Luke 17:11-14

“When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean.” vs. 14

As we’ve learned to live with COVID we’ve had to deal with ever-changing regulations for quarantine and travel. Once diagnosed we have to be able to show a negative test to resume normal activities, and that hasn’t always been easy. We’ve missed family gatherings and had to cancel trips, all in the interest of public health. Leprosy was the first century equivalent of COVID and the laws were stringent. Even when the rashes had disappeared, a person could rejoin the community only after being declared clean by the priests. So when Jesus encountered the lepers he sent them to the priests, and then, as they went, they were cleansed. The healing was evidently not immediate, but happened as they obeyed Jesus’ instructions. It’s a healing story that will be familiar to many. Often when disease or illness comes we’d love to be free of it as soon as possible, but that doesn’t happen. So we go to our healers, maybe at urgent care, and ask for help, and almost always we are given something to do. We could opt to do nothing and take our chances, but most often we’ll do as we’re told, and as we follow those prescriptions, ultimately healing does come. Sometimes it almost feels like a miracle! And our trust has been key!

Thought for the Day: What’s my healing story?

2 Timothy 2:14-15

“Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.” vs. 14

Religious folks love to wrangle over words, especially if they have been educated beyond their intelligence. We see it regularly in our congregations as people engage in ferocious debates over the different nuances of meaning in biblical verses. It would just be silliness if the results weren’t so divisive. But sometimes there have even been denominational splits because people have had contrary notions of what various words mean for proper theological understanding. Of course we’re not going to agree on the fine points of biblical knowledge, mostly because we’re starting from different perspectives. We end up talking past each other, nobody really listens, and onlookers get confused. Jesus didn’t send us into the world to win philosophical arguments or to convince unbelievers that some complicated theological formula was true. We have been sent to love and care for others no matter what their political or theological perspectives might be. And it does absolutely no good at all to argue with anyone in the process. Now it’s fun to learn and it’s always helpful for us to grow in our understanding of the scriptures, but the bible should never be used as a wedge or a club. And when our conversations grow divisive, we need to stop talking and go to lunch!

Thought for the Day: How have people misused the bible with me?

2 Timothy 2:8-13

“The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” vss. 11-13

Being a Christian in the first century was a dicy experience. To be a believer was often dangerous. Persecutions and imprisonments were common. Leaders like Paul and others faced an uphill struggle in their proclamation of the gospel, and they spent much of their time offering encouragement to beleaguered believers. These few verses were likely part of a baptismal hymn that was familiar to many. They are a reminder of how important it was for believers to persevere and not be deniers of Christ. The words were a warning to be sure, but they also contain a promise that continues to bring hope. Hear again that word of grace, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful!” Wow! So often we think of faith as being our work, a trust commitment to Jesus that enables us to tap the riches of God’s grace. But God also has a faith commitment to us, and even when our reservoir of faith runs dry, God’s promises never fail. They are never revoked. Of course it is best when we can live out our lives in obedience to the gospel imperative–that goes without saying. But we have a God who will never ever allow us to miss out on the joy of reconciliation and forgiveness.

Thought for the Day: What might cause me to become faithless?

Psalm 111

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.” vs. 10

For centuries there wasn’t much question about the primacy of the Lord. Pretty much everyone, at least in the Judeo-Christian heritage would have agreed with the psalmist–the Lord was in control and showered blessings over the entire earth. Our awesome God had power and might and was also gracious and merciful. But somewhere along the line, as new discoveries opened the way to miraculous technologies, humans began to believe that science was the key to a prosperous and bountiful future. There was no longer a need to practice the old religions–many said that we’d be better off without them. Unfortunately, modern thinking hasn’t produced the hoped for results, and now even science has fallen into disrepute. The new technologies have uncovered the ugliness of the human heart in ways we’d never dreamed possible and humanity seems to be foundering on the brink of destruction. Some are beginning to think that the psalmist had it right after all, that the fear of the Lord really is the beginning of wisdom. People are exploring the Great Mystery with new-found humility and coming to new understandings of the universe’s intricacies and order. We don’t need to abandon science–it can be a wonderful tool–but it can never replace the Lord.

Thought for the Day: How am I feeling about science?

2 Kings 5:9-15c

“So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’” vss. 9-10

When the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus in their synagogue he reminded them that even though there were many lepers in Israel at the time of Elisha, none were healed except Naaman the Syrian. His reminder did not heal the rift! Instead his neighbors tried to kill him! They didn’t like the idea that God violated the religious and racial boundaries that they had constructed through the centuries. But that’s what Jesus felt called to do, and that’s what has continued to happen through history. God simply doesn’t respect the artificial barriers that we put up between ourselves and others. God’s healing and grace are experienced among people of every folk and nation, not just those that artificially label themselves as Christian. All the people of the earth have a common heritage and share a kinship that goes beyond skin color and social status. Through the centuries we’ve worked hard to show that our particular group or order is superior, and because we belong, we’re better than any others. And that’s all just so wrong! In the eyes of God we are all the same and God loves us all! God just doesn’t have favorites!

Thought for the Day: What people do I feel superior to?

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-8

“Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.” vs. 1

Aram was a neighboring kingdom to Israel and the two countries were combative rivals for many years. Around the time of Elisha Aram had an especially effective commander for its army and had won a series of battles. The Israelites believed that the Lord had given Aram those victories. That was settled religious belief! Victory was always associated with the Lord, even if the winner was a pagan! This continues to be the underlying assumption in our culture on nearly every level. As a result we’ve gotten used to seeing people in almost every conceivable situation giving thanks and praise to the Lord for their victories. Pitchers, quarterbacks, golfers, politicians, anyone who has won anything, stand before the cameras and give all the credit to God. It reminds us of a famous quotation, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing!” But is that true? Naaman was a great man, but he suffered from leprosy, and he couldn’t find healing until he had humbled himself. To win victories in any competition can bring momentary pleasures, but it really isn’t because God favors us. It’s just something that happens. But the truth is that our greatest gains come in our losing! It’s in the humiliation of those moments that we can actually find our greatest unity with Christ.

Thought for the Day: How can losing draw me closer to Christ?

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-8

“Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.” vs. 1

Aram was a neighboring kingdom to Israel and the two countries were combative rivals for many years. Around the time of Elisha Aram had an especially effective commander for its army and had won a series of battles. The Israelites believed that the Lord had given Aram those victories. That was settled religious belief! Victory was always associated with the Lord, even if the winner was a pagan! This continues to be the underlying assumption in our culture on nearly every level. As a result we’ve gotten used to seeing people in almost every conceivable situation giving thanks and praise to the Lord for their victories. Pitchers, quarterbacks, golfers, politicians, anyone who has won anything, stand before the cameras and give all the credit to God. It reminds us of a famous quotation, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing!” But is that true? Naaman was a great man, but he suffered from leprosy, and he couldn’t find healing until he had humbled himself. To win victories in any competition can bring momentary pleasures, but it really isn’t because God favors us. It’s just something that happens. But the truth is that our greatest gains come in our losing! It’s in the humiliation of those moments that we can actually find our greatest unity with Christ.

Thought for the Day: How can losing draw me closer to Christ?

Luke 17:7-10

“So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’” vs. 10

Most people love affirmation and appreciate thanksgiving for the work that they have done, but sometimes that doesn’t happen. Many times followers of Jesus discover that there’s not much reward in their labors of love. They give themselves heart and soul to a good cause and no one even seems to notice. They spend an evening working in the church kitchen preparing food and washing dishes and when it’s their turn to eat, all the good stuff is gone. It’s not unusual for the faithful to feel used and put upon–and Jesus tells us, “So what?” His answer is startling and is not meant to excuse ingratitude. Thanks is a good thing and will always be appreciated. But it’s not necessary for disciples! We’re called to practice humility in every aspect of our lives and as slaves of Jesus we’re not in the business of piling up rewards for our good deeds. We’ll be ignored, put upon, neglected, and insulted–and that’s all okay. We’re doing the dirty work that we’ve been asked to do and when we’re done all the satisfaction we need is to know that we’ve done what we ought to have done. Some days there’s absolutely no glory at all in doing the Lord’s work, and that’s just the way it is!

Thought for the Day: How do I handle being unappreciated?

Luke 17:5-6

“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’” vss. 5-6

On the surface the demand sounds reasonable. It’s the sort of thing we might have said to Jesus–it might even be the core of our daily prayers, “Lord, increase our faith!” Often we imagine that our spiritual lives could be so much better if only our faith were stronger. We might even think that our prayers of intercession could be more powerful if we had more faith. That’s often implied by religious folks when they say that answered prayers come in direct proportion to the strength of our faith. While that sounds pious, in reality such a notion is enormously destructive to the health of our spirits. Jesus told the apostles that such ideas were nonsense and  that the smallest amount of faith is all we’ll ever need. Either we have it or we don’t! For those of us who actually have mustard size faith this is really good news, especially when we’ve been hanging around people who love to talk about their macro faith and unshakeable convictions. We don’t have to take a back seat to anyone ‘cause we’ve got the right stuff, we’ve got what it takes to join Jesus on his journey, and we don’t need anything more!

Thought for the Day: If we had macro faith what difference would it make?

2 Timothy 1:6-14

“For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands;” vs. 6

Confirmation hadn’t been invented yet in the life of the church when this letter was written, but its predecessor was certainly there. Paul says that when Timothy was a youth he laid hands on him and gave him a precious gift of God. That sounds exactly like what happens when a pastor lays hands on the head of a confirmand and says, “Stir up in this person the gift of the Holy Spirit, confirm her faith, guide his life, empower her in her serving, give him patience in suffering, and bring her to eternal life.” Sometimes pastors wonder what that all means to the young person kneeling there. Many are never seen again at worship–for them it’s been a graduation ceremony, and they just disappear. It appears that something like that might have happened to Timothy–Paul reminds him to rekindle the gift of God that had been given him. Most of us need those reminders from time to time, because if we’re honest, the fire of faith can and does go out. In those moments, when all we have in our hearts are the cold embers of old convictions, we need revitalization. It could come through meditation or honest conversation with a friend–or it could be as simple as refocusing on regular worship. The spark can come in a variety of ways, but when it catches fire we’ll feel the warmth, and faith will be renewed.

Thought for the Day: What did confirmation mean to me?