Luke 13:1-5

“He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?’” vs. 2

News of atrocities committed by oppressive rulers has always traveled fast. Here Jesus refers to an especially egregious act of the Roman governor, Pilate, that had been all over the social media of the day. He asks the people if the Galileans had been murdered because they were worse sinners than anyone else. His answer is not surprising. “Of course not!” But then he adds, “unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” And then we’re baffled! What is he implying? Is he really saying that anyone who does not repent can expect to be slaughtered? And the answer again is “of course not.” The words are not intended to be taken literally, but they are intended to shock people into action. He wants them to know in no uncertain terms that repentance is crucial for kingdom living. Like John the Baptist he was appalled by unfruitful religiosity. And like John he calls his listeners to account. Sometimes in our misguided efforts to turn Jesus into a gentle, kind, and beautiful savior, we forget that he cares deeply about the way we conduct our lives. Those who imagine that Jesus simply smiles benevolently on their self-serving and careless lifestyles should not be surprised when one day their self-made world falls apart. 

Thought for the Day: How has repentance shaped my life?

1 Corinthians 10:6-13

“No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” vs. 13

Paul has no illusions about the power of human beings to resist temptation. He knows that even people of faith can be spineless and feeble when immorality, greed, and idolatry come knocking at their door. But even if he has doubts about the human will to resist, he has loads of confidence in God. He believes with all his heart that with the power of the Holy Spirit we will be able to endure even the most robust temptations. While some might doubt Paul’s words, those who participate in Twelve Step programs like AA know them to be true. In fact they teach that it’s only when we surrender our will to the power and will of our God that addictions can be overcome. It is as Paul says. When our strength is insufficient God will provide the way of endurance. And that’s not only true for addictions. Indeed, no matter what sin or transgression is plaguing our lives, we can find the forgiveness, love, and direction we need to be restored and start living in another way. The whole process starts with surrender, or what also might be called confession. And then, by what Christians call sanctification, God makes us holy. And it really is miraculous!

Thought for the Day: What temptation is toughest for me?

1 Corinthians 10:1-5

“I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea…Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them…” vss. 1, 5

Paul certainly was no Pollyanna. He knew from Hebrew history that most of the people of Israel, rescued from slavery in Egypt, had fallen away from the faith by the time they left the wilderness. Therefore he does not imagine that all who have been baptized into Christ will continue as people of faith. Baptism does not guarantee faithfulness, a sad truth which should not surprise any of us. Just because someone advertises that they are a Christian does not mean they can be trusted in personal relationships or in business dealings. People of faith are subjected to the same kind of temptations as anyone else and can easily be caught up in a web of sin and intrigue. We might wish this wasn’t true and that we could trust anyone who claims to be born again or a fellow believer. Rather than basing our confidence on a person’s testimony or words, we would be well advised to remember what John the Baptist said when he saw the crowds coming for baptism, “You brood of vipers, ‘Bear fruits befitting repentance!’”  It is possible for believers to trust one another, but sometimes we just have to be smart about it. Sometimes faith is only skin deep!

Thought for the Day: A time when a fellow believer has let me down.

Psalm 63

“Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.” vss. 3-4

In recent years the writers of praise songs have discovered the richness of the psalms and have used their lyrics in hundreds of their hymns. These two verses from Psalm 63 make up the entirety of the praise song, Thy Loving Kindness, and its catchy tune has made it a favorite of song leaders at camps and retreats. Whoever wrote these words had a strong faith connection with God and fully expected that relationship to continue until death. We find such people in our congregations and faith communities all the time–it’s not a rarity. They’re at worship every week and join the singing with enthusiasm. It’s wonderful to have such peace in our lives. It’s not that these saints are unaware of what’s going on in the world–such a thing is virtually impossible in these wired times. But the goings-on in politics is a backdrop to what’s really important for them. They have learned that there’s nothing better than faith, and they bask in the steadfast love of God every day of their lives. How does such serenity come to us? It has to be the work of the Spirit! When we surrender ourselves to the power of God in genuine humility, the Spirit of Jesus takes over, and it’s not long before peace and joy begin to be our regular companions on the journey. 

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite praise song?

Isaiah 55:6-9

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.” vs. 8

Whatever might be said about Isaiah, he certainly had his finger on the pulse of the Divine Presence. For the most part we humans have been hopelessly confused about the nature of God, and have in fact created God in our own image. We claim to know God’s will about any number of things, and assume that God will always behave according to our standards. For Isaiah such notions were sheer nonsense and he reminds his readers that God’s ways aren’t anything like ours. Instead of being a tyrannical, vengeance seeking deity, God is tender and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. In truth, that’s about all we can know about the infinite God, the Author of the universe, and a Being beyond all human comprehension or understanding. Of course that doesn’t stop us from spouting all kinds of ridiculous things about God’s will and purpose–we delight in claiming insider knowledge of the One we claim to serve. How much better it is when we lay aside our arrogance and adopt a spirit of humility when it comes to God. And how good it is to know that in Jesus we get to see as much God as we need to know. And one day, as Paul tells us, we will know God fully–and in the meantime there’s a whole bunch of living in grace that still needs to be done.

Thought for the Day: How do we know that God is merciful?

Isaiah 55:1-5

“Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” vs. 2

Many people spend hours every day wishing they had another means of employment. Sometimes the problem is their co-workers, sometimes it’s their compensation, but often it’s just plain lack of satisfaction in what they’re doing. These folks become the target audience for the marketers that plague our society with their suggestions that their unhappiness can be overcome with some new product. In this age of ubiquitous artificial intelligence, it seems that just thinking about something can trigger a deluge of offers via our smartphones. And it’s so tempting to believe the promises. And it’s all mostly lies! A new putter will not fix our putting issues! It’s hard to believe but over 2000 years ago Isaiah was very familiar with such scams, and he made an even better offer. He claimed that real contentment came with a complete change in diet. As people move away from the material and adopt a lifestyle that is filled with spiritual benefits they will find the satisfaction they crave. His promise still holds! When we turn our attention away from the new and the trendy and return to the tried and true basics of faith, we lose our dependence on momentary fixes, and discover again the true joy of living.

Thought for the Day:  How have I been suckered by marketers?

Luke 13:34-35

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” vs. 34

Like all Jews of his time Jesus had a deep and abiding love for the city of Jerusalem. For centuries it had been the site of the temple, which, during Jesus’ lifetime, had been completely rebuilt at great expense by Herod the Great. Every year faithful pilgrims came during the main festivals to offer sacrifices and sing praises in its holy precincts. Jesus had likely been there many times with his family. There was one problem. Since Jerusalem was the center of the powerful religious establishment, it was essentially hostile territory for him during his ministry. Obviously, Jesus wished that it could have been different…he had a kingdom message for the people, and he’d been prevented from delivering it. Jesus’ poignant lament for the city reminds us of God’s motherly compassion for the broken people of our beautiful world. And that’s still how it is. The heart of God breaks in the face of the horrible repression, war, and exclusion that seems to have enveloped humanity. And as the hands and feets of God it is our role as believers to reach out with compassionate wings and bring sacrificial love to the frightened and the harassed.

Thought for the Day: What’s the main ingredient of a mother’s love?

Luke 13:31-33

“He said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox for me, “Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.”’” vs. 32

Luke reports that King Herod had become aware of Jesus’ ministry and saw his work as a threat to his rule. Some Pharisees even reported to Jesus that Herod wanted to kill him. Jesus wasn’t intimidated. He kept on doing what he had been doing. That’s a great model for people of faith in our time too. There are some who have noticed that our government has enacted policies that infringe on the programs of social ministry organizations. Because many such agencies have received grants to operate their healing and care-giving ministries, they are vulnerable to the elimination of such funding. They now are facing big decisions about whether to reach out to the impoverished and the hurting. Some are wondering if they should back off on their support for vulnerable communities, and discontinue their emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion. It’s possible for those who control funding sources to exert enormous pressure, and more and more people are choosing to go silent to avoid the loss of revenue. Jesus’ guidance is obvious. If the outreach of our congregations and agencies is a part of our calling, we have no option but to continue our work, even if it means ultimately going to the cross!

Thought for the Day: When is “going silent” the best option for believers?

Philippians 3:20-4:1

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.” vs. 1

Paul was writing from prison and he knew how difficult it would be for the Philippians as they lived out their life in Christ. Even though they knew that one day all things would be made new and their transformation would be complete, he felt in his bones that there would be hard times ahead for them. Not only would they be rejected by their synagogues, the Roman occupiers could be counted on to arrest and torment them on almost any pretext. But Paul also knew that the blessings of faithfulness would be of immense value, so he encouraged those who he loved so much to stay firm in their commitment to the Lord Jesus. Sometimes we need those words of encouragement too. We live in strange times, with each day bringing us notices of changes in government practices and policies, and we’re not sure what the future will bring. What seemed unthinkable has become plausible, and we have no sense of what the end game will be. The one thing that we do have is our solid conviction that Jesus is Lord, and that in him we can be secure and protected even when some are predicting nothing but doom and gloom. We really are the beloved of God, and no matter what politicians do, God’s love trumps all!

Thought for the Day: How safe and secure am I feeling?

Philippians 3:17-19

“Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.” vs. 17

Paul’s conviction that humility was the most significant virtue in the life of a believer did not diminish his self-confidence one single bit. When he was trying to demonstrate for the Philippians what the new life in Christ was like, he unapologetically told them to imitate himself, and to carefully observe the people they knew who were already doing just that. Was this a lapse into arrogance? Not at all! Paul is simply writing with the confidence of a preacher who practiced what he preached! Would that we all could say to those who hunger for spiritual depth, “These are my spiritual practices, why don’t you give them a try!” It seems a simple thing to do and we’re used to doing it with other things. Instructors of all kinds will often say, “Watch me and do what I do,” but we’re reluctant to act with such confidence when it comes to faith. Our tendency is to privatize our spiritual convictions and be silent about what we believe. And that would be okay except for one thing. Our core values are foundational for the best life, and unless we’re willing to share them, others will never know! And keeping our mouths shut is certainly not a mark of genuine humility. This would be a horrible world if the best of us were silent.

Thought for the Day: What is my most imitable practice?