Luke 10:25-28

“And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’” vs. 28

One day, Luke writes, a man came to Jesus asking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. It’s the kind of question that we continue to hear from time to time in our religious circles…maybe we’ve even asked it ourselves. And often someone will offer a quick answer, “Believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and you will be saved.” It’s a reply that seems correct…heads will nod in agreement. But it’s worth noting that when Jesus answered the question, that’s not what he said! Instead he refers the man to the Law and asks what is required there. When he gets the answer, “Love the Lord your God and your neighbor,” he’s then quick to say, “Yup, you got it right!” His reply is instructive! Too often we get tied up in knots about proper belief when what really counts is behavior. We can mouth platitudes about Jesus until we are blue in the face, but if we aren’t loving God and neighbor we won’t even sniff what it really means to be alive either today or tomorrow. Of course there will be debates about what it means to love God and neighbor but there should be no doubt our actions are the very best indicator of our convictions. Pious talk is no substitute for loving deeds!

Thought for the Day: Do I have eternal life? 

Colossians 1:9-14

“so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.” vs. 10

Paul’s deepest desire for the Colossians was that they would lead lives worthy of the Lord. That remains the highest aspiration for any who claim to walk in the way of Jesus. We do this out of love and not obligation. God’s love is not contingent…God loves us even when we wander. But our Creator has infused our beings with enormous potential for good. Each of us have innate talents and abilities that can be used in a variety of ways in the course of a lifetime. Our purpose is to use those gifts in ways that will enhance life for all God’s creatures by looking beyond ourselves and seeking the welfare of others. The measure of a life well-lived is not the bottom line of our financial portfolio but the number of good works selflessly done for the benefit of our neighbor. At the beginning we may not know the direction a God-pleasing life may require…there are so many choices and decisions to be made. But as we grow in grace and in faith we will also increase in our knowledge of God and better understand what is expected of us. Some of us might even change direction on the journey as new insights and greater wisdom come our way. For many the most fruitful years are the golden ones!

Thought for the Day: What motivates the way I live?

Colossians 1:1-8

“Just as (the word) is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.” vs.  6b

The number of believers grew quickly in those early Spirit-filled years. Paul hadn’t gone to Colossae but Epaphras had, and the results were stunning. We don’t know much about this Epaphras fellow, but he evidently had a good grasp of the gospel. His word, the word of truth, had been received and was bearing fruit. There was something magical about the process. As people heard the good news of Jesus their lives changed and the light of the Christ began to shine in them. Love abounded and it was visible and real. Sometimes those of us who have grown up in denominational Christianity miss that excitement. We know the words but we’ve heard them so often that they’ve become commonplace. The gospel becomes old news…and we miss the power it has to change lives. Sometimes people even quit going to worship…they find it boring and stale. But then comes the day when, perhaps in the context of a new faith community, they hear the gospel again as though for the first time. They see Jesus with new eyes and grace overwhelms their hearts. In those moments the Colossae experience is repeated and the fruit of the Spirit abounds. The light of Christ shines and joy is restored. 

Thought for the Day: What does it mean to meet Jesus again for the first time?

Psalm 25:6-10

“Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.” vs. 6

The psalmist has a close relationship with the Lord and knows very well that mercy and steadfast love have been attributes of God from the beginning. Like us however there were times when, because of external circumstances, he felt a need to remind the Lord that he needed a hug. That’s how it is when we’re in a love relationship…there’s incessant need to know that we’re loved…even when our love partner is God. That’s especially true when things have not been going well, when other relationships are threatened or when we feel discouraged and hopeless. It could even be that our intentions have gone awry and we’ve been acting contrary to our calling. Instead of caring and serving we’ve turned arrogant and rude in our interactions. Sometimes rage pops up with surprising intensity when we least expect it! There are any number of things that can happen and cause us to wonder if perhaps God has finally gotten tired of us. Those are the times when it’s perfectly permissible to remind the Lord that mercy and steadfast love have been a part of the divine make-up from of old. It isn’t that God’s nature ever changes….we don’t need to worry about that.And really, we’re the ones that need the reminder…it’s what keeps us going through the tough times that are bound to come.

Thought for the Day: When have I needed a hug from God?

Psalm 25:1-5

“Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.” vs. 5

This computer age that has come upon us without our permission or asking has done a number on our patience. Waiting for anything has gotten more and more difficult, e.g. when internet connections are slow we are driven to distraction…even a few seconds can seem like an eternity. That impatience can even show up in our spiritual journeys, though the psalmist doesn’t seem to have had that issue. In fact he tells us that he’s willing to wait all day long for divine direction and clarity. He wasn’t expecting immediate gratification. There’s good guidance in what he says. We don’t have all the answers for the tough questions of life…the truth is often many-sided and complicated. So we really do need direction from God and sometimes waiting is essential. Impetuously heading off on the path dictated by our impulses can get us in a peck of trouble. Still, it’s really, really hard to wait, particularly when everyone around us is expecting action. In the end it comes down to a matter of trust…do we have a God who cares or not? For the psalmist there was no question…God was his salvation. He was willing to wait…eventually the truth would be made clear. And so it is for us! Clarity will come…and really, the waiting will do us good. In fact, it’s the only way we’ll ever learn patience!

Thought for the Day: What am I waiting for?

Deuteronomy 30:9-14

“No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.” vs. 14

The people of Israel were told by Moses that there was a correlation between their prosperity and their obedience to the law. What’s amazing about his instruction is that he believed that the word of the law had been written in their mouths and hearts. They didn’t need to go to some external law code…they didn’t even need the Ten Commandments. Everything they needed for a God-pleasing life was already present…it had been planted in them by the Spirit of God in creation! This isn’t an invitation for us to simply follow our passions and desires as we live…nor is it a matter of doing as we please in every situation. What Moses had in mind was far deeper than that. We have come to know that Word which clings so closely and that dwells in our inner being as nothing other than the presence of the Christ, the Divine Presence that inhabits the hearts of every creature and that found full expression in the person of Jesus. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, that Word is often obscured and hidden. We lose touch with our inner goodness and get caught up in the cares of the world. But then one day the Spirit blows anew, forgiveness overpowers sin, and we’re set free to let our light shine…and the love of God abounds for all to see!

Thought for the Day: How do I get in touch with the internal Word?

Luke 10:16-20

“The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.’” vss. 17-18

The mission was a success! The seventy were not rejected. They’d been welcomed and the forces of darkness had been defeated. It was a good day for Jesus and those sent out to heal and proclaim the coming kingdom. We could even say that it was a harbinger of things to come for the community of Christ. Of course there’s opposition. There will be days of suffering and loss. We know that part of the story very well…but we can’t forget that there are also days of triumph and joy. The fruits of our labor will be apparent and the harvest plentiful. The good news will be heard! When we open our eyes we actually see those signs of victory all around. In every community the faithful gather for worship and praise. Goodness is being done. Strangers are being welcomed and the poor are being cared for. The sick are being cured and demons cast out. People are experiencing the presence of the kingdom. Marvelous things are being done in the name of Jesus…and it’s happening all over the globe! Of course there’s more work to be done. Every day headlines scream about the inequities and the turmoil of our world…the enemies of goodness are everywhere present. But that’s not the whole story. Ultimately Christ will triumph…signs of victory are all around…and every day is an occasion for joy!

Thought for the Day: For what am I joyful today?

Luke 10:1-11

“Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” vss. 8-9

It didn’t take long for Jesus to realize that the work of proclaiming the kingdom was too much for one person…he needed an army of disciples to meet the needs of the needy and the broken. He started with seventy, sending them out two by two with careful instructions on a very specific mission. What began with that small number thousands of years ago has turned into a multitude. Today Jesus has billions of disciples, all called and sent to proclaim the presence of God’s kingdom in a world yearning for goodness and joy. But even more than that, we who have been marked with the cross and sent are the actual presence of Christ. In us the Spirit of Jesus lives and breathes. In us his work continues to be done. We carry his healing touch and through us countless hurting people are lifted up and given hope. Our mission fields vary considerably: for some it’s family, for others a workplace or school, still others might be serving in a faith community or a neighborhood. But whatever our credentials or degrees, whatever occupation we might claim, our central purpose in life is as a part of the Risen Christ. We are his hands and his feet and through us his work is being done and the kingdom comes. Through us the world is loved!

Thought for the Day: What work is Jesus doing through me today?

Galatians 6:11-18

“For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!” vs. 15

Paul had gotten caught up in the circumcision controversy and there’s no doubt where his convictions lie. He was adamant! Those who wished to become followers of Jesus did not first need to be circumcised and those who insisted otherwise should go the whole way and castrate themselves. He wasn’t one to mince his words! But Paul is mostly irritated about having to argue about this at all. In his mind such controversies were a sideshow and drew people away from the incredible truth of the gospel. He believed that in Christ there had been a new creation…and that’s all that counted. We who love to show off our theological knowledge and who parse doctrine with such precision should learn something from this. Being right in a theological debate is an exercise in futility…there is no right or wrong in Christ. All that counts is having Christ within and living within Christ. If we don’t quite understand what that means, that’s fine…we can spend the rest of our lives figuring it out. What matters is that in Christ the Light of a new creation has dawned, and as we live in the Spirit of Christ that Light will shine in our lives and the whole world will be blessed. In that context our religious and denominational boundaries are breached and we become the One Body that Jesus imagined!

Thought for the Day: Why are religious differences such a focus in our lives?

Galatians 6:7-10

“If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.” vs. 8

Most world religions subscribe to a principle similar to that laid out by Paul in his letter to the Galatians. Human beings reap whatever they sow! Whether as nations or as individuals, there are always consequences for actions. Paul believed that it was a matter of focus. What do we pay more attention to? What do we feed first, flesh or Spirit? Most of us seem to focus first on the flesh…from an early age we concentrate on accumulation, wealth, and the gratification of fleshly desires. It’s what we learn from parents and peers and from the values of our country. As one presidential candidate famously said, “It’s the economy, stupid!” The implication is plain: if the GNP is going up, all is well! Naturally we enjoy material prosperity…all people do. But if that’s the focus of our lives there will be consequences…sowing to the flesh always reaps corruption. Paul tells us that sowing to the Spirit is the way of wisdom and the route to eternal life. Nationally that means paying attention to the commonweal and values like generosity and kindness. Individually it means tending to our inner selves, that place deep in our hearts where love, joy, and peace take root and grow. Paul is right: what we sow is what we reap!

Thought for the Day: What values drive our nation?