Romans 12:17-21

“If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” vs. 18

Paul is enough of a realist to advise the Romans that it might not be possible to live peaceably with all. His words are not a surprise to most of us. We’ve been around long enough to know that some folks aren’t interested in reciprocal acts of kindness. For one reason or another they rebuff our attempts at making peace in favor of continuing acts of hostility. It’s particularly difficult when such persons are a part of our own households. Many times we’re tempted to just give up! “To hell with them,” we think to ourselves. “I don’t need this kind of aggravation in my life.” But Paul wouldn’t agree! From his perspective, followers of Jesus can never allow the words and actions of another person to dictate our own behaviors. There’s a certain consistency expected of us. We may not be able to control or manipulate another person, but we can, under most circumstances, control how we behave in their presence. When we’re on top of our game we are able to live peacefully and cordially with anyone, if we will to do it! It will mean putting a damper on our nasty sides and curbing our tongues when provoked. It’s a lifestyle that doesn’t come easily to us, but what a blessing it is when we’re able to return a frown or insult with a smile and a kind word. Sometimes relationships are actually healed!

Thought for the Day: When does my nasty side come out?

Romans 12:9-16

“Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.” vs. 16

Paul was writing these words to the little Christian community in Rome. He intended them to be a guide for their church family relationships and based them on his image of life in Christ Jesus. They stand in sharp contrast to what we see displayed on social media or at a national political convention. Our political leaders have little interest in living in the ways suggested by Paul, though they would dearly love their constituents to think that they do. Some become quite adept at talking the talk, though there are frighteningly few who are actually walking the walk! But that’s okay! Paul wasn’t expecting the Emperor or the Imperial Court to behave as he suggested either–their actions were dictated by lust for power and personal vendettas. His words were directed to followers of Jesus. Among us there will be people of a variety of political convictions and our call is to associate with them all, not trying to win arguments but carefully listening. We are to love them from the heart, not putting them down but lifting them up, and putting the best construction on all that they say or do. Harmony in Christian communities is being tested big time in these weeks and months. It’s important to remember that we’re not being asked to elect a messiah this year, our Christ has already come and is living among us.

Thought for the Day: Where do we get our political convictions?

Psalm 126:4-6

“Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” vs. 6

The psalmist had amazing insights about the journey of life, and he didn’t even have access to Dr. Laura or self-help books. There weren’t theologians or psychologists available for consultation–he had only the stories of his people and assorted wisdom sayings gleaned from various Hebrew sages. But those sources and his own observations inspired his writing and now, 2500 years later, his words have the ring of authentic truth. There is a rhythm to life and we have come to know that periods of suffering are the seedbeds for growth and fruitful living. Naturally we would like it to be different–suffering isn’t appealing to anyone. But we can’t avoid the days of weeping and tears–they come to us whether we’re ready or not. And when they come, some people are destroyed–they enter a cycle of never-ending depression. But others have within themselves the seeds that lead to recovery and an even better life. For them disorder leads to order, and they emerge from the struggle stronger than they were before. What are those seeds that lead to joy? The psalmist doesn’t say, but we know from our own experience that they are seeds of faith with a coating of resilient hope. People of faith with irrepressible hope can endure any crisis and will emerge from suffering with shouts of thanks and praise on their lips.

Thought for the Day: What are seeds of faith? Where do they come from?

Psalm 126:1-3

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.” vs. 3

In times of stress and tension, it’s a blessing to have a great memory! That’s what gave solace to the psalmist, and it’s what we hang on to when uncertainty plagues our daily living. The psalmist remembered that the Lord had done great things for Israel and that the people had rejoiced in that moment of triumph–and that memory gave him hope for the future. Most of us have memories like that too, moments when time stood still and it feels like we’re living the dream. Of course, like surfers riding the crest of waves know all too well, even the best waves eventually crash on the beach–and so do we! And when that happens, and we pick ourselves up, sometimes wondering if we have a future, it’s such a blessing to remember the good times. It’s not that we’re going to be able to go back and relive the past, that can’t happen, but we can know that the Lord will smile on us again, and there will be new dreams and visions. Someday this time of distancing and masks will be over and hugs and kisses will abound. Our lives will have changed but our new normal will be better than ever. Relationships can be restored, brokenness can be healed, and we will rejoice again. The Lord will never stop doing great things for us. It’s one thing that we can count on!

Thought for the Day: What does it feel like to live the dream?

Jeremiah 15:15-21

“I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone, for you had filled me with indignation.” vs. 17

When the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah he had been filled with joy and gladness. He was thrilled to be called by the name of the Lord and gladly began his prophetic ministry among the people. But his work did not bring him joy; he found it impossible to be “one of the guys” and found himself isolated from his peers. In fact his old friends turned against him and refused to listen to what he said. That same thing can happen to followers of Jesus. We too have been named and called to bring a message of love and mercy to hurting and broken people. But many of them have been caught up in the worship of wealth, power, and pleasure,and have little inclination to even consider repentance. We then have a choice. We can swallow our words of judgment and join them in their idolatrous merry-making, or we can walk in the way of the Spirit and perhaps sit alone on Saturday night. There is a certain integrity involved with following Jesus–and even though our inclination is to be loving and caring, sometimes we have to walk away from family and friends. That’s not the funnest time in our journey of faith, but the joy that began our Jesus-connection will be enough to sustain us in the tough times too.

Thought for the Day: What fills me with indignation?

Matthew 17:16-20

“Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.” vs. 20

Much has been made of the so-called “Messianic Secret” that the gospel writers mention. Why would Jesus not want the disciples to tell anyone that he was the Messiah? Explanations abound and whole books have been written in support of various theories, but we really can’t know for sure. What we do know is that, when a person is identified as a messiah, expectations go through the roof. People begin to believe that this messiah person will have the answer to every problem and will provide for all their needs. Often the messiah will become the object of worship. Indeed, that’s what happened with Jesus. His disciples began to worship him–and perhaps, just perhaps, that’s not what Jesus wanted! Now that seems a strange idea to most of us. We’ve grown up worshipping Jesus. What could be wrong with that? And the answer is: there’s nothing wrong with worshipping Jesus–except when it becomes the focus of our faith! We are called by the Spirit of God, not to worship Jesus, but to be the presence of Jesus in our hurting and suffering world. Yes, the disciples fell down and worshipped Jesus, but immediately he instructed them to get off their knees and begin to walk in his ways. Believing in Jesus as Messiah is fine–but being the presence of the Messiah in daily living is what will bring healing to the world.

Thought for the Day: In what sense have I been called to be the Messiah?

Matthew 16:13-16

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’” vss. 15-16

The question of Jesus’ identity was a hot topic among the followers of Jesus in the early years. And even when they came to think of him as Messiah or Christ, their debate didn’t end. Some understood Messiah in strictly nationalistic terms, the promised Son of David who had come to restore the glory of David’s kingdom. But others had a more expansive view, especially when kingdom restoration didn’t even make it to Jesus’ mission agenda. Some of them began to see that what had happened in Jesus was the incarnation of the Christ, the Word of God who had been present in creation, and through whom all things had come into existence. It’s taken Jesus’ followers a long time to get their heads around what that actually means for daily living. We’ve grown up so linking Christ with Jesus, almost as though it’s his second name, that we’ve failed to grasp that the Christ is more than one particular person. What happened in Jesus was an example of God’s creative intention for all people! In Jesus the invisible became visible! And what a blessing it has been for humanity when folks have so surrendered themselves to the love of God that the Christ present in Jesus has become apparent also in them!

Thought for the Day: In whom have I seen the living Messiah?

Romans 12:4-8

“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.” vss. 4-5

Paul’s words about the body of Christ are familiar. We’ve understood from the beginning that the many members of the Church have different functions, and that together we make up the one body. Even though we’ve had to fight a strong tendency to fragment, we know in our hearts that we work best when we are strongly united, and when each of our varied gifts are valued. In recent months however we’ve seen that truth threatened by our secular worship of individualism. For many in our country there is nothing more important than the individual’s right to self-determination. Huge percentages of the population have simply refused to cooperate in doing the things that our leaders say need to happen for the COVID virus to be successfully eliminated. And of course some leaders encourage their behavior, “Nothing,” they say, “should stand in the way of a person’s right to do as they please.” As a result, our community efforts have come up short–and results have been disappointing. In the body of Christ we look out for one another, and if sacrifices of freedom need to be made for the good of the whole, we will gladly make them! Even if it means wearing a funny-looking mask!

Thought for the Day: Are you more an individualist or a communitarian?

Romans 12:1-3

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” vs. 2

With the erosion of truth in contemporary society, it has become more and more difficult to discern what is good and acceptable thinking and behavior. Every social media platform is besieged by memes and tweets that are outrageous lies–and too many people just pass them on. They seem to have lost the capacity to know the difference between what is false and what is true. Slander and gossip spreads faster than the most contagious diseases, creating havoc and chaos in their wake. Paul would tell us that we’re better than that garbage, and warn us not to be conformed to this world. How shall we then learn anything? Is it even possible to know what is truth? Paul says that our only recourse is to go inward, and tend to the renewing of our minds. By that he likely means opening our hearts to the presence of the indwelling Christ, the One who is the source of all truth and knowledge. As we fully immerse ourselves in the Spirit of Jesus we are transformed in miraculous and marvelous ways. We begin to see the world through Jesus-tinted glasses and the gross lies and deceptions are revealed. And as we focus on what is good and acceptable and perfect in every person (no exceptions) our attitudes are changed and we can experience peace even in the midst of confusion. 

Thought for the Day: Why do we delight in passing on deceptive information?

Psalm 138

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” vs. 8

It’s not unusual for the faithful to wonder about their purpose in life. Often our paths seem indistinguishable from those of the people around us–there’s a certain routine: education, career, marriage and family, and before we know it, we’re planning our retirement. And it’s possible to do all of that without an overriding sense of purpose. Stuff happens, we react, and another day dawns. It’s like “Groundhog Day,” and tomorrow is pretty much like yesterday. Some have been feeling this on a small scale during this pandemic, but others have felt it for a lifetime. And we wonder about our purpose–what special thing might God have for us to do? Where do we fit in God’s eternal plan? Some folks take matters into their own hands and carefully work out their own plan for life, often in great detail. And then life happens, and all their planning goes up in smoke! The psalmist points us to a larger truth in this verse by saying that “the Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.” If he’s right we can relax! He’s implying that God does indeed have a plan and a purpose but we don’t have to worry about what it is. It’s merely a matter of trusting that we are being conformed by the steadfast love of God into the beautiful persons we have been designed to be. 

Thought for the Day: What special gift am I bringing to the world?