2 Peter 1:19-21

“First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” vss. 20-21

When we engage with our scriptures it’s not unusual to struggle as we try to figure out what the various passages mean. Since we often speak of the bible as God’s Word, some believe that it should be taken literally, even when the words conflict with what we know of science, geography, or history. Others, believing that original context is important, recommend a more nuanced approach and will regularly make use of interpretive guides. And then there are some who will react to most any interpretation with the words, “Well, that’s just your opinion,” a response that ends the conversation. This writer, speaking of the Hebrew scriptures, has two things to teach us. First, he writes that the prophecies of scripture were written by human beings. That’s always important for us to remember. Every passage of our bible emerged in a particular context and for a particular purpose–no pages came drifting down out of the sky! And secondly he believes that each writer was moved by the Holy Spirit of God. That means that every part of this library of writings we call the bible is to be taken seriously, even the verses that we happen to think are unimportant. We might not agree with everything that is written, but it’s never helpful to use scissors as an interpretive tool.

Thought for the Day: Why do Christians need the Hebrew Scriptures?

1 Peter 1:16-18

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.” vs. 16

When Peter and the other apostles began to proclaim the gospel throughout the Roman Empire they were regularly accused of just making stuff up about Jesus. The Jews and pagans who were their audience likely thought that these new teachings were an adaptation of one or another of the mystery religions and had no basis in anything that had actually happened. Given their experience with Jesus in Galilee the disciples were deeply offended by such accusations. Jesus was an actual historical figure, and they had not only enjoyed his presence, they had been eyewitnesses of his wondrous deeds. It’s important for us to hang on to the apostle’s testimony about Jesus. Sometimes it’s tempting to think of him purely as a mythical figure, a composite of some of the god figures that were popular in the first century. But that’s not who Jesus was. The gospels were insistent on the reality of his incarnation. He was a real human being, born of woman, and subject to the same frailties as we are. These down-to-earth qualities are what make Jesus accessible to us–he knew suffering, just as we do, and he died, just as we will. We may not be eyewitnesses, as were Peter and the other disciples, but we do know that in him there is life and joy forever.

Thought for the Day: Why do some say that Jesus is a mythic figure?

Psalm 2

“I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, ‘You are my son;today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,and the ends of the earth your possession.’” vss. 7-8

Many of the psalms in the Hebrew scriptures were “Royal Psalms” and were composed for special occasions like the coronation of a king. This psalmist imagines a dialogue in which the Lord promises that the king will rule over the nations and possess all the ends of the earth. It must have been a heady experience for the king to hear this psalm sung by choirs of levites. It’s the sort of beginning that rulers of all stripes have claimed for themselves. Over and over we’ve seen kings, tsars, dictators, and even presidents bask in the belief that their rule has divine backing. With every coronation, installation, and inauguration there are parades, choirs, and prayers and a persistent belief that God’s will is being done. But followers of Jesus have consistently taught that Jesus is the begotten Son of God and that his kingdom is the one that will stretch to the ends of the earth. Rulers of this world leave turmoil and destruction in their ongoing power struggles, but the reign of Jesus brings peace and hope. In his peaceable kingdom the currency is love and battles are won with kindness and faith. And his victories truly are everlasting!

Thought for the Day: Why are some political leaders seen as messiahs?

Exodus 14:15-18

“Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.” vs. 18

Moses had to climb a mountain to get into the cloud, and while he was there, as the story goes, the Lord gave him the two tablets of the Law. Nowadays he could have done the same thing by typing “decalogue” on his smartphone and launching a Google search. According to some folks, that’s all we need to do to enter the cloud, a place that until recently we didn’t need to know about and evidently now can’t live without. In scripture a cloud is regularly used to describe the presence of God and is a fitting metaphor for the Great Mystery. It implies that God is hidden, an elusive presence who exists just beyond the boundaries of comprehension. And maybe that’s why computer scientists use the word “cloud” to describe this modern phenomenon. We’ve started to use the word frequently but only a few have even the foggiest notion of what it is. Some may have the idea that there is an actual place somewhere, maybe a huge depot, where stuff is being stored. Others are just confused. And that’s kind of how it is with God, we imagine that God is in a single place, the top of a mountain or a place called heaven, and that to find God we have to go where God is. That’s not true–God is where we are, and best of all, God has a valentine for us today!

Thought for the Day: What does my valentine from God say?

Exodus 24:12-14

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’“ vs. 12

The strength of Judaism was not the multitude of precepts and regulations devised by its legal experts through the centuries, but its basic simplicity. Everything rested on just Ten Words or Commandments that had  been etched on tablets of stone by the finger of God. These were not suggestions or continuing resolutions, subject to change or conjecture by legal scholars, Israel’s founding principles had in fact been carved in stone by the hand of God. One of the issues of our time is that we’ve lost that sense of a guiding imperative with divine origins. Instead we act as though our moral compass is something very personal, something that we make up in response to the vagaries of life. Some people have even decided that there are no universal truths and that everything is up for grabs. They operate with no moral boundaries save those they have devised for themselves. Often even religious folks live this way. Believing that nothing is carved in stone, they pick and choose standards for themselves that fit the whim of the moment, even when they undermine the Ten Words of the Hebrews. How much better it is when our conduct is based on ancient and universal truths, and not the instability of the latest cultural trend.

Thought for the Day: Can I say the Ten Commandments in order?

Matthew 5:27-37

“But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” vs. 32

As Jesus eliminates the loopholes that were a part of the law of Moses, he doesn’t deal with peripheral items. Instead he tackles the biggies: adultery, divorce, and truth-telling. And if those topics were important in the first century, they are at the core of the cultural morass in which we  find ourselves today. The Pharisees had attempted to handle those feelings and actions in the context of the law–and Jesus said that it wasn’t working. We have gone in the other direction and lifted all restrictions. Pornography is now available in any time and any place to anyone with a smartphone. The internet has been a boon to anyone wanting to satisfy lust. Where once there had to be grounds for divorce, we’ve made it available to anyone who doesn’t want to be married anymore. And as far as truth-telling is concerned, we’ve become accustomed to alternate facts and blatant lies in every arena. There seem to be no controls on any kind of behavior. People have been set free to do and say whatever they desire. And while we don’t want to turn Jesus into a more rigid law enforcer than Moses, people of faith should pay attention to what he says. While it’s true that there is forgiveness for lust, divorce, and lying, life is exponentially better when people hold sex, marriage, and truth-telling in high regard. 

Thought for the Day: What is the biggest threat to marriage?

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?