Amos 8:3-7

“Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, ‘When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practise deceit with false balances,’” vss. 4, 5a, c

While little is said in the book of Second Kings about the reign of Israel’s king, Jeroboam II, it is noted that he reigned for 41 years and that he seems to have made Israel great again. The borders were expanded and the country experienced a period of prosperity. But all was not right, and when Amos, a wandering prophet from the hill country of Judah was sent by God to Israel, he didn’t hesitate to point out the ways in which the poor were being exploited by the rich. Generally that’s what happens in times of prosperity and some are saying that the growing disparity in the distribution of wealth in our own country is a sign of the same malaise detected by Amos in Israel. According to the so-called “Golden Rule” which some say is operative in our society, “those who have the gold make the rules.” And while the phrase is obviously facetious, it does come close to the truth. The law gives enormous advantage to the wealthy, many times at the expense of the needy. Amos was not impressed by Israel’s boom–we can only imagine what he might say to us. Chances are he would not be pleased!

Thought for the Day: Why does prosperity distort a person’s moral compass?

Luke 15:3-10

“And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’” vs. 6

Because the parable of the lost sheep is so familiar we sometimes don’t even question the lunacy of the shepherd. Even in those pastoral times it’s doubtful that any shepherd would actually leave ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness and then go search for one who had gone missing. It doesn’t make any sense. And Jesus knew it! That’s why he told the parable. He knew the story would show just how much God loves sinners, and explain why he spent so much time with the broken and lost people that the righteous religious folks had written off. We love this message of Jesus and we like to imagine ourselves snuggled in the arms of Jesus and being carried home. But it gets a lot harder when we adopt radical shepherding in our congregations. People get resentful when pastors begin to focus on the least and the lost in their ministry. Some feel abandoned and miss the attention. To put it crassly, some congregants don’t see how the broken folks can help them pay the bills! Jesus gave his full attention to sinners and made no distinction between them and the righteous. And if even one person could be reached with the good news, it was worth a celebration.
Thought for the Day: Have I been more a sheep or a shepherd?

Luke 15:1-2

“Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” vss. 1-2

The message that Jesus was proclaiming was of particular interest to the broken and the hurting, and when he came to the villages,those folks came out in large numbers to listen to him. He told them stories of a loving and merciful God and that there was a home for them in his peaceable kingdom. He was so different from the religious leaders who regularly labelled them as untouchable and who would have nothing to do with them. It’s easy for the pious to develop that kind of an attitude. Somehow it’s easier to think well of ourselves if we have someone to look down on, and sadly, we see far too much of this negative energy in the Christian community. We’ve forgotten our origin story, that we are the descendents of the broken tax-collectors and sinners who crowded to hear Jesus’ words of love and acceptance. It wasn’t that Jesus despised the Pharisees and the scribes–but in his mind they were as broken as the so-called sinners they found so repugnant. And as they got to know Jesus, there’s no doubt that some enjoyed eating and drinking with him. He was that kind of guy, and his heart was open to all.

Thought for the Day: Who do I find it easy to look down upon?

1 Timothy 1:15-17

“The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.” vs. 15

One of the ways that we can tell a saint from a hypocrite is that the saint will make no pretense of being anything but a sinner. If we marvel at the words of St. Paul about his own miserable and broken life, our jaws will drop wide open when we read the memoirs of saints like Mother Theresa or Saint Francis of Assissi. Both of them, at the height of their ministries, struggled with deep darkness and sadness. Francis, who spent the last half of his life as a homeless person, devoted many hours each day to prayer, and was convinced that there was only brokenness in his heart. Mother Theresa longed for intimacy with God and was rewarded with a deep sense of unworthiness. Yet both of them devoted themselves to joyful living and sacrificial giving. Each of these saints was totally reliant on God’s grace and mercy and bore witness that if God could love them, then God could love anyone. It’s that brand of humility that cloaks the life of the authentic saints–they’re broken people, just like everyone else. And they are all around us in our congregations, tearfully confessing their sins, joyfully receiving assurance of forgiveness, and then going out to love and serve.

Thought for the Day: Where do I rank in the hierarchy of sinners?

1 Timothy 1:12-14

“I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence.” vss. 12-13a

Because the Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) differ in both style and substance from other Pauline letters, some have presumed that they come from an anonymous hand at a later time in the first century. While it’s impossible to prove this, it is true that these letters were considered as a part of Paul’s legacy. Perhaps we could say that they are more biographical than autobiographical. We do know that Paul was very grateful to Christ Jesus and that he was astounded to have been appointed as an apostle. As he says in other letters he was violently opposed to the presence and the work of the early followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. Paul’s story is a vivid reminder to us that the past does not define our future. Even if we have lived careless and profligate lives, repentance can and does happen. In fact some of the most moving testimonies come from those whose transformation was undeniably miraculous. Such persons probably never forget the shame and embarrassment of their past lives, so they are undoubtedly as grateful as Paul for the new life that they have in Christ. As Amazing Grace puts it, “they once were lost, but now they have been found. Praise God!

Thought for the Day: A testimony about transformation that touched my heart!

Psalm 51:1-10

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” vs. 1

As the various psalms were collected and made available for temple and liturgical use, Psalm 51 became known as a psalm of David, and it’s not hard to understand why. The scriptural accounts of David’s life paint a picture of a man with powerful passions. Not only did he lead the rebellion against King Saul, Israel’s first king, he was attracted to beautiful women, and was even willing to commit murder to make another man’s wife his own. Nothing is spared in describing his despicable actions, and only after being confronted by the prophet Nathan did he confess his sin. And when he finally did turn to God and ask for forgiveness it’s easy to imagine him using the words of this psalm. We use these same words regularly during the season of Lent when we’re forced to our knees by our own brokenness. It’s an earnest and authentic plea to our merciful and loving God for pardon and peace. As we confess our transgressions we promise that we will repent, knowing full well that what we need is a complete makeover, whatever it takes to renew in us a right spirit and a clean heart. And finally it’s good to remember that ultimately Israel remembered David, not as a murderous adulterer, but as a good and pious man.

Thought for the Day: When have I been forced to my knees by my brokenness?

Exodus 32:11-14

“And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.” vs. 14

According to this story recounted in Exodus, Moses was able to convince the Lord to change his mind and abandon his plan to destroy the Hebrews at Mount Sinai. All it took was a reminder that such an action would diminish the Lord’s reputation among the Egyptians. People have wondered about these verses through the centuries. Is it true that the mind of God can be changed by the clever manipulative prayers of humans? Obviously the Hebrews believed that it could happen. It was the only way to explain how Israel had survived its dalliance with idolatry. Many times in its history the nation had crossed the line of obedience and did things deserving punishment. Yet somehow the people had escaped God’s wrath–surely it must have been because God’s mind was changed! That kind of thinking is not unusual even for us. Because we know that there are consequences for corrupt and dissolute behaviors, we’re not surprised that our screw-ups get us in trouble. But sometimes that’s not what happens. We can know in our hearts that we have done wrong, and may even be bracing ourselves for well-deserved punishment, and then, nothing happens! We don’t get what we’ve deserved! Could it be that God’s mind was changed?

Thought for the Day: When’s a time I “got away” with bad behavior?

Exodus  32:7-10

“they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshipped it and sacrificed to it” vs. 8

We’re perhaps familiar with Go Down Moses, a song sung by slaves in the Deep South comparing their slavery to that of the Hebrew people in Egypt. It was a powerful anthem and was banned by slaveowners on their plantations, before becoming a rallying hymn for abolitionists. Ironically the passage from which these popular words were taken, Exodus 32, refers not to Moses’ journey to confront the pharaoh, but to his hasty trip down Mt. Sinai to confront Aaron and those who had cast the golden calf. The people had already been set free and now they were voluntarily submitting to the yoke of idolatry. It was a travesty, and the Lord is pictured as being livid with rage. While we may prefer other images of God than the one used here, the story is still a powerful reminder of how quickly people of faith can be turned from worship of God to idolatry. A powerful heresy like Christian nationalism sounds so good to so many and when combined with blatant materialism seems to know no boundaries. Countless religious people all around the world are embracing its political teachings, and abandoning the good news of the Christ. Thank God for those humble followers of Jesus who are refusing to take up the yoke of slavery!

Thought for the Day: Why are people so quick to abandon the freedom of the gospel?

Luke 14:28-33

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?” vs. 28

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the martyred German theologian, published a book called The Cost of Discipleship in 1937, and following his death it became perhaps the best known of his writings. In his estimation the gospel had been undermined by what he called “cheap grace,” which he defined as the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance–in other words grace without discipleship. It doesn’t take much imagination to see that Bonhoeffer was echoing the words of Jesus. People loved to hear his words of grace and forgiveness. They loved hearing about his mercy and steadfast love. But they didn’t much like it when they were reminded that being his disciple was going to cost them. In many instances it would cost them dearly and some would lose their lives. But perhaps the biggest challenge of all was Jesus’ assertion that becoming a disciple would mean giving up all possessions. That’s so radical that we can scarcely believe that he would have said such a thing. But even if we’re unwilling to part with all of our possessions, what if we could at least agree that being unwilling to change is not a worthy response to Christ’s gracious word of forgiveness. After all it’s only a pious charade when we hear words of grace and walk away unchanged by their power.

Thought for the Day: What has my faith walk cost me?

Luke 14:25-33

“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” vs. 26

There are times when reading the gospels can be confusing. It seems strange for instance that Jesus would actually tell his disciples that following him would mean they would have to hate their biological families. We can only begin to understand when we realize that he’s actually talking about the cost of discipleship. He wants them to know that following him will mean a separation from those things that they have held most dear, and this is the most radical image that he could have possibly used to make that point. We aren’t called to despise our parents, spouse, children, or siblings as a matter of course, but there are times when the call to be a true disciple can be painful. All of us hope that such a moment would never come in our walk of faith, but it could, and all of us have heard the stories of such fateful decisions. It’s important to remember here that hate in this context is not a feeling but a choice, and that Jesus also told his disciple to love those who they hated. And in fact it may even be that those necessary separations within our families can actually be overcome by our selfless acts of love. After all, it’s in loving that God’s healing power is found!

Thought for the Day: Choices I’ve made that have meant separation.