Mark 7:1-8

“So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’” 

The Law had been a great gift to the Jewish people but it was broken! While it had initially been designed to keep the people on the path of righteousness, it quickly got out of hand. What had been a brief set of commandments turned into an overwhelming mass of traditions and regulations that became an end in itself. The initial Ten Words became 613 statutes governing every aspect of human behavior. And that was just a start! The intention had been to protect the Law by setting up a hedge around it–the rabbis didn’t want anyone to accidentally become unclean so they codified everything. Jesus was an observant Jew, but he believed that loving God and loving neighbor was more important than anything else, and from his perspective the Law had become a burden. As his followers we know how quickly petty legalisms can take over our lives. When life gets unruly and the people in our lives aren’t living as we think they ought, it is so tempting to get back in control by “laying down the law.” We think the rules will be a temporary and quick fix, but it isn’t long before they displace the gospel of grace. What a blessing it is to walk in the way of the Lord and not worry about following the rules!

Thought for the Day: When is it important to have rules?

James 1:22-27

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” vs. 27

Many people have come to faith in congregations that put a huge premium on matters of theology and dogma. Generally the pastors and teachers who lead those congregations have learned in seminary that pure doctrine is of the utmost importance. They’ve spent years honing arguments that use logic and scripture to define and refine the Truth of the Gospel, and they rigidly maintain those standards in their preaching and teaching. James was likely familiar with such teachers and he presented to his readers a different blueprint for purity and holiness in the Church.  He doesn’t seem to have cared much for closely defined theological principles. Instead he put forward what some have disdainfully dismissed as the “social gospel.” Everything, James says, rests on how well a congregation cares for orphans and widows in their distress–we can assume he would be okay with expanding that caring to include refugees, asylum seekers, the homeless, and any needy folks. Oh, and then he adjures the congregants to keep themselves unstained by the world. Ethics and morality are key ingredients of a God-pleasing life. As we care for others, our own behavior matters! What we do and what we say are likely even more important than what we believe!

Thought for the Day: How important is doctrinal purity in my congregation?

James 1:17-21

“You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”  vss. 19-20

Even though Martin Luther considered James to be an epistle of straw because of its insistence on works, we should be grateful that his words are included in our scriptures. The relevance of what he had to say to his readers is readily apparent, especially in this time of partisan bickering and the resulting fragmented relationships. All around we see folks with built-in agendas who aren’t the least bit interested in what others might want to say to them. When we become involved in a political or religious conversation with such a person, and we feel heat rising within, the best thing we can do is slow down and listen, and then say, “Thank you! I value your insights and your friendship.” It may be that your friend will then ask you for your ideas, but even if that doesn’t happen, it never hurts to allow others to have the last word. And it may even be that the friendship can be maintained. James had his finger on the pulse of social intercourse and knew that becoming angry never yields a positive outcome, even in those rare instances when we know what we’re talking about. And given the importance of community in Christ-centered living, we’ll do all we can to keep the spirit of unity alive and well.

Thought for the Day: What do I do when I become angry in a conversation?

Psalm 15

“O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;” vss. 1-2

The question asked by the psalmist was enormously important for the religious leaders in Jerusalem. They revered the Law of Moses and believed wholeheartedly that only those who were perfectly obedient were welcome in the temple of the Lord. The righteous were those who walked blamelessly by keeping every law, and they certainly spoke the truth in all their interactions. Their division of people into two different groups is familiar to us, and even those who are followers of Jesus are likely to have lists of such people written on their hearts.  It’s just such an easy way of keeping track of who’s naughty and who’s nice! We might not use the same standards as the folks in Jerusalem but we have our own rules too, and they’re equally rigid.  And we know all the “tells”! Even walking through the mall on a hot summer Sunday afternoon we can easily spot those on the “sinner” list. The problem is that Jesus paid no attention to the lists drawn up by the religious people, and he still doesn’t. He loves sinners and brings healing to the broken. For him walking blamelessly would be to embrace the hurting and to care for the outcasts. And of course he wants us to speak the truth from our hearts. There are some things that just never go out of style for the people of God.

Thought for the Day: Who is on my “naughty” list?

Deuteronomy 4:6-9

“And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?” vs. 8

Even though the world is good, brokenness has also been a part of the human experience from the beginning. One of the first great spiritual insights of our faith ancestors was that a system of laws and commandments would make it possible for them and their children to bring healing to their broken world. By obeying the rules families could actually experience the goodness of God and have harmony in their relationships.  It was a good plan–and we can read the final edition in the Hebrew scriptures, where some have come to know it as the Deuteronomic Code. As the centuries passed and the kingdom of Israel faded into oblivion, this Code remained as a source of inspiration and pride to the Jewish people. It made them distinctive among the nations and was the one thing their enemies could not take away. But even though the law was good, and a key to their happiness, it too was broken, and occasionally its brokenness could be oppressive. This was something that Jesus understood and he regularly showed people that the law could not be their ruler with teachings like “the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.”  Because the religious leaders had come to think of the law in such rigid terms, in order to protect it, they ultimately decided that if Jesus did not change his ways, he would need to die.

Thought for the Day: When does the law become a burden?

Deuteronomy 4:1-2

“So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.” vs. 1

As the community of our faith ancestors began to emerge from the tangle of tribes occupying the deserts of the Middle East, their leaders began to compile a legal code that would govern their behaviors and ensure their legacy. The laws arose out of their tribal experiences and reflect the rules and behaviors necessary for their survival as a community of faith. Some of the codes were borrowed from other cultures and traditions and others were peculiar to the developing faith of the Hebrew people. The scribes who finally wrote them down and compiled them in what we know as the Deuteronomic Code considered them to have been given by the Lord and came to regard them as a part of their holy scripture. While some of those statutes and ordinances seem strange to our ears, ultimately this law came to be the identifying mark of the Jewish people. It was the core of their faith. Rabbis taught that obedience to the commandments would bring blessings to the community, and disobedience would bring down God’s judgment. As the years passed and the people occupied the land we know as Israel, the kings proved to be ineffective. But the law was the strength of the nation, and because of the law, Judaism survived and remains a force in the world today.

Thought for the Day: How does law build a lasting community?

John 6:63-69

“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’” vss. 63-69

In the end, when we’ve considered all the options and checked out all the alternatives, there are many who come to the same conclusion as Simon Peter. There just isn’t anything out there that can come close to offering anything better than the gospel of grace that is enmeshed in the words of Jesus Christ. Granted, through the centuries believers have managed to attach every manner of difficult doctrines to his simple words, but when we sift through to the core we rediscover the beautiful, inclusive love that he lived and taught. Of course faith in Jesus generally doesn’t come at first sight. As John indicates here, there is a process involved. It’s as we hang around Jesus for a time that we come to believe and to adopt him as the life-giving center of our lives. Now it isn’t that some of the truths and values that we find in Jesus cannot be found in other religions or faith traditions. Indeed, because his teachings are universal, we discover that many of the things we believe are a part of other belief systems too. But Jesus is familiar, and there’s an element of comfort in attaching ourselves to him, and so we do. So it’s in him that we have discovered the words of eternal life!

Thought for the Day: What are some core teachings of all great religions?

John 6:56-62

“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’” vs. 60

In John’s gospel Jesus frequently says things that his disciple found difficult to accept. When he spoke in figurative terms they almost always took him literally, and occasionally it seems as though he’s deliberately trying to be obscure. His lengthy teaching regarding himself as the Bread of Life is one of those times, and finally it seems, many of his disciples gave up. Sometimes people in our age will express their regret at not having been able to hear Jesus speak in person. But chances are we wouldn’t have done any better than those who were there. There’s just something tough about really “getting” Jesus. Often we can’t even understand what our pastors are talking about in their sermons, even when they dumb it down for us. We all tend to be such literalists, and Jesus was all about mystery and the unseen ways God brings life to our spirits. Sometimes the best we can do is open up our hearts and soak in the word, trusting that the Spirit will use the words to enrich and restore us. The point is not in understanding the gospel, that’s far too cerebral. But it is as we receive the Word that it becomes enfleshed in us, and we become one with Christ. 

Thought for the Day: How has the Word changed me?

Ephesians 6:14-20

“Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.” vss. 19-20

Paul coveted the prayers of the Ephesians; it was a source of great comfort for him to know that he wasn’t alone, and that his name was on their lips day and night. Evidently, in spite of his imprisonment, he was still having opportunities to proclaim the word, and he asked for boldness in making known the mystery of the gospel. It’s a reminder that in every circumstance we have chances to share our faith, and sometimes all that we lack is boldness. Proclamation is never easy, and with something so mysterious as the gospel, we need fitting words, ones that will unlock the mystery and make plain the inclusive love that we have come to know so well. Certainly it helps to know that people are praying for us! And if we happen to be pastors or preachers, what a blessing to know that we are in the prayers of those we serve. That’s undoubtedly the unseen strength of any community of faith. We come together as individuals but the call is far too big for any one of us. But when we are seriously joined together in prayer for one another and for our leaders we are a formidable force.

Thought for the Day: How do people’s prayers help me?

Ephesians 6:10-13

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” vss. 10-11

Paul’s language in this closing section of Ephesians is familiar to people of faith and is consistent with much of what we find in scripture. It’s a kind of militaristic refrain and imagines us as soldiers of the cross, standing firm against the demonic forces of the universe who battle us daily on our journey with Jesus. The problem with this dualistic picture is that it breeds divisiveness. We already have a tendency to be suspicious of others and to imagine that we have enemies constantly assailing us. So when we’re asked to join the battle against the devil, we unfortunately don’t have much difficulty in figuring out who or what we’re supposed to be fighting against. We absolutely love to demonize those who don’t look like us, those who don’t have the same values, and those who don’t think like us! And it doesn’t get any easier in the middle of a political campaign. As we listen to the rhetoric of the interminable speeches, it’s easy to begin believing that our side is fighting for eternal virtues and values, while our opponents are pushing Satan’s agenda. Of course humans have always done this sort of thing–demonizing the enemy is nothing new. BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT JESUS WAS ABOUT!!! He said, “Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.” 

Thought for the Day: Why is dualism so attractive to the human spirit?