Acts 7:55-60

“While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.” vss. 59-60

Stephen, one of the seven persons chosen by the apostles to help with the distribution of goods to the needy, was eloquent and full of the Spirit. When challenged by Jewish opponents he preached a long sermon, recounting the history of Israel and accusing the religious leaders of killing God’s Chosen Redeemer. Infuriated by his accusation they dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death. Before he died, in a scene reminiscent of Jesus’ crucifixion, Stephen prayed that his murderers be forgiven. One of those murderers was a young man named Saul who appears not to have been moved by Stephen’s words.. In fact he doubled down on his persecution of Christians and even traveled to Damascus to arrest and imprison them.

We see here another remarkable demonstration of the power of forgiveness. Jesus made it the centerpoint of his ministry, and it obviously continued to be the strength of this amazing movement that changed the world. In an age where revenge and retribution appear to be making a comeback even among those claiming to be Christians, it’s important to remember what true Christianity is about. It’s not easy to forgive–we’d much rather get even. But our heritage of forgiveness has been sanctified by the blood of the martyrs, and we profane their witness with our desire for revenge.

Thought for the Day: What is the hardest thing I’ve forgiven?

John 10:6-10

“I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” vs. 9

In the Roman catacombs the earliest artistic rendering of Jesus is as the Good Shepherd. And in the gospel of John this is how Jesus spoke of himself–it’s a familiar image. But John also reports that Jesus called himself the gate of the sheep, and this depiction can be helpful in understanding just who Jesus is for us in these crazy religious times.

To put it simply, out of all the alternatives to follow in our spiritual journeys, Jesus is the way to go out into the world and the way to come home. It is through him that our lives find the order that we crave–whenever we’re confused about our spiritual direction or purpose we look for Jesus. In the beginning, in those years when we’re just getting started with decision making and we need a model for living, Jesus is the guide we can trust. And when we enter the second half or maybe the third quarter of life, and wonder where our rest can be found, Jesus is waiting, and he will lead us home.

And how can we distinguish Jesus from all the blind guides? Well, he’ll be the One distinguished by a humble and gentle spirit, the One who is full of grace and forgiveness, and the One who exudes unconditional love. Once we spot him, he’s unforgettable–he really is the Good Shepherd.

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite metaphor for Jesus?

John 10:1-5

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.” vss. 1-2

Shepherds were a staple of the Hebrew scriptures. Both David and Moses herded sheep before they began leading people, and the prophets graded the kings according to their shepherding skill. So it’s no surprise to discover that Jesus seems to have adopted the image of the shepherd to describe his ministry. 

Here he tells the people that not everyone who hangs around sheep can be trusted, and some are just thieves and bandits. The true shepherd of the sheep is the one who enters by the gate. We know what he means. Sheep are enormously gullible, and people are the same way. Just because a person acts like a leader and uses religious language doesn’t mean they can be trusted. In our age, now that televangelists have come on the scene, people in congregations have responded to their pleas for money with billions of dollars. They trust the preacher on the small screen rather than the one they see in the flesh every Sunday.

Of course it’s not easy to spot the charlatans. They’re clever and manipulative. And sometimes authentic shepherds can be rather ordinary. But true shepherds always point to the Good Shepherd and proclaim his message of love and compassion. And they will always have a humble and gentle spirit!

Thought for the Day: What are the marks of a good shepherd?

1 Peter 2:22-25

“For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.” vs. 25

According to the gospel of John the resurrected Jesus had told Peter three times, in a touching scene of love and restoration by the Sea of Galilee, to feed and care for his sheep. And three times Peter responds with a passionate “yes.” And that’s what Peter did! As he writes he tells his readers that, while they were always part of the flock, they had strayed from the care of the shepherd. But now, having trusted in the Lord, they have returned to the guardian of their souls.

Peter knew that routine. Having denied Jesus three times on the night of his arrest, he was tracked down by Jesus after he’d gone back to fishing, and offered a second chance to follow him.

All of us seem to go astray from time to time. We get caught up in the ways of the world and are easy prey for the lusts, desires, and temptations that dance through our minds. Year after year they stalk us, disguising their true nature under cloaks of deception and false promises. But Jesus just doesn’t give up on us and moves beyond our betrayals and tracks us down wherever we’ve wandered.

And when he lovingly confronts us and draws us back to our mission it’s truly like a new beginning or a second birth. What a blessing it is to be reunited with the Good Shepherd and the Guardian of our souls!

Thought for the Day: Times when I’ve gone astray.

1 Peter 2:19-21

“If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval.” vs. 20

Slavery was firmly entrenched in the Roman Empire during the first and second centuries, and as the gospel was proclaimed many slaves were baptized and became part of faith community. Peter addresses them in this letter, advising them to accept the authority of their masters, even if they are harsh. He tells them to endure when beaten even if they have done nothing wrong.

It’s easy to see why verses such as these were  favorites of slave-holders in the years living up to the Civil War. However, Peter wasn’t commenting on slavery as an institution, and it’s doubtful that any follower of Jesus would have ever endorsed systemic slavery as a way of life. But he was addressing his brothers and sisters who were slaves, and told them that in enduring undeserved beatings they were following the example of Jesus in his journey to the cross.

Slavery still exists in our world, but it’s not likely that there are many slaves in our congregations. But there’s still plenty of abuse and unfair treatment! Unkind and cruel bosses abound. Some of us may have suffered at their hands. And, while such treatment is always unacceptable, it can be an occasion for a follower of Jesus to experience what it’s like to be a suffering servant, and even grow stronger in their faith.

Thought for the Day: How do I react to harsh and unfair treatment?

Psalm 23

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” vs. 6

The psalmist believed that there were benefits in having the Lord as his shepherd. It wasn’t that he was any better than anyone else. He was just one of many sheep in the flock. But there was such a blessing in living without anxiety and worry. There was always enough of everything that he needed for daily living, and when darkness threatened and life got scary, he could always count on protection.

Many know what that sort of life is like. They too have a deep and profound trust in the Lord, and day by day they are conscious of God’s guidance and protection. There’s not even anything to fear from the shadow of death–nothing will be able to separate them from the love of God.

The best words to describe such an existence are peace and serenity, and what a blessing it is to live with such equanimity. Of course there are also moments of disquiet. In a broken world like the one we live in there are bound to be discordant times. But where trust is strong, we can be confident that the stress will pass and joy will be restored. 

The psalmist was right. Goodness and mercy do follow us all the days of our lives! That’s what it’s like when we know the Good Shepherd, and he knows us!

Thought for the Day: How do I know that the Lord is my shepherd?

Acts 2:46-47

“Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.” vss. 46-47a

Luke notes that the church in Jerusalem had the good will of all the people and that really shouldn’t surprise us. The believers were engaging in unconditional love and sacrificial service and it’s under those conditions that humans flourish in every time and place. This was the way of Jesus, and his Spirit-filled followers had a strong desire to be his imitators. And through the centuries wherever the Body of Christ has behaved in such a fashion, wonderful things happen. People experience the Peaceable Kingdom, and the broken are healed and restored.

The problem is that, because the Church is made up of broken people, it’s been easy to get off track and adopt the ways of the world. Instead of practicing unconditional love and sacrificial service, religious leaders have adopted the language of power and domination. At times they’ve encouraged believers to take up arms against their supposed enemies and wipe them out in the name of Jesus.

The result of these behaviors has not been surprising. The Church’s reputation has suffered.

But there is hope! Because the Church is the workshop of the Holy Spirit, unconditional love and sacrificial service can still be found in our communities of faith. And where they are present, goodwill abounds!

Thought for the Day: What is my congregation’s reputation?

Acts 2:42-45

“All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.” vss. 44-45

The good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection sparked a revival among the believers, and it touched every aspect of their lives. They not only devoted themselves to prayer and the teaching of the disciples, they were moved to share everything they owned with their community. There’s no other way to say it. The first Christians practiced communism–they believed all their possessions were to be held in common. 

In our time, after experiencing the brokenness of communism as an economic system, many reject any practice that puts the needs of the community before that of the individual. They’re suspicious of any welfare system and believe that “hard-working” people are entitled to everything they can get their hands on. They embrace the precepts of capitalism and fail to see that it too is a broken system, one that leads to exploitation of the poor and the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few. 

Followers of Jesus, while not embracing any particular economic theory, will reject all tendencies toward individualism and will do all they can to meet the needs of the community. They remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 25, “As you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me,” and will steward their possessions accordingly.

Thought for the Day: What is my primary motivation for working?

Luke 24:28-34

“Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” vs. 35

What happened at the table in Emmaus is one of the most insightful stories in all of scripture. Just hearing Jesus interpret the scripture wasn’t enough to open the eyes of Cleopas and his wife! They’d learned a lot of stuff as they walked along the road with the stranger, but it wasn’t until the bread was broken that they actually knew they’d been walking with Jesus!

That’s why, from the very beginning Christian congregations haven’t just been organized bible study groups. Knowledge of scripture is important, and can give direction to our lives, but Holy Communion is where eyes are opened and hearts transformed. It’s here that we receive the assurance of forgiveness, and in the bread and wine, we actually taste the living presence of Jesus. It’s here that the Word becomes flesh and grace is poured into our lives.

There are some who think of Holy Communion as a wonderful metaphor and a moving memory of the Last Supper, but it is so much more than that. Not that it can be easily explained, it will always be a great mystery, but something really does happen in the eating and in the drinking. This is the most powerful Christ encounter that we can ever experience. While many times it seems routine, it’s at the Table where eyes can be opened and we can see Jesus!

Thought for the Day: What does the eating and drinking mean for me?

Luke 24:13-27

“Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.” vs. 27

Even though the gospels indicate that Jesus spoke with his disciples about his death and resurrection during his ministry in Galilee, their reaction after his crucifixion indicates that they didn’t have a clue about what had been in store for him. Indeed, his death had devastated them and the resurrection only brought confusion.

But as reports continued to surface about Jesus’ resurrection, they started to put things together. Here Luke tells us that Jesus himself appeared to Cleopas and his wife on the road to Emmaus and, with an insightful interpretation of Moses and the prophets, explained the meaning of his suffering and death.

As the details of that interpretation began to spread within the early Church, the things that had been a mystery began to make sense. Many of the disciples, armed with a new understanding of Jesus’ life and mission, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, were moved to become apostles and to spread the gospel wherever they traveled. 

Those same scriptures, along with the gospels and the epistles written by the apostles, continue to be a powerful source of inspiration in our congregations and communities of faith. As we study them and hear them interpreted we too are moved to go with the gospel wherever the Spirit leads us. Solid scriptural study is still the best way to fully understand the mission of the Risen Christ.

Thought for the Day: How have the scriptures directed my life?