Matthew 27:11-25

“Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’’ vss. 20-21

There is no doubt that the Romans were in charge of Jesus’ execution. It’s what they did to maintain order in the territories that they governed. But they also had concerns about public opinion–the governor did not want a riot to break out in Jerusalem during the festival. So Pilate puts the decision about Jesus in the hands of the crowd. The problem is that crowds can easily be manipulated, and the Jerusalem crowd that welcomed Jesus into their city quickly turned on him. Perhaps they felt he had let them down. Maybe the religious leaders provoked them. We don’t know–all the gospels say is that in the space of a few days their cries turned from “Hosanna” to “Crucify him!”

We know what that’s like. Our leaders are heavily dependent on public opinion and they’ve become adept at using the changing communication landscape to offer their promises, pledges, and deceptions. From mass rallies to round the clock social media postings they do everything they can to manipulate the desires of the people. And even when we’re aware of what is happening, it’s gotten virtually impossible to ferret out the truth.

All we know for sure is that Jesus is the way and the truth. And maybe that’s all we need!

Thought for the Day: How am I being manipulated in these times?

Matthew 21:1-11 

“The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” vs. 9

All of the gospels report that Jesus entered Jerusalem on his final journey, flanked by hordes of pilgrims, and riding on a donkey. The crowd hailed him as the successor to David, Israel’s greatest king, and was looking forward to his coronation as messiah. Jesus says nothing to disabuse them of this notion, but the learned among them must have wondered why he was not mounted on a war horse. Of course we know that the donkey is the p the story! Jesus may have been a king but he wasn’t anything like David, and his throne was a rugged cross. 

When the crowds finally figured this out, most deserted him. They had no idea what a king on a cross represented. But others did understand, and they began to see this sublime act of humility as the key to knowing Jesus. They even adopted the cross as the most powerful symbol of love this world has ever known. It has become the center of our lives together, the magnet that draws all believers into one body.

So on Sunday we’ll be waving palms in our worship, a great way to remember the humility of our king, and some will weave the palms into crosses! It’s a great way to link Palm Sunday to Passion Sunday! After all, they are one and the same!

Thought for the Day: What’s appealing about Palm Sunday?

Philippians 2:7b-11

“And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” vss. 7b-8

How would the landscape of our country change if our leaders were infected by the mind of Christ and humbled themselves, becoming obedient to the principles of the Peaceable Kingdom? The difference would be startling. We’ve gotten so used to pretension, hypocrisy, and self-exultation on the part of politicians that some can’t even imagine any other possible behaviors. And what’s even more astounding is that many of these leaders consider themselves to be exemplary Christians! Well, they may have learned how to talk the pious talk, but they don’t even come close to walking in the footsteps of Jesus!

There is probably no greater virtue than humility for those who are serious about following Jesus. We’ve encountered them in our congregations. They’re self-effacing, gracious, and polite, never seeking honor or prestige, always seeking to put the interests of others above their own. Oh what joy such people bring to those around them! And oh what a pity that more people are unable to see the virtues of such a life! This is the life that Jesus lived, and it’s a life available to every single one of us. People living this way are the embodiment of the Peaceable Kingdom! They are the foretaste of the feast that is to come!

Thought for the Day: What’s the difference between “humbling oneself” and “being humbled”?

Philippian 2:5-7a

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,” vs. 5

Sometimes we think of ourselves as being different from Jesus, as though he behaved and acted as he did because he had a special relationship with God, one that we do not have. Often we hear people excusing their own broken behaviors with the words, “Well, only one man was perfect and that was Jesus!” 

While Paul doesn’t weigh in on that issue in his letter to the Philippians, he seems to indicate here that Jesus is the perfect model for them all. In fact he encourages the people in that little congregation to have the same mind in themselves that was present in Christ Jesus. And this was no impossible mission! We can see the world as Jesus did! We can love as he did! We can sacrifice as he did! It’s time for us to stop thinking that the Jesus life is somehow beyond us. We too contain the divine DNA–we’ve been born in the image of God. And his mission is our mission!

It’s time that we stop using our humanity as an excuse for poor behavior. We don’t sin because we’re human–we sin because we make bad choices! Our humanity has nothing to do with it. Millions of people have figured out how to live as Jesus lived. They have the mind of Christ, and they live all around us–certainly they’re a part of our faith communities. And because of them our lives have been blessed!

Thought for the Day: How can I have the same mind that was in Christ? 

Psalm 31:9-16

“But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand;” vss. 14-15a

While it’s possible to worry about most anything in this messed up and beautiful world, we generally come to the point when it dawns on us that there are many things we can’t control. At that moment the wise believer will echo the psalmist and hand everything over to God. As the AA folks are fond of saying, we “let go and let God.”

It’s a blessing when this insight comes early in our lives! But most of us have to wait for some years to pass. We just can’t seem to stop believing that, if we set our minds to it, the most intractable problems can be solved. Now that may be true with an algebraic equation, but it’s certainly not true of the chaotic political, economic, and relational issues that keep us awake at night. And all those conditions are exacerbated by the unrelenting changes wrought by aging. 

It’s good to keep on pondering and exercising. God knows our minds and bodies need our attention and care. But it’s even better when we can surrender our futures into the hand of God, and say in all humility, “My times are in your hand.” That act of submission will ultimately bring peace, and even better, the serenity we crave for daily living. It feels so good to be able to live without a care in the world!

Thought for the Day: How do I measure the level of my serenity?

Isaiah 50:4-7a

“The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.” vss. 3-4

This section of Isaiah and its description of Israel as the Suffering Servant had a profound impact on the life and ministry of Jesus, and beyond him, on the teachings of  the early Christian community. In these verses we learn that our ears have a direct relationship to our faith formation. It’s as we listen to the word of the Lord that we find encouragement in the face of suffering and persecution. We can’t even read these words without thinking of Jesus and his post-arrest behaviors. He could offer passive resistance because he’d been listening to God in his daily meditation and prayers.

It may not be that we will be arrested and beaten because we are disciples of Jesus, but in our changing world it is at least conceivable. But we will face challenges! Listening to the Spirit of Jesus can take us into any number of uncomfortable situations, and we could face opposition for our boldness in standing up for the poor and the oppressed. Our moral compass can be expected to move us in the direction of justice and compassion. But we’ll never be alone. To paraphrase Isaiah, “The Lord God helps me, I will never be disgraced.”

Thought for the Day: What’s it like to listen to God?

John 11:33-45

“The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’” vs. 45

John tells us that when Lazarus emerged from the tomb at the command of Jesus, he had new life, but there was a problem. His hands and feet were bound and he could not see. Here in a few words John laid out a metaphor that describes the new life in Christ for a multitude of believers. In contemporary terms, we’re a lot like zombies, an army of the living dead! We have the promised new life, but we remain bound by our past and the brokenness of the present. We don’t have a clue about the freedom that is ours in Jesus, a freedom to “let go and let God,” and we still can’t see.

What a gift it is when finally we receive the unbinding, and we discover the joy of walking in the way of Jesus and experiencing the peace of God. It’s in that moment that we realize that resurrection is a present reality and that death can never ever touch our souls. Unfortunately there is no formula or incantation that can be uttered to receive that freedom. It often catches us by surprise, in a moment of time that bursts upon us without warning. We only know it as it’s happening, but once freedom has touched our hearts, we’ll never be afraid again. Grace will have had its way with us!

Thought for the Day: What does it feel like to be totally free?

John 11:17-32

“When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’” vs. 32

When Jesus came to Bethany each of the sisters, first Mary, and then Mary, greeted him in the same way, acknowledging him as Lord, but also implying that he could have kept their brother from dying. We’re familiar with such reactions, especially among those who have been long-time believers. Even when we know that so-called “dread diseases” are likely to have ugly consequences, we almost always keep on praying for our loved ones to return to health. And many also believe that positive outcomes are directly related to the strength of our faith.

So when death does come to those loved ones for whom we’ve been praying so hard, it’s not unusual to feel a bit let down by Jesus. Even when recovery is against the odds, we can’t help thinking that Jesus could have done just a little more. It isn’t that we lose our faith. Let’s just say that like Mary and Martha, we’re disappointed. 

John tells us that it broke Jesus’ heart to see the sisters weeping, and that he himself began to cry. We do not have a cold-hearted Lord. That’s just not a part of God’s nature. And when our hearts ache in the presence of death, it’s important to remember that we are loved deeply, and one day we will all live again.

Thought for the Day: What comforts me in the presence of death?

John 11:1-16

“But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” vs. 4

As John chose stories of Jesus’ life for his gospel he deliberately picked ones that would bring glory to Jesus. He had done it with the man who had been born blind and he did the same with Lazarus’ illness. His readers, at this point, can anticipate that something spectacular is going to happen. Everything about the story, the delay in Galilee, the confusion of the disciples, and the threat of danger, increases the tension and demonstrates the depth of Jesus’ love for his friends. John is a skilled writer and it’s easy to see why his gospel has been a favorite of believers from the beginning.

The Lazarus story sets the stage, not only for the miracle of resurrection in Jesus’ own life, but also for the promise of new life for all believers. Here we see clearly what Paul articulated in Romans, that there is nothing, not even death, that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. As the disciples walk with Jesus on his journey to his friends in Bethany they will learn that no illness leads to death and that in Jesus everything that binds us will ultimately be loosed.

As we read this now in Lent, we’re getting a glimpse of the Easter that is waiting. A couple more weeks and the Light of Life will dawn once more!

Thought for the Day: What illnesses do I fear the most?

Romans 8:10-11

“But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” vs. 10

The longer we dig around in the scriptures the more likely we are to strike gold in the most unlikely places. Those familiar with the bible know that there are an abundance of passages that are less than edifying. But there are also many sections of scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments, that lift us up and give hope to the fallen. 

In Romans Paul gives us an abundance of such passages. Here is one of his best! Even though our lives are dead in the water and our rap sheet is a mile long, there is still hope! It’s not because of any merit or worthiness that is in us, but totally because of the righteousness of God that is ours in Christ Jesus. And that’s true for every one of us! There are none who are beyond hope! 

And because the Spirit is in us, day by day working overtime to restore the broken image of God, the fruit of the Spirit is going to pop out of us at the most unexpected times. Almost against our will we find ourselves feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. Oh what joy it gives to know that we can be the hands and feet of God in the world! Truly this is one of life’s golden moments!

Thought for the Day: When have I borne surprising fruit?