John 9:17-27

“He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’” vs. 25

The man who had been born blind had a simple testimony for the religious leaders who were questioning him. He didn’t know about the intricacies of their polemic against Jesus. All he did know was that once he had been blind but now he could see, and that was enough for him. In his book Jesus had to have been the very presence of God, and he really didn’t care what detractors said about him. That’s kind of still the way it is with us. Experience counts more than anything else as we make our life choices. When we have felt the nearness of God, and have been touched by God’s love, we don’t need a fancy philosophy or a carefully honed argument to become a believer. And that’s how we evaluate people too! When someone brings love and healing into our lives, whether by a word or by a smile, we are touched deeply, and an attachment is made. And we really don’t care whether that person is a sinner or not. If others speak poorly of them, we will likely become their greatest defender. As they have done for us, we will do for them. Can we be fooled and manipulated? Of course, that’s always a risk in relationships, But when we’ve been treated kindly and our lives have been changed for the better, a bond is established that is not easily broken.

Thought for the Day: How do people grab my heart?

John 9:8-16

“Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided.” vs. 16

The blind man must have cleaned up pretty well. When he returned from washing in the pool of Siloam many of his neighbors didn’t recognize him. His new found sight had made him a different person and the whole neighborhood was perplexed; so they brought him to the Pharisees, their religious leaders. Upon arrival they were amazed to discover that, while their friend and neighbor could now see, the Pharisees had gone blind! Because the healing had taken place on the Sabbath, a day on which doctors were forbidden to work, those pious keepers of the Law refused to believe that it had taken place. Their allegiance to rules and regulations had made it impossible for them to see grace, even when it was standing right in front of them. That kind of blindness continues to afflict religious folks of every stripe. They have such strong convictions about right and wrong that they can’t conceive that God’s Holy Spirit works in a variety of ways with all manner of sinners. It must be awful to have that kind of astigmatism, that prejudiced perspective that causes us to write off whole categories of people without a second thought. God is doing marvelous things in our world, barriers are being broken down, the blind are being healed–and some folks can’t even see the miracle!

Thought for the Day: Where have I seen blindness in the Church?

John 9:1-7

“As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’” vss. 1-2

It was natural for the disciples to have questions about the blind man. In their world a person blind from birth would be an anomaly, and they wanted to know how and why things like this occurred. There had to be a cause, and they strongly believed that it had something to do with sin. We often jump to similar conclusions about people who experience misfortune in their lives. We assume that their plight has something to do with their prior behavior or from poor parenting. Sadly, in some circles mothers often get the blame for the way their children turn out. For many, finding fault in others is often a favorite topic of conversation. They love speculating about reasons for addictions or behaviors. And of course sometimes there are discernible causes for the ugly things that happen–behaviors do have consequences. But Jesus doesn’t seem to have been interested in assessing blame when he encountered hurting people. Instead he offered compassion and healing. It was an opportunity for him to glorify God through service and love. His attitude reminds believers that it is far more important to talk to suffering people than about them. When people hurt they’re looking for support and love; they don’t need our speculation about their failures.

Thought for the Day: Why are mothers often made into scapegoats?

Ephesians 5:8-14

“For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.” vss. 8-9

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said to his disciples, “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works, and give glory to God.” That theme dominated the faith and practice of the early church and continues to be the central calling of those who call themselves servants of Jesus. We are called to be different, people of the highest moral character, and models of the godly life. It’s not that we’re more loved by God or that we no longer sin, but there will be a discernible difference in the way we live. There are many who ridicule those qualities and who prefer to walk in the ways of immorality and licentiousness. Their immodest and profane ways attract attention and have even become the accepted standards of popular culture. In fact many idols of the sports and entertainment world have chosen to follow paths of darkness and have become powerful influencers. What a blessing it is when we see public figures who walk as children of light, who have a moral compass, and who live as people of goodness and truth! It warms our hearts to see their smiles and obvious love. In them the light of Christ shines brightly and the world becomes a better place.

Thought for the Day: Celebrities who warm our hearts!

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.” vss. 1-3

When Samuel’s one-person pastoral search committee led him to select the boy-shepherd, David, as the next king of Israel, he established a job description for godly leaders that will persist for all time. The prophets regularly described the kings of Israel as shepherds and castigated them when they allowed the sheep to stray. When Jesus spoke of his mission he readily adopted the shepherding terminology and even called himself “the Good Shepherd.” The earliest artistic renderings of Jesus found on the walls of ancient catacombs show him as a shepherd carrying a sheep. The very word “pastor” comes from the Latin word for shepherd and implies that the role of a pastor in a congregation will involve shepherding the members. Indeed, that is what people are expecting when they call someone to be their pastor. Not only is it a calling with a long and storied history going back even beyond David, it mirrors the mission of Jesus and carries with it huge responsibilities. Obviously, no pastor can be perfect, but people do sense when their pastor has a shepherd’s heart. Huge blessings come to a congregation when their pastor is a servant leader and is a caring, compassionate, and gentle guide through the sunny and the shadowy days of life!

Thought for the Day: How have my pastors been a blessing to me?

1 Samuel 16:1-11

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” vs. 7

Anyone who has ever been called to serve on a congregation’s pastoral search committee can empathize with Samuel as he carried out the charge that the Lord had given him. Sometimes the search group has call documents from dozens of candidates that need to be sorted and ranked. And then the most promising are contacted for personal interviews via Zoom. The committee may then ask one or more finalists to come for a visit, an occasion for more questions and some observation of what might be called intangibles. It’s still not easy to make a final choice! Because as Samuel learned from the Lord, outward appearances can be deceptive. Some folks can interview extremely well and be physically attractive but they won’t be the best match for the congregation. And since the all-important intangibles are so hard to discern, it sometimes feels like all the search group can do is pray and hope. We don’t know the method Samuel used–the text makes it appear the Lord whispered in his ear. But he kept interviewing until the vibe was right–and against all odds David was chosen. What a blessing it is for congregations when search committees are given good candidates and are also able to discern the heart that matches their needs!

Thought for the Day: Why do search committees sometimes make poor choices?

John 4:27-42

“They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.’” vs. 42

Many of us have been believers since our childhoods. We learned the good news of Jesus from our parents and Sunday School teachers, and perhaps even in confirmation class. Those good people laid out credal definitions and we memorized a few bible verses, and by the time we were 16 we had a pretty good idea what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. But some are never able to make that faith their own. They can recite scriptures and parrot the catechism but the teachings don’t touch their hearts. They’ve learned what others believe, but they really haven’t figured out what they believe themselves. Often such persons appreciate the faith of their parents, but since it’s not their own, they like the idea of figuring things out for themselves. Sometimes, as many of us know all too well, they never return to the church. They like the freedom of exploration and rather like being unattached. Some even become cynics and skeptics. But not all! Occasionally like the people from that Samaritan village they discover for themselves what their parents have always known. The Spirit of Jesus blows into their lives and they become convinced of the truth of the gospel. And when they return to the church everyone sings songs of praise and joy. What belonged to another is now their own!

Thought for the Day: When did you make the gospel your own?

John 4:16-26

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.” vs. 23

It can be comforting to have a religion that we can rely on and most people will claim an affiliation to some established denomination or faith community. So when asked by census takers or screen door evangelists we can give a religious preference, even if we haven’t been in a place of worship for decades. Even in Jesus’ day people had answers for such questions and Jesus readily called himself a Jew. But in his conversation with the Samaritan woman he looked toward a time when such easy designations would be erased. Some day he says true worship will be done in spirit and in truth, thereby implying that believers will someday eschew identification with a religion or cult. Some people in recent years have followed up on that notion by calling themselves “spiritual but not religious.” On the surface that seems like an idea that Jesus would affirm, but what passes for spirituality in these days of trendy cliches, is often shallow and trite, an excuse for dropping out of organized religion, and that’s not what Jesus had in mind. He was instead inviting the woman into a personal relationship with himself, a deep connection with the water of life, and that will always include involvement with others in a community of faith. Believers are called into the Church, and not out of it!

Thought for the Day: Why do people say they are spiritual and not religious?

John 4:5-15

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ “ vs, 10

Water has enormous significance for people living in the southwest. Because of recent droughts our reservoirs are at an all time low and we’re all praying that this winter’s snows will provide at least a respite, even if they aren’t a long-term solution. We need water to live and many are even particular about the kind of water they drink. Some insist on bottled water while others seem to be content with tap water. All want it to be pure and free from harmful additives. Folks in Jesus’ day had similar concerns, though most were likely not so fussy as we are. The Samaritan woman was content with well water and didn’t know what to make of Jesus’ offer of “living water.”  She’d likely not heard of such a thing. But we know what he’s talking about. He’s not thinking of H20! Instead he has in mind the water of life, a spiritual refreshment that brings relief to our thirsting souls. Many suffer from internal weariness and fatigue. It’s a by-product of our fast-paced lives, and can only be relieved by regular visits to the fountain of living water that can be found through the Spirit of Jesus. In him the dryness of our souls is taken away and our inner being is refreshed.

Thought for the Day: Where do I find living water?

Romans 5:6-11

“But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.” vvs. 8-9

Sometimes it’s hard to understand how the death of Jesus fits into the whole scheme of salvation. We know what we’ve been taught, namely that the death of Jesus saves us from our sins, but we wonder how that could possibly be true. Because it’s confusing and hard to believe, many would like to find another way to understand salvation, one that does not require a dying Christ and the shedding of blood. And there are some options out there, ways of understanding Jesus that embrace him as a teacher and a model for the life of faith. The problem is that such scenarios don’t touch the problem of sin. Paul tells us that the death of Jesus was an act of love that changed the world. It may not make sense to us, but as the old hymn tells us, there is power in the blood. Forgiveness is more than a word of absolution, it is totally wrapped up in the self-giving love of Christ. We can hear that we are forgiven and respond with an “oh, isn’t that nice” attitude. But when we hear that a person died for us, that blood was shed on our behalf, we are overwhelmed with gratitude. If we ever succeed in eliminating the cross from faith, we will lose the gospel.

Thought for the Day: What is the power of blood?