Hosea 4:1-10
Acts 21:27-36
Luke 6:1-11
A recent Pew Foundation survey showed that Americans are not as knowledgeable about religion, even Christianity, as might be expected.
(see http://pewforum.org/Other-Beliefs-and-Practices/U-S-Religious-Knowledge-Survey.aspx). As it turns out, knowledge may be more important than we realize, at least based on our readings today. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me,” says God through the prophet Hosea (Hosea 4:6). In the book of Acts Paul is surrounded by a mob intent on killing him. When Roman troops arrive to break up the riot they are not able to discover what is happening. “Some in the crowd shouted one thing (against Paul), some another; and as (the Roman Tribunal) could not learn the facts because of the uproar he ordered (Paul) to be brought into the barracks” (Acts 21:34). Jesus, too, is confronted by a need for knowledge. Over and over again he is challenged over his or his disciples’ actions on the Sabbath. But Jesus continues to redefine what God intends the Sabbath to be.
Not preparing or informing ourselves can lead to a number of negative consequences. Spiritual alienation from God and one another is just one example of where we may end up if we don’t take the time to learn and appreciate what God is saying to us. As a minister, I feel a special sense of urgency in this matter. To a certain extent it is my responsibility to make sure people have the knowledge they need to function best as Christians. When I fail to convey the message adequately then things begin to break down. The challenge, of course, is to strive to know God better, in study, prayer, worship, contemplation, conversation, and a spirit of openness and trust in what God is saying. And it isn’t just about knowing the answers to the questions. As any high school algebra teacher can tell you, it is really all about applying what you know to the circumstances of life. The Pharisees knew the laws pertaining to the Sabbath, they just didn’t understand what it all meant. That’s why Jesus had to redefine it for them.
In the modern era of religion, with technology and information so readily available, it is more important than ever to make sure that we are learning, and that we are applying what we learn to the glory of God. We’ve simply got to take the time.
Prayer: O God, forgive us when we will not learn, when we allow knowledge to pass us by, and when we refuse to share what we do know. Help us to become better prepared for life in your terms, O Lord. Amen.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Real Dr. Love
Hosea 3:1-5
Luke 5:27-39
With apologies to the rock band Kiss, I think our readings from Hosea and Luke teach us something about love that the band’s song (and current Dr. Pepper commercial jingle) “Calling Dr. Love” can’t even begin to touch. In Luke Jesus calls a tax collector named Levi to become a disciple (Luke 5:27-28). Levi then holds a banquet in Jesus’ honor to which other tax collectors and “sinners” were invited (v. 31). When the Pharisees raise concern over the type of people with whom Jesus associates Jesus replies, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (v. 32). Jesus is not excluding the Pharisees from his circle, they are essentially excluding themselves by failing to recognize the love of God in Jesus’ actions. And what about Hosea? At God’s direction he had already married the prostitute Gomer. Now he must buy her back, out of adultery and prostitution, and with love and discipline demonstrate his devotion to her. This, of course, is symbolic of God’s love and devotion for a wayward people, Israel, who have gone after idols and other gods and who now, with judgment based in love, will be “bought back” by God.
Of course, Kiss is not the only group or individual to misrepresent love. We see it movies and on TV all the time. Romantic love seems to equate exclusively with sex. Love for our enemies, for those in need, even for our neighbor seems like a quaint notion reserved for “religious types.” But Jesus, and Hosea before him, makes very clear that love for others should be neither quaint nor drenched in hedonism. God’s love is the kind of love that seeks out tax collectors and sinners and says “Follow me. Leave your sinfulness behind and I will show you a better way of life, one worth sharing with others, one with purpose and meaning, one that safeguards dignity and values the other as a child of God.”
While most people of faith have little trouble dismissing songs like “Dr. Love” as indicative of nothing but sex, we still must guard against going too far in the other direction such as limiting those with whom we associate, as if God’s love is only for the pure of heart and the blameless. In such circumstances we forget that we, too, are prone to sin and in need God’s healing love. Thanks be to God that in Jesus Christ we find a physician whose love overwhelms us all.
Prayer: Lord, help us to accept your healing love and to share it with others so that the circle of faith may grow and your light be shared with all people. Amen.
Luke 5:27-39
With apologies to the rock band Kiss, I think our readings from Hosea and Luke teach us something about love that the band’s song (and current Dr. Pepper commercial jingle) “Calling Dr. Love” can’t even begin to touch. In Luke Jesus calls a tax collector named Levi to become a disciple (Luke 5:27-28). Levi then holds a banquet in Jesus’ honor to which other tax collectors and “sinners” were invited (v. 31). When the Pharisees raise concern over the type of people with whom Jesus associates Jesus replies, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (v. 32). Jesus is not excluding the Pharisees from his circle, they are essentially excluding themselves by failing to recognize the love of God in Jesus’ actions. And what about Hosea? At God’s direction he had already married the prostitute Gomer. Now he must buy her back, out of adultery and prostitution, and with love and discipline demonstrate his devotion to her. This, of course, is symbolic of God’s love and devotion for a wayward people, Israel, who have gone after idols and other gods and who now, with judgment based in love, will be “bought back” by God.
Of course, Kiss is not the only group or individual to misrepresent love. We see it movies and on TV all the time. Romantic love seems to equate exclusively with sex. Love for our enemies, for those in need, even for our neighbor seems like a quaint notion reserved for “religious types.” But Jesus, and Hosea before him, makes very clear that love for others should be neither quaint nor drenched in hedonism. God’s love is the kind of love that seeks out tax collectors and sinners and says “Follow me. Leave your sinfulness behind and I will show you a better way of life, one worth sharing with others, one with purpose and meaning, one that safeguards dignity and values the other as a child of God.”
While most people of faith have little trouble dismissing songs like “Dr. Love” as indicative of nothing but sex, we still must guard against going too far in the other direction such as limiting those with whom we associate, as if God’s love is only for the pure of heart and the blameless. In such circumstances we forget that we, too, are prone to sin and in need God’s healing love. Thanks be to God that in Jesus Christ we find a physician whose love overwhelms us all.
Prayer: Lord, help us to accept your healing love and to share it with others so that the circle of faith may grow and your light be shared with all people. Amen.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
God's Choice
Hosea 2:16-23
Acts 21:1-14
Luke 5:12-26
The words of the leper in Luke 5 are an example of sincere faith. “Lord,” he says to Jesus, “if you choose, you can make me clean” (Luke 5:12). Jesus does choose to make the man clean just as he chooses to forgive the sins of the paralytic later in the chapter, and then to heal this man as well. “Lord, if you choose…” In Acts the same sentiment is expressed, though in slightly different words. The apostle Paul is determined to go to Jerusalem and face whatever may happen there, even over the objections of his friends. “Since he would not be persuaded,” says Acts, “we remained silent except to say, ‘The Lord’s will be done’” (Acts 21:14). Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… in each case there is a willingness to allow God to work as God sees fit, because God can!
The prophet Hosea looks at a nation full of idolatry and far removed from its own God. And yet this same prophet can affirm God’s intention to “make for (Israel) a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground…” (Hosea 2:18). War will cease and all people will live in peace and safety. How can this happen among such faithless and fickle people? Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… The prophet knows that God will because God can!
What problems do we see in our world? What circumstances seem beyond hope? What difficulties lie in our path? Is there nothing that can be done about the violence that erupts so often? Is there nothing that can be done about human divisiveness and isolation? Is there no healing to be found for the ill? Is there no hope to be offered to the lonely? There is: Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… We, like the prophet, like the man with leprosy, like the friends of the paralytic, like Paul’s companions, may lay claim to the good news that God will because God can address our needs with mercy and grace! It may not be exactly what we want. It may not be exactly the way we saw things happening in our own mind, but the truth is that faith in God is never misplaced. God’s choice is to stand in relationship with God’s people, to hold us accountable, but also to meet our needs in ways that only God can know. God chooses. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Almighty God, may we be guided to trust in you and your love for us, that all the days of our lives may be lived in faithfulness. When we falter, Lord, give us the courage to move ahead. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Acts 21:1-14
Luke 5:12-26
The words of the leper in Luke 5 are an example of sincere faith. “Lord,” he says to Jesus, “if you choose, you can make me clean” (Luke 5:12). Jesus does choose to make the man clean just as he chooses to forgive the sins of the paralytic later in the chapter, and then to heal this man as well. “Lord, if you choose…” In Acts the same sentiment is expressed, though in slightly different words. The apostle Paul is determined to go to Jerusalem and face whatever may happen there, even over the objections of his friends. “Since he would not be persuaded,” says Acts, “we remained silent except to say, ‘The Lord’s will be done’” (Acts 21:14). Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… in each case there is a willingness to allow God to work as God sees fit, because God can!
The prophet Hosea looks at a nation full of idolatry and far removed from its own God. And yet this same prophet can affirm God’s intention to “make for (Israel) a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground…” (Hosea 2:18). War will cease and all people will live in peace and safety. How can this happen among such faithless and fickle people? Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… The prophet knows that God will because God can!
What problems do we see in our world? What circumstances seem beyond hope? What difficulties lie in our path? Is there nothing that can be done about the violence that erupts so often? Is there nothing that can be done about human divisiveness and isolation? Is there no healing to be found for the ill? Is there no hope to be offered to the lonely? There is: Lord, if you choose… The Lord’s will be done… We, like the prophet, like the man with leprosy, like the friends of the paralytic, like Paul’s companions, may lay claim to the good news that God will because God can address our needs with mercy and grace! It may not be exactly what we want. It may not be exactly the way we saw things happening in our own mind, but the truth is that faith in God is never misplaced. God’s choice is to stand in relationship with God’s people, to hold us accountable, but also to meet our needs in ways that only God can know. God chooses. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Almighty God, may we be guided to trust in you and your love for us, that all the days of our lives may be lived in faithfulness. When we falter, Lord, give us the courage to move ahead. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Fighting Spiritual ADD
Hosea 2:2-15
Acts 20:17-38
Luke 5:1-11
What a contrast we find between the Old Testament reading from Hosea, and the two New Testament readings from Luke and Acts! In the words of the prophet God laments that Israel has played the whore with idols and other gods. As a result, “She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them” (Hosea 2:7). But in Luke’s account Simon Peter, James, and John are called to fish for people as followers of Jesus. And “when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:11). And finally, in telling his friends from Ephesus goodbye, Paul affirms that he did not “count (his) life of any value” as long as he could finish the ministry given to him by the Lord Jesus (Acts 20:24).
The actions of Paul and the disciples do not indicate that all of God’s people have given up their idolatry, nor will these individuals themselves escape from their own sins entirely. But the invitation that Jesus offers, the one accepted by fishermen and Pharisee alike, is to be transformed from worldly concerns to those of the coming reign of God. Wherever their emphasis may have been placed, whether worshipping idols, running a successful business, or persecuting the church, Jesus called these men—and thus all people––to refocus on what is really important, and to give up everything else.
This is not an easy call to accept. We all know this because we all have our idols and our lives are distracted by many things, a sort of spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder. The good news is that God has no such ailment. God’s gaze remains firmly fixed on us, on our lives, on our needs, on our feeble efforts. The call to discipleship isn’t really about giving up. It’s about waking up, and seeing the good news all around us. In Jesus we are freed to live life the way it was intended. And while we will struggle mightily with that call, God remains steadfast in faithful mercy towards us.
Prayer: O God, help us to focus our lives on you and your will so that we will not be distracted by the idols that are so common in our world. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Acts 20:17-38
Luke 5:1-11
What a contrast we find between the Old Testament reading from Hosea, and the two New Testament readings from Luke and Acts! In the words of the prophet God laments that Israel has played the whore with idols and other gods. As a result, “She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them” (Hosea 2:7). But in Luke’s account Simon Peter, James, and John are called to fish for people as followers of Jesus. And “when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:11). And finally, in telling his friends from Ephesus goodbye, Paul affirms that he did not “count (his) life of any value” as long as he could finish the ministry given to him by the Lord Jesus (Acts 20:24).
The actions of Paul and the disciples do not indicate that all of God’s people have given up their idolatry, nor will these individuals themselves escape from their own sins entirely. But the invitation that Jesus offers, the one accepted by fishermen and Pharisee alike, is to be transformed from worldly concerns to those of the coming reign of God. Wherever their emphasis may have been placed, whether worshipping idols, running a successful business, or persecuting the church, Jesus called these men—and thus all people––to refocus on what is really important, and to give up everything else.
This is not an easy call to accept. We all know this because we all have our idols and our lives are distracted by many things, a sort of spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder. The good news is that God has no such ailment. God’s gaze remains firmly fixed on us, on our lives, on our needs, on our feeble efforts. The call to discipleship isn’t really about giving up. It’s about waking up, and seeing the good news all around us. In Jesus we are freed to live life the way it was intended. And while we will struggle mightily with that call, God remains steadfast in faithful mercy towards us.
Prayer: O God, help us to focus our lives on you and your will so that we will not be distracted by the idols that are so common in our world. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Friday, September 24, 2010
A Clash of Cultures
Esther 8:1-8, 15-17
Acts 19:21-41
Luke 4:31-37
The continuing story in the book of Esther shows how the queen’s actions helped to save her people from destruction. In a clash of wills between Esther and Haman, she was more than up to the challenge. But this is not the only clash we read about today. Our reading from Luke this morning tells the story of Jesus healing a man who is possessed. “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” shouts the demon. “Have you come to destroy us?” (Luke 4:34). Indeed he has, and Jesus proceeds to send the demon away from the man. The crowd that witnessed these events was amazed. Clearly Jesus was up to the challenge of healing and casting out the powers of evil.
The Esther and Luke accounts are insightful, but it is in Acts that today’s scriptures “quit preaching and go to meddling.” The silversmiths of Ephesus and all the artisans who made their living from the temple to the Greek goddess Artemis were distressed by the words and actions of Paul and his followers. They could tell that if everyone became Christian and gave up idol worship there would be no more business for them. And this is where the clash of ideals really hits home in our case because in our world today there are any number of situations where the Christian faith calls us away from our chosen lifestyles, from our business practices, from our interests and proclivities. It may be as simple as a desire to play golf on Sunday mornings, or as complicated as earning a paycheck from a corporation that uses questionable business practices. If everyone was a Christian, or rather, if everyone looked at life from a Christian perspective and lived by Christian teachings a wide range of human activities would have to be reexamined. The choices we make politically, the products we buy at the store, the programs we watch on TV, the way our society embraces sports, the love of money and success, the unbridled lust and desire that guide so many of us, all of these and so many more demand our attention. If what Paul says is true, if what the Bible says is true, then there are a number of changes that really need to take place in our lives and in our world. The clash of cultures is very telling. Jesus’ lordship means nothing if it is not total. The question is, whose side are we on, and what are we willing to do about it?
Prayer: Lord, help us to let go of our idols and to focus our lives on you so that we may live in faithful obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Acts 19:21-41
Luke 4:31-37
The continuing story in the book of Esther shows how the queen’s actions helped to save her people from destruction. In a clash of wills between Esther and Haman, she was more than up to the challenge. But this is not the only clash we read about today. Our reading from Luke this morning tells the story of Jesus healing a man who is possessed. “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” shouts the demon. “Have you come to destroy us?” (Luke 4:34). Indeed he has, and Jesus proceeds to send the demon away from the man. The crowd that witnessed these events was amazed. Clearly Jesus was up to the challenge of healing and casting out the powers of evil.
The Esther and Luke accounts are insightful, but it is in Acts that today’s scriptures “quit preaching and go to meddling.” The silversmiths of Ephesus and all the artisans who made their living from the temple to the Greek goddess Artemis were distressed by the words and actions of Paul and his followers. They could tell that if everyone became Christian and gave up idol worship there would be no more business for them. And this is where the clash of ideals really hits home in our case because in our world today there are any number of situations where the Christian faith calls us away from our chosen lifestyles, from our business practices, from our interests and proclivities. It may be as simple as a desire to play golf on Sunday mornings, or as complicated as earning a paycheck from a corporation that uses questionable business practices. If everyone was a Christian, or rather, if everyone looked at life from a Christian perspective and lived by Christian teachings a wide range of human activities would have to be reexamined. The choices we make politically, the products we buy at the store, the programs we watch on TV, the way our society embraces sports, the love of money and success, the unbridled lust and desire that guide so many of us, all of these and so many more demand our attention. If what Paul says is true, if what the Bible says is true, then there are a number of changes that really need to take place in our lives and in our world. The clash of cultures is very telling. Jesus’ lordship means nothing if it is not total. The question is, whose side are we on, and what are we willing to do about it?
Prayer: Lord, help us to let go of our idols and to focus our lives on you so that we may live in faithful obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Finding the Spirit
Note: The readings in today's blog are actually those intended for yesterday, September 21, 2010. I apologize for getting a day ahead of myself.
Acts 19:1-10
Luke 4:1-13
There is no formal Doctrine of the Trinity to be found in scripture. Even Paul makes no real effort (that we know of) to define how God can be three persons and yet One. But our readings today from Luke and Acts attest to the importance of taking the entire witness of scripture into account, especially when it comes to the work of God. Luke tells us that Jesus, though the Son of God, is nonetheless guided by the Holy Spirit. “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness…” (Luke 4:1). In Acts, “(Paul) said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit’” (Acts 19:2). As Luke and Acts are believed to have been written by the same person, we can see that the writer has a very strong sense of God’s work through the Spirit. It is a form of guidance for Jesus as well as a sense of purpose. The Spirit is also a conveyor of gifts to those who would follow God in Christ. One does not know God fully until one knows of the Holy Spirit, and one is enabled to endure when one trusts in the same Spirit.
I know that in my own life it is very easy to focus on God in fairly narrow terms. I lose track of the full majesty that God demonstrates when I think only in terms of God the Creator, or of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior. There are so many ways that God has chosen to be known by people and none of them is more appropriate than any of the others. In this way our relationship with God resembles a balance diet. Without drawing on all three aspects of God’s person we may suffer a spiritual deficiency, or be too limited in our perception of the glory of God and therefore not able to respond to God’s claim on our lives as fully as we should.
One way to challenge our limitedness is to intentionally address God in a variety of ways over the course of a day or week. If we only ever pray to God as ”Father” or “Lord” or “Savior” we may be missing out on many other ways that grace is manifest in our lives. We may be missing out on a balanced spiritual diet.
Prayer: O, God, great Three-in-One, bless our lives with better vision, that we may see you at work in the world more clearly and that we may be able to follow you more steadfastly. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Acts 19:1-10
Luke 4:1-13
There is no formal Doctrine of the Trinity to be found in scripture. Even Paul makes no real effort (that we know of) to define how God can be three persons and yet One. But our readings today from Luke and Acts attest to the importance of taking the entire witness of scripture into account, especially when it comes to the work of God. Luke tells us that Jesus, though the Son of God, is nonetheless guided by the Holy Spirit. “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness…” (Luke 4:1). In Acts, “(Paul) said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit’” (Acts 19:2). As Luke and Acts are believed to have been written by the same person, we can see that the writer has a very strong sense of God’s work through the Spirit. It is a form of guidance for Jesus as well as a sense of purpose. The Spirit is also a conveyor of gifts to those who would follow God in Christ. One does not know God fully until one knows of the Holy Spirit, and one is enabled to endure when one trusts in the same Spirit.
I know that in my own life it is very easy to focus on God in fairly narrow terms. I lose track of the full majesty that God demonstrates when I think only in terms of God the Creator, or of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior. There are so many ways that God has chosen to be known by people and none of them is more appropriate than any of the others. In this way our relationship with God resembles a balance diet. Without drawing on all three aspects of God’s person we may suffer a spiritual deficiency, or be too limited in our perception of the glory of God and therefore not able to respond to God’s claim on our lives as fully as we should.
One way to challenge our limitedness is to intentionally address God in a variety of ways over the course of a day or week. If we only ever pray to God as ”Father” or “Lord” or “Savior” we may be missing out on many other ways that grace is manifest in our lives. We may be missing out on a balanced spiritual diet.
Prayer: O, God, great Three-in-One, bless our lives with better vision, that we may see you at work in the world more clearly and that we may be able to follow you more steadfastly. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Prevailing Mightily
Note: The readings on today's blog are actually the readings for tomorrow, September 23, 2010. I apologize for getting ahead of myself.
Acts 19:11-20
Luke 4:14-30
Today’s readings from Acts and Luke stand as brackets on either side of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Before his passion Jesus teaches with “gracious words in Nazareth (Luke 4:22). Not only does he lay claim to the prophecy of Isaiah as his own ministry, but he goes so far as to proclaim that “today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (v. 21). This is the speech of one with authority and with power. Later, when the crowd has become enraged and would throw him off of a cliff, Jesus “passed through the midst of them and when on his way” (v. 30). Here, too, Jesus displays his God-given authority. After his resurrection and ascension, even after Pentecost and the birth of the church, Jesus is still one with authority and power. According to Acts in Ephesus “the word of Lord grew mightily and prevailed” (Acts 19:20). Paul may be an instrument of this work, but Jesus is the one who grants the actual healing. The events of Holy Week and Easter have in no way diminished Jesus’ ability to change lives and to make the truth of God’s reign known.
But the stories from Acts are so old. Much of what we read there seems implausible to modern readers, if not impossible. Can Jesus Christ really make a difference today? Is the ministry as defined by Isaiah still in effect? Or have the power and authority of Jesus weakened until they no longer really exist? I understand questions like these. And I don’t blame the people who ask them. But I also believe that the grace of God in Jesus Christ is an active presence in the world today and that it appears in a multitude of ways. Imperfect people like us, and even the imperfect communities of faith to which we belong, demonstrate the work of God through Jesus Christ in extraordinary ways. The challenge is to keep our eyes on what God is doing in and through the world, and not to get bogged down by the disappointments and the failures. This is easy to say, I know. But the challenge of discipleship is to believe that Jesus Christ is at work even now and to seek ways to be involved in that work never giving up hope in the one who died to set all people free from sin and death. Whether it be in Luke’s gospel or from the pages of Acts, the Jesus we encounter in scripture is the same Jesus who is loose in the world today and in whom we find hope and healing. Jesus is prevailing mightily in our world and will continue to do so.
Prayer: Lord, when our confidence fades and our hope seems lost, remind us that your power and might are still present to us and help us to live into your coming reign. Amen.
Acts 19:11-20
Luke 4:14-30
Today’s readings from Acts and Luke stand as brackets on either side of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Before his passion Jesus teaches with “gracious words in Nazareth (Luke 4:22). Not only does he lay claim to the prophecy of Isaiah as his own ministry, but he goes so far as to proclaim that “today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (v. 21). This is the speech of one with authority and with power. Later, when the crowd has become enraged and would throw him off of a cliff, Jesus “passed through the midst of them and when on his way” (v. 30). Here, too, Jesus displays his God-given authority. After his resurrection and ascension, even after Pentecost and the birth of the church, Jesus is still one with authority and power. According to Acts in Ephesus “the word of Lord grew mightily and prevailed” (Acts 19:20). Paul may be an instrument of this work, but Jesus is the one who grants the actual healing. The events of Holy Week and Easter have in no way diminished Jesus’ ability to change lives and to make the truth of God’s reign known.
But the stories from Acts are so old. Much of what we read there seems implausible to modern readers, if not impossible. Can Jesus Christ really make a difference today? Is the ministry as defined by Isaiah still in effect? Or have the power and authority of Jesus weakened until they no longer really exist? I understand questions like these. And I don’t blame the people who ask them. But I also believe that the grace of God in Jesus Christ is an active presence in the world today and that it appears in a multitude of ways. Imperfect people like us, and even the imperfect communities of faith to which we belong, demonstrate the work of God through Jesus Christ in extraordinary ways. The challenge is to keep our eyes on what God is doing in and through the world, and not to get bogged down by the disappointments and the failures. This is easy to say, I know. But the challenge of discipleship is to believe that Jesus Christ is at work even now and to seek ways to be involved in that work never giving up hope in the one who died to set all people free from sin and death. Whether it be in Luke’s gospel or from the pages of Acts, the Jesus we encounter in scripture is the same Jesus who is loose in the world today and in whom we find hope and healing. Jesus is prevailing mightily in our world and will continue to do so.
Prayer: Lord, when our confidence fades and our hope seems lost, remind us that your power and might are still present to us and help us to live into your coming reign. Amen.
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