Luke 23:31-49

“Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last.” vs. 36

According to Luke’s sources, Jesus’ last words were, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, the Inspired One expired, and gave up his spirit. Whether or not this is a description of what happens at the point of death is not the point. It’s the words that touch our hearts and minds! They reflect the submissive nature of Jesus’ entire ministry. Always he craved to do God’s will and that desire continued to the end of his life. We pay attention to last words…often they provide a precious remembrance of our loved ones. Some say that they confirm and endorse the values and faith of one’s life. Martin Luther famously wrote his down, “We are all beggars, it is true.” It’s not likely that we’ll be able to rehearse our last words, and of course, many are not memorable. Still it is good at the moment of our deaths to be at peace with the world and with God. Life is a great gift! As we live we don’t have a good sense of when the end will come and sometimes we don’t have time to prepare. How good it is when we can treat each day as our last and live it with thanksgiving in our hearts and love on our lips! And if our last words were to echo those of Jesus? Well, what could be better than that!

Thought for the Day: What would I like my last words to be?

Luke 23:13-30

“But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed.” vs. 23

In a world where despots are in control matters of justice are subject to the whim of the ruler. According to Luke Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent and had him crucified anyway. The demands and loud shouts of the crowd were all that mattered. As citizens we have an interest in the justice system. We claim to want strict adherence to the laws and appropriate sentencing for the guilty. We expect that the innocent will be exonerated and set free. What actually happens is far from what we say we desire! Too often the innocent suffer and the guilty walk free! That’s what happens in a world where power and wealth trump justice and the loud shouts of the self-interested prevail. It’s likely that this corrupt system is the best our society can do…it’s been around for centuries. But followers of Jesus continue to hope and work for something better and dream of a world where justice for all is the norm. It’s what spirit-filled leaders have been advocating all along. Micah puts it well, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.” Jesus didn’t receive justice…sometimes we don’t either. But always our call is to act justly in every circumstance, every single time…even if it’s not the way of our world!

Thought for the Day: When am I most likely to act unjustly?

Luke 23:1-12

“But they were insistent and said, ‘He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.’” vs. 5

The scribes and the Pharisees were right. Jesus had stirred up the people with his teaching wherever he traveled. He had painted a picture of the kingdom that touched the hearts of the multitudes and made them feel as though they were loved and included. He had compassion on them and treated them with dignity, reaching out to touch even those who were considered outcasts. In his presence ordinary people felt loved and they felt a connection with God that their religion had never given them. Jesus had even stirred up his enemies. They were crazy with jealousy and fear and it boiled over with Jesus’ arrest. Of course the charges were a lie, but lies sell in the world of politics and the religious authorities knew how the system worked. All they had to do was cause a ruckus in Jerusalem and the governor would do their bidding to maintain order. In that kind of an atmosphere goodness doesn’t have a chance. Shouted accusations drowned out the truth and an innocent man paid the price. We know what that’s like in our tweet-crazy world. The loudest lies carry the day and ends always justify means. But just wait! Easter is coming soon. The Christ always has the last word and love will ultimately be the big winner.

Thought for the Day: What stirs my passions?

Philippians 2:5-11

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…” vs. 5

Jesus was the incarnation of the Christ…and so are we! In us the very essence of God is pleased to dwell and through us the world is being transformed. This truth has been around for millenia and it’s about time that we begin to take it seriously. It’s not that we’re called to puff up our chests and lord it over others as neighborhood know-it-alls or petty politicians. Paul makes our role pretty clear: the mind of Christ, the one that was in Jesus, is rooted in humility, the abdication of power and might. Instead of ruling over others our role is to subvert the ways of the world from beneath, by adopting gentleness and kindness as our weapons. Of course that isn’t any easier for us than it was for Jesus. Ultimately it means the death of self, the putting aside of our own aspirations in favor of lifting up the needs of others even if it means following Jesus on the road to suffering and death. It’s as we carry our crosses on the way of discipleship that the great paradox kicks in and we discover that in losing our lives we actually have begun to get a foretaste of resurrection. As St. Francis put it, “It’s in dying that we are born to eternal life.” It’s in emptying ourselves that we find fullness.

Thought for the Day: What would happen if I emptied myself?

Psalm 31:9-16

“I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.” vs. 11

The tough times will often reveal our truest and dearest friends. If we’re involved in a scandal, some sort of obvious misstep, folks will fall all over themselves in establishing distance…there’s no way they’ll want to be tainted by an association with us. Sometimes, even in cases of divorce or death, we’ll discover that some friends will begin to practice avoidance, perhaps because they don’t know what to say or do in our presence. Often our isolation comes as a surprise. No words are spoken…but connections are damaged and we feel out of touch. When such alienation takes place our souls are wounded and the loneliness can be intense. The psalmist found consolation in faith. He knew that God would never desert him…and he was right! When friends fail our Lord will continue to love and protect…and in the dark night of our souls we discover that deep and abiding Presence. And sometimes in those lonely times there will be those who draw near rather than pull away. Occasionally we’ll be surprised by the friends who show up…we may not have known the depth of their caring. And in their hugs we feel the embrace of God.

Thought for the Day: Who would visit me in prison?

Isaiah 50:4-9a

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.” vs. 4

The prophet had a gift…and he knew it. God had given him the ability to offer words of encouragement and consolation to hurting people. But he also knew that a clever tongue was only half the equation. His eloquence would mean nothing unless he could get beyond people’s minds and into their hearts. And that could only happen if he started every day determined to listen from the perspective of those he was intending to teach. That formula still is in effect for any who would presume to be teachers and listening is always the key. We’ve all encountered folks with complicated ideas and vocabularies to match. Sometimes we’ll even comment on their sheer brilliance and then add, “I wish I knew what they were talking about.” They’ve never learned that the key to communication is an open mind and a closed mouth. What a blessing it is to have friends who are slow to offer advice and quick to open their ears! As they listen to us pour out our deepest concerns they offer amazing healing…and sometimes they don’t even have to say a word. We can see in their compassionate eyes that we’ve been heard…and often that’s all we need.

Thought for the Day: How do I know when someone is listening to me?

Luke 19:28-40

“As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen…” vs. 37

The crowd of disciples that had accompanied Jesus from Galilee could not contain itself as they crested the Mount of Olives and the Holy City came into view. As they started down the steep narrow path that led into the city they spontaneously began to shout and offer loud praises to God with great joy. They were confident that Jesus was the king who would restore glory to Israel and bring justice and peace to the earth. Those moments of triumph and exultation are precious to followers of Jesus…even in our time we delight in gathering together and singing praises to God for things we’ve seen and heard. It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate in anticipation of an ending to oppression and suffering. Of course we know that the joy of that triumphant entry was short-lived…within a week Jesus was dead. That’s how it is for us too…moments of happiness are regularly dampened by news of the latest mass shooting or act of terror. But those dark times are not the whole story! Resurrection was just around the corner! And because we know that, there’s nothing that can keep us from singing! The king lives! And because he lives our joy can never be suppressed!

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

John 12:5-8

“Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’” vss. 7-8

Judas’ suggestion wasn’t a bad one. The perfume was very expensive, there were many poor people in Jerusalem, and the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Sometimes it really is hard to know whether frugality or extravagance is the better option. Many of us struggle with such questions in making our money decisions. While most of the time we would agree that care of the poor is a central part of our call as followers of Jesus, there are some occasions that just scream for opulent celebration, especially when love is involved. It doesn’t spark joy in our souls to scrimp on displays of affection for our beloved! Certainly that’s what was on Mary’s heart that day in Bethany…she wanted the best for the one she had grown to love so much. And so it will be for us as we walk in the way of Mary and all the saints. There isn’t any kind of guidebook for our decisions…we’ll just make the best call we can in every circumstance. One thing for sure: we won’t be interested in using our wealth to pile up treasure for ourselves. That’s a dead end road! Always we’ll be generous with others, sometimes with the hungry and hurting and sometimes as an act of love toward those we love.

Thought for the Day: When was the last time I gave an extravagant gift?

John 12:1-3

“Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” vs. 3

Both Luke and John tell us that Mary and Martha are friends of Jesus and that they lived in the village of Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem. Because they show up regularly in our gospel readings and preachers like to talk about them, we feel we know them well. Mary was the spiritual sister and she loved to sit and listen to Jesus…Martha was the practical one and she was the one who did all the work when Jesus came to visit. All of us have met their equivalents in our congregations! John indicates that Mary knew what was coming for Jesus and during their last meal together does for him what a couple of days later he would do for his disciples. She wanted him to know before he died that her love for him was priceless. Jesus knew what she was doing and it touched him deeply. Some of us have had the opportunity to do such things for those we love so much. When we sense that death is coming we want them to know how much we care and we shower our affection upon them with cards and kisses, and most of all our presence. It means so much for the one we honor. To die knowing that we are loved is more precious than anything in our world…it can even bring peace to troubled souls!

Thought for the Day: What gift could I give to a dying friend?

Philippians 3:10-14

“Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” vs. 12

Suffering and death were not obstacles for Paul…in fact, he saw them as the means by which he might identify totally with Christ Jesus, and then experience the power of resurrection. While those things lay in the future he was confident that one day he would know that new life, not because he had earned it or already arrived, but because he already belonged to the Christ. His words have brought comfort and consolation to millions as they progress through the varying stages of life. One day we will have what Jesus has! We will be resurrected and received into the fullness of God. What has begun in this world will be completed in the next. Now we are on the journey…then we reach the goal! How do we know this? The answer is simple: we know new life will be ours because Christ Jesus has already made us his own. In the meantime we press on, enjoying the journey to the fullest, savoring the varying delicious moments of this life, knowing that our ending is secure. Will there be suffering on the Way? Of course…it’s what happens when we work for justice and stand with the lowly. It’s what happens when we take up the cross. But there will also be joy, the beautiful joy that is sparked by the wonders of life in Christ.

Thought for the Day: What sparks my joy?