Luke 20:34-38

“Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.” vs. 36

Like the Pharisees Jesus believed in the resurrection. He knew that there was life after death and that it was significantly different from life in this world. As to how it is different he doesn’t have a lot to say, just that there will be no such thing as marriage any longer. There are many folks who wish that he had said more–all of us would love to have more details. As it is we tend to let our imaginations provide definition. Often we hear people say that their loved ones are “looking down” on them from “up there,” wherever that may be. Sometimes they’ll say that they’ve become angels and are singing in the heavenly choirs. Many people believe that their loved ones are maintaining contact and sending signs that they’re okay and that we shouldn’t worry. Others find comfort from believing they’ve joined other family members and are enjoying amazing reunions. Of course none of our conceptions come close to the truth–there’s no way that they can. Life after death is a new existence, one that is unaffected by space and time, and we have no possible way of knowing what that will be like. Probably one of the best images we have is “entering the Light,” a description that again leaves us with more questions than answers. One day we’ll find out for sure. Until then the wondering is fine–as long as it gives us comfort!

Thought for the Day: What do I believe about life after death?

Luke 20: 27-33

“Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, ‘…the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’” vs. 27, 32-33

The Pharisees and Sadducees, the two major parties among the Jews, disagreed about the resurrection–for the Sadducees, since it wasn’t mentioned in the Torah, it couldn’t be true. They believed in God and followed the Law, they just believed that when a person died, that was it. So they arrange a ridiculous scenario about marriage after death and play, “Stump the Rabbi” with Jesus. Their method is familiar. There are many people in our world who have decided that the Sadducees are right, and to debunk notions about life after death they create literalistic pictures of the resurrected life that can be easily ridiculed. That didn’t work with Jesus and it shouldn’t work with us either. The truth is that there are no logical, objective arguments either for or against life after death–it’s totally a matter of trust. Either we believe or we don’t–the decision comes from our hearts and not from our heads. Those who believe in life after death trust in the continuing presence of Jesus Christ in their lives and they believe that when their life on earth is ended they will be welcomed into that eternal presence and find perfect rest and peace. There’s power in such trust–and comfort when death draws near–even if we can’t prove it! It’s certainly a belief worth hanging on to!

Thought for the Day: Why do I believe in the resurrection?

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.” vss. 16-17

Paul has so much to say to this little congregation. He wishes he could be there to give them instruction and keep them connected to the true gospel. Sometimes his letters to those early Christians were harsh and full of judgment–he felt he needed to be blunt and offer warnings–there were so many false teachers on the prowl. But he also had a pastor’s heart. He knows that the gospel was rooted in grace and based on God’s unconditional love, and he wants that good news to make a difference in the lives of his readers. More than anything he wants them to have eternal comfort and hope as they continue to fill their days with good works and words of love. None of us have a timetable for the future, but we do have a calling for the present. Each day there are deeds to be done and words to be said, and we are in charge of what we do and say. As we grow in our relationship to Jesus and come to know his will and his ways we will be conformed to him. Through the presence and work of his Spirit Jesus Christ will act  and speak through us, and blessings for all will abound. It’s the best life imaginable!

Thought for the Day: How well have I been conformed to Jesus?

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5

“As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you…not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter…to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.” vss. 1-2

Even  though we have a grasp of history and understand that human beings have been around for a long time, we have a tough time with the future. Aside from science fiction buffs most of us can’t imagine out beyond a generation or two. That’s one of the reasons we can’t seem to get to excited about the long-term effects of environmental damage. Anything that’s out there more than a dozen years seems unreal–and doesn’t spur us to change. That’s also the reason folks in the early church looked for the imminent return of Jesus–if it didn’t happen soon there wasn’t much point in even talking about it. As a result all kinds of theories about his coming were floated around, so much so that Paul had to tell the folks in Thessalonica to settle down and not believe everything that they heard. Our generation is no different–believers love to interpret current events as being signs of the last days. But the truth is that we humans are going to be around far longer than we can even imagine–and the things we do now are going to have an effect, for better or for worse, on folks living hundreds of years in the future. 

Thought for the Day: What will life be like for our great, great grandchildren?

Psalm 17:6-9

“Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me.” vss. 8-9

We live in a dangerous world and the psalmist knew it–likely he’d experienced the pain and suffering that can come our way. He craved the assurance of God’s protection in time of danger and so do we all! We know that we are precious to God, each of us are crafted in God’s image, and we bear the stamp of the divine. The light of Christ dwells within us! Surely then, it will be as the psalmist prayed, we will be guarded as the apple of God’s eye. Indeed that is our most fervent prayer–”deliver us from evil–save us from the time of trial.” Again and again we pray, and not only for ourselves, but for those we love so much–children, grandchildren, dear friends. “O Lord God,” we ask daily, “keep these dear ones safe. Guard them and keep them from any harm.” Mostly we don’t know what else to do. We only know that these dear children of God are precious, and we can’t by our own efforts, keep them safe. We are forced by our own inadequacy to offer them up to God’s care, knowing full well that sometimes our prayers are not enough and ugly things happen. But still we keep on praying–quite literally, there is nowhere else that we can go, nothing more that can be done! O Lord have mercy–and hear our prayer!

Thought for the Day: Why do we keep praying for those we love?

Psalm 17:1-5

“If you try my heart, if you visit me by night, if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress.” vs. 3

Some of us are quite accustomed to feeling guilty! We know that we sin against God and one another in countless ways, and are regularly reminded of our shortcomings when we worship. Over and over we’ve said the self-condemning words in the confession and our self-image is affected. Sometimes even when we hear the good news of forgiveness, the weight of guilt remains. So it comes as a bit of a surprise in this text  to encounter a psalmist who isn’t burdened by guilt. In fact, he welcomes nightly tests from God and is confident that God will find no wickedness in his actions or in his speech. The context tells us that he’s engaged in a bit of bargaining with God. Having experienced injustice he’s making a case for God’s intervention on his behalf. He reasons that since he is beyond reproach and his opponents are scoundrels, God is bound to hear his prayer. It’s a familiar argument, one that we may have used ourselves in our discussions with God about justice. Even when we have feelings of guilt it wouldn’t be unusual to believe that we deserve a good break or two from God. And even if we don’t get our way, in the long run, the way we speak and act does make a difference.

Thought for the Day: On a scale of 1 – 10, where do I rank on the goodness scale?

Job 19:23-27a

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God” vss. 25-26

Job’s story resonates with anyone seeking to understand the mystery of suffering. Job has done nothing wrong and has lost everything: possessions, wife, family, even his health and reputation–and to top it off his friends imply that surely he has done something to deserve his fate. Job resists and in this section abandons his desire for justice–he wants revenge! The word “Redeemer” here refers to the “avenger of blood,” the person charged with responsibility for avenging murder victims. Job is clinging to the hope that at the last the one who has inflicted his suffering will be made to pay for it–even if the perpetrator is God! At some level, those of us who have known deep suffering understand what Job is up to. The lust for revenge is always at hand! The good news of the gospel gives us another perspective–suffering is still at hand, but we now see Jesus as the Redeemer in another sense. He too was a victim of injustice, but at the end he looked at his enemies and offered them forgiveness. It’s never easy to understand why undeserved suffering afflicts so many in our world–and it’s particularly difficult when it comes close to us and those we love. In those moments it is good to know that our Redeemer does indeed live–and that forgiveness is even sweeter than revenge.

Thought for the Day: In what circumstances have I sought revenge?

Luke 6:27-31

“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

Many congregations celebrate the Sunday nearest to November 1, All Saint’s Day, as All Saint’s Sunday, and use it to remember the Church Triumphant, those who have died in Christ who now rest from their labors. The gospel text for that day comes this year from Luke and does a great job of describing the holy life that Jesus prescribed for his followers during their time on earth. We find similar directives in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount and sometimes wish that Jesus could have been more accommodating to our natural inclinations. His intentions are clear! If we really are saints, it should be obvious in the way that we behave. Indeed, through the years many saints have lived in exactly the way that Jesus has described. They’ve taken his words to heart and given the world a sample of Kingdom living. We aren’t bound to live in endless conflict, cursing our enemies and vilifying those we despise, as is the practice on current social media platforms. Jesus raised the bar for his followers and his expectations are not beyond our reach. Since we’re sinners as well as saints, it obviously isn’t easy. We’ll need countless second chances and frequent reformation–but we can love our enemies and pray for them. Maybe it can even become habitual!

Thought for the Day: Who am I being called to pray for today?

Luke 6:20-26

“Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” vs. 20

At first Jesus’ “Sermon on the Plain” as remembered by Luke seems similar to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, but it soon becomes apparent that the message is radically different. Not only does Jesus modify his description of those who are blessed, he adds a series of woes that make us squirm in our seats. In Luke Jesus calls out the listeners who are poor, hungry, weeping, and abused and promises that there will be a great reversal. One day they will be rich, full, laughing, and honored. Most of us are pretty okay with that promise–it’s good to know that the less fortunate will one day experience material blessings. We’re less comfortable when Jesus turns his attention to those currently experiencing prosperity, a group that would probably include most people in our congregations. “Alas for you,” he says to us, “the tide is about to turn!” And it’s not like this is an isolated passage in Luke’s gospel. Again and again we read Jesus’ harsh words for the rich and prosperous. It’s important for us to hear those words of woe and take time to consider what they might mean in our comfortable lives. Have we indeed sold out to the culture and put our relationship to Jesus in jeopardy? What is the relationship between spiritual poverty and material prosperity? Big questions, no easy answers!

Thought for the Day: What blessings could possibly come with being poor and hungry?

Ephesians 1:15-23

“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ…may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you” vss.17-18

When Paul was called to faith by the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus he had no idea what God was up to. He didn’t receive a jolt of wisdom and revelation with the experience and it took years of study, prayer, and conversation before he received full knowledge. In this letter to the Ephesians we see that all would-be believers face this kind of journey. Put simply, it takes time to know Jesus! Year after year the Holy Spirit messes with us, giving as much wisdom and revelation as we can stand, and eventually the eyes of our hearts will be enlightened and we will begin to grasp the full ramifications of the new hope that life in Christ brings. That’s why it’s such an adventure to walk with Jesus. We don’t have a clue about the twists and turns of the road we’re on and only gradually do we begin to understand what it means to be a part of the body of Christ. As we grow in years, we can look back and chuckle at our initial naivete. Often people think they know it all when they begin the Jesus journey. They have all the answers and are quick to judge the weaknesses of others. What a blessing it is when we can put all that foolishness behind us and humbly embrace the enlightenment that comes with maturity!

Thought for the Day: What are my latest spiritual insights?