Luke 6:22-31

“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” vss. 27-28

After proclaiming a series of blessings and woes to the crowd on the plain, Jesus goes on in his role as a wisdom teacher to give some instruction on how his followers should live from day to day. As we might expect his directions depart from what the rabbis usually taught. He doesn’t just spout the usual proverbs about doing good and avoiding foolish behavior. In fact, what he told his disciples has been routinely dismissed as being the height of foolishness. We know very well that he said these things, but we can’t believe that he really meant them. We live in a dualistic culture where we’re encouraged to single out the “bad guys” and do all we can to destroy them. In fact that’s one of the primary messages of those involved in the current “war on crime.” We’re being taught daily to hate those who oppose us and to abuse those who disagree with us. It’s a popular message because it feeds our basest instincts–but it’s certainly not what Jesus lived and taught. He said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” And believe it or not, through the centuries many of his followers have done exactly that. It’s a radical, life-changing way to live, and  its practitioners are changing the world! 

Thought for the Day: How sincere am I as I pray for my enemies?

Luke 6:20-23

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” vs. 21

We’re used to hearing Matthew’s beatitudes as the gospel for All Saints’ Sunday, but this year we get Luke’s version–and there are some differences. For one thing Luke doesn’t bother spiritualizing Jesus’ words. He doesn’t mention the “poor in spirit” or those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” For Luke it’s the poor and the hungry who are blessed, and one day they will be fed, and even better the weeping will laugh! Sometimes we forget that according to the gospels, suffering is not something to be avoided, but rather a blessing to be embraced. For people like us who will move mountains to keep from experiencing any kind of pain or suffering this is a strange notion. But Jesus knew that suffering draws us into the community of saints better than anything else. One of the great truths of human existence is that we are not alone in our suffering. Poverty, hunger, and weeping can draw us together. Of course God does not intend that we remain in pain, that’s why Jesus attaches a promise to the blessing. We will live in the kingdom of God, we will feast with all the saints, and we’ll lose ourselves in joy and celebration. Our loved ones are experiencing that new life now, and as we remember them, we rejoice at the peace that is theirs.

Thought for the Day: For what do I hunger?

Psalm 149

“Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples…” vss.6-7

Some passages of scripture speak of God’s people engaging in holy war. We see that most clearly in the many stories of the occupation and conquest of Canaan. The armies of Israel are said to have brutally slaughtered the people who were already living in the land. Later on, even after Judah had been defeated in battle, the religious leaders remembered the glorious battles of the past and songs of triumph were composed imagining future victories by Cod’s chosen ones. It’s always tricky for followers of Jesus to interpret the violent imagery of our scriptures, and there are some who use these passages to encourage the new militancy of our country. It’s important for us to remember that the earliest Christians, the ones most familiar with the teachings of Jesus, embraced pacifism, and questioned whether it was fitting for them to serve in the army. While it’s become obvious that there is a need for military forces in a broken world, we make a huge mistake if we believe that Jesus would encourage his followers to take up two-edged swords to punish the nations. In their fallenness humans may glorify killing, but such behaviors have nothing to do with the Peaceable Kingdom of Jesus Christ. In that Kingdom God is praised and glorified, not by power and might, but by unconditional love and sacrificial service.

Thought for the Day: What is Holy War?

Ephesians 1:15-23

“And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” vss, 22-23

From early on the Church has identified itself as the Body of Christ, and has understood this not just metaphorically, but literally. We are actually the living presence of Christ in the world, and it is through us that the ministry of Jesus Christ continues. In recent years this teaching has gained momentum and the slogan “God’s Work, Our Hands” has become a regular feature of the annual mission plan in many congregations. But Paul not only talks of the Church as the Body of Christ, he also says that Christ is its head, an idea that adds a new dimension to the equation. In fact, to think of Christ as our head is to bring the things that we do into line with what Jesus sees. And what does Jesus see? Well, with scripture as our guide we know pretty clearly that he had a passion for the “least of these,” a phrase that sums up our mission better than anything else. The hungry, the naked, the prisoners, the strangers, and the sick are still present, and Jesus is still seeing them, and our call as his hands and feet is to continue caring for their needs. It’s not glamorous work, and some days it’s a grind, but the results are life-changing, both for us and those we serve.

Thought for the Day: To whom will I be Chirst today?

Ephesians 1:11-23

“In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;” vs. 13

“You have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” We hear these words regularly in the baptism rituals of our congregations. They are said following the washing with water and are a precious reminder of the grace that has been poured out upon us through our Lord Jesus. The cross then, etched on our foreheads in that baptism, is an indelible mark of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. It can’t be rubbed off or washed away and remains until the close of our days. Some people make the sign of the cross many times each day. More than a habit for most, it’s a sign of faith and a connection to God’s sustaining grace. Because the cross has become ubiquitous in our culture it has been adopted by many as a piece of jewelry. Often such use is tasteful and a testimony to faith, but when the cross is encrusted with diamonds and hanging on a massive chain, the connection to Jesus is less obvious. We can be grateful that the very best reminder of our baptismal cross comes in the retracing that takes place on Ash Wednesday. We carry the mark of the cross every day, but on that day the invisible becomes visible.

Thought for the Day: When do I make the sign of the cross? 

Daniel 7:15-18

“But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever—for ever and ever.” vs. 18

Daniel reported that his spirit had been troubled and that his dreams had terrified him. In other words he had tossed and turned in bed much like we do after an evening of watching the events of the day recounted in all their gory detail. And if you have the nerve to take a deep dive into Youtube videos and Instagram posts it’s possible to get a dose of sleep inhibiting garbage that would have horrified even Daniel. Oh what pains we impose on our serenity-seeking spirits! But Daniel got good news from his dream psychologist. Not only was the weirdness explained, he got amazing assurance for the future. The saints of God will inherit a kingdom that will last for ever and ever. We may not have the same world view as did Daniel, but a similar promise has been given to all who live in Christ. As Paul wrote so beautifully in Romans 8, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Those comforting words may not be much, but for people of faith, they are our best hope when dreams get really bad.

Thought for the Day: How do I deal with bad dreams?

Daniel 7:1-3

“I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.” vs. 2-3

The sages of old recognized that there was much that we could not know about God, and even less that we could know about the future. And some believed that the way we could at least glimpse the unknown was through our dreams. So they paid attention to them, and those who could interpret dreams were held in high regard. Even in our technologically advanced times we find ourselves in the same situation. Even AI can give little knowledge of God, and the most trusted futurists are almost always wrong in their predictions. And since nearly all people dream, some are still paying attention to those visions of the night and wondering what they might mean. Since the visions of Daniel got into the Hebrew scriptures they have been available to interpreters ever since, particularly those folks with an interest in the end times, and what the signs of those times might be. We need to remember that most often dreams are a reflection of what is currently taking place in the world around us, and are not meant to predict the future. Such was the case with Daniel. The first readers of his book knew exactly what the four beasts represented, and they found hope in knowing that God was in charge. And that’s exactly how it is today!

Thought for the Day: What do I believe about dreams?

Romans 8:34-36

 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” vs. 36

Jesus had a sense that people weren’t nearly so free as they thought they were. Not all prisons have bars and we can be made captive in a whole variety of ways. He said it plainly, “Anyone who commits sin is a slave to sin,” and that includes pretty much all of us. Like Paul said some years later, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are shackled by a multitude of external forces, more than we can even imagine. And there is nothing that we can do about it, no matter how many self-help videos we might watch. But that does not mean there is no hope! Jesus tells us that we can be free, not if we do something, but we have been made free. Everyone of us has been imprinted with the divine image, and we can not escape that reality. And by grace that divine image shows through the brokenness, and we speak and behave as the freed children  of God. In those moments we see in each other the glory of God and can bask in the sweet liberty of forgiveness. Will we always behave as saints? Of course not!                     Because we remain sinners, our holiness is often obscured. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. We are always free, even as we live within the bars of our self-built cells, and for that we give God praise and thanksgiving!

Thought for the Day: When do I feel most free?

John 8:31-33

“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” vss. 31-32

We live in a time when truth doesn’t seem to matter. As AI makes it possible to put out media posts that are not only digitally enhanced but pure invention we can no longer have confidence in what we see or hear. Politicians seemingly no longer care if their messaging is true or not. They simply put out anything that will cause maximum damage to their opponents–and then, when they’re confronted by their lies, insist that they’re only exercising their freedom of speech. And since “everyone is doing it,” everyone does it! Like us, many of the people that Jesus encountered were yearning to know the truth, and he told them that if they continued in his word, they would not only know the truth, but they would be made free. That promise still holds for us. And the truth we discover in Jesus is more than a set of doctrines or commandments–it’s a personal connection to him. As we absorb his presence through prayer and meditation, his thoughts and words become our thoughts and words. We may not be able to do much about what we see and hear in our lying culture, but as we live in Christ we can be confident that his truth will become our way of life.

Thought for the Day: How does the truth set us free?

Romans 3:21-28

“For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…” vss. 22b-24

One of the great universal truths is that the world is both good and broken, and every human experiences this through their entire lives. Paul described this brokenness as sin, a falling short of the glory of sin, and he told the Romans that all people are sinners. This is one teaching of Paul that we can surely all agree with–the universality of sin is obvious to all who are paying attention. But Paul doesn’t leave us there. He went on to say that there is healing for our brokenness in Christ Jesus, and it’s not just for us but for all people. That healing reveals the goodness that is regularly hidden by our sin. In other words, in Christ the image of God is restored and we once again become the incredibly gifted people God has made us to be. Sadly, though, we tend to be fixated on our brokenness and that of others. Instead of focusing on the light we become obsessed with the darkness, and spend our lives thinking about what is wrong with the world rather than what is right. That’s an ugly way to live, especially when we have such a beautiful option in Christ Jesus, the One who is the healer of our every woe! In him we are fully restored.!

Thought for the Day: What’s right with the world?