July 7, 2025                                                                                  Deuteronomy 30:9-14

“Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away…No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.” vss. 11, 14

There are a lot of rules, commandments, and ordinances in the Hebrew scriptures. It can be mind-boggling to try to keep track of them all. Indeed, at times the people were driven to distraction in their efforts to obey them. Often they would lose track of the essentials. So the writer of Deuteronomy calls them back to the center. There’s really only one commandment that the people need to worry about, and that is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Jesus picks up on that great truth in his teaching, and adds a second, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Being a disciple really isn’t rocket science–it’s all about loving! Of course, as basic as that might sound, we all know in our hearts that it’s not quite that simple. Loving can become enormously challenging when we realize just who it is that we are called to love, because no one is excluded! We can actually spend a lifetime trying to make loving a part of our persona, and never quite pull it off. Our one consolation is that God’s love for us is unconditional and never failing. What we can’t do, God does!

Thought for the Day: When does my loving fall short?

Luke 10:8-11

“But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’” vss. 10-11

As we grow older it’s not unusual for us to become more confident in the basic truths of the universe. It’s not that we get any smarter or that we are more set in our ways, but generally time does give us at least a general knowledge of the different belief systems that humans have come up with. We know what is poppycock and what is at least close to the truth. And if we’re fortunate we’ll even be able to articulate our understanding in a paragraph or two! What an advantage that is in our mission as the sent servants of Jesus! We can cut to the chase in our conversations, say what is true, and not even worry about whether people believe us or not! That’s how it is with the good news, if people pay no attention or ask us to leave town, it makes no difference. They’ve heard the gospel, and in the hearing of those precious words of truth, the kingdom of God has come near to them. And we really can’t do more than that. We can’t make believers out of anyone. That’s the work of the Spirit!

Thought for the Day: What universal truths are closest to my heart?

Luke 10:1-7

“He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.’” vs. 2-3

As his mission continued Jesus realized that his outreach could be multiplied if he had more sandals on the ground. The Twelve were effective, but even more could be done if the number of missionaries was increased. So he sent out 70 more disciples and gave them specific instructions on what it meant to be his presence in the little villages of Galilee. He included a warning with his commission–this would not be easy work. They would go out as lambs in the midst of wolves. It’s still that way for those who hear and respond to Jesus’ call to discipleship. There are undoubtedly plenty of people and places who need to hear a word of peace and be exposed to the gospel of grace. This is a very broken world! And what surprises us is that there is an active resistance to the message of love and sacrifice. So many have drunk deeply of the cup of self-indulgence, and even if they don’t attack us like wolves, their ridicule is palpable and their ignorance pathetic. They worship other gods and want nothing to do with gentle Jesus. But still we persevere and the work of Christ continues to be done, and millions hear our words of love and experience the sacrifices of our hearts.

Thought for the Day: How am I like a lamb?

Galatians 6:11-16

“May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!” vss. 14-15

Paul closes his letter to the Galatians by pointing to the cross of Jesus Christ and affirming that cross as the center of his life. Nothing else mattered–even the debate over circumcision was as nothing when compared to the centrality of Christ.

Today we’re celebrating the Declaration of Independence with fireworks, music, speeches, and a kind of patriotic pride. It’s a fine day and it’s good to remember national holidays. All countries do it! But it’s also a day for followers of Jesus to follow Paul in lifting high the cross, and making sure that it’s never confused with the flag. There has been an uptick in Christian Nationalism in recent years and it provides a real threat to authentic faith. The Church is multinational and multicultural and it includes believers of every race and tradition. We only degrade the cross of the Lord Jesus when we begin to imagine that nations can be Christian. The United States has a proud history. We can be proud and conscientious citizens. But our prime loyalty will always be to the Peaceable Kingdom that has been established by our Lord Jesus Christ for the whole world!

Thought for the Day: How do I like to celebrate the Fourth?

Galatians 6:7-10

“Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 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.” vss. 7-8

The people to whom Paul was writing had been visited by hard-liners from Jerusalem who were insisting that anyone who became a Christian would also need to be circumcised. For Paul this was a clear violation of the gospel of grace and he adamantly insisted that circumcision was not a part of the new life in Christ. But he also wants the people to know that grace is not a license to do as one pleases. There are principles woven into the fabric of creation itself, and we violate them at our peril. For him this maxim was basic: God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. It’s not a new commandment, it’s reality, whether you are a drug dealer or a pastor. We should expect that if we sow seeds of greed or lust, the results are not going to be pretty. Of course there is always forgiveness when we wander, but forgiveness never means immunity from consequences. If we truly want to experience good stuff in our lives we will plant the seeds that lead to love, peace, and joy–as they begin to grow, life will be as good as it can ever be.

Thought for the Day: How can I sow spiritual seeds?

Psalm 66:1-9

“Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.” vss. 8-9

The temple worshipers in Jerusalem had a pretty good sense of their own history. They remembered all the remarkable and miraculous events that had taken place and they realized that it was only by the grace of God that they had survived as a people. So it’s not at all surprising that as they gathered in the temple, both as a group and as individuals, almost all of their prayers were prefaced with songs of thanksgiving and praise. They knew they had much to be grateful for. When we take the time to consider our own stories, we too understand that our presence in this world at this time is a spectacular miracle. As we trace our lineage back through the centuries we realize that we’re the children of survivors. Our ancestors came through the Great Plague unscathed. They survived the Thirty Years War, the Hundred Years War, and all the devastating wars of the Twentieth Century. Somehow they made it through influenza, malaria, yellow fever, polio, and small-pox. At any point in the past thousands of years if even one of the people in our family’s lineage had died, we would not exist. That’s the incredible reality that we live with, and that is why each of our days deserves to begin with a prayer of thanksgiving. Against all odds we have been kept among the living! Praise God!

Thought for the Day: How has my genetic code been a blessing?

Isaiah 66:13-14

“As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” vs. 13

When a child falls and sustains some sort of injury, often the first impulse is to run for mama! A mother’s hug and embrace has amazing healing qualities, and if a crying boy or girl can somehow snuggle for some extra moments and be held close, the tears will often subside. The prophet was familiar with that sort of healing and used that image to comfort the people of Israel. He says that one day this is how Jerusalem will be for them, that God will comfort them in the city as a mother comforts her child. Jesus picked up on that theme in his ministry too, and when he encountered weeping and sadness, used the image of a mother hen to describe his feelings for hurting people. “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings…” Comfort has alway been a part of the gospel message, and it’s what we crave when pain and suffering come our way. In those moments it feels so good to know that our God has all the qualities of a loving mother. On our darkest days we can sink into the loving embrace of God and hear all the words of affirmation that we might possibly need. This is one of the reasons so many Christians have such a deep attachment for Mary. Some even claim her as the maternal manifestation of God–in her the mother’s love is unmistakable. 

Thought for the Day: What does a mother’s love feel like?

Isaiah 66:10-12

“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy…that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom.” vss. 10a, 11

Jerusalem had been destroyed many times, and most recently it had been laid waste by the Babylonians. The temple had been burned and the protective walls of the city torn down. Yet the prophet insisted on telling the people that Jerusalem would be restored, and more than that, she would be better than ever. He uses the image of a nursing mother to describe what she will mean to her future inhabitants. His choice of metaphor is perfect and describes an aspect of God’s relationship to us that is too often neglected. Following the prevailing pattern of scripture we’ve gotten used to thinking of God as father, which gives us a perfectly good but woefully inadequate picture. How much better it is to conjure up a well-known yet hidden way to describe love from a human perspective! Even though we know that breastfeeding is a natural part of child-rearing, for modesty’s sake we often contrive to keep it hidden. But when we see a baby drinking deeply with delight from a glorious bosom we are reminded of the deep bonds that are being created between mother and child. And this is how God has loved us from the moment of our births. This is how precious we are in the eyes of God!

Thought for the Day: How do I react to the sight of a nursing baby?

Luke 9:57-62

“Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” vss. 61-62

Periodically we are prone to bouts of nostalgia, times when we look back with fondness to the days of old and the values of yesteryear. Seen through the rear view mirror of our minds the blessings of the past loom large, and what really happened is forgotten. Jesus indicates that such thinking is deceptive and can seriously distort our experience of the present and future. His words “no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God,” seem harsh, but upon reflection, they are most certainly true. While the objective study of history is important and can keep us from making foolish mistakes, it’s impossible to replicate its glories. That’s true in our personal lives, the direction of our country, and in the life of the Church. The past doesn’t define our future and the sooner we come to terms with that, the better off we’ll be. Many of our congregations are having to deal with what some call “the glory years,” and precious time can be wasted in lamenting that things just aren’t what they used to be. Jesus gave us his Spirit as a visionary guide for the future, and that’s exactly what the Spirit will do. The best is yet to come!

Thought for the Day: What do I like to look back at?

Luke 9:51-56

“And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.” vss. 52-53

Not everyone welcomed Jesus when he showed up on his journeys. This village of Samaritans, regarded with contempt by most Jews because of their suspect lineage, was not willing to show him or his disciples hospitality. The disciples were surprised and a couple, James and John, became angry. They were so angry that they asked permission from Jesus to destroy the whole village. Sadly, that reaction has at times become commonplace among followers of Jesus. History tells us that Christians were very willing to destroy whole cities and participate in crusades at the drop of a hat. Even now there are evangelical Christians who would be very willing to call down fire from heaven on their perceived enemies. Violence is a visible sign of humanity’s brokenness, and being people of faith does not seem to have made us immune. But Jesus had none of it when James and John threatened the Samaritans, and there should be no accommodation for it now. Jesus was the Prince of Peace, and he famously said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” He meant it then and he means it now. There’s no room in the Peaceable Kingdom for retribution and revenge. We are called to love our neighbors and pray for our enemies.

Thought for the Day: What moves followers of Jesus to engage in violence?