John 10:22-33, and Time Travelin' Jesus

Okay. Do I believe that Jesus of Nazareth is God? Yes. Absolutely. Descended from David according to the flesh, shown to be Son of God by resurrection from the dead, just like it says in Romans 1. 

Do I believe the historical Jesus claimed he was divine, literally declared "The Father and I are one," and spent most of his earthly ministry arguing with fellow Jews about whether or not he was God? I don't know. I wasn't there. It could be. But for my own part, I'm going to say likely not. 

Mind you, I will not think any less of any Christian for believing and affirming that Jesus openly said he was divine during his earthly ministry. You may be right. It's just that the other three Gospels do not attest this. And Jesus would have had a very hard time getting twelve working-class, First-commandment-following Jews to devote their lives to him, not to mention not be stoned in every Jewish village he visited, with that as his opening line. 

But the Resurrection changed things. Big time. Much of John's Gospel, I believe, reflects what its writers know is coming: that this man will rise from the dead. It reflects the Spirit of the Risen Christ, as he continued to show up in communities later in the first century--communities who were, in fact, taking a lot of abuse for holding to the truth, that Jesus and his Father are one. It is a future Jesus we sometimes see in the Gospels: a Risen Jesus, reaching back into the story from a later time. The light of Easter shines back into earlier narratives, and forward into our lives today. 

Jesus, thank you for being who you are: the Risen son of God. Help me to follow you to the cross and empty tomb, and see for myself who you are. Amen.

Psalm 119 and a Wisdom for All

Observation: the psalmist continues to praise God's laws, because they give him/her wisdom beyond enemies, teachers, even the aged.

Application: This week I'm giving thanks for Scripture as "the great equalizer." When the Protestant reformers established the doctrine of "Sola Scriptura"--that only Scripture is the foundation for Christian belief--the Holy Spirit did a wonderfully new thing by sharing authority with all who can read, hear and reflect. The advent of the printing press and the eventual rise in literacy gave "power to the people"!

With this "great power," as they say, "comes great responsibility". It's no longer the responsibility of a Pope, Bishop, or even your pastor to tell you what the Bible says--you can now do it for yourself--but there's still a lot of background and history to know, if you want to get a sense of who was writing and why. There will always be room for devotional reading, engaging directly with Scripture and asking "what does this mean for me today?" But just as the Holy Spirit has placed God's word in our hands, She has also surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses, Saints all around us and through all time, as our study partners. We are not unqualified to hear God speak. But neither are we independent or alone.

God, thank you for your Word, that can lift up the lowly and tear down the lofty. May it make us faithful. Amen.

John 10, and "Pro-Life" Jesus

Observation. Jesus uses a bunch of different metaphors to get across the same point: Unlike others, I want all people to flourish. 

Application: I think both religious and secular folks alike can sometimes reduce the way of Christ to a series of limitations, a list of "dont's." It's simpler that way. Just arbitrarily set out all the stuff that's off limits, and you don't ever have to think or reflect on God's will. It's either on the "don't" list, or it's okay. And if you like or feel a need for stuff that's on the "don't" list, then Christianity must not be for you, and it's time to move on. Easy enough. No thinking required. 

Except the will of Christ is not a "don't" list. It's a "do" list. Live. Live abundantly. That's the reason Jesus came: so we can live our lives in 3 dimensions, in dynamic relationship with God our Father, with our faith families and with the world. If we are living into this relationship authentically, it's true that there are many things we're very unlikely to do, but the guiding principle is a positive one: what will lead to abundant life for my neighbor and for myself? 

God, thank you for my life. Help me preserve and improve the lives of others. Help me join you in your mission: not just preventing death, but giving each of your children a full, meaningful life. Amen.

John 9:41, and Flying Blind

Observation: It's a dead giveaway in John's Gospel: the people who claim the most expertise are in fact the most out of touch. The Pharisees,  Nicodemus and other "authorities" are always saying "we know," "we see," etc., Which invariably signals to the reader that they don't. Here again: "we are not blind, are we?" 

Application: I preached this weekend about how the biggest red flag that you're about to get yourself into trouble is when you are feeling so supremely and utterly confident that you're right, you're the good guy, you're in so much better shape than another person or group. "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'we see,' your sin remains." 

At the same time, it's too easy for me to fall into the other ditch: to doubt everything I think, which makes it impossible to take action. What we see in the Fourth Gospel over and over is that the overconfidence in oneself--claiming to "know"--is bad, but placing confidence in Jesus--believing--is good. That's the ideal. Not knowing for sure, but going forward as best we can anyway, because while we acknowledge we are blind, we trust God can see. 

Jesus, I am blind to the future, to my destiny, to what lies on the long road ahead of me and how I will deal with it. Give me trust to just start walking with you anyway, just for today, and commend tomorrow to your care. In your name I pray. Amen.

2 Samuel 13. Tamar Was Not Just "Somebody's Sister."

My heart hurts reading this story. And my blood boils. "Bathsheba-gate" was bad. This is worse. 

King David's son, Amnon, engages in premeditated rape. He plans it all out with a servant, how he will entrap his half-sister Tamar. He's the king's son. He gets what he wants, then kicks Tamar out of his room. From then on, Tamar bears the shame. Amnon still smells like a rose, while she tears her clothing and puts ashes on her head. She is the king's daughter. And the king--"Good" King David, whose blood will one day run in Jesus' veins-- does nothing. Because he loves his son Amnon. Because he doesn't want to "ruin his life." So yes, Absalom does avenge his sister and kill Amnon. But David will always have looked the other way when his daughter needed him. 

There's been a recent reminder in social media circles, that when we talk about sexual assault, too often we speak out "because I have sisters, because I have daughters..." when in fact, that should be irrelevant. You should care about women not being sexually assaulted because they are human beings, not because they are related to you or you see some chivalrous duty to "defend" them. This needs to be said over and over, until we get it. 

For people of faith, this isn't just a moral concept, it's theological. We are all made in God's image. We are all precious in God's sight. So precious, in fact, that God was willing to be cast out and humiliated for us, and bear our shame. And if the fact that a woman bears the image of God isn't enough to change our attitude and behavior toward her, whether she's a blood relation sure as hell won't either. Tamar was David's daughter. Tamar was Amnon's half-sister. More than that, she was a human being, who God made on purpose and loved in the depths of God's heart.  

Lord, have mercy. 

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Amen. 

John 8 and Throwing Stones

Today in my daily readings, the story of David's adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam 11) falls on the same day as the woman caught in adultery, who the scribes and Pharisees want to stone (John 8). Talk about a double standard. David ends up covering his crime by putting a hit out on Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, and not only does he stay king, but he gets to marry Bathsheba when it's all said and done. This nameless woman, however, barely escapes with her life. I guess "it's good to be the king".

As I read these two stories, I can't help thinking about the ugliness of our current presidential campaign. Both sides--and indeed, both candidates--have leveled personal attacks at each other the likes of which I've never seen in my life. On the one hand, I believe taking a good look at the character and judgment of a candidate is fair game, and a necessary part of the process. On the other hand, at a certain point we have to say, "Enough already! This is not who we are!"
I don't think it's the fault of a few campaign managers or media executives that things have gotten this bad. I think all of us share the blame. It just feels good to be the "good guys", the morally superior side of a struggle. Throwing stones at "bad guys" is inherently satisfying. But Jesus' standard is clear: only if you have no sin, can you cast judgment on others.
Of course, there's a big difference between condemning someone as an irredeemable sinner, and saying, on balance, they probably shouldn't be president. But as we have these discussions as people of faith, we have to remember that our defining narrative in Scripture doesn't consistently place one group of people as "the good guys" and another as "the bad guys." Rather, time after time, the only "bad guy" is humanity itself, and the "good guy" is God. And what makes God good is that God does not condemn us, even when we deserve it. God is merciful.
God, thank you for your grace. Help us to treat others with mercy.
Amen.

John 7 and the House of David

Observation: Jesus' contemporaries have a certain picture in their heads of what a "Messiah" looks like, and Jesus isn't it. Yet he is both the spiritual (and according to the other Gospels the literal) heir of David. In my other reading for today from 2 Samuel, David expects to build God a "house", meaning a temple, but God promises instead to build a "house", or lineage, for David. 

Application: Church is changing. It was always supposed to be about people and relationships more than buildings and programs. But let me tell you, as a pastor with no church building or office, who just spent an embarrassing amount of time putting together a church mailing, this comes with complications. 

But it is reminding me of the true nature of the Body of Christ: a house, a spiritual lineage, who may not always have center stage in society or big cathedrals on the square, but will always be a home for God's Spirit, and a warm place for those in need of hope. 

God, help me be your home. Amen.

2 Samuel 6, and "Cool Points"

Observation: As the Ark of the Covenant comes into Jerusalem, David's joy overtakes him, and he leaps and dances in a way that embarasses his wife, Michal (Saul's daughter). When she accuses him of uncovering himself in front of all the maids and servants (a huge taboo in an honor and shame culture) David justifies his behavior, saying for the sake of worship, he'll be "even more contemptible than this" but still be held in esteem by others.

Application: I learned how to gain and lose "cool points" very early. I still remember our music class' annual end of the year "dance party." In fifth grade, we all cut loose and had the time of our lives. In sixth grade there was a sea change. Nobody danced. Everybody stayed in their seats. It was frustrating. I decided to be the first one to get up and dance. Nobody followed suit. It was...well, it was mortifying. I thought my life was over. 

It wasn't until years later, as a camp counselor, that I learned how to show enthusiasm--whether I felt it or not--to help others enjoy themselves. I realized by leading campfires and chapel services that sometimes, being the only one *not* clapping and singing, can look almost as silly as being the one who is. My way of worshiping has evolved a bit. I wouldn't call myself a member of the "frozen chosen", but neither have I ever spoken in tongues. I think it's important to be open to the leading of the Spirit in worship. And yes, sometimes I may look completely enthralled when I'm inwardly working on the day's to-do list. I try not to let that happen often. I take seriously the idea that the Spirit can work through our movements, our expressions, our sense of enthusiasm, to inspire others. We do the best we can. We fake it till we make it. And we trust that "faith comes from hearing," and even when we don't have quite the gusto we wish for, God's promises shine through. 

God, thank you for dance and movement. Help our bodies be vessels of your word. Amen.

Psalm 119 and My Inner Rebel

Ugh, Psalm 119. I knew it was coming in my daily readings. Honestly...I haven't been looking forward to it. 

Maybe it's the fact that it's long. My appointed reading today was 8 verses. That should keep me reading this same psalm for at least two and a half weeks. 

Maybe it's the fact that it hits on the same themes over and over... God's laws good, not following God's laws, bad. I get it. God already knows I'm thinking it, so I may as well admit: it gets kind of boring. 

But I don't think that's it either. I think it's the content. It's my inner rebel, from a nation of rebels, who reads this psalm and wonders how anybody can get so passionate and lovey-dovey about following the rules. Going by the book. Reading the instructions. If Star Wars taught me anything, it's to resist authority. If the Lego movie taught me anything, it's to be a "ground breaker." If Lutheran theology taught me anything, it's that doing works of the law will never, ever save me. If American history taught me anything, it's that true bravery is all about "standing up to tyranny" and "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" and all that jazz. Not following rules. 

But here's the thing: to anyone descended from Moses and the first Israelites who were delivered by God from the oppression of Pharaoh, God's law is freedom. Even going from living in the richest civilization in the world, to living hand to mouth in the desert, the people of Israel celebrate God's laws, because they know they're truly meant for their own benefit. It means they've made it to freedom, no matter where they live, because God has shown them how to live. God is not a tyrant like Pharaoh, seeing the people as a product, shifting laws on a whim. God's laws are an everlasting covenant for a free people, who value one another's freedom and dignity as much as their own. God's laws mean life. They still can't save us--only God does that--but they can protect us. 

Psalm 119 still isn't my favorite, and probably never will be. But especially in a very uncertain time, in a nation whose people and leaders no longer trust each other, it helps to know we still do have a way of life that really does lead to life. 

God...thank you for your laws. I love them. There, I said it. Amen. 

John 6:60-71, The Answer is "Nobody."

Observation:  When Peter asks the question, "Lord, to whom can we go?" it's a rhetorical question. He's not expecting Jesus to say, "Oh you can go to Lenny down the street." No. Of course, Peter knows the answer is nobody. As difficult as Jesus' teachings are to understand, and despite the fact that they're twice as hard to accept once we do understand them, nobody else has the words of eternal life. Peter knows that Jesus' words are not valuable because they're hip or new or cool. It's because they are connected with reality and truth in a way that nothing else seems to be: truth about ourselves, and about God.

Application: In ministry, you get an "itch" now and then. You start wondering if there's some special way of phrasing the same thing you've been saying for years. You start thinking there's got to be some program, some evangelism tactic, some movement connecting with some current event that will somehow make the Gospel more acceptable or popular. But the Gospel will never be popular, because it tells us the truth about ourselves: that we are captive to sin, and can't free ourselves, but in God's grace, we are forgiven. We may get bored of hearing it, we may think there's got to be some kind of new "spin" to put on it, but there just...isn't. Only Jesus has the words of eternal life (which is not to say that only Institutional Christianity has the word of life, but that's another post for another time). Nothing we can say can come close. No addition or subtraction necessary. 

Prayer: God, we turn to you, over and over again. Only you have the words of eternal life. To whom shall we go?

Psalm 118, and "Salvation"

This is often the appointed psalm for Easter Sunday, and it was a psalm at Laura's and my wedding. It always fills me with joy. 

I've been thinking a lot this week about how God is our "salvation." In last Sunday's Gospel, Jesus tells the Samaritan Leper, "your faith has saved you." Yesterday at our Bishop's Leadership Retreat, Dr. Tim Wengert encouraged preachers to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation by making a special effort every Sunday, for a whole year, to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ--that only God saves us, and no effort on our own part can participate in, contribute to, or complement that salvation. Only God saves. Even trying to come up with a good "response" to that salvation, that pure gift of God, starts to shift our focus onto ourselves, which will ultimately disappoint us. Yes, faith does produce good fruit--works of healing and justice, lives that look like Jesus' life--but not because we made a decision or took control. Rather, it's because we really heard and believed the truth, that we are captive to sin, cannot free ourselves, but God saves us anyway. That's our starting point and finish line. God saves. Only God saves. 

God, thank you, now and always, for saving me. Amen.

1 Samuel 28, or, "Saul Prank Calls a Ghost"

Saul is pretty rattled by the upcoming battle with the Philistines. And he's even more rattled, that he's been calling on God, over and over, and hasn't heard a word about it. So he takes matters into his own hands.

This leads to one of the weirdest stories in the entire Hebrew Bible...and one of the only "ghost stories."

Saul puts on a costume to avoid being recognized, and consults a medium--a profession which he specifically had outlawed earlier--and asks her to contact the spirit of Samuel, the prophet who anointed him king when he was younger. This is a Halloween-themed story if I ever read one.

Samuel's response is classic: "Why did you wake me up? God already gave you an answer. You're not going to be king anymore. Leave me alone!"

I get two different things out of this: First, that life and death are God's department. Frankly, this story is one of several reasons why I as a person of faith do not believe in ghosts. In the Hebrew Bible, when we die, we rest. We sleep. We are not active. We are dormant. In the Gospels and the letters of Paul, we learn that at some point, this rest will come to an end, when God raises us. What exactly that looks like is a mystery; but all accounts agree that the resurrection of Christ is both confirmation of that truth, and clue to what it might look like. But still...it's God's department. All we need to know for sure, is that God has it handled better than we ever could.

The second thing I learn from Saul's ridiculous adventure is: sometimes not getting an answer from God, is our answer. That may seem harsh, because sometimes the answer we feel we've gotten is not the one we'd like. But God has given us the scriptures, and the community of faith in which to read them. God has given us the life of Jesus to imitate, and the Holy Spirit, Who gives us the will to do it. Sure, sometimes we still feel doubt, or we may feel as though God has more to say. That's a possibility. But we also have to be ready for the possibility that what God has already said to us, in some way, shape or form, is still in effect. And when that's true, a second opinion won't do us any good.

God, help us to listen. Help us to trust us with our lives and our deaths. Help us to remember that you say what you mean, and you mean what you say. Amen.

1 Samuel 26 & 27: the Many Faces of King David

1 Samuel 26:9 But David said to Abishai, ‘Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?’


1 Samuel 27: David struck the land, leaving neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing, and came back to Achish.

Observation: In these two chapters, David goes from sparing the life of a murderous King Saul (again), to raiding Philistine villages for their livestock, and murdering all who live there, who might betray his location.


Application: When I think of "King David," I tend to think of two distinct chapters in his life: the innocent "early days", where a bright-eyed, idealistic David slays Goliath and remains faithful to King Saul even when he's running for his life, and the jaded "later days" where a power-drunk King David takes advantage of Bathsheba and covers it up by having her husband killed. It's simpler to think at some point David just "turned bad". But life isn't simple. This two chapters of First Samuel shows that David was always what we all are: not just good or bad, but simultaneously saint and sinner. Always harboring the worst and most selfish instincts and attitudes that we often call out in others, but also, always harboring the Holy Spirit--God's Spirit--Who continues to bear the fruits of faith, hope and love in our hearts and our lives...sometimes in spite of ourselves.


Prayer: God, like King David, I am a mixed bag. I have thoughts, words and deeds every day that I'm not proud of. But I also praise you that you have saved me anyway, and given me your Holy Spirit, who works good things in my life. Help me die to myself today, that Christ may live in me. Amen.

1Samuel 25, and Karma...But Not Really

Observation: In response to a slight from Nabal, David swears to kill all the men of Nabal's house. But Abigail, Nabal's wife, convinces David to refrain from taking his own revenge, but rather to leave vengeance to God.
Application: It's really common in Western culture for people to co-opt the Hindu concept of "Karma" to talk about bad things happening to people who do bad things in their lifetime. Not only is this a gross misinterpretation of what Karma is, divorced from the larger context of a very rich tradition...but it doesn't always ring true. Sometimes mean spirited, arrogant people succeed over and over again, at the expense of kind and humble ones. But the Christian tradition of nonviolence is rooted in the idea that "vengeance belongs to God," and that we are not to be judge, jury and executioner for anyone who has wronged us. I'm still not sure I think of God as stepping in and "smiting" anyone who caused harm to others. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's not how it usually works. But I do believe that the worldview we create in our own minds and hearts when we attack and belittle others, is a deeply impoverished one. It leaves no room for grace, it allows no sense of humanity for those who cross our paths, or for us. It's a cliché, maybe, but I don't pray for something bad to happen to a bully. Something bad already has, that made them that way. I pray for healing.
God, I pray for justice. May we see the injustice we do to others. And I pray for healing. May those who have been hurt in the past rest in you, that they may not harm others. Amen.

John 5:16-30, Our Faith Siblings

Observation: After Jesus heals a sick man by the pool of Beth-Zatha, a group of Jesus' fellow Jews begins to persecute him and cause problems for him because he broke the Sabbath. As part of John's narrative, this foreshadows Jesus' death.

Application: I'm just going to lay it out here: Christians need to repent of anti-Semitism in all its forms, of which we and our ancestors have been guilty in the past. It helps to read the Gospels (especially John) with some context: to know that Jesus himself was a faithful Jew for all of his earthly life, as were all his original disciples, and that while his interpretation of Jewish law was different from some others, he taught his followers to be faithful to the law as well. It also helps to know that John's gospel was compiled by a community of Jewish Christians who were nursing some very fresh wounds from being thrown out of the synagogue. The fourth gospel, like many New Testament writings, is written in the context of a family argument, and we all know that family arguments can be terribly ugly. 

But with all that said, as history has rolled on, Christians of all stripes (and in particular we of the Lutheran persuasion) have misused the New Testament to teach and perpetrate acts of terrible hatred toward Jews, and this teaching and behavior is anti-Christian. There's no other way to say it. It sets my teeth on edge to read in John's Gospel about "The Jews," my brothers and sisters in faith, as a group persecuting Jesus and his followers. What I take from it is a basic human story: Those who are in power (Jew or Gentile) do not want to share it or give it up with those who are not. It is not all of Jesus' fellow Jews who respond to him in this way. It is the religious leaders of his day. And as a religious leader (of a sort) in my own time, I have to really check my own heart and mind to make sure I am not making the same mistake. Is there anyone I'm going after in an unfair way? Am I misusing my power to make life more difficult for those I disagree with? How am I hurting those different from me through my words and actions?

God, call me out. Put an end to any persecution I may be part of, whether I see it or not. Bless my brothers and sisters who are Jewish.  Defend them against any danger or persecution. May they 

receive the full promise of your covenant. Amen.  

For Further Reading:

Amy Jill Levine, "The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus"

The Jewish Annotated New Testament

"Declaration of the ELCA to the Jewish Community," 1994