Psalm 91:9-13

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” vss. 11-12

Many people love the song, “On Eagle’s Wings,” the one based on Psalm 91. It could be the tune, the phrasing and the notes are beautiful, but the words have a power all their own. We like to imagine being lifted up from the cares and concerns of life and being carried away to a safe place, and we don’t much care whether it’s by the hands of angels or the wings of eagles. What’s interesting though is that the song speaks most clearly to us in the wake of death or disaster! Most often we haven’t been protected at all! And that’s generally how life is. Ugly and bad stuff happens, and most of us lack immunity. But still we love this psalm, probably because it helps to lift us from feelings of darkness and despair. It is so good to know that in God, we can count on being lifted up when danger lurks, and it’s a protection that goes far beyond episodic miraculous rescue. Our Lord does take care of us, and angels stand at ready, in our neighborhoods and communities, to take us by the hand and walk with us through tumultuous times. It’s all a part of God’s love for the entire creation.

Thought for the Day: When have I been lifted up?

Isaiah 53:10-12

“Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.” vs. 10

While it may once have seemed logical to understand the death of Jesus as a fulfillment of Isaiah 53, such a notion is now regarded by many Christians as untenable. For one thing the prophet was not referring to events that were to come, rather he was commenting on things that had already taken place, i.e. the tragic defeat and exile of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians. And secondly, he implies that God intentionally crushes those who he loves with pain. And while that belief was accepted as doctrinally sound for centuries, many followers of Jesus find it impossible to believe that God was responsible for Jesus’ death. They find it unthinkable to claim that forgiveness has come through God’s intentional sacrifice of his Son, a type of divine child abuse. It is true that Jesus died on a cross, but not because God willed it! Jesus died at the hands of the Romans as a consequence of his profound love for sinners. So what does the death of Jesus have to do with forgiveness? Some struggle with that question–it’s hard for them to find the linkage. Others don’t have an answer, but continue to see the cross as a metaphor for forgiveness, a universal forgiveness that is ours as a gift of sacrificial love.

Thought for the Day: What does Jesus’ death have to do with forgiveness?

Isaiah 53:4-9

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” vs. 5

Israel’s exile in Babylon meant a complete overhaul of the nation’s self-understanding. They had seen themselves as special, as God’s Chosen People, but now they had lost wealth and power, along with their standing in the world. The prophet, living with the exiles in Babylon, used the figure of a Suffering Servant to help them understand what had happened to them. His description of the Servant’s suffering is stunning in its detail and painted a picture of sacrificial atonement that was dear to their hearts. It’s a brilliant, insightful passage whose images captured the hearts of the people, and helped them understand their deliverance as a gift of God. Many centuries later, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, as believers tried to make sense of his suffering by turning to their scriptures, these verses jumped from the page. It was as though Isaiah had been writing about Jesus of Nazareth–the description worked so perfectly. As time went on and theologians began to craft what became the orthodox teachings of redemption and atonement, Isaiah became the major prooftext for their now familiar doctrines. And whether we subscribe to those teachings or not, there is little doubt that these 2500 year old words from an ancient prophet are still a remarkable way for hurting people to find meaning in suffering. 

Thought for the Day: What does the death of Jesus have to do with my sins?

Mark 10:23-31

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” vs. 25

People have had a hard time with this saying of Jesus. In our wealth-worshipping culture, in a country where so many aspire to becoming rich, we wonder how in the world he could have spoken such heresy. Many preachers, to assuage the consciences of congregants, have bent over backward to come up with sermons that take the sting out of his words. They tell stories about camels and needles and make it seem as though he was really encouraging humility, that this was just Jesus’ metaphorical way of telling his followers to seek moderation in all things. And their hearers go away relieved, thankful that they don’t need to be troubled by their excessive wealth. The problem is that Jesus meant what he said. Wealth is a huge issue in our capitalistic world and we should all be troubled by our obsessive infatuation with possessions. Now Jesus isn’t saying that the rich are going to go to hell when they die–but he is telling us that kingdom living requires the renunciation of riches. We can never know the joy and peace of simple living when our minds are preoccupied with investments and returns. Is it possible in our world to live simply? Of course, as he told the disciples, “for God all things are possible.” By grace, we who have so much, can learn to live as though we have nothing.

Thought for the Day: What would I do if I lost my wealth?

Mark 10:17-22

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’’ vs. 21

The man was at a crisis point, and probably surprised to find himself there. He’d lived a good life, exemplary even, and had reaped the blessings of hard work and enterprise. He was likely envied by most of his peers–yet something just wasn’t right, and he was plagued by a sense of uneasiness. So he asked Jesus a question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”, and got a religious answer, “Obey the commandments!” At that point he likely began to breathe a bit easier–he’d done that for his entire life. If that was the requirement he had nothing to worry about. And then Jesus crushed his spirit, “Sell what you have, and give the money to the poor!” Oops! As good as he was, he couldn’t part with his wealth. So he went sadly away–and we can’t blame him. That’s what most of us would have done too! Of all the things we’re called on to do as we follow Jesus, everything else is child’s play when compared to the challenge of giving our money away. We don’t even like to give in support of budgetary needs in our congregations and we groan when pastors talk about making financial commitments. But Jesus regularly talked about money! He knew that nothing reveals the state of our souls more vividly than reckless generosity.

Thought for the Day: Why is it so hard to be generous?

Hebrews 4:12-16

“Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” vs. 12

There are times in our reading of scripture or in listening to a sermon, that some word or phrase absolutely nails the truth of who we are. We are pierced to the core and feel the righteous judgment of God in our hearts. It’s as though our secret thoughts and desires have been exposed and we can actually feel the shame wash over us. Of course we don’t reveal to others what we’re feeling–that would be embarrassing–it’s enough that God knows. For some that’s an awful feeling, one that leaves them filled with shame and remorse–they may even begin to doubt that  wretches such as they can have salvation. Purity has escaped them and they feel dirty. Now, if that’s where our thinking leaves us, we are to be pitied, because our story doesn’t end there. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that in Jesus we have a great high priest who understands us on the inside, and that he sits on a throne of grace. And even if that terminology doesn’t speak to us, we can easily get the point. It doesn’t matter what secret sin lurks in the depths of our soul, all that garbage is nothing when compared to the love of God that has been made known in Jesus. All of us have been cleansed, set free, and forgiven.

Thought for the Day: When have I been nailed by a sermon?

Psalm 90:15-17

“Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil.” vs. 15

The psalmist believed that all the blessings and afflictions of his life came by the hand of God–nothing was accidental. There’s something to admire about that sense of connectedness to the Divine, and the psalmist is right about God being actively present in all areas of our lives. We only get into trouble when we begin thinking of God as the somewhat disconnected arbitrary agent of good and evil. But it is true that when we believe that we’ve had an especially long run of bad days, we’re likely to ask God to even things out a bit. We reason that we’d be able to handle the tough times better if we knew for sure that they’d be followed by a series of blessings. Of course that’s not how life works. Our days are actually a mixture of good and bad and God is never absent. And what is even more spectacular, it’s during the hardest times, the periods of suffering, that God comes closest and offers blessings of peace and comfort. After a time, when we have become more experienced with living, we will be able to wring gladness out of every day. When God is hanging around there will always be signs of beauty and grace–even in the toughest times.  It’s simply a matter of having eyes to see!

Thought for the Day: How well do I handle bad days?

Psalm 90:12-14

“So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” vs. 12

In the spring of our lives we don’t seem to realize that our days are numbered and that one day we’ll come to the end of them. Life seems wide open and unending and many seem to believe that they are immortal, that the old people they see around are an anomaly, and that such feebleness will never come to them. It’s not a bad thing to have such optimism about the future, and indeed, it’s probably something to be encouraged. Being young and pessimistic is not a good combination. But sooner or later it’s important to adopt a more realistic view, and pray with the psalmist, “So teach us to count our days, that we may gain a wise heart.” There truly is wisdom in learning to live one day at a time while vowing to wring as much joy and goodness from that day as we can. For our days really are numbered and we don’t have an infinite supply. Now, this doesn’t mean that our endings are fixed or that our last day has already been determined. Not at all! And we can stretch out our days with careful and prudential living–a lot of us are doing exactly that. And the truly wise will see every one of those days as a dear and precious gift from God and make sure that not a single one is wasted.

Thought for the Day: When did I first realize my days are numbered?

Amos 5:10-15

“Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.” vs. 11

Amos came with an outsider’s eye and he could see what the people of Israel could not. Because the abuse had gone so long they had gotten used to it. Of course the rich systematically took advantage of poor farmers, but they’d been doing it for years–in their eyes it was business as usual. It was how the powerful and the clever managed to accumulate wealth–and that’s how it always works, no matter what the economic system. The abuse of the poor is calibrated into the economy and people work together to insure that the rich can get richer and the poor know their place–and only prophets can see the injustice. Most everyone else keeps their mouths shut! It’s just too scary to rock the boat, because to one extent or another we’re all dependent on stability. Our own livelihood depends on the continuation of the system, and there’s always the dream, no matter how far-fetched, that we’ll someday join the ranks of the wealthy. Some day it’ll be our turn to have a house of hewn stone! Amos hoped that his warning would take root and that justice would prevail. Poor guy, no one ever listened in his time–but, thanks be to God, his words remain to challenge us.

Thought for the Day: Why do we like to keep things as they are?

Amos 5:6-7

“Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground!” vs. 7

Amos, a shepherd from Judea, had heard a call from the Lord to go to Israel (the Northern Kingdom) during their golden years. He came first to observe, and he was not impressed. The nation was experiencing unprecedented prosperity and the wealthy were rolling in cash–many were having to use their imaginations to figure out how to spend it all. Building programs were going on everywhere–some of the rich had both summer and winter homes! But Amos looked behind the facade and was appalled. Leaders had perverted justice and twisted it for their own benefit! Religious leaders were as corrupt as they come! They paid lip service to the Lord but their hearts were caught up in multiple idolatries, even paying homage to foreign gods. So Amos warned them in the most forceful ways that he could, saying that the Lord just wasn’t going to put up with their wanton disregard for justice and their exploitation of the poor. They were going to be overrun by foreign nations and their cities would be destroyed–their legacy was going to be wiped from the face of the earth. There’s no record that anyone paid the least bit of attention to what Amos said–the religious leaders told him to go back home and prophesy there. We know what that’s like. Nations who think they are great still don’t listen to critics–and may discover too late that God is not mocked!

Thought for the Day: What really makes a nation great?