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.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
God Has a Name For That
Hosea 7:8-16
In the span of nine verses, God, through the voice of the prophet Hosea, refers to the people of Israel in the most unflattering of terms. “Ephraim is a cake not turned” (v. 8), “has become like a dove, silly and without sense” (v. 11), and has “become like a defective bow” (v. 16). Any of these three descriptions alone would bad enough, but taken together they make for a resounding condemnation. “A cake not turned” sounds very like the contemporary expression “half baked,” which refers to being unprepared or unaware. In scripture the dove is normally a positive sign (think of Noah’s Ark and Jesus’ baptism), but here the dove is characterized as foolish and misguided. A defective bow, of course, would cause harm to the one using it and would not be worth keeping. These are by no means terms of endearment. God is perplexed and angry at the failure of God’s people to honor the covenant and to follow the law, and God has something to say about it.
What can we learn from this passage? For one thing, we are reminded that God’s love, while steadfast and abiding, is not blind. God sees what is going on and is quick to express displeasure. Grace and judgment are two sides of the same divine coin. But it is also helpful to remember what it true of all such prophetic messages. God could have simply walked away, leaving us as to flounder under the weight of our sin. But instead, God keeps the conversation going. Yes God speaks with judgment, but God speaks, God communicates, God’s word is active, and in Jesus Christ that very Word became flesh offering redemption to all who would receive him. So, as silly and misguided as we are, God continues to love us and to guide us in mercy and grace. This is why we are called God’s people.
Prayer: Almighty God, bless your people with forgiveness and with the courage to live into your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
In the span of nine verses, God, through the voice of the prophet Hosea, refers to the people of Israel in the most unflattering of terms. “Ephraim is a cake not turned” (v. 8), “has become like a dove, silly and without sense” (v. 11), and has “become like a defective bow” (v. 16). Any of these three descriptions alone would bad enough, but taken together they make for a resounding condemnation. “A cake not turned” sounds very like the contemporary expression “half baked,” which refers to being unprepared or unaware. In scripture the dove is normally a positive sign (think of Noah’s Ark and Jesus’ baptism), but here the dove is characterized as foolish and misguided. A defective bow, of course, would cause harm to the one using it and would not be worth keeping. These are by no means terms of endearment. God is perplexed and angry at the failure of God’s people to honor the covenant and to follow the law, and God has something to say about it.
What can we learn from this passage? For one thing, we are reminded that God’s love, while steadfast and abiding, is not blind. God sees what is going on and is quick to express displeasure. Grace and judgment are two sides of the same divine coin. But it is also helpful to remember what it true of all such prophetic messages. God could have simply walked away, leaving us as to flounder under the weight of our sin. But instead, God keeps the conversation going. Yes God speaks with judgment, but God speaks, God communicates, God’s word is active, and in Jesus Christ that very Word became flesh offering redemption to all who would receive him. So, as silly and misguided as we are, God continues to love us and to guide us in mercy and grace. This is why we are called God’s people.
Prayer: Almighty God, bless your people with forgiveness and with the courage to live into your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, October 8, 2012
One God Only
Psalm 82
It may seem odd to find a psalm dealing almost entirely with the presence of other gods. After all, Judaism is the very essence of monotheism and the Old Testament is full of reminders that there is but one God only. Yet this particular psalm speaks as if there were other gods, the gods of nations and of harvests and of seasons, and it is as if these gods were in fact active in human life. Of course at the time that Psalm 82 was written Israel was surrounded by nations and peoples, each of which claimed the existence of other gods –– their gods. How else could they explain the apparent ebb and flow of life than the existence of fickle or capricious deities? In light of these beliefs Psalm 82 takes on an especially monotheistic tone. Indeed, God –– the God of Israel –– is the supreme God and nothing lies outside of God’s sovereign control. “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you;” the psalmist declares, “nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince’” (Psalm 82:6-7).
We are far too sophisticated to fall for the notion of other, albeit lesser gods. We know there is only one God. And yet, we can not free ourselves from the sin of idolatry, the practice of setting up items to worship or placing matters of primary concern between ourselves and our Creator. Wealth, power, influence, the value of our own opinions and beliefs: these ideas cause great harm when we allow them to distract from our worship of God. These may be the gods of our age, but when Psalm 82 is read in the light of Easter, placed within a Christian context, it becomes a fresh breeze sweeping away the idols and the gods of our lives, reminding us once again that in Jesus Christ we are freed from our dependence on such false deities and enabled to live in full relationship with God alone.
Yes, God is in control so even the gods of the nations, even the idols of our lives fall under God’s authority. In grace, then, we are able to live as God’s people, confident of God’s love and mercy for us.
Prayer: Lord, help us to cast away our idols and to love you alone with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
It may seem odd to find a psalm dealing almost entirely with the presence of other gods. After all, Judaism is the very essence of monotheism and the Old Testament is full of reminders that there is but one God only. Yet this particular psalm speaks as if there were other gods, the gods of nations and of harvests and of seasons, and it is as if these gods were in fact active in human life. Of course at the time that Psalm 82 was written Israel was surrounded by nations and peoples, each of which claimed the existence of other gods –– their gods. How else could they explain the apparent ebb and flow of life than the existence of fickle or capricious deities? In light of these beliefs Psalm 82 takes on an especially monotheistic tone. Indeed, God –– the God of Israel –– is the supreme God and nothing lies outside of God’s sovereign control. “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you;” the psalmist declares, “nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince’” (Psalm 82:6-7).
We are far too sophisticated to fall for the notion of other, albeit lesser gods. We know there is only one God. And yet, we can not free ourselves from the sin of idolatry, the practice of setting up items to worship or placing matters of primary concern between ourselves and our Creator. Wealth, power, influence, the value of our own opinions and beliefs: these ideas cause great harm when we allow them to distract from our worship of God. These may be the gods of our age, but when Psalm 82 is read in the light of Easter, placed within a Christian context, it becomes a fresh breeze sweeping away the idols and the gods of our lives, reminding us once again that in Jesus Christ we are freed from our dependence on such false deities and enabled to live in full relationship with God alone.
Yes, God is in control so even the gods of the nations, even the idols of our lives fall under God’s authority. In grace, then, we are able to live as God’s people, confident of God’s love and mercy for us.
Prayer: Lord, help us to cast away our idols and to love you alone with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Friday, October 5, 2012
A Glimpse Of What Is Possible
Luke 6:12-26
Three verses in particular stand out to me today from the gospel of Luke. “(Jesus) came down with them,” we read, “and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them” (Luke 6:17-19). There is a universal, all-encompassing sense to this scene. A great crowd of disciples joined a great multitude of people drawn from all over the region, not only from Jerusalem but also from Tyre and Sidon. They came with a shared purpose, to hear Jesus speak and to be healed of what harmed them, and those who were possessed were freed of their demons, and those who were sick were made well. The focal point of all this activity was Jesus and for a few verses at least we are able to see what he is capable of doing. His word and his ministry forged community out of many walks of life; his touch healed and cast out demons; his followers were united as one.
But this scene fades all too quickly and Jesus is left to continue his work, more often than not opposed by the religious and civic leaders of his day. The crowds, drawn together by him at this juncture, will soon be screaming for his death. Even his disciples will turn their backs on him, and the twelve who have just now been called to be apostles will either run away, deny they know him, or conspire to trap him. How quickly the beauty of Luke 6:17-19 is tarnished.
Nonetheless, there is reason to rejoice. Luke has given us a glimpse of what the coming reign of God may look like, a vista of unity and healing, of God’s light drawing all people together and blessing them, a way of living built entirely around the word of God found in the Word made flesh. Luke 6:17-19 is one of those passages we might decide to revisit when we feel a sense of confusion or hopelessness. A song by the band The Police includes the words, “When the world is running down / you make the best of what’s still around.” In this case, in the case of our lives, draped in darkness, and a world which is dappled with sin, the best of what’s still around is the grace of God made manifest in Jesus Christ. The invitation remains to gather around our Savior, to seek his healing touch, to listen to his words, to come to know God better. This glimpse that Luke offers us can and will become a reality.
Prayer: Lord, may we constantly be drawn to your word and be healed of all the harm that confronts us, in this life and in the life to come. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Three verses in particular stand out to me today from the gospel of Luke. “(Jesus) came down with them,” we read, “and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them” (Luke 6:17-19). There is a universal, all-encompassing sense to this scene. A great crowd of disciples joined a great multitude of people drawn from all over the region, not only from Jerusalem but also from Tyre and Sidon. They came with a shared purpose, to hear Jesus speak and to be healed of what harmed them, and those who were possessed were freed of their demons, and those who were sick were made well. The focal point of all this activity was Jesus and for a few verses at least we are able to see what he is capable of doing. His word and his ministry forged community out of many walks of life; his touch healed and cast out demons; his followers were united as one.
But this scene fades all too quickly and Jesus is left to continue his work, more often than not opposed by the religious and civic leaders of his day. The crowds, drawn together by him at this juncture, will soon be screaming for his death. Even his disciples will turn their backs on him, and the twelve who have just now been called to be apostles will either run away, deny they know him, or conspire to trap him. How quickly the beauty of Luke 6:17-19 is tarnished.
Nonetheless, there is reason to rejoice. Luke has given us a glimpse of what the coming reign of God may look like, a vista of unity and healing, of God’s light drawing all people together and blessing them, a way of living built entirely around the word of God found in the Word made flesh. Luke 6:17-19 is one of those passages we might decide to revisit when we feel a sense of confusion or hopelessness. A song by the band The Police includes the words, “When the world is running down / you make the best of what’s still around.” In this case, in the case of our lives, draped in darkness, and a world which is dappled with sin, the best of what’s still around is the grace of God made manifest in Jesus Christ. The invitation remains to gather around our Savior, to seek his healing touch, to listen to his words, to come to know God better. This glimpse that Luke offers us can and will become a reality.
Prayer: Lord, may we constantly be drawn to your word and be healed of all the harm that confronts us, in this life and in the life to come. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Jesus Couldn’t Wait
Luke 6:1-11
Our reading from Luke for today includes the following: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?’ After looking around at all of them, he said to him, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ [The man] did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:9-11). So why did Jesus heal on the sabbath? Why didn’t he wait until the next day to heal the man’s hand thereby accommodating the Pharisees and abiding by the law? Wouldn’t that have accomplished more for the glory of God by giving his enemies less to complain about?
The answer is that Jesus simply could not wait, nor would he allow himself to be stymied by the negative mindset of those around him. Grace - God’s outpouring of love and redemption - is not a commodity to be meted out on a schedule or made available during “normal business hours.” It abounds. It flows. It overwhelms. Healing takes place according to God’s will, not when the calendar says it should. The law said that no work was to be done on the sabbath, so for some this meant that even God was expected to remain inactive. But in calling men and women to a new relationship with God Jesus challenged these assumptions and showed that God could not be confined temporally, physically, geographically, spiritually, or in any other manner. Jesus showed that in God’s coming reign the doors are always open “for business.”
So what restrictions do we try to put on God according to our customs or our understanding? Into what boxes do we try to try to force God’s grace? Do we demand that God meet our expectations while we go about doing what we want where we want? Jesus healed on the sabbath because it needed to be done and because God wanted it done. Jesus could not wait, nor should we. Sharing the grace and love of God for all people is something that we simply cannot postpone or limit.
Prayer: God of all time and space, we ask for the courage to live as your people, embracing your will for the world while defying the assumptions of those who would like to ration your grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Our reading from Luke for today includes the following: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?’ After looking around at all of them, he said to him, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ [The man] did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:9-11). So why did Jesus heal on the sabbath? Why didn’t he wait until the next day to heal the man’s hand thereby accommodating the Pharisees and abiding by the law? Wouldn’t that have accomplished more for the glory of God by giving his enemies less to complain about?
The answer is that Jesus simply could not wait, nor would he allow himself to be stymied by the negative mindset of those around him. Grace - God’s outpouring of love and redemption - is not a commodity to be meted out on a schedule or made available during “normal business hours.” It abounds. It flows. It overwhelms. Healing takes place according to God’s will, not when the calendar says it should. The law said that no work was to be done on the sabbath, so for some this meant that even God was expected to remain inactive. But in calling men and women to a new relationship with God Jesus challenged these assumptions and showed that God could not be confined temporally, physically, geographically, spiritually, or in any other manner. Jesus showed that in God’s coming reign the doors are always open “for business.”
So what restrictions do we try to put on God according to our customs or our understanding? Into what boxes do we try to try to force God’s grace? Do we demand that God meet our expectations while we go about doing what we want where we want? Jesus healed on the sabbath because it needed to be done and because God wanted it done. Jesus could not wait, nor should we. Sharing the grace and love of God for all people is something that we simply cannot postpone or limit.
Prayer: God of all time and space, we ask for the courage to live as your people, embracing your will for the world while defying the assumptions of those who would like to ration your grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
New Songs, Old Wine?
Psalm 96
Luke 5:27-39
There is an interesting contrast in two of our readings for this morning. On the one hand the psalmist tells us, “O sing to the LORD a new song…” (Psalm 96:1a), but on the other hand, Jesus says, “And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'The old is good'" (Luke 5:39). The convergence of these two verses strikes me as typical of life in our times where that which is traditional and that which is new or contemporary often vie for our attention. It happens in every aspect of our lives, both secular and religious. Think of the music you listen to; what era does it come from? Think of the books you read; are they classics or were they recently published? Do you dress in a “retro” style or are you up to date on your fashions? And when you think of worship do you prefer hymns and prayers from an earlier time in the life of the church, or do you more readily respond to praise choruses and modern liturgies?
But in truth, Luke’s quote of Jesus is not easy to interpret. It may actually be intended as irony used to point out how complacent we may become with what we know until we are unwilling to try something that is new or different. If that’s the case, then Psalm 96 and Luke 5 may be saying essentially the same thing. Yet even here the tension between old and new remains, because while Jesus may be condemning false contentedness, the Psalm, even as it calls for a “new” song, is drawn from the heart of very ancient traditions dating back centuries and calling people to recognize what has always been true: God is King.
Ultimately we are left with the realization that the tension between old and new, between traditional and contemporary, between “the way we’ve always done it” and fresh perspectives is going to remain. But then God is going to remain as well, challenging us to consider both the new and the old as valuable to our lives of faith. The ancient truths about God remain relevant, but how we express those truths bears constant reevaluation. God is doing new things in our midst and they should remind us of the mighty acts that God has performed before. After all, history belongs to God, and we are blessed to be living in it.
Prayer: Lord, may our lives be centered on you alone and may we be open to your work in whatever form it takes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Luke 5:27-39
There is an interesting contrast in two of our readings for this morning. On the one hand the psalmist tells us, “O sing to the LORD a new song…” (Psalm 96:1a), but on the other hand, Jesus says, “And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'The old is good'" (Luke 5:39). The convergence of these two verses strikes me as typical of life in our times where that which is traditional and that which is new or contemporary often vie for our attention. It happens in every aspect of our lives, both secular and religious. Think of the music you listen to; what era does it come from? Think of the books you read; are they classics or were they recently published? Do you dress in a “retro” style or are you up to date on your fashions? And when you think of worship do you prefer hymns and prayers from an earlier time in the life of the church, or do you more readily respond to praise choruses and modern liturgies?
But in truth, Luke’s quote of Jesus is not easy to interpret. It may actually be intended as irony used to point out how complacent we may become with what we know until we are unwilling to try something that is new or different. If that’s the case, then Psalm 96 and Luke 5 may be saying essentially the same thing. Yet even here the tension between old and new remains, because while Jesus may be condemning false contentedness, the Psalm, even as it calls for a “new” song, is drawn from the heart of very ancient traditions dating back centuries and calling people to recognize what has always been true: God is King.
Ultimately we are left with the realization that the tension between old and new, between traditional and contemporary, between “the way we’ve always done it” and fresh perspectives is going to remain. But then God is going to remain as well, challenging us to consider both the new and the old as valuable to our lives of faith. The ancient truths about God remain relevant, but how we express those truths bears constant reevaluation. God is doing new things in our midst and they should remind us of the mighty acts that God has performed before. After all, history belongs to God, and we are blessed to be living in it.
Prayer: Lord, may our lives be centered on you alone and may we be open to your work in whatever form it takes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Strange Things Indeed
Luke 5:12-26
The story from Luke today is a familiar one. A paralyzed man is brought by his friends to the place where Jesus is teaching and healing. As the account draws to a close, Luke says, “Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today’” (Luke 5:26).
How interesting that the presence of God in the healing and teaching ministry of Jesus is considered strange by those who witnessed it. To be honest, though, it shouldn’t surprise us. Think for a moment about your own life. What events do you consider common, ordinary, unexceptional? You may be thinking about the errands you need to run or the tasks you need to accomplish at work. Maybe you are considering your housework or your school assignments, maybe your plans for the evening. Whatever the case, I suspect that none of us are prepared to witness an exchange like the one that Jesus had with the Pharisees or his healing of the paralyzed man. And yet, if what we say we believe is true; if God is Sovereign over all creation and present in all we do; if Jesus Christ is Lord of all; if the Holy Spirit is constantly at work in our midst inspiring, guiding, blessing us all, why should Jesus’ actions be called “strange”?
They aren’t, they just fall outside of the normal mindset for most of us. Strange would be going an hour – let along a day – without some sign of grace appearing in our lives. Strange would be no order within creation. Strange would be no kindness in those around us, no gentleness, no encouragement. A world devoid of God and God’s many, many blessings…now that would be strange. Strangeness, it would seem, is in the eye of the beholder, but for the eye of faith, God’s work should be the norm not the exception.
Prayer: Lord, give us eyes to see that your grace surrounds us and sustains us all the days of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
The story from Luke today is a familiar one. A paralyzed man is brought by his friends to the place where Jesus is teaching and healing. As the account draws to a close, Luke says, “Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today’” (Luke 5:26).
How interesting that the presence of God in the healing and teaching ministry of Jesus is considered strange by those who witnessed it. To be honest, though, it shouldn’t surprise us. Think for a moment about your own life. What events do you consider common, ordinary, unexceptional? You may be thinking about the errands you need to run or the tasks you need to accomplish at work. Maybe you are considering your housework or your school assignments, maybe your plans for the evening. Whatever the case, I suspect that none of us are prepared to witness an exchange like the one that Jesus had with the Pharisees or his healing of the paralyzed man. And yet, if what we say we believe is true; if God is Sovereign over all creation and present in all we do; if Jesus Christ is Lord of all; if the Holy Spirit is constantly at work in our midst inspiring, guiding, blessing us all, why should Jesus’ actions be called “strange”?
They aren’t, they just fall outside of the normal mindset for most of us. Strange would be going an hour – let along a day – without some sign of grace appearing in our lives. Strange would be no order within creation. Strange would be no kindness in those around us, no gentleness, no encouragement. A world devoid of God and God’s many, many blessings…now that would be strange. Strangeness, it would seem, is in the eye of the beholder, but for the eye of faith, God’s work should be the norm not the exception.
Prayer: Lord, give us eyes to see that your grace surrounds us and sustains us all the days of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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