Isaiah 53:10-12

“Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.” vs. 10

It was the conviction of the prophet that what had happened to the Servant (Israel) was a part of a larger plan. What the people suffered in Babylon was horrible, a crushing blow to their identity and their dreams. For another prophet of the exile, Ezekiel, with his image of the valley of dry bones, it was the death of Israel. But it wasn’t the end. In Isaiah’s words, the Servant’s life was an offering for sin, a sacrifice that would bring life and salvation. For early Christians these ancient words brought meaning to the tragic death of Jesus–it hadn’t been an accident or a mistake, but a part of a divine plan. Believers continue to use such insights to deal with the tragedies that bring such pain to their existence. When people suffer and experience crushing defeats, we often see them recover with amazing resilience when they see purpose in their suffering. The trajectory of lives can change in a heartbeat, and plans can be extinguished, yet somehow we find the will and the desire to persevere. And then, years down the road, we begin to see that all the ugliness was part of a greater plan. Not all folks come to that point, but many do, and for them it’s a blessing.

Thought for the Day: How has tragedy changed my life?

Isaiah 53:4-9

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” vs.5

Through this section of Isaiah the prophet portrayed Israel as a servant, and describes the exile in Babylon as a time of terrible punishment and oppression. Here the Servant is wounded, crushed for the iniquities of the kingdom of Judah. This poignant psalm became a source of comfort in post-exilic times. The punishment had been endured for the sake of the people in later generations, and through the Servant’s suffering there had been healing. This chapter presents an amazing picture of redemptive suffering and after the death and resurrection of Jesus it became for the early church an explanation for Jesus’ unexpected death on the cross. There had been a purpose for his beatings and abuse at the hands of the religious leaders. The cross was Jesus’ punishment for the sins of the world. It’s not that Isaiah had foreseen what would happen to Jesus. But rather, the followers of Jesus saw in what Isaiah had written the perfect explanation for his suffering and death. And while there has been enormous debate through the centuries about atonement and the meaning of Jesus’ death, this passage continues to remind us that we are not alone in our suffering. In fact, these dark and painful times are the closest we ever come to the Divine Presence.

Thought for the Day: What is redemptive suffering?

Mark 10:23-31

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’” vs. 25

In some ways the world that Jesus lived in was not that much different from our own. There were huge disparities between the rich and the poor, people complained about taxes, and the wealthy controlled everything. And to the amazement of his disciples, Jesus never had anything good to say about riches. While he would occasionally sit at table in the home of a rich man, and a few wealthy people did become his followers, he consistently taught that seeking riches was pointless. Here he even indicates that the door of the kingdom of God is closed to those who are rich. The disciples didn’t like to hear that and neither do we, especially since a majority of folks in our country are addicted to money and love to accumulate as much as they can. And because we don’t like this teaching we do everything we can to find loopholes in what Jesus said, or at least reinterpret it in ways that will allow the wealthy (including ourselves) to wiggle off the hook. It’s just so hard for us to believe that the billionaires are foolish and that there are better ways to live in this beautiful world. Even people who regularly worship and who claim to be following in the way of Jesus close their ears to his warnings about wealth, and go blithely on their way.

Thought for the Day: How do I rationalize Jesus’ teachings about riches?

Mark 10:17-22

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’” vs. 21

Jesus had been teaching about the cost of discipleship, and now the question of the good rich man gave him a vivid real life illustration. When the man heard Jesus’ words, Mark says, he was shocked and went away grieving. And who wouldn’t be? There’s not likely a person among us who wouldn’t have done the same thing. We have become so accustomed to our prosperity that we can’t even conceive of holding a giant estate sale and giving all the proceeds to the poor. And we would have a thousand good excuses why we shouldn’t do it! And we would be right. In nearly all circumstances such an action would be totally irresponsible. But that’s not the point! The story is here not as an illustration of what we should do, but to make us think about our undeniable obsession with material possessions. We have become so connected to our stuff that we take scarcely any time at all to nurture the spiritual side of ourselves. If we manage to carve out half an hour per day for meditation and prayer, we are a rarity in our world. Make no mistake about it! Things exert enormous power and control over us, and it’s only when we begin to give them away that we can start to get a taste of freedom.

Thought for the Day: What things have a hold on me?

Hebrews 4:12-16

“Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” vs. 16

Through the centuries humans have come to believe that there will be a final judgment. And though some now disparage that notion, they need to recognize that eliminating judgment will also pretty much do away with any sense of accountability for how we live our lives. In fact the major reason for believing in a Judgment Day is to preserve the conviction that the way we live does make a difference. We should never believe that our words and deeds are without consequence! They have enormous importance, now and forever! The writer of Hebrews believed that our every thought, word, and deed was known to God–there was nothing in our lives that could remain hidden to the Divine Presence–and one day we will be called upon to make an account. But then he surprises us! He doesn’t say we will make our accounting before the throne of judgment, but the throne of grace, and that there is no reason for us to be frightened. Why not? Because the throne is occupied by our great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, and from him we will receive mercy and find grace. That’s quite an amazing twist, and this promise colors everything we have ever believed about the future. Yes, we are accountable. Yes, there are consequences for our sins. But our judge sits on a throne of grace!

Thought for the Day: How can there be accountability and forgiveness at the same time?

Psalm 90:4-7

“Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.” vs. 16

The psalmist is praying that the wondrous work of God would be manifest to all the congregation. There really is nothing better than to be a part of a community that recognizes the goodness of the world, and who are working together to bring healing and restoration to its brokenness. So we like it when our friends can see the fingerprints of God in creation, and we are delighted when they share our faith and join in our mission. The unity is beautiful! But even better than that are those times when our children, instead of going their own ways, begin to see and believe the truth of what we’ve passed on to them. So often we lament the fact that those who come after us show impatience with our ways and discard the faith that we have so carefully placed in their hands. We can even see in their eyes that they have little interest in Jesus, and that they would much rather align themselves with the gods of the culture. They love the pursuit of wealth and pleasure and have little interest in dedicating themselves to service. But not always! The Spirit can work miracles, and occasionally the seeds of faith that we have planted find nourishment and begin to slowly grow and even bear fruit. What is produced may be different from what we’ve experienced, but the core of love is obvious to all. Glory be to God!

Thought for the Day: What signs of faith do I see in children?

Psalm 90:12-14

“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” vs. 14

Some folks awaken in the morning with a song of thanksgiving on their lips. They’ve been refreshed in their sleep and are grateful to have yet another day in which to experience the steadfast love of God. It is really wonderful to be able to welcome another twenty-four hours, because it’s not inevitable. One day we’ll run out of time, so it would be best to count our days and to appreciate the joy of each morning. Some people seem to be better equipped for that kind of living, probably because they know how precious life is. In the context of eternity our lifespan is not even a nanosecond, but for us it’s all the time in the world, our special allotment from our ever-loving God. During the course of our lives, however short or long they may be, we have our only opportunity to drink in the beauty of this good world. What fools we are to waste even a single day! No wonder those who awaken in the joy of the Lord are able to live such beautiful lives. Of course it’s no accident that people live this way. Anchored by their faith, they are dedicated to the balanced use of their allotted hours. Each of their days is filled with deeds of love and mercy, and they delight in their life as a servant!

Thought for the Day: How do I awaken in the morning?

Amos 5: 11-15

“Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.” vs. 11

Amos called out the people living in the prosperous cities of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He knew exactly how they had gained their wealth! They had gotten rich from their relentless taxation and exploitation of the poor. And some would say that this is how most economies still operate. It’s just that in our time exploitation has become more sophisticated. While it’s true that the poor are shielded from income tax, the road out of poverty is excruciatingly difficult. Most of those in need, handicapped with few educational opportunities, spend their lives competing for low paying jobs, struggle to accumulate savings, and often receive inadequate medical care. In the meantime, in this new age of relaxed regulations, bitcoin, hedge funds, and private equity companies, opportunities for unbelievable wealth have proliferated, and often the gains are made at the expense of workers. Where once owners cared about their employees and took pains to be sure they received a fair shake, the attention has shifted to Wall Street, and it’s now the shareholders who get taken care of first. If Amos is right, such callous disregard for the poor has consequences. Of course, most wealthy folks laughed at Amos–it’s likely that this is still the case. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Thought for the Day: Why should anyone pay attention to Amos in 2024?

Amos 5:6-7, 10

“They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.” vs. 10

If Amos could somehow be transported to our time, and given a chance to observe our economic and political practices, he would feel right at home! Behaviors haven’t changed a whit since he marched into the land of Israel to bring a word from the Lord. Liars abound and the economy favors the rich. Money can buy you privilege and position and it’s readily available to anyone able to manipulate rules and regulations to their own advantage. And with the advent of artificial intelligence it’s become virtually impossible to sort out the truth in our media sources. Fake news and outright lies flood the internet and any kind of regulation has been deemed unconstitutional. It doesn’t make any difference whether what is said is a truth or a lie–all that’s important is our right to say it. Of course there are still prophets like Amos in our world, and they aren’t hesitating to lift up their voices in protest. They don’t win popularity contests; in fact they’re pretty much hated by everyone. But that doesn’t stop them from speaking the truth. Like Jesus they know that it’s the truth that sets us free. The problem is that it’s hard to know who they are! Most of us have become so enmeshed in the lies we’ve lost the ability of discernment! Still, it’s good to know the truth-speakers are among us. In them there is hope!

Thought for the Day: How do my prejudices keep me from discerning the truth?

Mark 10:13-16

“People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them.” vs. 13

It’s hard to know what the disciples were thinking. We do know that Jesus was heavily involved in teaching and perhaps they considered the children to be a distraction. Perhaps they were like ushers in our worship services who advise mothers to take their crying babies to the nursery so the preacher’s every word can be heard easily by all. But we do know that Jesus was horrified. He wanted the children to be there so that he could use them as living object lessons for one of his most important lessons. It’s not the learned elders or the wise pastors who are the best models for kingdom living, it’s the children. They know what it is to trust implicitly because they do it all the time! They don’t question God’s existence. For them it’s the most natural truth of all! They don’t argue theology, they just believe the gospel. And they love to sit on the lap of Jesus and soak it all in. When Grandma or Grandpa dies and they’re told they’ve gone to be with Jesus, they just say, “Wonderful! Then why are you crying?” Sometimes in the course of growing up or going through adolescence we give up those trusting ways and that childlike faith. How wonderful it is then to arrive in old age and find ourselves returning to that old way of believing, and making it our own once more.

Thought for the Day: What happened to my childlike faith?