Getting to the Point

Matthew 4:12-17

If we were to boil down the essence of Jesus’ ministry, the purpose for all he did and said, the focal point of his work, we could find no better verse than this one from today’s gospel reading. “From that time,” we read, “Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near’" (Matthew 4:17). Note the sense of urgency. This is not some far-reaching prophetic message, this is a timely word of truth for the world. Note also that it begins with a call for action. Jesus would have his listeners get their lives in order now because God’s will and purpose for humanity is upon them. Jesus, of course, is the embodiment of that will and purpose. Jesus is God’s good news for the world and even when he was rejected and put to death he remained that good news, that word of hope, for in him death was defeated and sin was set aside.

So here we are in April 2012 with a world full of anger and of violence, a world consumed by greed and by apathy. Was Jesus lying to his followers? Was there really no urgency to his words? The answer to these questions remains before us in the person of Jesus Christ. When we believe in God through Jesus we begin to see things very differently. Faith is a lens through which we perceive grace where others see only the ordinary. God is all around us, the kingdom of heaven is as near as the air and just as necessary to our wellbeing. The urgency with which Jesus spoke is still present. The need to get our lives in order remains. When we who would follow Jesus as disciples accept this challenge to live as he lived and to love as he loved we bear witness to the grace of God flowing all around us and filling the world.

The essence of Jesus’ ministry is good news for all people and a very present reality. God is at work and we have the opportunity to join in that work. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord, give us the eyes with which to see your presence, and the will to live as your people. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Expect the Unexpected

Amos 7:10-17

The book of Amos offers only a brief description of the prophet’s call from God. “Then Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel”'” (Amos 7:14-15). This is not a unique story in scripture. Moses was herding the flocks of his father-in-law when God called him (Exodus 3). Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1) were minding their own business when the presence of the Lord burst upon them with work to be done. In the New Testament Mary was surprised to learn that she would bear God’s Son (Luke 1:26-38); Simon, Andrew, James and John were interrupted in their daily activities when Jesus called them to follow (Matthew 4:18-22); and Paul was stunned by Jesus’ appearance to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). These are just a few of the examples that scripture gives us.

Advent is a time for listening to God’s voice in our lives, for following where God leads us, for doing the unexpected. Few of us herd livestock, prune sycamore trees, or fish for a living. Even fewer—I suspect—are in the habit of persecuting Christians. That’s not the point of these stories. What we need to understand it that God sees in us gifts and skills that we may not readily see in ourselves, and God seeks to use those skills to serve God’s will. The tasks we find ourselves doing may be small or large, may cause us little discomfort or force us to completely change our way of life. Whatever the case, God’s people must always “expect the unexpected.” That may seem difficult during Advent when we think we know pretty well what is going on, but if we are really listening, really paying attention, then we will learn all sorts of things about God, about ourselves, and about the world around us.

Advent is a time for expectations, some of which are very unexpected. Be ready.

Prayer: Lord, keep us focused on what you are doing in our world, and give us the strength to respond when you call. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Healthy Diet of Understanding

Jeremiah 3:6-18

In one way or another each of the readings for today deals with the problem of human sinfulness, but I find a verse in Jeremiah to be especially timely for the season of Lent. God tells the prophet, “I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15). There is a lot to deal with in this short verse. The word shepherds in this case refers to kings or rulers. That a ruler would be “after (God’s) own heart” indicates that they are faithful to God’s will. But God says these rulers will “feed you (the people) with knowledge and understanding,” and that’s the part that I find helpful today.

According to the gospel of Matthew, after Jesus had fasted for 40 days in the wilderness he was famished. Then the devil challenged him to turn stones to bread so that he might have food to eat. Jesus replied, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). This is a direct quote from Deuteronomy 8:3, a reference to the manna on which the people fed during the Exodus. The manna was real, a sign of God’s grace. But it pointed to the need to trust God and to listen for God’s word each and every day. One may be well-fed physically, but starved spiritually. In replying to the devil Jesus make the point that spiritual food is every bit as important to a healthy life as bread. Which brings us back to Jeremiah. The rulers of Judah and Israel had not attended to the spiritual needs of the people, had not led them to lives of faithful obedience to God. The people were starving from a lack of “knowledge and understanding.” God promised to change that.

The season of Lent reminds us of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. At this time of year it is important to examine our spiritual “diet,” to be as attentive to it as we are to what we eat. Without the “knowledge and understanding” of God’s word we are left malnourished and unable to live as we should. I challenge us all to be aware of what we consume spiritually so that we may live with faith and trust in God and in love and patience with one another. Bread alone won’t do it. We need God’s word as well.

Prayer: Lord, feed us with your word so that we may do your will. Amen.