Matthew 20:1-7

“When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.” vss. 3-4

The disciples had made significant sacrifices when they decided to follow Jesus and there came a time when they wondered if their commitment had been worth it. Jesus does his best to assure them that they were on the path of salvation, but then he had added these enigmatic words, “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” He followed this up with a mind-blowing parable about the landowner who went looking for workers in his vineyard at different times of the day. Initially it sounds reassuring. Everyone is going to be paid “whatever is right.”

And the workers were perfectly content with that promise. Most of us fall into that category. When we decided to follow Jesus we didn’t even concern ourselves with what benefits we would receive. It was enough to know that as we walked in the Way, the Spirit would fill our hearts with love and set our minds at ease. The new life in Christ is reward enough in itself–we don’t have to worry about a payday at the end. Of course there is work to do on the Way–we have been entrusted with the loving and serving that is part of Jesus’ mission. But God will take care of us and we will receive what is right.

Thought for the Day: What are the wages of life in Christ?

Philippians 1:27-30

“Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel…” vs. 27

There’s a lot we can get away with as followers of Jesus. After all, we have been set free in Christ from all the restrictions of the law, and can pretty much do as we please. And some do! These folks follow the impulses of their flesh and pretty much talk, cheat, and drink their way through life, with little thought of consequences. As long as they don’t kill or steal, pretty much every vice is available to them. Since they will periodically show up for worship they’re fully aware of the unconditional love of God. Occasionally, when needs arise, they will even pray. Such is the life of the nominal Christian. It’s a good life! And not very costly! But still we wonder. Is this what Paul had in mind when he spoke of living our lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ? It’s pretty obvious that the answer is no. When most Christians are more passionate about their sports teams than they are the faith of the gospel, our congregations will be impotent and dying. What’s the answer? Well, there’s no need to return to the days of fire and brimstone, but praise God for Spirit-filled followers of Jesus whose every word and deed is a reflection of the gospel!

Thought for the Day: What’s a nominal Christian?

Philippians 1:21-26

“I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.” vss. 23-24

While in prison Paul began thinking about death and then shared his reflections in this letter to his friends in Philippi. Knowing that death was not the end and that there would be new life for him in Christ, he wasn’t afraid to die. But he also knew that to remain alive would give him an opportunity to continue sharing the good news of Jesus. It’s interesting how our thoughts about death change as we begin to get older. In our younger years we generally are focused on the joys and pleasures of being alive. Many of us have work that we love, and we don’t even like to think about any of those good things coming to an end. But sooner or later we’re forced to come to grips with our own mortality. No matter how much we cling to life it becomes obvious that there will be an end. When that happens it’s a blessing to realize that new life in Christ awaits, but it’s even better to know that life, even beyond the golden years, is still worth living, especially when we are still loved and appreciated by others. And if we still have work to do, all the better–each added month is a blessing. Paul is right! For people of faith, death is a defeated enemy–there’s no way that we can lose!

Thought for the Day: What do I do with thoughts of dying?

Psalm 145:1-8

“One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” vs. 4

As we get older we often think of our legacy, those things which we will pass on to the next generation. For some that will involve material possessions, a generous inheritance or some precious artifacts that we have managed to collect. Those are obviously good things, particularly if they can be turned into cash and used to increase our children’s investment portfolios. (They’re not likely to be quite so thrilled with furniture or used golf clubs.) But the psalmist says that our most important bequest is the passing on of our faith. This is a toughie for many of us. Sometimes it seems as though our heirs are as little interested in our spiritual convictions as they are the contents of our closets. But the truth is that they are watching how we live, not so much the words we say, but they do notice how we practice our faith. And when they see our God connections, they are being influenced, particularly if we believe with the psalmist that “the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” That good news has been passed from one generation to another for thousands of years and we can be confident that ours will not be an exception.

Thought for the Day: How is the next generation being influenced by my faith?

Jonah 4:2-11

“But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?’ And he said, ‘Yes, angry enough to die.’” vs. 9

As Jonah pouted outside the city of Nineveh, he was grateful for the shade offered by a bush God had graciously provided for his protection. But then the plant withered and died. With the sun beating down Jonah became even more angry, and the Lord questioned his right to be angry about the bush. It’s an almost amusing conversation, a reminder of our total lack of perspective in the way we perceive the world. We get angry about the dumbest things, flying into rage at being cut off on the freeway, and going into a three-day funk because our team’s running back fumbled at a crucial moment. We flood social media with racist comments and libelous insults, all because we’ve gotten angry something hasn’t gone our way. In the meantime there are floods, earthquakes, and wars with thousands of casualties that we mostly ignore because we aren’t touched by their consequences. We complain about homeless people on our streets and then are enraged when a city buys a motel to house them. How in the world did it come to be, that we who live so well, get so hateful and upset about little things, and blithely ignore the real issues of our time. Where does all that rage come from? It’s certainly not from Christ!

Thought for the Day: Why are so many filled with rage?

Jonah 3:10-4:1

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.” vss.10-4:1

Jonah was called the reluctant prophet for good reason. He had no love for Assyria, the fierce enemy of Israel, and when God told him to go to Nineveh, the capital, and call on them to repent, he refused to go. One great fish encounter later, he reluctantly obeyed, went to Nineveh, and preached. To his great surprise the people responded, and everyone, from the king to the cattle of the field, covered themselves in sackcloth and ashes, and repented. So God did not punish them! And Jonah was bummed. He became very angry. Jonah had the same gene as many of us, the one that resents the mercy that God showers on people who do not deserve it. We become conscious of that gene’s presence whenever there is a proposal to increase welfare benefits or expand some social program. Some of the angriest protesters are people of faith, folks who have received countless blessings from God, but are angry at the possibility that  these benefit recipients might be undeserving. Like Jonah, even though they know that God is gracious and merciful, they would prefer that there be limits on God’s compassion–and that they are the ones who should set the standards.

Thought for the Day: What social programs are most controversial?

Matthew 18:23-34

“And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” vss. 34-35

Unlike some of Jesus’ other parables the story of the unmerciful slave is pretty straightforward and easy to understand. What the slave did was despicable and the anger of his master was justified. The parable was likely told as Jesus observed the reluctance of his disciples to practice forgiveness in their daily encounters and in their relationships. It’s like he couldn’t comprehend how people who had experienced the complete and total forgiveness of their sins from God could be so stingy in forgiving those who had sinned against them. Of all the people in the world, followers of Jesus should be leading the way in extending grace and mercy to others. And this isn’t the only time Jesus pointed this out. Just think about the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive the sins of others.” We say those words regularly, but few seem to take them seriously. Forgiveness has become almost an anomaly in our culture. We’re astounded when we hear that victims are offering forgiveness to their abusers when it should be the most natural thing in the world for those who are in Christ. How good it is that God does not operate according to the standards of the world! 

Thought for the Day: What happens when we don’t forgive?

Matthew 18:21-22

“Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.’” vss. 21-22

When things get broken in our lives, and we begin to realize that we’ve made a mess of our relationships, the burden can become overwhelming. Our bumbling around and careless regard for truth causes real pain for those we’re called to love, and their displeasure is obvious. Often they put us in our place with harsh and biting words and we really have no defense. And this is always the way it’s been for the children of God. From the beginning sin has been our nemesis and has ruined countless lives. And while we regularly try to make amends for our hurtful words and actions, we can seldom come close to making things right. Jesus taught that only forgiveness can bring restoration, not in the sense of evening the score, but by offering pardon instead of penalty. Through his example and influence forgiveness has become a central tenet of the Christian faith. Not only do we need it in abundance but he calls on us to be prolific in our forgiving. That’s easier said than done. But if we really want to enjoy the beautiful life God has for us in this world, we should remember that it all starts with having a forgiving spirit. Everything else follows from that!

Thought for the Day: What is a forgiving spirit?

Romans 14:7-12

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” vs. 15

Most folks don’t seem to fear standing before the judgment seat of God. They either don’t care or they’ve come to understand the transition from life to death in a different way. Perhaps they now believe that in death they’ll be welcomed home by a loving Savior and not be subject to judgment. But that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped believing in passing judgment on each other. For one reason or another even people of faith have made judging a way of life. We’ve been trained by our culture and voracious media to openly offer opinions and judgments about others at the click of a button. And we seem to enjoy doing it! We feast on half-baked rumors and outright lies, and take delight in passing along the most salacious stories we can find. What’s particularly sad about all this is that all these things that we’re bent out of shape about will be gone at the end of the next news cycle. In the long run most of the things we get so hot and bothered about won’t make any difference at all. Of course some things do matter. When the poor are being discounted and the environment threatened we have an obligation to pass judgment. In the wisdom of God perhaps we will learn when to keep silent and when to speak!

Thought for the Day: What sparks judgment in my heart?

Romans 14:1-6

“Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions.” vs. 1

Some of the early followers of Jesus had become vegetarians because the meat available in the markets came from animal sacrifices at pagan temples. So as a matter of conscience they abstained from eating meat, and felt that others should do the same. Paul, who liked his steak medium rare, disagreed, but he was appalled that such a thing had become a separating controversy among believers. Sadly, many communities of faith have been experiencing similar divisions in recent years over matters related to sexual identity, national politics, immigration, and race. Followers of Jesus holding opposite convictions have made their positions a matter of faith and some have felt compelled to leave their congregations. It’s sad when people who have been life-long friends decide that they can no longer live together as brothers and sisters in Christ. It need not be so! Paul encouraged mutual respect in those early communities. It’s true that welcoming transexuals is not quite the same as welcoming vegetarians, but the principle is the same. Our mutual trust in Christ Jesus should override any kind of differences, even when our convictions burn hot within us. When we finally learn to celebrate diversity within our God-given unity, blessings abound, and we can even learn to embrace the other! Sometimes we can even end up surprising ourselves!

Thought for the Day: What current issues push my buttons?