Hebrews 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us…” vs. 1

So, what is it that encourages us to lead a good and decent life in the midst of the crookedness and perversity of this generation? Is it because we want to win God’s favor and gain a favored position in the life to come? Or is it because we want to walk in the Way of Jesus and follow in his footsteps? 

In reality we’re motivated by a variety of factors in charting our path. Here, the writer to the Hebrews suggests yet another possibility. He says that we can best know the way forward by looking backward! He reminds his readers that they’re not the first to walk in the way of faith, and that for thousands of years people have loved and served God with all of their hearts. Some of them have even given their lives as faithful servants and witnesses! He reasons that it would be horrible if their faithfulness was in vain and the current generation would allow the light of love to be extinguished.

His argument is a good one! We too carry the faith legacy of our ancestors as we run the race that is set before us. How horrible it would be if we allowed the baton of faith we now carry to slip from our grasp! Our great grandchildren are depending on us!

Thought for the Day: What do I owe my grandparents?

Psalm 71:1-14

“Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you. Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.” vss. 6, 9

Any lifelong follower of Jesus can readily identify with the psalmist’s words. Often the life of faith begins in infancy. Before we know anything about the bible or creeds we hear prayers at the table and at our bedsides. We grow up believing and we have no recollection of how it happened. Of course there will be wandering as the years pass. Who does not stray from a mother’s knee when the world beckons?

And even though belief can escape us, faith stays close through good times and bad. Often when we’re ready to settle down, career or diploma in hand, and children are born, we return to the fold. The Shepherd welcomes us and soon the Spirit’s familiar songs and stories begin to reshape us in our created image. We relish the communion of saints and delight in our community through thick and thin.

And then come the golden years! Signs of our mortality stalk us and drive us to doctors and hospitals. And as we feel our strength failing we turn again to our God. “Oh Good Shepherd” we pray, “walk with us through the shadows and when our mind grows dim. And when our bodies falter, pick us up and carry us home.”

Thought for the Day: How has my faith has varied with the years?

Isaiah 42:1-9

“He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” vss. 2-3

After centuries of devastating wars and incompetent rulers, the prophet, residing in captivity, had a vision for a new nation, one that was modeled on the Suffering Servant. Now there would be a new governance, and Israel would be known for its gentleness and compassion, and the Spirit of God would bring forth justice for all people. 

Scribes preserved Isaiah’s teachings and his words were like honey for the disheartened people chafing under Roman rule.  Jesus used them as a model for his  ministry, and literally became the Suffering Servant during his last week in Jerusalem. Through him the Peaceable Kingdom has been established and millions of people have lifted up the cross and brought love to the ends of the earth.

Still the struggle continues. Broken people have an appetite for violence and bloodshed and we’ve seen clearly how quickly chaos can erupt on our planet. And the infection quickly spreads. Because of global connectedness it’s hard for any country to stand on the sidelines. Some leaders clamor for escalation, as though the only solution is more destruction. 

But Jesus hasn’t gone away–the Servant still lives and reigns. We can be confident   the Spirit of Peace, and not a Tomahawk missile, will bring rest for the weary and hope for the suffering.

Thought for the Day: Where is the Spirit of Peace at work right now?

Matthew 27:26-54

“They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” vss. 28-29 

While Matthew portrays Pilate as being reluctant to go forward with the crucifixion of Jesus, the soldiers of the governor seem to have relished the task. This was what they did, and they knew how to humiliate prisoners and inflict as much pain as possible. They thought it amusing to treat this bleeding beaten man as the king of the Jews and, having stripped him, they gave him a royal robe, a crown, and a scepter. For them the whole ordeal was a joke!

In the end, of course, the joke was on them! Their cruel charade was meant to be demeaning, but they had unwittingly participated in Jesus’ coronation. Little did they know that the cross, their instrument of torture, would be transformed into his throne of glory. That cross has become for believers all over the world the perfect symbol of God’s compassionate and unrelenting love.

And what a surprise it must have been for them, at least according to Luke’s gospel, to hear from the cross these words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing!” They had intended their work to be an act of unspeakable cruelty, but the King responded with words of love and grace! What a beautiful surprise for them and for us!

Thought for the Day: What makes me want to hurt “bad” people?

Matthew 27:11-25

“Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’’ vss. 20-21

There is no doubt that the Romans were in charge of Jesus’ execution. It’s what they did to maintain order in the territories that they governed. But they also had concerns about public opinion–the governor did not want a riot to break out in Jerusalem during the festival. So Pilate puts the decision about Jesus in the hands of the crowd. The problem is that crowds can easily be manipulated, and the Jerusalem crowd that welcomed Jesus into their city quickly turned on him. Perhaps they felt he had let them down. Maybe the religious leaders provoked them. We don’t know–all the gospels say is that in the space of a few days their cries turned from “Hosanna” to “Crucify him!”

We know what that’s like. Our leaders are heavily dependent on public opinion and they’ve become adept at using the changing communication landscape to offer their promises, pledges, and deceptions. From mass rallies to round the clock social media postings they do everything they can to manipulate the desires of the people. And even when we’re aware of what is happening, it’s gotten virtually impossible to ferret out the truth.

All we know for sure is that Jesus is the way and the truth. And maybe that’s all we need!

Thought for the Day: How am I being manipulated in these times?

Matthew 21:1-11 

“The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” vs. 9

All of the gospels report that Jesus entered Jerusalem on his final journey, flanked by hordes of pilgrims, and riding on a donkey. The crowd hailed him as the successor to David, Israel’s greatest king, and was looking forward to his coronation as messiah. Jesus says nothing to disabuse them of this notion, but the learned among them must have wondered why he was not mounted on a war horse. Of course we know that the donkey is the p the story! Jesus may have been a king but he wasn’t anything like David, and his throne was a rugged cross. 

When the crowds finally figured this out, most deserted him. They had no idea what a king on a cross represented. But others did understand, and they began to see this sublime act of humility as the key to knowing Jesus. They even adopted the cross as the most powerful symbol of love this world has ever known. It has become the center of our lives together, the magnet that draws all believers into one body.

So on Sunday we’ll be waving palms in our worship, a great way to remember the humility of our king, and some will weave the palms into crosses! It’s a great way to link Palm Sunday to Passion Sunday! After all, they are one and the same!

Thought for the Day: What’s appealing about Palm Sunday?

Philippians 2:7b-11

“And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” vss. 7b-8

How would the landscape of our country change if our leaders were infected by the mind of Christ and humbled themselves, becoming obedient to the principles of the Peaceable Kingdom? The difference would be startling. We’ve gotten so used to pretension, hypocrisy, and self-exultation on the part of politicians that some can’t even imagine any other possible behaviors. And what’s even more astounding is that many of these leaders consider themselves to be exemplary Christians! Well, they may have learned how to talk the pious talk, but they don’t even come close to walking in the footsteps of Jesus!

There is probably no greater virtue than humility for those who are serious about following Jesus. We’ve encountered them in our congregations. They’re self-effacing, gracious, and polite, never seeking honor or prestige, always seeking to put the interests of others above their own. Oh what joy such people bring to those around them! And oh what a pity that more people are unable to see the virtues of such a life! This is the life that Jesus lived, and it’s a life available to every single one of us. People living this way are the embodiment of the Peaceable Kingdom! They are the foretaste of the feast that is to come!

Thought for the Day: What’s the difference between “humbling oneself” and “being humbled”?

Philippian 2:5-7a

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,” vs. 5

Sometimes we think of ourselves as being different from Jesus, as though he behaved and acted as he did because he had a special relationship with God, one that we do not have. Often we hear people excusing their own broken behaviors with the words, “Well, only one man was perfect and that was Jesus!” 

While Paul doesn’t weigh in on that issue in his letter to the Philippians, he seems to indicate here that Jesus is the perfect model for them all. In fact he encourages the people in that little congregation to have the same mind in themselves that was present in Christ Jesus. And this was no impossible mission! We can see the world as Jesus did! We can love as he did! We can sacrifice as he did! It’s time for us to stop thinking that the Jesus life is somehow beyond us. We too contain the divine DNA–we’ve been born in the image of God. And his mission is our mission!

It’s time that we stop using our humanity as an excuse for poor behavior. We don’t sin because we’re human–we sin because we make bad choices! Our humanity has nothing to do with it. Millions of people have figured out how to live as Jesus lived. They have the mind of Christ, and they live all around us–certainly they’re a part of our faith communities. And because of them our lives have been blessed!

Thought for the Day: How can I have the same mind that was in Christ? 

Psalm 31:9-16

“But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand;” vss. 14-15a

While it’s possible to worry about most anything in this messed up and beautiful world, we generally come to the point when it dawns on us that there are many things we can’t control. At that moment the wise believer will echo the psalmist and hand everything over to God. As the AA folks are fond of saying, we “let go and let God.”

It’s a blessing when this insight comes early in our lives! But most of us have to wait for some years to pass. We just can’t seem to stop believing that, if we set our minds to it, the most intractable problems can be solved. Now that may be true with an algebraic equation, but it’s certainly not true of the chaotic political, economic, and relational issues that keep us awake at night. And all those conditions are exacerbated by the unrelenting changes wrought by aging. 

It’s good to keep on pondering and exercising. God knows our minds and bodies need our attention and care. But it’s even better when we can surrender our futures into the hand of God, and say in all humility, “My times are in your hand.” That act of submission will ultimately bring peace, and even better, the serenity we crave for daily living. It feels so good to be able to live without a care in the world!

Thought for the Day: How do I measure the level of my serenity?

Isaiah 50:4-7a

“The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.” vss. 3-4

This section of Isaiah and its description of Israel as the Suffering Servant had a profound impact on the life and ministry of Jesus, and beyond him, on the teachings of  the early Christian community. In these verses we learn that our ears have a direct relationship to our faith formation. It’s as we listen to the word of the Lord that we find encouragement in the face of suffering and persecution. We can’t even read these words without thinking of Jesus and his post-arrest behaviors. He could offer passive resistance because he’d been listening to God in his daily meditation and prayers.

It may not be that we will be arrested and beaten because we are disciples of Jesus, but in our changing world it is at least conceivable. But we will face challenges! Listening to the Spirit of Jesus can take us into any number of uncomfortable situations, and we could face opposition for our boldness in standing up for the poor and the oppressed. Our moral compass can be expected to move us in the direction of justice and compassion. But we’ll never be alone. To paraphrase Isaiah, “The Lord God helps me, I will never be disgraced.”

Thought for the Day: What’s it like to listen to God?