Luke 23:32-49

“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” vss. 44-45

In the prologue to his gospel John wrote “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Believers have found great comfort in this verse through the centuries and we’re quick to recall it when times get tough and we’re looking for a glimmer of hope. But Luke reminds us that John’s observation is only part of the story when it comes to dealing with despotic powers and the forces of evil. He tells us plainly that the sun’s light failed and darkness prevailed on that fateful Friday when Jesus died. His words are a stark reminder that sometimes darkness does have the upper hand in human interactions, and, if we’re being honest, we have to agree. How else can we explain the despicable actions so evident in the Ukrainian war? What other way is there to understand the countless massacres, genocides, and acts of violence through the centuries? What other explanation is there for slavery and degrading oppression? Sometimes it even seems as though there’s been more darkness than light in the course of human history. Jesus knew that darkness well, yet when caught in its grip, he said to the thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” And those who are his followers, even when overwhelmed by the darkness, continue to believe that the Light of Easter will win the day

Thought for the Day: Where am I seeing the Light?

Luke 23:13-30

“But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed.” vs. 23

According to Luke Pilate had conducted some sort of judicial examination of Jesus and had found no reason to keep him imprisoned–he was not guilty of the charges against him. But that made no difference to the crowd–they had been convinced by the lies of the religious leaders and demanded that Jesus be crucified. That’s still how it is with the masses. They believe whatever their leaders tell them and make little effort to figure out the truth. Their reasoning is simple. Since all news is fake, they’re free to establish their own facts, and make up whatever stories they wish. It’s difficult to know how to respond to such attitudes and assertions. Reasoning does no good at all–crowds pay no attention to logic–and, lacking any kind of common ground, arguing is a waste of time. After a couple of attempts to reason with the crowd, Pilate gave up and gave them what they wanted. Already known for his cruelty, another crucifixion or two wasn’t going to spoil his day. But it’s hard for us! It hurts to see lies prevail and know that the innocent are going to suffer. Amazingly enough, Jesus’ story gives us hope. Somehow, when faith is present, suffering becomes redemptive, the lies are shown to be falsehoods, and truth prevails. “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it!”

Thought for the Day: Why do people believe lies?

Luke 23:1-12

“They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.’” vs. 2

The accusations against Jesus were baseless and contrived, and they were made by the chief religious authorities of the Jewish people in order to get the backing of the Roman governor. And they knew the charges were false–they had made them up to get rid of Jesus! It’s always disappointing when we see religious leaders abandoning the truth in pursuit of their own interests. And it continues to happen! Even today religious leaders of all stripes embrace the lies of politicians in order to further their own position and standing. The atrocities in Ukraine have been judged by church leaders as a fitting response to the immoral influences of Western nations. The killing of the innocent is called a purging of evil. All around we see pastors waving the flag of nationalism and merging political and religious doctrines in their preaching and teaching. And amid all of the accusations and controversy, just as he did 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ still speaks truth to power and stands with the hurting and the suffering. All around we see his legions making their presence known, binding up wounds, comforting the grieving, and working for justice and peace. His people may not win the day, but we know that in them, the love of Christ will triumph.

Thought for the Day: Why do religious leaders embrace nationalism?

Philippians 2:4-11

“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. 5-7a

In the first creation narrative of Genesis the writer noted that humans were created in the image and likeness of God–they were wired through their DNA to be connected to the Divine Presence. In the second creation story we are told that those humans craved to be more than they were, that they wanted to be gods, and that as a result, their God-connection was damaged. In his letter to the Philippians Paul describes a new creation in which Christ Jesus denies those divine aspirations and embraces humanity. That happened through a “self-emptying,” which is not a giving up of miraculous powers, but a reconnecting with the divine image spoken of in Genesis. Paul further advises his readers to have the mind of Christ and do the same thing. The self-emptying is not so much a surrender as it is the joyful embracing of our full humanity. In other words, we are invited to become what we have been created to be, and to quit trying to be more than we are. As Paul says in other places, in Christ we are a new creation, and can relax into being ourselves, even if that doesn’t match the cultural models we try so hard to imitate. And in our restoration, blessings abound!

Thought for the Day: What blessings come from being ourselves?

Psalm 31:9-16

“For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away.” vs. 10

We don’t know what was going on with the psalmist, he doesn’t give any details about whatever it was that had been tormenting him. We can only imagine–and make some guesses based on our own periods of dismal existence as we’ve made our way from spring to winter in the course of life. What we do know is that some folks feel exactly this way, if not for years, at least for months, and most of us have times when sorrow overwhelms us. Causes may vary: physical or emotional illness, family crises, addiction, mental break-downs–any one of these issues could cause our misery index to soar–and sometimes the causal factors even double up! Remedies for such problems will vary, but what we all crave is understanding. It does little good to be told we “just need to put a smile on our faces and be happy” or “buck up, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” But a caring hug and empathetic smile can work wonders! They are reminders that the steadfast love of God surrounds us in every circumstance, and that like Jesus we are never abandoned, even in our darkest moments. Loneliness had exacerbated the psalmist’s situation–and it does the same for us. Those who have a community of faith to stand alongside in times of trouble, feel the active healing presence of God, and are forever blessed.

Thought for the Day: Where was my community when I was in pain?

Isaiah 50:4-9a

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.” vs. 4

According to Luke after Jesus entered Jerusalem he went directly to the temple and raised a ruckus with the money-changers. He then spent his days in the temple precincts teaching the people and debating with the scribes and Pharisees. But in the evening he would go out of the city and follow the path to the top of the Mount of Olives and spend the night there, perhaps at the home of Mary and Martha in Bethany. Then following the pattern of his ministry he would rise before dawn, find a place for meditation, and open his heart to God. Perhaps he would focus on the words of the prophet–”morning by morning he wakens”–and in those cool moments, sitting just east of the city, watch the sun begin to shine its light on the temple. As he listened to the Divine Presence he found the words that would sustain the weary crowds who were so eager to hear him. And he also found courage. Like the prophet he knew that no matter what his adversaries did, no matter how vigorously they opposed him, he would not be put to shame. We should not imagine that any of this was easy for Jesus–it was likely exhausting! And it was his daily meditation that gave him the strength!

Thought for the Day: What part does meditation play in my days?

Luke 19:28-40

“As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen…” vs. 37

It was a long trek for pilgrims to make their way from Galilee to Jerusalem, and the last leg from Jericho (far below sea level) to the Mount of Olives involves a 3500 foot change in elevation in about 28 miles. As they reached the top of the Mount, the whole city of Jerusalem, dominated by the Temple Platform, lay below them. It’s a spectacular view. Even today tourists and pilgrims alike can’t help but stand in awe. Certainly the crowd of disciples traveling with Jesus took time to marvel at the enormous buildings and beautiful sights. But these weren’t tourists, this crowd was on a mission. They were accompanying the King. They may not have understood why he’d chosen to ride a donkey, it wasn’t a royal steed, but they had seen enough of his power to know that he was a worthy ruler, perhaps even the messiah. Full of joy they started down the steep windy path past the Garden of Gethsemane, through the Kidron Valley, and into the city. And as they walked they sang, giving glory to God for all they had seen and heard. The Kingdom of God was truly at hand. The end of Jesus’ mission was in sight! And they were right–they just didn’t have a clue how the story would end!

Thought for the Day: What’s the most hopeful crowd I’ve ever been a part of?

John 12:4-8

 “You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” vs. 8

Judas had weighed in on Mary’s extravagance by cynically suggesting that it would have been better to sell the perfume and give the money to the poor. But Jesus doesn’t bite. Instead he suggests that the poor will always be hanging around, but that his own time is limited. Ironically his words are often repeated by people who see no point in providing food for the hungry or making any other attempts to address the issues of poverty. They say that since Jesus said that the poor are always going to be with us we should just learn to accept poverty as an ever-present reality. Such an approach ignores one of the central tenets of his mission statement, i.e. “The Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.”The presence of hungry, homeless people on the streets of our cities should be seen then as a challenge, and not a hopeless reality. Every congregation worth its salt will have multiple ways for its members to make life better for the poor. And because of the multiple crises facing our world in these times, we’re called to redouble our efforts. It’s an absolute travesty in a world oozing with wealth and riches that countless millions of people should be going hungry. Something major has gotten out of whack, and no Christian should rest when so many are in such dire need.

Thought for the Day: Why are there so many poor people?

John 12:1-3

“Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” vs. 3

Mary had gotten her brother, Lazarus, back from the realm of the dead, and her deep anguish had been replaced with overwhelming gratitude. When Jesus came to visit and reclined at her table for dinner she anointed his feet with costly perfume and wiped them with her hair. It was an extravagant response to his life-giving gift. That’s how some folks are wired! It’s not enough for them just to say “thank you,” they insist on giving a gift, and if it’s merited, there is no limit to their generosity. Others of us, raised in the school of frugality, have a tough time with such careless demonstrations of thanksgiving. We like to hang on to our hard-earned dollars and imagine that they are to be squirreled away and not frittered away on things like expensive perfumes or ointments. But what joy it brings when we break our bondage to practicality and can give free rein to prodigal giving. Sometimes it’s nice to have a party and invite our friends for no good reason at all–it just feels good when our houses can be filled with the sounds of happy people and the fragrances of unbounded love. And if it costs a little more than might seem necessary, well, so what! Life deserves to be celebrated!

Thought for the Day: What sparks extravagance in me?

Philippians 3:10-14

“Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” vss. 13-14

Whatever we may think of him, Paul can always be counted on to provide a unitary model for our life in Christ without falling into the trap of dualism. Here, for instance, even though he has just outlined the inadequacy of his own righteousness and his total dependence on the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, he now speaks of straining forward and pressing on toward the goal. Despite his talk about grace, he seems to be saying that the heavenly prize requires supreme effort and goes only to a few. In actuality he’s giving a perfect description of the parameters of our life in Christ. It is true that we can relax into the tender arms of God’s grace and abandon our futile efforts at perfection, but it’s also true that our new life will involve a passionate struggle for peace and justice. As called children of God we will daily engage the powers of this world and strain forward to a more equitable future. And the good news is that the prize is already assured because in Christ Jesus one day all things will be made complete! And then we’ll all be winners!

Thought for the Day: How is the marathon of life going for me?