2 Kings 2:9-12

“When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’ Elisha said, ‘Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’” vs. 9

Elisha’s request may seem strange to us, but he was making a reference to the inheritance laws of Israel, where the first-born son, at the death of his father, was awarded a double share of the inheritance. Elisha is asking Elijah to recognize him as his first-born successor, which as the choice of the Lord, he ultimately became. Most all of us are familiar with the laws of inheritance in our country, and many have taken steps to avoid probate by writing wills and establishing trusts. We want to be able to direct our remaining wealth and property to worthy heirs or benevolences. We particularly want to make sure our children and grandchildren will be taken care of. But Elisha suggests that there are more important things to be passed on from one generation to the next. Have we ever considered whether our descendents will inherit the Spirit that has filled us with faith and driven our desire to love and serve? Will they trust in the Christ within and be a part of the Body of Christ in the world? Will they worship the living Lord? What would happen if we intentionally bequeath to them a double share of our Spirit in our last testament? It would be the most valuable gift we could give them!

Thought for the Day: How would my children receive a double share of my Spirit?

Mark 1:32-39

“In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” vs. 35

The Sea of Galilee is a harp-shaped lake about eleven miles long and is surrounded by large hills. Along its banks in the time of Jesus were a number of small towns and villages. Capernaum is at the northern edge, right about where the Jordan River enters the lake. When Jesus got up before dawn he would have climbed one of the nearby hills, and from there as he sat to pray he could watch the sun come up over the eastern hills, the country we call Jordan. As the sky lightened over the lake and the birds began to fly along the shore, he spent time with God, considering the direction of his ministry. These were the moments of refreshment in his life, moments to reflect on the prior day and to be recharged with the presence of God’s Spirit. We need those quiet spaces too, places where we can get away from the crowds and the interruptions of daily living. Sadly, it’s hard for us to get this done. Many don’t even like places of stillness and will do anything to titillate their senses–even when they go for walks earbuds and phones are their companions, and messages from God are likely to go unheard. When Simon and his companions found Jesus he was refocused and ready to move on. He’d seen God in the sunrise and was ready to take the message to the world.

Thought for the Day: Where and when do I find spiritual refreshment?

Mark 1:29-31

“He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.” vs. 31

Mark adds a personal touch to his story by telling how Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law during a Saturday afternoon visit to the family home. Whether Mark intended it or not we can’t help but be amused at what happened. A cynic would say that this healing was done as much to benefit the helpless men as it was the feverish woman. She got healed and they got served! More than that though, the story shows that much of ministry simply happens in the course of everyday living. As we’re going about our business we encounter hurting folks–and often they’re members of our own families. Rather than focus on helping those at a distance we need to recognize that often it’s those who are close to us who need our careful attention. A husband or a wife can easily be neglected in our rush to serve others, not to mention the children who are ignored while mom and dad are off doing good works. There are too many stories about children who grow up with a jaundiced view of church because they needed attention–and their parents were too busy helping Jesus! On the other hand, we’ll always remember how we were tended through our various illnesses by family members who loved us deeply. In those moments love grows and flourishes!

Thought for the Day: How do I serve my family?

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

“I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.” vs. 23

Paul’s life had been resurrected by the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he wanted to share that blessing with as many people as he could. So he carefully crafted his message to fit the life situation of those he wanted to reach. He learned to speak the language his hearers would understand. To Jews he spoke as a Jew, to Gentiles as a Gentile–in his words he became all things to all people. He could do this because he knew that the gospel wasn’t in itself conservative or liberal; it wasn’t a theology or philosophy. Rather, it was a power, a renewing force, that liberated people from the morass of their own small-mindedness, and that connected them to the living Christ. It took people out of their everyday concerns and gave them a vision for caring and serving, for loving with the heart of Jesus. It’s sad then, in our time, to see people retreating into their little enclaves of like-minded persons, and worse, believing that they and they alone can grasp the truth. The gospel, as Paul understood it and as Jesus proclaimed it, sets us free from ghetto thinking and opens us up to the Peaceable Kingdom, where enemies are loved and all people are valued. The world was changed by Paul’s shapeshifting, his willingness to be as others for the sake of the gospel–and that same power is available to us.

Thought for the Day: How do I change according to who I am with?

1 Corinthians 9:16-18

“What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.” vs. 18

Paul was under attack by some opponents for profiting from his work as an apostle. He bristled at the charge and responded in a typical Pauline way. First he says that he has a right to receive compensation–a worker deserves to be paid! But then he tells them that he will accept no payment for his work as apostle–he proclaims the gospel free of charge! And that is enough reward for him! This wasn’t the last time such an issue has come up in the church. There’s always been a certain amount of tension that revolves around clergy pay. Congregations generally agree that their pastors and staff deserve compensation, and most are well cared for. But some religious leaders have discovered ways to turn the preaching of a prosperity gospel into enormous profit for themselves and their families. They say that God rewards faith materially and that their followers therefore expect them to live extravagantly. Some have amassed fortunes in excess of a billion dollars–and they say proudly, “See how God has blessed me!” In general though such “evangelism” does nothing to enhance the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, people are put off by such excesses, and the gospel is diminished. And we can be sure that Paul would not be impressed!

Thought for the Day: Why are scam artists attracted to religion?

Psalm 147:1-11, 20c

“His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner; but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.” vss. 10-11

We spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about how good we are at stuff. Our culture gives acclaim to those who can golf well or run fast or make bushel baskets full of money. Admittedly it feels good to get accolades from peers for our accomplishments, and if we can set records or get our names in the paper all the better. We love to get recognized for our achievements–even if it’s only a gold watch at our retirement party. It’s what life is all about–or is it? The psalmist certainly wouldn’t agree. He says that all those skills we spend so much time polishing, all the brownie points we get from our peers, all those things so valued by society–none of that is of any interest to the Lord. If he’s right, then our spiritual connections to the Divine will be the prime focus of our lives. Those who immerse themselves in the steadfast love of the Lord will know deep satisfaction even if they never win a race or get the highest score on a test. That love draws us out of our self-absorption and into a deeper level of existence, one that is not contingent on the ups and downs of our personal stories and experiences. We’ll have joy always, even if we never win a thing!

Thought for the Day: What’s my greatest accomplishment?

Isaiah 40-27-31

“but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” vs. 31

Let’s face it! There are sometimes massive challenges on our journey to wholeness. We need to make adjustments or changes in the way we’ve been living and we despair at being able to do what needs to be done. Some have become well acquainted with failure in their efforts to get their lives turned around. The obstacles are too difficult and even the well-meaning efforts of our friends to assist fall short. What many have found, as they’d hit bottom again and again, is that they cannot by their own strength pull themselves back up. Immersed in despair they turn to God, admit their powerlessness, and find an amazing reservoir of power. As they tap into that power through daily prayer, they find the strength talked about by Isaiah. They mount up with wings like eagles, they run and are not weary, they walk and do not faint. A strength that is not their own pulls them through the day, and as the weeks pass, one day at a time, they find themselves being transformed. Their definitions of God may vary, but the strength they receive is the same–it comes from outside themselves, and it makes all the difference in the world. The hardest part is putting aside pride and admitting powerlessness–once that happens, all things are possible.

Thought for the Day: Times I’ve needed God’s strength to get through the day.

Isaiah 40:21-26

“It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in;” vs. 22

The prophet may not have had our cosmology–we’ve pretty much discarded the notion of a three story universe–but he certainly had an understanding of God that defies the centuries. In his estimation the Lord was above and beyond all things and human beings were pretty much at the level of grasshoppers. Some days, with all our hopping and scurrying around, that seems a pretty apt description. Isaiah wanted to encourage the people in their discouraging situation. As captives in Babylon they were finding it hard to maintain faith, and many believed that God had deserted them. Isaiah tells them that their image of God is too small and that God is more than they can even imagine. There are plenty of people among us who can relate to the Israelites–it’s like the world has been taken captive by COVID-19 and after a year of social distancing and losing loved ones, many are discouraged. And even the advent of a vaccine doesn’t seem to have made things much better. Some wonder where God is in all of this. And the answer is that there’s nowhere that God isn’t! God is present in the dying and in the living, and in God, ultimately there will be healing and new life. Because of who God is there can’t be any other outcome!

Thought for the Day: What was my first image of God? Did I ever adjust it?

“They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’” vs. 27

The crowd recognized that Jesus was teaching with authority and they were amazed. They were well acquainted with authority figures of several kinds. There was that of their Roman overlords, a kind of political authority derived from the emperor. And the scribes too claimed authority–they interpreted the religious laws and their word on controversial issues was presumed to be final. But the authority that Jesus exhibited was different; it came directly from God and was accompanied by power. Even the demons obeyed him–not even Tiberius had that kind of pull! Later on, the gospel testifies, Jesus passed that authority on to his disciples, and in his stead they too exhibited great power. Since then there have been many who have tried to latch on to the authority of Jesus, but have discovered to their chagrin that they had no power to effect change. In general we’re well advised to avoid authoritarian leaders in the Church, especially when they’re trying to exercise control. Jesus-style authority is found in those places where words of forgiveness and healing are spoken. When a leader tells us, “By the authority vested in me I forgive you all of your sins,” forgiveness actually happens. Guilt is lifted and the power of evil is broken–and we experience the real presence of Christ.

Thought for the Day: Where do I hear the authoritative voice of Jesus?

Mark 1:23-26

“Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’” vss. 23-24

According to Mark the demons knew exactly who Jesus was–they spotted his holiness a mile away and called him out. They not only knew his name but they knew his divine origins, and considered him to be a threat to their well-being. It may be that we have different notions about demonic possession in our time, but it remains true that evil cannot stand in the presence of goodness. The two are incompatible. And ultimately as people proudly wearing the banner of Christ continue to work for justice and practice kindness in all their encounters, evil will be vanquished. Of course there is resistance. The unclean spirits of our world put up a mighty fight, and continue to tempt people to look to their own needs and practice accumulation in daily living. The evil one is always at hand, and works to undermine our good intentions. Some even say that “no good deed goes unpunished,” and point to perfect examples of that truth in their own lives. Sometimes it appears as though virtue has no chance in our broken world. But the Christ has power in every age, and one day all demons will be destroyed, even the ones who plague us daily.

Thought for the Day: Where do I see signs that goodness is winning?