Matthew 9:9-13

“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.”    vs. 9 

There is a painting in the Contarelli Chapel in Rome by the Italian master, Caravaggio, called “The Calling of St Matthew.” It shows Jesus, having entered a room, standing and pointing with an outstretched arm at one of five shadowy figures sitting at a table counting money. The man, startled, his face lit by a shaft of light, is staring back at Jesus with his finger pointed at himself, as if to ask the question, “Me?”

It’s a powerful portrayal of that moment when Jesus broke every standard of Jewish pietistic behavior by choosing one labelled as unclean to be one of his closest disciples. And the outrage didn’t end there. The immediate consequence of the call occurred when a whole crowd of tax-collectors and sinners then joined Jesus for dinner, presumably at Matthew’s house. All of the religious people in town were outraged.

That kind of hypocrisy continues to haunt those who walk in the way of Jesus. Religious people are watching our associations carefully, and if we hang out with those labelled as being unclean we could be called out as being a “friend of sinners.” Of course those who are serious about their call to be a disciple will consider such charges as being a badge of honor. That’s exactly what was said about Jesus and is a reminder that he loved those whom his culture despised.

Thought for the Day: Who are the “unclean” of our day?

Romans 4:18-25

“It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.” vss. 24-25

For Paul, Abraham and Sarah’s faith experience wasn’t just a bit of Israel’s history, it actually demonstrated the nature of God’s gracious love. Paul told the Romans that the old story was for them too, and that it showed the blessings that came with faith. For a people caught up in the confusion and turmoil of first century Rome, this was good news. Trusting that Jesus had been raised from the dead not only meant that they had hope for the future, but that they also had forgiveness of sins. It was a full package!

A lot of time has passed since Paul wrote these words, but they still have the ring of truth. Many things have changed, new ideas have expanded human knowledge, but humans still struggle with brokenness and worry about the future. We still need a faith that addresses both our past and our future.

Now there are multitudes of belief systems that aspire to bring the healing we crave. Answers to our deepest needs abound! But even now there’s something precious about the simplicity of Paul’s declaration. Not only is it rooted in history, it has stood the test of time. And most important of all, it works! Those who trust that in Jesus there is life and salvation have persistent and life-long serenity. And who could want for anything more?

Thought for the Day: How persistent is my serenity?

Romans 4:13-17

“For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” vs. 13

Paul loved the story of Abraham and Sarah, the two old folks who had been promised an impossible son. In his understanding this tale turned the message of the Torah upside down and opened the way for a revolutionary understanding of God’s grace. Humanity’s relationship to God was not dependent on the Law or our obedience to it. Instead, all of salvation rested on God’s mercy and steadfast love. 

Abraham and Sarah had done nothing to deserve the inheritance that was given them. All they had done was grow old, and they hadn’t even done that in any particularly admirable fashion. But they did believe in God’s promise, and in the end it was their faith that bore fruit.

It’s that same promise that sustains us in our lifelong faithfulness to the good news of God that has come to us through Jesus. While most of us at least make some attempt at living an exemplary life, we are well aware that we will likely fall woefully short. But faith is something we can hang on to through thick and thin–it can even survive times of doubt and inaction. And when crunch time comes, and we turn again to that persistent trust, it will be there to give us the peace that surpasses all understanding! Praise God!

Thought for the Day: How has my faith ebbed and flowed?

Psalms 50:7-15

“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall honour me.” vs. 15

This psalmist, like a prophet, has a word from the Lord for the people of Israel. They had believed that their sacrifices and burnt offerings would make their needs known to the Lord, that the rituals were the key to their divine relationship. But the psalmist tells them that since all things already belong to God, the Lord has no need of what they offered.

 In fact, the psalmist assures them, all God wants is their thanksgiving and a promise to be faithful. They too belonged to God; they were God’s people, and in the day of trouble they should be sure to ask for help. God would not be deaf to their pleas and would deliver them, no questions asked!

It’s this kind of relationship to the Divine that Joseph Scriven was thinking of in the second verse of his poem, Pray without Ceasing, familiar to us as the hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus: “Have we trials and temptations, is there trouble anywhere, we should never be discouraged, take to the Lord in prayer. O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.” 

This psalmist would surely agree with Scriven. God is our greatest help in the day of trouble.

Thought for the Day: When has prayer given me peace?

Hosea 6:4-6

“What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early…For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice…” vss. 4, 6a

According to Hosea these two puny countries, constantly at war and caught up in foreign intrigues, have driven the Lord as far as the Lord could be pushed. They claim to love God but their love is a charade, a morning cloud that dissipates before noon. They take great pains to offer proper sacrifices but the Lord has no interest in burnt offerings. What the Lord wants is steadfast love.

About the same time Hosea’s fellow prophet, Micah, voiced the same concern in addressing the nation: “And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” It doesn’t take much imagination to figure out what either of these prophets would have to say to us. Sometimes we imagine that God doesn’t much care what countries do, that all God cares about is the individual and personal morality. Nothing is further from the truth. 

Jesus made that clear in Matthew 25 with his parable regarding the least of these, and what we should do for them. In that story it’s the nations that are being addressed by the king. It’s the nations who are called out to care for the hungry and the naked. And it’s in our caring that we too will show steadfast love to God!

Thought for the Day: How does our nation show steadfast love?

Hosea 5:15-6:3

“Come, let us return to the Lord; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up.” vs. 1 

Hosea was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the 8th century B.C.E. It was a time of turmoil and intrigue, with Israel having allied itself with Syria against Judah. While both Israel and Judah claimed a connection to the Lord, neither seems to have taken that relationship seriously. Both countries dabbled in the worship of Baal, one of the favorite idols of that region.

At this point Israel, having experienced defeat in battle, expresses an interest in returning to the Lord, presumably because the Lord would bring healing and reconciliation. For Hosea this was a problem because the people had never expressed any remorse or guilt for their actions.They didn’t seem to realize that the Lord required repentance before there could be healing.

It’s not uncommon for a nation to turn to God when times are difficult. We see this in our own country as our foundations seem to be cracking and on the verge of collapse. We would like very much for God to make us whole, but we’re not as willing to acknowledge those areas in which we’ve gone astray. Even though we will confess that there is a need for repentance, we’re more likely to think that it’s others who need to do the changing. And if Hosea is right, without honest confession, there is little likelihood of healing!

Thought for the Day: How can our country be healed?

Matthew 28:19-20

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”  vss. 19-20a

Each of the gospels, with the exception of Mark, have a closing statement by Jesus about their call to continue his mission in all the world. Matthew’s final word from Jesus is called the Great Commission, and leaves no doubt about his intentions. It’s not complicated, the disciples were enjoined to go and call people  to become followers of Jesus through a two step process, baptism and teaching.

And that’s what they did!  And while at first it was a struggle, and any number of obstacles had to be overcome, we ha the Great Commission had remarkable results, and after 2000 years, the number of believers in all the nations now numbers over 2 billion. Even now the Church continues to grow, with thousands of adherents being added every year, particularly in the global South.

With that kind of a presence in the world it would be tempting to think that most people everywhere are living according to the teachings of Jesus. Sadly that isn’t the case, and one of the major challenges for the modern church is reformation. Too many of the baptized fail to make a connection between their profession of faith and the way they live. Instead of loving their neighbor they’ve become obsessed with wealth and possessions. It’s a sad, sad story!

Thought for the Day: How can the Church be reformed?

Matthew 28:16-17

“When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” vs. 17

According to Matthew Jesus had instructed Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to tell the disciples that he had risen and  would meet them in Galilee. And even though it’s likely that the disciples were skeptical of the women’s story, Matthew tells us they did go. And sure enough Jesus met them on the mountain just as he said he would. They responded by worshipping him, probably bowing down before him, but then Matthew adds this interesting tidbit, “some doubted.” 

It’s almost as though the resurrection of Jesus wasn’t as clear cut as we might think it was. There was something about his appearance there on the mountain that made them wonder. Perhaps they had, like us, learned from experience that if something is too good to be true, it probably isn’t! But still in spite of their doubts they did worship him. 

In that respect they weren’t unlike ourselves. Many of us regularly worship and in the last couple of months we’ve heard many scriptures and sermons related to the resurrection of Jesus. And probably some have been sitting there worshipping while also entertaining doubts of all kinds. Can something so wonderful really be true? 

If that’s the case it’s good news to know that some of the disciples felt the same way. Jesus didn’t scold them, he gave them a mission–and that’s what he does with us. Doubters evidently can be effective witnesses too!

Thought for the Day: What do I do with my doubts during worship?

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” vs. 13

The closing of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians is familiar to many of us, even if we didn’t know that it was a bible verse. We hear these words frequently in worship, and they’re a reminder of the Trinitarian emphasis that has been a part of the Church’s teaching from the beginning. While early leaders didn’t use the complex theological terms that later generations put into play at the ecumenical councils of the Fourth Century, they had discovered that when we talk about the Divine Presence it’s natural to use words that reflect a Trinitarian experience of God.

The great thing about a simple verse like this is that it sums up all the important parts of our faith. As believers we are gathered into community by the Holy Spirit to celebrate the grace that is ours in Jesus Christ and bask in the unconditional love of God that holds all things together.

We only run into problems and disagreement when we start arguing about the intricacies of  the connections between these three Persons. Sometimes the contentions have gotten so intense that large portions of the Church have separated from one another.

Some of the difficulty has come because we think the Trinity is something to be believed in, and not just  experienced, and that’s just wrong! The Trinity is a description of our salvation and deserves to be celebrated, and not argued about.

Thought for the Day: How do I experience the Trinity?

Psalm 8:5-9

“You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet…” vs. 6

The psalmist was mindful of the ultimate insignificance of humans in the universe, yet he also believed that they had a significant place among created beings. They had been given the responsibility of dominion over the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea. In other words, the stewardship of the earth and its creatures was a human responsibility.

However we might agree or disagree with the psalmist’s assertion, there is no doubt that humans have an outsized responsibility for the care of the earth. The things that we have done and continue to do have a profound effect on the well-being of our planet and the future of human existence.

Unfortunately, we have been much more interested in extracting wealth from creation than in taking care of it. We have accelerated the extinction of species, polluted the seas, ravaged the landscape in search of treasure, and threatened delicate climatic balances. When given a choice between more riches and environmental concerns we regularly choose wealth. 

Sadly, even though we know the consequences of our current practices, there is little will to do the things that will make a difference. The love of money is driving us to the edge of disaster, and no one knows if faithful stewards can save the day.

Thought for the Day: What is a faithful steward?