Luke 12:49-53

“I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” vss. 50-51

Often we imagine that Jesus was a man of infinite patience and deep serenity. Today’s text presents a different picture, one that may surprise us. Jesus told his disciples that he was having enormous stress as he continued his mission, and that he couldn’t wait until he was finished. And the main reason for his stress was the division that his ministry was bringing to many families. In some ways that knowledge can be a comfort to us. Because the same things that brought stress for Jesus can still plague our daily living. Everywhere we look we see division, certainly on a global and national level, but often in our families as well. And it produces enormous stress in our lives. And just because we have strong faith, and are seeking to show patience and peace on a daily basis we aren’t immune to the pain. It hurts to see our nation and our families struggle, and some days, like Jesus, we just can’t wait to be done with it all. The one thing we can’t do is retreat from the path of faith and obedience. We will continue to practice unconditional love and sacrificial service. That is our call and our mission, and even when stressed, we will continue to walk in the Way!

Thought for the Day: When am I most stressed? What do I do about it?

Hebrews 12:1-2

“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

The stories of the ancestors were a great inspiration to the Hebrew Christians. These were the witnesses who had gone before them, sometimes making unbelievable sacrifices for the sake of those who would walk in their footsteps. As we have done our genealogical studies in this age of ancestral curiosity many have discovered people who have also endured great pain and affliction in the hope of making a better life for those who came after them. As we explore their stories in family archives we will likely want to prove worthy of their sacrifices, and as the writer of Hebrews suggests, lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely and run with perseverance the race that is set before us. You see, we are a part of a great community of saints, some who now rest from their labors, and we’re not running alone. We belong to those who have gone before us and those who will come after us. And always we will be keeping our eyes focused on Jesus. We know how he lived, and the great love he had for the people around him. Truly he was the pioneer and the perfecter of our faith, and in him, we, and those who come after us will enjoy all the blessings of the kingdom.

Thought for the Day: What sacrifices did my ancestors make?

Hebrews 11:29-40

“And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises…” vss. 32-33

The writer of Hebrews believed that all the heroes and heroines of Israel had lived by faith, just as had the ancestors of them all, Abraham and Sarah. It was a proud history. Yet even though those persons had been commended for their faith, none of them had yet received the perfection of their faith. They too were dependent on Jesus, the one who had been raised up from the dead and who now lived in glory. That provides an answer for the question that many have asked about the nature of salvation: can those who have not known Jesus receive new life in him? The passage makes the answer clear. The new life in Christ is for all people of all times, not just those who believe in Jesus or who have committed their lives to him. That’s hard to comprehend, and some may disagree, but it remains a powerful testimony to the unconditional love of God and the extravagant mercy contained in the gospel. Sometimes things are just too wonderful for our little minds to understand. But if there’s hope for Rahab the prostitute and David the adulterer, there’s obviously hope for us as well.

Thought for the Day: What is my faith leading me to do?

Psalm 82

“Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” vss. 3-4

The psalmist is imagining a council of the gods of the nations that has gathered to consider the state of human kind. Such gatherings are mentioned a number of times in the Hebrew scriptures, and can be understood as a precursor to the absolute monotheism that was typical of Judaism. In this instance the psalmist indicates that the God of Israel rose up at the council and pronounced judgment on the other gods. God has noticed that in the other nations the poor and the needy are being marginalized and abused, that they’re being taken advantage of by the wicked. God then lifts up one of the cardinal principles of the nation of Israel. Always the leaders are to give justice to the weak and the orphan and maintain the rights of the lowly and the destitute. It’s hard to miss the psalmist’s point! Yet we miss the mark again and again. Too many nations neglect the weak and the needy while offering the rich and the powerful every possible advantage. We’re seeing that again in our world as the gap between the rich and the poor increases to unprecedented levels. No matter how we imagine God to be, it cannot be that this is the dawn of the peaceable kingdom promised by Jesus. What is happening is not God’s intention.

Thought for the Day: Why does God care so much about the weak and the lowly?

Jeremiah 23:26-29

“They plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, just as their ancestors forgot my name for Baal.” vs. 23

Jeremiah had a bone to pick with the so-called prophets who hung around the court in Jerusalem. They would say whatever they believed would tickle the ears of the king and the nobility, and their advice was always self-serving. Jeremiah believed that the word of the Lord was like fire and like a hammer that breaks a rock into pieces. It wasn’t anything like the dreams being told by the false prophets. It’s been sad to see that same pattern emerging in these latter days as preachers flaunting their Christian credentials speak pablum to power. The compassionate message of Jesus has been all but abandoned in the rush to please the whims of politicians. It’s so very easy to villainize the poor and those who look different and to imagine that a life of profligacy and greed is fully in line with the teachings of our Lord Jesus. Some folks just go along with the lies they hear, while others shut their eyes and ears to the degradation of truth and the creation of alternate realities. Jeremiah’s message was totally ignored by the people in power–they liked the dreams of the false prophets–and Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. We don’t know how things will turn out for us–but some are saying it’s time to start worrying!

Thought for the Day: How can anyone know what is true anymore?

Jeremiah 23:23-26

“Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.”  vss. 23-24

Jeremiah knew the Lord intimately and understood that God was beyond human understanding. If we imagine that we can escape the scrutiny of the Lord by staying away from church or avoiding prayer or becoming atheists, we are the biggest fools imaginable. God’s name is “I AM” and that means that God is–God’s presence fills the universe! Now, depending upon who we are, that knowledge can be either comforting or terrifying. If we are searching or lonely or living in despair it feels good to know that we are not alone, and that God has not abandoned us. That means we can expect to glimpse God in every circumstance of life, sometimes in surprising ways. But if we are enslaved to our passions and engaged in practices that are self-indulgent and self-serving, it’s probably not good news to know that God is watching. We’d love to imagine that the shameful acts that are a part of our lives can be hidden from God, but that’s just not the case. God is intimately related to all that we do, in both our goodness and in our brokenness, and is a constant source of both love and judgment. For better or for worse, that’s just the way it is!

Thought for the Day: Where did I glimpse God yesterday?

Luke 12:35-40

“But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.” vs. 39

Jesus follows up his instructions on the dangers of riches and the importance of living simply with a little parable about the importance of servants being ready for the return of their master. It’s hard to miss his point! We don’t know what the future will bring, and we certainly don’t know when our ending will be. Early on Christians used this verse in connection with the anticipated second coming of Jesus, and many still understand it in that way. But it can also be used in a more immediate sense with regard to our own lives. We really don’t know how much time we have left, and if we have a sense that there are changes that should be made, there’s really no point in delaying. And that’s particularly true with regard to our riches and possessions. There’s no better time to simplify our lives than right now. Who knows? We might even have a chance to see the blessings that our shared abundance will make in the lives of the needy. There is amazing gratification in knowing that our generosity has been appreciated. And there’s a far greater chance of our hearing a “well done” or a “thank you” if our giving is done before we die.

Thought for the Day: What am I procrastinating about right now?

Luke 12:32-34

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms.” vss. 32-33a

When we take the words of Jesus seriously and make them the focus of our scriptural study, it’s stunning to discover how often he speaks about riches and wealth. So if your pastor seems to be talking about money more often that you find comfortable, that pastor is not off base. In fact it’s the pastors who don’t preach about money who are distorting scripture. Jesus regularly taught his disciples about the dangers of wealth and the value of giving our stuff away. Here, after talking about the temptations of accumulation, he bluntly tells them to sell their stuff and use the profits to give assistance to the poor. In reality, very few people actually do this. Our ties to possessions are unbelievably strong and we’ve learned through the generations that there are benefits that come to those with good pensions and solid savings accounts. But occasionally we run across people whose generosity astounds us and who regularly give away large sums of money. Often we discover that they can do this because they’ve simply stopped worrying about how much they have and have discovered the freedom that comes with living simply. And while that may not be exactly what Jesus taught, it does come close! The serenity that comes with kingdom living is not connected to the abundance of our possessions.

Thought for the Day: What would happen if I stopped worrying about money?

Hebrews 11:8-16

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going.” vs. 8

Since Abraham and Sarah are mentioned first among the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Hebrew people, it’s not strange that the writer of Hebrew makes them prime models of faithfulness for his readers. In fact, they get top billing! But as he makes reference to their faithful obedience the writer makes an interesting observation. They set out on their journey of faith without knowing where they were going! In other words they weren’t much different than we are when we begin walking in the way of Jesus. It’s such an interesting exercise! For one reason or another we are touched by the Spirit and make a decision to take a different path through life. This can involve drastic change or a more subtle adjustment in our direction and purpose. But no matter how the repentance takes place, none of us know what is going to happen or where we will one day end up. We simply keep trusting that, day by day, the Spirit will show us the way. There may even be dead-ends and certainly there will be detours, and invariably we’ll be surprised by where we end up. And what’s really neat is that place where we are right now may not even be our final destination!

Thought for the Day: Where has my faith walk taken me?

Hebrews 11:1-3

“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.” vs. 3

Most ancient peoples have wild and convoluted stories about the creation of the world. In these tales gods and goddesses engaged in mythic struggles for power and position and in the process all things now seen came into existence. By contrast the Hebrew creation stories seem tame and definitely orderly. As the writer to the Hebrews implies, God spoke and it was so. And in the gospel of John we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.”  Now this is obviously a matter of faith! In fact, it’s “the conviction of things not seen.” But what a comfort it is to believe that all things emanate from the Living God, and that even now creation continues. It wasn’t just some “big bang” that happened 13.4 billion years ago but the every day springing into being of the still emerging universe. Every day God speaks and life is created and renewed, and not one thing takes place apart from the presence of God. Believe it or not, that’s just the way it is, and the way it will be forever more.

Thought for the Day: Where have I seen new things coming into being?