Matthew 5:21-26

“You have heard that it was said…, ‘You shall not murder’; But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement…” vss. 20b-21a

Imagine how the religious leaders of Judaism felt as word of Jesus’ teaching ministry traveled through the country. They had spent their lives defending the Law of Moses as God’s blueprint for living, and Jesus in his very first public pronouncements made a claim for an authority beyond that of Moses. He tells the crowd that he has a new teaching, one that goes beyond rigid obedience to the Law, and introduces new standards for those who serve him. From now on everything will be focused on reconciliation and unity. Nothing will be more important than relationships within the community of faith. Not even anger should be permitted to drive a wedge between believers. It’s obvious that living the way Jesus described is a huge challenge. Most of us know how easy it is for anger to flare up and increase tensions both in households and in congregations. It’s impossible to avoid–but when it does occur Jesus challenges us to imagine and carry out strategies that address it. Every incident is to be followed by concrete steps to resolve the issue and restore harmony. Those who live in Christ will be quick both to apologize and forgive, and will regularly go the second mile in their effort to bring healing in relationships. It’s not a law, it’s just how living in the Spirit works!

Thought for the Day: When I am angry, what do I do?

1 Corinthians 3:5-9

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” vss. 6-7

Paul was a great church planter. Apollos was an eloquent preacher. Paul thought they were fellow servants in the work of the Lord, but the people thought they were competitors. The result was division in the community as the believers chose between them. Some of our congregations are having fun this Superbowl week by having worshippers choose between the Eagles and the Chiefs as part of their hunger offerings. In the proper context because most people are competitive by nature such contests can be a lot of fun. But as happened in Corinth, competitiveness in the church can have a demonic side too. Some pastors are intensely competitive and if they’re on a team they can easily be sucked into popularity contests with other leaders. Congregations compete for members and continually compare their giving and attendance statistics. It’s a way for one community of faith to claim superiority over another. We’re always looking for ways to show that we’re better than others, and the numbers game is the easiest way to figure out winners and losers. It might be okay to do that on the playing field or the golf course, but the church is the last place we need competition. After all, just like Paul and Apollos, we’re all on the same team.

Thought for the Day: Where have I seen competition in the church?

1 Corinthians 3:1-4

“I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh.” vss. 2-3a

Dr. Paul has a dietary diagnosis for symptoms being experienced by the the folks in Corinth–he says they’re not ready for the meat of the gospel. In fact he’s not even sure they’ve been able to handle the pablum he’s been so carefully doling out. They’ve been unable to digest the truth of his message, and the result has been division within the community. They have in essence mistaken the gospel for just another religion, and the party spirit has run wild. Believers are following the teachings of charismatic leaders who then compete with one another for adherents. These Corinthians had become the forerunners of the contemporary sheep stealing congregations that thrive as pastors have learned to refine their marketing strategies and sharpen their competitive skills. Paul insisted that believers were one body in Christ and that they should be known for servant leadership and cooperative mission. They are the Church of Christ and not the church of one or another beloved pastor. That is so hard for believers to grasp and to put into practice. We are not just another religion, and we’re not called to be religious. We have been called and are being molded by the Holy Spirit to produce spiritual fruits and be the Light of the world.

Thought for the Day: What does religious pablum taste like?

Psalm 119:1-8

“Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.” vs. 1

The psalmist obviously believed that it was possible to walk in the way of the Lord by keeping all of the law’s ordinances and commandments. He says that such persons would be blameless and receive the gift of happiness. While there are few people among us who are concerned about keeping all the precepts of the law, there are those who aspire to blameless living. It really is a worthy goal, and some of us may even have taken a crack at it in the course of our lives. If we have, we may have noticed that there are two possible outcomes for living blamelessly. One is that we will become insufferably self-righteous! We may have noticed such folks in our circle of acquaintances. They’re quick with words of advice and judgment and carry themselves with a kind of pharisaic arrogance. They’re not much fun to be around! We might even wonder if they’re really happy. The other outcome is daily disappointment in our attempts to live beyond reproach. Honesty compels us to admit that blameless living is impossible, but it needn’t lead to despair. Instead we learn to regularly embrace humility as our daily companion. We know such folks too. They’re a joy to be around, full of compassion and understanding, and in their fellowship we discover the kind of happiness that eludes the arrogant. Blameless living is wonderful, but grace-filled living is even better!

Thought for the Day: What keeps me from blameless living?

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

“Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him…” vss. 19b-20a

Our decision to respond to the love of God with obedience is a turning point in our lives, and is probably the most important choice we will ever make. It has a profound effect on all that we say or do for the rest of our lives. And not only will it touch our lives, it will also influence those who come after us. Our children and grandchildren, all of our descendents, become the inheritors of God’s promises. At least that’s what will happen if we bother to raise our children in the context of God’s love. It’s amazing to see how many parents who spend thousands of dollars on colleges do virtually nothing in caring for their children’s spiritual lives. They seem to have the notion that they are actually giving their children a gift by rearing them with no instruction in faith and no knowledge of their loving God. There’s an assumption that spiritual instruction is something they can pick up on their own when they’re older. Of course that seldom happens and the world quickly ensnares them with its confusing promises of wealth and privilege. Blessed are those families where children are instructed in faith and learn devotional practices. Of course even such persons wander off to see where demons dwell, but at least they know that God is merciful and full of compassion–and that means everything!

Thought for the Day: How does it go with my children?

Deuteronomy 30:15-18

“If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess.” vs. 16

People who live by grace are often puzzled by the conditional descriptions of God’s love that figure so prominently in our scriptures. There was no mystery about Israel’s relationship to the Lord! If they were obedient to the commandments, decrees, and ordinances of God they would be blessed. If they were disobedient they were told in no uncertain terms that they would be punished. Their decision was quite literally a matter of life or death. But, balancing that word from the law, Israel was also reminded regularly that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Taken together these two great truths seem to indicate that God’s love is both conditional and unconditional. And indeed, that’s the way it always is with love, whether it comes from the Lord or from a fellow human being. Love is mysterious and powerful and its dimensions exceed the limits of our understanding. It can be easily lost and impossible to lose, all at the same time, and we regularly experience both sides of that great paradox. And the good news is that in our relationship with God it always has the last word!

Thought for the Day: In what ways is love conditional?

Matthew 5:17-20

“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” vs. 20

Jesus wasn’t interested in having his followers be “law-abiding citizens.” He wanted them to be better than that! There were already plenty of scribes and Pharisees in the land, and they were obsessed with keeping every commandment of law. They were known for their righteousness. There was no need for more people like them. Instead Jesus told his disciples to let their light shine and fill up the world with the fruits of the Spirit. Among them love, joy, and peace would abound and the wounds of the hurting would be bound up and healed. This kind of living would result in a higher righteousness than mere obedience to the law, but it didn’t mean that the disciples would be free to do as they pleased. The law wasn’t being abolished, it was being fulfilled! That’s been a hard concept for some to figure out and the record of the Church through the years is replete with folks who thought being in Christ was an invitation to profligate living. Sometimes through prayer and the inspiration of the Spirit we will walk in new ways–new wine does require new wine skins–but the core of the law will remain the same. Always we are called to love the Lord with our heart, mind, and strength, and our neighbors, as ourselves. And the light will be our guide.

Thought for the Day: What’s the difference between the spirit and the letter of the law?

Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” vss. 14, 16

There is a power in these words from Jesus that goes beyond human understanding, and we can only begin to grasp their significance as we realize that Jesus is talking about the light that exploded into the world in God’s act of creation. That same light that was present in the beginning and that shone brightly in Jesus now shines in his chosen ones. And we are commanded to let it shine! This light is different from what we see in the sun. Instead of lighting up the sky it lights up our eyes and is seen most clearly in our words and deeds. It roots out falsehoods, searches out lies, and exposes the ugliness of human greed. This little light of ours brings hope to those in darkness, love to those abused, and kindness to every hurting soul. It’s not a set of rules or doctrines–it’s not a new law. Rather it’s the power that changes lives and that flows directly from the heart of God. Humans have done all they can to hide or even extinguish the light, but its laser-like qualities keep it shining, and we are blessed when it shines even through us. Oh what a privilege it is to be the people of light. We are the hope of the world.

Thought for the Day: Why would anyone want to hide the light?

1 Corinthians 2:6-12

“Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” vss.6-7

Even though Paul did not use lofty terms and eloquent language in talking with the Corinthians, he was a learned man and nobody’s fool. But he wasn’t interested in the trendy religious candy that was rolling through Corinth to attract and distract believers. He believed that his message was an ancient wisdom, secret and hidden, and that it came directly from God through the Holy Spirit. It’s hard for us to put our heads around that kind of language and most people seem more interested in the psychobabble that dominates the religious scene in our day. Instead of digging deep and probing the mysteries of God, our tendency is to align ourselves with the Church of What’s Happening Now and add a little bit of Jesus talk to trending sociological or political movements. When it comes to swimming in religious waters there’s no doubt that most folks prefer the shallow end. Paul had learned at the feet of the most learned rabbis in Israel–in our day some don’t even care if their leaders are biblically literate, as long as they can draw a crowd on Sunday morning. The good news is that the secret wisdom of God will not go away and when the Spirit gives insight, transformation is sure to follow.

Thought for the Day: What is the hidden wisdom of God?

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” vs. 2

Corinth was the San Francisco of its day, a bustling seaport full of immigrants from all over the Mediterranean area, and new religions were popping up about every other day. People were jaded, sophisticated, and wise in the ways of the world. When Paul showed up and connected with the fledgling Christian community he decided to put the crucified Jesus Christ as the center of his message. He didn’t tell the story of Jesus’ life or recount any of his teachings–he wasn’t interested in making Jesus into a great moral example. Instead he focused on the cross, convinced that its contrary message revealed the steadfast love of God and would bring hope for all humanity. Enduring the scorn of both Gentiles and Jews he doggedly proclaimed Christ crucified as the essence of the gospel. Ever since then religious folks have struggled with the mystery of Paul’s message and many have proposed more palatable expressions of the faith. Some have decided to virtually skip Good Friday and center everything on Easter–in their triumphant version of Christ’s mission praise and joy abound, and death is sugar-coated. But others hang with Paul, sensing that the road to new life will move through suffering and pain. Only when tears have been shed can they really be wiped away! And with him they sing that our glory is all the cross!

Thought for the Day: What’s the attraction of sad movies?