Matthew 13:36-43

“Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.” vs. 40

While the parable of the weeds and the wheat could be considered difficult and problematic, the interpretation offered later in the chapter is even more challenging. The dualism is unmistakable and a strong distinction is made between righteous and wicked people. The righteous will shine in the kingdom of their father and the wicked will be burned up in a fiery furnace.

It’s hard for anyone to find even a hint of grace in this allegorical interpretation, and many called to preach on this text will just skip it altogether. But it doesn’t seem right to skip over passages from the gospel just because they are harsh and offensive. These hard words need to be taken seriously, and it could be that they reflect a message that early Christians needed to hear. And perhaps it’s one we need to hear as well!

One of the persistent difficulties for those who are in the Church is a certain lackadaisical attitude that pops up in our communities of grace. We stop being concerned about behaviors! We imagine that anything goes! And that’s just not true! So it may not be that we’ll be thrown into hell, but we can be confident that there will be consequences for our careless and godless living. And we see this all the time! There are limits to egregious behavior!

Thought for the Day: When have my behaviors crossed the line?

Matthew 13:24-30

“But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest;’” vss. 29-30a

Those who believe that God is going to deal with the problem of wickedness in the world by gathering the wicked on the last day and casting them into the flames of hell, love this parable. Since they presumably assume that they are the good seed, it must give them some measure of comfort to know that bad folks are one day going to get what’s coming to them. Unfortunately, that’s not what this parable is about.

 The story in fact argues against judgment, basically because the servants would destroy the wheat if they tried to pull the weeds. It reflects a dualistic view of the world that doesn’t correspond to reality. The truth is that this world is good and broken, something that is readily apparent to us when we look at ourselves and the people we encounter on a daily basis. Trying to separate the good from the broken is impossible and totally destructive. 

We deal with the brokenness both in ourselves and in others with healing and forgiveness and a heavy reliance on grace. That’s the Jesus way and it lies at the core of the gospel. We gain nothing with a black or white, right or wrong attitude as we follow Jesus. While some find satisfaction in declaring their enemies to be bound for hell, that kind of judgment is foreign to a Christ-centered life.

Thought for the Day: What sorts of people am I most likely to judge?

Romans 8:18-25

“For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” vss. 24-25

The longer we live the more likely it is that we will experience the deaths of friends and family members. And when that happens we are always grateful to be able to offer words of comfort to those who grieve. And when the comforting words are directed to us, it feels good to know that others understand the pain of loss.

It’s natural in those moments for our minds to be drawn to consideration of our own future. We begin to wonder how many years we have left and what our endings will be like. And we may even begin to think about the shape of the new life that is our hope in Christ Jesus.

There are those who love to speculate on the nature of that life. They’d really like to know what happens as they “pass away” and “pass through” the pearly gates. We’d like our hope to have substance!

But Paul told the Romans that hope that is seen is not hope. In Christ our future is secure but there’s just no way for us to know what it is like! Our hope is to patiently wait, confident that whatever the new life is like, it’s going to bring perfect peace. In other words, it will be worth the wait!

Thought for the Day: What do I wonder about the future?

Romans 8:12-17

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption.” vs. 15

When Jesus spoke to his disciples after his resurrection, the first words out of his mouth were, “Do not be afraid.” In fact they’d heard that phrase regularly from him throughout his ministry. Whatever situation they were in he wanted them to know that everything was going to be okay, that all would be well. Paul obviously had picked up that little bit of good news from Jesus and here he reminds his Roman readers that those who are in Christ have no reason to fear. They are no longer the slaves of sin but the adopted children of God.

Still, it’s easier to say those things than it is to believe them. We live in troubled times when our leaders like nothing better than making us feel afraid. Bit by bit we are being taught to fear everyone and everything, especially those who are different! Now that the campaign season is open, we are being fed a steady diet of carefully crafted scary political ads. We might recognize them as falsehoods and caricatures but they’re still troublesome.

Now is the time for us as adopted children of God to gird up our loins and refuse to be afraid. Of course bad things will happen. That’s inevitable in a broken world, but that’s no reason for us to stop trusting in God’s goodness. All will be well!  Jesus said so, and so it will be!

Thought for the Day: Why are political ads so negative?

Psalm 86:14-17

“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” vs. 15

Sometimes it’s hard to know how we could get so messed up in the way we think about God. Admittedly there are some verses in our scriptures that can be misleading or easily misinterpreted, but for the most part the testimony of the prophets and of Jesus echoes the teaching of this anonymous psalmist. Troubled and paranoid as he may have been, he had total confidence in the goodness of the Lord.

This is total good news–in fact, probably the best news ever. And it’s not just a blessing to those who are nearing the end of life, this is what we need to hear in every stage of our journey. And it’s especially good to hear at those times when we’ve wandered from the Way and our inner voices are taking pot shots at us. When we’re feeling discouraged or guilty about what has been happening, there’s nothing better than knowing that the real God has infinite patience. Forgiveness and fresh starts are right up God’s alley and we are never abandoned, even when we’ve screwed up royally!

In fact, when we finally decide to stop messing around and get back on track again, it never hurts to adopt a bit of God’s nature in our relationships with family and friends. They would probably appreciate a little steadfast love and mercy from us too. A little bit of grace can go a long, long way!

Thought for the Day: What happens when I begin to become angry?

Psalm 86:11-13

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.” vs. 11

The psalmist was aware that there was a way to live and that it was connected to God’s truth. The trick was to figure out exactly what that truth was. Indeed, that’s been the mystery of the ages, and humans have concocted a multitude of religions that purport to shine light on that path. Even now there are millions of people scrambling from one influencer to another in an effort to discover a reliable way to choose among the options.

Of course we’re not the first to struggle with finding our way in the world. That was one of the big questions that the disciples posed to Jesus. His answer, recorded by the gospel writer, John, was quite concise. He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light. No one comes to the Father except by me.” Evidently that answer was satisfying to the disciples because it wasn’t long after the resurrection that people began referring to the followers of Jesus as people of the Way.

And that’s still a good answer! It’s uncomplicated and a great guide to the joys of the Kingdom. To walk with an undivided heart in the Way of Jesus in all of its gentleness and humility is the best way to know peace and serenity in our daily living.

Thought for the Day: What does it mean to have an undivided heart?

Isaiah 44:6-8

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” vs. 6

As the prophet brought the word of the Lord to the exiles in Babylon, he was well aware that there was an abundance of visible gods for the people to choose among. There was a well established pantheon of deities with Marduk as their chief. Temples for worship were everywhere and statues of the gods proliferated, some even fashioned for use in the home.

But the Israelites, for the most part, were resistant to the influence of those gods, primarily because the prophets kept reminding them that their God was infinitely superior. Their allegiance is remarkable, especially when we consider that the Lord was invisible and was not represented by any object of wood, bronze, or clay. They worshipped a god who no one could see–and their faith was unshakable.

As followers of Jesus we have those same convictions. While it is true that some churches have statues of Mary, Jesus, and the apostles, these are not our gods. Like Jesus we worship the God who is first and last, the alpha and omega of all that exists. In fact Jesus tells us that God is unknowable, that God’s presence is greater than we can possibly understand.

Jesus also told us that the essence of God is love, and that is our consolation. Because in the crunch love is how we can experience God. And ultimately, that’s all we need.

Thought for the Day: Where do I experience Love?

Matthew 13:18-23

“But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” vs. 23

We don’t know if Jesus was thinking of himself as he told the parable of the sower, but it is likely that the story reflected his experience in the course of his teaching ministry. And his point in telling the story to his disciples was to provide encouragement. He doesn’t want them to get discouraged by the mixed response to the preaching of the word. 

And when we think of it, the parable really is hopeful. The seed that fell on good soil yielded a harvest that was far beyond expectations. And that’s exactly what happened after the resurrection of Jesus when preachers began to proclaim the good news all over the Roman Empire. Not everyone welcomed or even understood the message, but before long there were pockets of believers from Spain to India, and thousands of people from every tribe and nation were incorporated into the Body of Christ.

That’s important for us to remember in our little communities of faith. Sometimes we get obsessed by numbers and wonder why our evangelism isn’t more effective. Instead of worrying about such nonsense we should focus on the soil, and be sure that all the basic nutrients are being provided. Jesus promises that where there is good soil, there will also be fruit in abundance.

Thought for the Day: What kind of soil is present in my congregation?

Matthew 13:1-9

“And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up…’” vss. 3-4

Jesus didn’t lack for crowds in the course of his Galilean ministry. Wherever he went people gathered, and he taught them many things, often in the form of parables. The one about the sower is familiar and shows how he felt about those he was teaching. Jesus was no fool and he knew perfectly well that most of the people would be untouched by what he said. Only about a quarter of them would produce fruit in abundance! The rest might be moved for the moment, but his wisdom would have no lasting effect.

Those percentages continue to describe the reaction of people to gospel preaching and teaching. While situations vary, most pastors know that their sermons will have little effect on most of the people in their congregations. About a quarter of them seldom even gather for worship–they never even hear the words that have been so carefully crafted for their benefit. And distractions abound for the rest of the folks. Some are caught up in the cares of the world, while others have been spoiled by television preachers with more interesting messages. 

But pastors keep on preaching! Like Jesus they know that some of their words will strike fertile soil and that the gospel will be heard. Through the work of the Holy Spirit the seed sprouts and the harvest is great.

Thought for the Day: When do sermons produce fruit in me?

Romans 8:9-11

“But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”  vs. 10

Just because we are believers doesn’t mean that life is going to be a bed of roses for us. In fact some of the most faithful people are also subject to regular battles with depression. They do their best to cope and paste smiles on their faces to show others that they are just fine, but inside they feel dead. Sometimes there are physiological reasons for their depressed moods and it’s good when helpful medication can be prescribed and taken. It does make a difference!

But sometimes we’re just sad inside and we aren’t quite sure why. We have the sense that if Christ is in us that those moments won’t come, but that’s not true. After all we live in a broken world and sometimes the sound of that brokenness overwhelms the voice of goodness in our heads. We certainly don’t like those times but they do come. So what can we do?

It’s likely that each person will have to find their own way–prayer and meditation can be helpful–but somehow it’s simply a matter of reconnecting with God’ s love and remembering that life is communal. Often the community, whichever one it is, can lift us up and draw us out, and we rediscover the ancient truth that together we are better! 

Thought for the Day: How have I been uplifted by my community?