Hebrews 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,” vs. 1”

Since golf had not yet been invented, the writers of the New Testament were unable to use golf metaphors to describe the life that believers have in Christ. But the writer of Hebrews likely did know about the Olympics and couldn’t resist using the image of running as he encouraged his readers to persevere on their journeys of faith. Life is like a race, not in the sense that we’re trying to beat anyone to the finish line, but because it takes a certain amount of dogged determination just to avoid the obstacles and complete the course. In a race, it helps when there is a crowd of spectators who offer encouragement from the stands, and here we are reminded that we have that kind of backing from those who have run before us. This great cloud of witnesses is the Church Triumphant, and all those loved ones now resting in peace are cheering us on. And if that image doesn’t capture our imagination our writer tells us to remember that Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, has run the course before us. Even when the metaphors fall short, it’s helpful to know that as we follow the way blazed by Jesus we’ll one day receive our crown of glory.

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite metaphor for life?

Psalm 71:1-14

“Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.” vs. 9

For a lot of folks life can roll along pretty smoothly for a long time. Oh, there are the usual bumps and bruises, and maybe even a few detours along the way. But as the years pass, the usual pattern is followed: there’s perhaps marriage, maybe a couple of kids or more, a solid job with benefits, for some a loving congregation, and of course, good health. We can live a life like that without even thinking very much about it. One day follows another and then all of a sudden, we’re all grown up! And so are our children! And the health and vigor that we’d so taken for granted can begin to slip away. We fight it, of course we do, and enroll in yoga and fitness classes, keep track of daily steps, and kid ourselves into believing that we’ve entered the “golden years.” And then one day, with balding heads and graying hair, we start having a tough time getting out of our recliners, and whether we like it or not, we’ve grown old! And like the psalmist, out of the confines of our senior living communities, we make a final plea to God. “Do not cast me off…do not forsake me when my strength is spent.” And God says, “Don’t fret, my faithful child, I heard your borning cry. I was there in your beginning, I’ll be there at your end!”

Thought for the Day: At what point does a person grow old?

Isaiah 42:1-9

“He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” vss. 2-3

Isaiah’s descriptions of the Servant have been an inspiration to people of faith for centuries. While he likely intended them to refer to Israel’s mission and purpose as the called people of God, they obviously impacted Jesus’ understanding of his mission, and have been adopted as a standard by his followers ever since. Isaiah’s words quite simply cannot be improved upon–the imagery is obvious. “A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench.” The description exudes gentleness. It’s the Christ-like life in a nutshell. Those who are servants of the Most High will tenderly care for the broken and the hurting, and offer listening ears to people on the fringes. There will be no bombastic declarations or thundering denunciations. There’ll be no need for public demonstrations or political power plays. Instead the servant will offer direct care out of sight with subtle reminders and quiet encouragement. There’ll be fervent prayers and personal modeling of the godly life. Even now, outside the scrutiny of reporters and pundits, there are millions of people on earth who are doing this behind-the-scenes work to bring justice and peace. Praise God for those servants who are making Isaiah’s Servant incarnate! They are the hope of the world!

Thought for the Day: Where have I met such servants?

Matthew 27:33-54

“And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” vs. 46

For some people this saying of Jesus from the cross is arguably the most reassuring and hopeful thing that he ever said. For in these few words Matthew lets us know that Jesus was fully human and at the tortuous end of his life felt totally alienated from God. He felt forsaken–and those feelings are not foreign to his followers. If at times in our lives there are occasions when we feel alienated and deserted, somehow it makes us feel better to know that Jesus knows exactly what’s going on. He’s walked this rocky road before us! In fact some people of faith have reported that these are the moments when they felt closest to him–as they cried out in despair to God they realized that Jesus had done exactly the same thing, and he became their companion in their despair. It would be nice if life was not like this and we could live in a pollyanna world where brokenness was unknown and pain was a stranger. But that’s not how it is! Death shadows us through our entire lives, it comes for friends and family, and one day it will come for us. And if we feel forsaken, we’re not alone. And the better news is that on that day, when we’re feeling the pain of Good Friday, we can know in our hearts that Easter is just around the corner.

Thought for the Day: When might we feel forsaken by God?

Matthew 27:26-32

“After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.” vs. 31

Crucifixion, while seldom used to execute Roman citizens, was regularly used by Rome in occupied provinces to maintain order and punish criminals. Pilate’s soldiers would have been accustomed to the practice–for them it was all a part of their day’s work. And the more cruel their behavior, the better it was–they likely delighted in torturing their victims. That delight comes from deep inside, and it’s not limited to folks who lived a long time ago. We see it now in  war zones and in the horrible bullying that goes on via our social media. The thin veneer of civility is quickly breached when there are opportunities to brutalize the weak and inflict pain on the helpless. And too often the violence moves beyond words to deeds, and we’re dumbfounded at the resulting cruelty. We even wonder if such sadism is hard-wired into our DNA, and that this is the way humans will always behave. But people of faith know that such behaviors are incompatible with our life in Christ. Our Lord Jesus was a victim and not a perpetrator, and it’s in him that we can find the will and the power to love our enemies and do good to those who abuse us. The contrast between his way and the way of the world is staggering–and there’s no doubt about where his followers should stand!

Thought for the Day: When have I encountered cruelty in myself or others?

Matthew 27:1-25

“Then he asked, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’” vs. 23

According to Matthew the chief priests and the elders were not able to convince Pilate that Jesus deserved the death penalty. The case they had presented was full of half-truths and malicious gossip and Pilate believed that they were motivated primarily by jealousy. But they had convinced the crowd, and ultimately that was enough. It’s still easy to stir people up with well crafted lies and inflammatory rhetoric. All around the world we see crowds being used to shape reality and subvert the truth. Preachers and politicians alike delight in getting folks worked up about one thing or another. Logic and reasoned discourse are abandoned in favor of catchy phrases and shouted sloganeering. “Let him be crucified,” was the cry of the people in the streets of Jerusalem, and even the Roman governor was helpless before that repeated refrain. It’s likely that some of those who had shouted “Hosanna” just a few days before were now clamoring for Jesus’ death. And if we’d been there, there’s a good chance we would have joined the chorus. That’s the scary thing about all of this. History tells us that the perpetrators of some of the greatest evils were ordinary folks just doing what everyone else was doing! It takes real courage to stand against a mob–and like Pilate, many just don’t have it!

Thought for the Day: Why are crowds so easily duped? 

Matthew 21:1-11

“The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” vs. 9 

Everyone loves a parade, and the crowd of pilgrims from Galilee, who had gotten to know Jesus on the journey to Jerusalem for the Passover were no exception. When they moved down the steep slope from the Mount of Olives, through the Kidron Valley they were more than willing to throw the first century equivalent of a ticker tape parade. Waving palm branches and shouting praises they were celebrating the arrival of the new king. Of course everyone would have recognized the symbolism of the donkey–this would be a humble, servant king, and that was the problem. While people say that they’d love it if their rulers were humble, in reality we’ve come to prefer alpha leaders, men and women who lord it over us and tell us what to do. Most folks admire toughness and not humility and servants are expected to obey and stay out of sight. But Jesus came riding on a donkey and called his followers to be a kingdom of servants, and oh how the world is blessed when we actually behave in accordance with our calling. No matter what our gift or position, whether we’re bishops or acolytes, we are called to first of all look for ways to serve the Body and the world.

Thought for the Day: How do I choose where I serve?

Philippians 2:5-11

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.” vss. 5-7

According to Paul those who wish to live a Christlike life will begin by emptying themselves, i.e. giving up on any notion of glory or grandeur and simply being the beautiful creatures that God has created them to be. One of the great truths of human existence is that those who aspire to be more than what they are will end up being less than what they could have been. Only in humility do we discover our true selves and become the Christlike servants that we have been called to be. This doesn’t mean settling for mediocrity as we make our way through life–in fact as followers of Jesus we will hone and polish those gifts which are ours, and then use those gifts to serve in a multitude of ways. But there will never be any bragging or boasting about personal achievements or exploits. That’s just not the way of Christ! We should never imagine that such self-emptying is easy. It takes great discipline to lay aside ambition and allow the self to drain away, but when self is replaced by the mind of Christ, we are transformed and the world is never the same.

Thought for the Day: What’s it like to have the mind of Christ?

Philippians 2:5-11

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.” vss. 5-7

According to Paul those who wish to live a Christlike life will begin by emptying themselves, i.e. giving up on any notion of glory or grandeur and simply being the beautiful creatures that God has created them to be. One of the great truths of human existence is that those who aspire to be more than what they are will end up being less than what they could have been. Only in humility do we discover our true selves and become the Christlike servants that we have been called to be. This doesn’t mean settling for mediocrity as we make our way through life–in fact as followers of Jesus we will hone and polish those gifts which are ours, and then use those gifts to serve in a multitude of ways. But there will never be any bragging or boasting about personal achievements or exploits. That’s just not the way of Christ! We should never imagine that such self-emptying is easy. It takes great discipline to lay aside ambition and allow the self to drain away, but when self is replaced by the mind of Christ, we are transformed and the world is never the same.

Thought for the Day: What’s it like to have the mind of Christ?

Psalm 31:9-16

“I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel… Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.” vss. 12, 16

As our lives continue through their varied stages we are aware of death’s presence. Friends and family members pass away along with many acquaintances. If we live long enough we will have the opportunity to attend a significant number of funerals and memorial services. And sooner or later we discover that some of those folks have completely disappeared from our memories. Sometimes we’re hard-pressed even to remember names. The psalmist knew this and believes in his despair that he is already numbered among the forgotten ones, that he no longer has any significance or worth in the land of the living. Some of us can identify with that feeling and may believe that we are as good as dead in the eyes of the world. That kind of existential loneliness is difficult to combat because in our hearts we know that it’s essentially true. How good it is when we have solid faith and good friends who can assure us of their steadfast love until we breathe our last. The psalmist relied on God’s love in his time of misery–it’s what kept him going when he felt alone. We need that too. There is consolation in the knowledge that God’s eye is on the sparrow, and God always watches over us.

Thought for the Day: When do I get discouraged?