words, there is no sow washing going on here. What we have is the will of God being carried out. And while Jesus may not have met all of John’s expectations of the Messiah, he certainly was doing the things the Messiah should do.

Maybe I’m forcing the issue a bit (or a lot!), but it seems to me that we spend too much time in our lives scrubbing hogs, and not enough time watching for Jesus and the signs of God’s coming reign. Besides that, we are called to tend to the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, those needing good news, not to wander after tasks that accomplish little if anything. So I’ll go out on a limb here and say that worrying about the relative expense or size of Christmas presents is sow scrubbing. So is getting caught up in human definitions of success and accomplishment. To paraphrase Jesus, we should leave the sows to wash the sows, and instead should be about the work of God.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to do what is important and necessary according to your will and not to chase after the wild schemes and silly distractions that so often plague us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Highway Improvements

2 Peter 2:10b-16

Matthew 3:1-12

I’ve never been on a long car trip that didn’t eventually take me through an area of road construction. Maybe the guardrails needed replacing. Maybe the lanes needed re-striping. Or maybe the entire roadbed had to be redone. Whatever the case, traffic slowed down as we inched by the site before returning to normal speeds. It’s frustrating, but it leads to improved roads so it needs to be done.

Both the writer of 2 Peter and John the Baptist know that improvements need to be made in the way we are traveling spiritually. Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah as he describes John’s ministry: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:3). The language in 2 Peter is far more direct. “They (false teachers of the gospel) have hearts trained in greed…They have left the straight road and gone astray…” (2 Peter 2:14-15).

What does it mean to walk a straight path, to travel in the proper direction? It means living in tune with God’s will. It means opening ourselves to what it is that God is doing in our lives. In the words of Micah, it means to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). The good news is that God has not left us to do the “road work” alone. In Jesus Christ, God walks the path with us, points out the dangerous curves and the icy patches that can cause us so much trouble. With God’s grace we are able to repair our spiritual lives and walk a straighter highway, the highway of God.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live in faithful obedience to you and to walk straight paths untainted by greed and selfishness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Is the Cart Before the Horse?

Mark 1:1-8

John the Baptist must have been some kind of guy, to live where he did, and to behave like he did, and to say what he did, and yet to attract crowds from all over the region. As Mark tells us, “John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:4-5).

In many ways the season of Advent belongs to John, the one who prepares the way of the coming Messiah. John did his best to point beyond himself. “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me…” he said (v. 7). Still, we have to wonder if the people who flocked to the Jordan to be baptized by this charismatic figure really had any clue as to what (or who) was coming next. But we can’t wonder for too long because this is all the prologue that Mark gives us. The very next verses begin the actual story of Jesus and his ministry, and we’ll have to decide whether to remain with John on the banks of the Jordan, or to follow Jesus on his strange journey toward death and resurrection. Mark invites us to make a decision, but gives us so little time to get our bearings.

This is a tough time of year to deal with such questions. Getting our bearings is probably way down the “to do” list, well below all the other pre-Christmas chores and holiday obligations. We barely have time to do the shopping, do we really have time to reflect on what John is telling us, to be ready to respond to the Messiah when the time comes? This may be a tough time of year to deal with such questions, but unless we’ve put the cart before the horse it’s what Advent is supposed to be about. We’ve got to find time to reflect, with John, on who it is that we are waiting for and what he will mean to us when he arrives, or Advent losses its meaning altogether, and we find ourselves caught up in yet another secular festival, our souls aching for good but news with none to be found.

Prayer: God of time and space, help us to use this season to set our sights on what you are doing in Jesus Christ, so that when the time comes we may respond with faithful obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Good Question

According to Luke’s account Herod the tetrarch had heard about the things that Jesus was doing and he was perplexed by it. “…(I)t was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen” (Luke 9:7-8). “…(W)ho is this about whom I hear such things?” Herod asked (v. 9).

Good question. Who is Jesus, this one about whom we “hear such things?” A few answers can be found elsewhere in the same account from Luke. In commissioning “the twelve” to go and “proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (vv. 1-2), Jesus embodied God’s act of calling and sending prophets like Elijah and Elisha, Isaiah and Jeremiah who were given powers to speak and to act on God’s behalf. And later, when he fed the 5,000 near Bethsaida, Jesus repeated a similar event in the prophetic career of Elisha (2 Kings 4:42-44). Jesus was also at work welcoming, teaching, and healing the crowds who had followed him (Luke 9:11). In this very busy passage from the gospel Jesus tells us much about himself and reveals much about his work and his identity. Who is this about whom we hear such things? He is the one who transcends the ancient prophetic witness, rises above the teachings of John, and lays claim to the power and authority that belong to God. Yet this is just a glimpse of Jesus that Luke gives us in this passage.

The resurrected Jesus may be more difficult for us to define, but today he remains in our midst, Immanuel, God with us calling, teaching, healing, and proclaiming the kingdom of heaven so that we, may discern God's will and live accofdingly.

Prayer: Lord, help us to discern your work and your will in our world, and give us the strength to follow you in faithfulness. Amen.

Always More to Learn

Acts 18:12-28
Luke 3:15-22
I admire Apollos. Here is a man “well-versed in the scriptures” (Acts 18:24), with a “burning enthusiasm” who teaches “accurately the things concerning Jesus” (v. 25). “But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately” (v. 26). Apollos, for his part, was willing to listen and apparently eager to learn. There is always more to learn, always more to the story, always another way that the good news can touch us and heal us and guide us. John the Baptist also offers a “more accurate” message, this to the people who flock to hear him. Not only do they need to repent—live as wheat and not as chaff (Luke 3:17)—but they also must recognize that John is not the one they are seeking. “I baptize with water;” he tells them, “but one who is more powerful that I is coming…. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (v. 16).

One of the things that constantly surprises me is the fact that on Sundays such as Easter and Pentecost, with a limited number of texts to draw from––texts that that have been read on those days for centuries—there is always a fresh word, a new application, a more accurate way to hear what God is saying. Is the word changing? No, not really. But we are. Our lives are in a constant state of flux yet the word of God remains relevant to our needs. There are only four Easter accounts in scripture, and only one passage that really depicts Pentecost, yet we return to them again and again for meaning and hope and encouragement, all of which we find.

This is one reason why the people of God must remain attentive to God’s word. To quit wrestling with the scriptures is to assume that God has said everything God intends to say which is simply not true. The Holy Spirit still pulses through the pages of the Bible offering up new truths for our day and beyond. Apollos knows he has more to learn. John shows the people that they have more learning to do. So do you and I. There is always more to learn, but it takes time and it takes a willing spirit.

Prayer: Lord, give us hearts and minds set upon your word that we may continue to grow in our knowledge and appreciation of your love and that we may live lives of faithful discipleship. In Jesus’ name. Amen.