Psalm 119:121-128 The Challenge of Knowing Better

Observation: it's interesting to me that the psalm writer says, on the one hand, that she/he has done what is just and right, but on the other hand, prays for understanding to know God's decrees. It's hard to admit when we don't know what we're doing. 

Application: I didn't preach on the Old Testament text yesterday, but I think it's a good one. King Solomon, newly crowned, gets an offer of anything he wants from God. Solomon asks first for wisdom. God, impressed by Solomon's answer, gives Solomon what he wants, and with it, wealth and power. It doesn't always go that way. 

There's kind of a trade off when you ask for wisdom. On the one hand, throughout the Bible, God promises to grant us wisdom if we ask for it. On the other hand, the wiser you get, the more you realize you have made mistakes in the past. This is not an attractive prospect. Wisdom is a responsibility. Maya Angelou writes, "I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better."

We live in a culture that does not always want to know when it is wrong. Wisdom can be a liability. It can make you unpopular. It'll sometimes cause you to "lose" an argument, because you'll have to admit what you don't know, when others would rather bluff. But it's a moral imperative: when you know better, you can do better. 

Prayer: God, help me know better. Help me not pretend not to know what I know, nor pretend to know what I don't. Teach me. Amen. 

Acts 7:44-53 God Can't Be Boxed In

Observation: Stephen is preaching about Jesus to the high priests in Jerusalem, home of the holy temple, the center of first century Jewish life. After talking about the history of God's temple, he goes on to say God does not dwell in temples made by human hands. Not surprising, when you think about it, that before long he's stoned to death for blasphemy.

Application: In my new call, I have the pleasure of working in a brand new church building, and I must say it's beautiful. But even after a couple of weeks, I'm finding it hard to take time and get out into the community, where God is already working on healing, liberating and reconciliation. It's important to remember that God is too big to fit in a building, or a congregation, or a denomination, or even an entire faith tradition. Any box we try to find, God will always be bigger. If it's made by human hands, God doesn't live there. But God will gladly meet us there and invite us out to explore.

Prayer: God, thanks for all you are doing outside the walls of my church, my denomination, my faith tradition, and even beyond the bounds of what I can imagine. Amen. 

Psalm 119:129-136 An Ever-Expanding Grace

Observation: Psalm 119, the longest in the Bible, is an acrostic in Hebrew. It works through the entire Hebrew alphabet, a love song to God's law. What grabs me especially today are the words, "The unfolding of your word gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple." 

Application: when I read this verse it makes me think of a supernova exploding into the universe and giving light. It makes me think of the big bang and an ever-expanding universe. The cosmos as we know it is in a constant state of unfolding, and so is God's word. Far from a one-time utterance, God's word keeps unfolding to speak to new situations. The same words on a page can expand to say something different today than yesterday, and different tomorrow than today. In the book of Hebrews it says God's word is living and active. I believe that. 

Prayer: Thank you, Holy Spirit, for unfolding your word for me. I pray you will unfold my soul to understand it. Amen. 

Mark 10:35-45 What Servant Leadership Isn't

My apologies to regular readers of this devotional blog. In the upheaval of moving and getting set up in the new house, I have neglected my blog, and my devotional reading. I could certainly use your prayers as I settle into new routines. Spiritual nutrition is essential. Anyway, quick thought for today.

Observation: James and John, two of Jesus' closest associates, want to be right at Jesus' side when he is crowned as a Messianic king, just like his ancestor David. It's clear they still don't get what Jesus is trying to do. Jesus says they will indeed be going through a similar ordeal to what Jesus goes through. If they want to be at his side, they will have to face suffering like his. Spoiler alert: all of Jesus' disciples did, in fact, face similar persecution and rejection to that of their Lord.

Application:  I think people tend to look up to the sort of leader who's "not afraid to get their hands dirty." The kind of leader who will plunge toilets, vacuum the floor, help with the dishes after everyone else has taken off. When people say they want their pastors to be "servant leaders", this may be the kind of service they're thinking of. A leader who's not "too good" for any church task that may come up. A leader who's first to show up and last to leave. A leader who will burn the midnight oil after everyone else is sleeping comfortably, no matter what it does to their own family or relationship with their Lord. A leader who does it all, so no one else has to. 

But that's not exactly what a servant leader is. Right before Jesus talks about a leader being a "servant," he lays it out loud and clear that James and John will end up having to receive the same baptism, and drink from the same cup, as Jesus. in other words, Jesus is leading the disciples down a path of struggle. Only he can go first, but he expects them to follow after. Only Jesus can save us by dying on the cross. But in doing so, he is modeling a self-giving love for every disciple. 

I am not in any way, shape or form saying we have to "earn" our salvation by living like Jesus. Only God saves, and it's only by God's grace using our faith. What I am saying is this: I believe almost everything Jesus did in his public life, he hoped and expected his own disciples to do in some way. Every story he told, he told to be repeated. Every feeding, every healing, it was all done publicly. Maybe it's somewhat heretical, but I'll even take this as far as the Last Supper, when Jesus said "This is my body, which is for you; do this for the remembrance of me." I do think he meant his disciples to eat the bread in his memory, but I also think that he meant for them to offer themselves for others in his memory.  "Do this, this thing I am about to do, in my memory."

According to Jesus, servant leadership isn't doing everything so others can do nothing. Servant leadership is being the first to do something hard, in such a way that others will follow.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for leading us. Thank you for offering yourself up for our sin. Form my life in your image. Help me to go where others won't, trusting you are with me, and by the power of your Spirit, others will follow. Amen.   

Isaiah 48:6-11 Updating Our Spiritual Software

Observation: During the Babylonian exile, God promises to make God's people hear new things, and to deal with them in a new (and more merciful) way. 

Application: Many hold it as a core belief that God never changes. There is some scriptural support for that, but there are also stories going all the way back to Abraham in which a human being somehow manages to change God's mind. I myself wouldn't go to the mat for the belief that God never changes in even the slightest way over billions of years. It is enough for me to know that God is faithful. 

Whether or not God changes, we do know that throughout the Bible, God's way of dealing with humankind changes. Sometimes God is harsh and punitive, sometimes gentle and comforting. God's approach to us changes based on what we need to hear. 

If God's approach to us changed during the 2,000 years it took to compile our scriptures, it makes sense that God's approach to us may have also changed over the 2,000 years since. Through communal prayer, discernment and study of God's Word, our interpretations of scripture change, and that's a good thing. It says right in the Bible that sometimes God does new things! We wouldn't want twenty-first century Christians to still be consulting their Bibles to justify slavery or the genocide of Native Americans. The core meaning of God's Word to us doesn't change. But it does require frequent "software updates" from us so we can continue to hear God's mercy through history.

Prayer: Update our spiritual software, God. Help us read your ancient Word in a relevant way for a new day. Amen. 

John 13:1-7 Later You Will Understand

Observation: Jesus washes his disciples' feet as an intentional, symbolic act. John's Gospel talks a lot about Jesus' "hour": the time when he is lifted up, and the whole world sees exactly who he is. The time when his destiny is fulfilled. The whole book leads up to it. And when his hour has finally come, and he knows it, the very first thing Jesus does is wash his disciples' feet.

Application: Soren Kierkegaard said that "life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward." None of us can see our future as clearly as Jesus saw his own. If any of us has an "hour" the way Jesus did--a significant moment in our lives in which God reveals God's glory through us--we will not know ahead of time. It will come in God's time.

That's why it's so meaningful that Jesus, knowing his hour has come, chooses to serve. He chooses to show his love for his disciples through concrete action. Knowing all that's about to happen, Jesus prioritizes washing feet.

None of us can see what lies ahead. But I'm going to go out on a limb and say we will never regret serving another.

Prayer: God, open our eyes to the way we can serve. Let us not make assumptions about what our neighbors need, but build relationships, ask how we can help, and then do so, as if there's no tomorrow. Let us live each day as though our hour has come. Amen. 

Psalm 131: A Calm and Quiet Soul

Observation: This psalm uses such a beautiful metaphor, comparing the soul of the writer to a weaned child calmed by its mother. It could indicate that this psalm was written by a mom.

Application: This image hits home for me. This past weekend, I had a joyful reunion with my strong, smart, amazing wife and my beautiful, vital, imaginative kids. They have been down state while our house up here is being prepared for us to move in.

After our joyful reunion, we had a slightly less than joyful drive back down state to visit with my aunt and uncle. There were tears, tantrums, vomit, multiple bathroom breaks, overexhausted infants, the whole nine yards. A two and a half hour drive took us nearly four. It was such a relief to finally get there and be with our gracious hosts.

Everyone who's had small kids has said, "We've been there. It gets easier." It is definitely some comfort to know our kids are growing and learning, and not every family trip will be so hard. 

But today I'm wondering: do we ever learn to comfort our spirits how we comfort our kids? Do we even notice when we are starting to throw a spiritual tantrum, insisting on having everything our own way or else? And once we do, have we found ways of being humble, like the psalmist, and remembering how precious little wisdom we truly have? I'm hoping to work on that some more: knowing when my soul is getting fussy, and finding ways to give it what it needs--which is very different from what it wants. 

Prayer: God, teach me how to comfort my soul. Teach me humility. Guide me in growth. Amen. 

Romans 7:7-20 Discovering What We're Really Like

Observation: Paul continues writing to Roman Christians about religious law. He makes the interesting point that although religious laws help us to avoid harmful behaviors, our sinful selves also use those laws to tempt us.

Application: Ah, the classic "Do Not Walk on the Grass" sign. Is there any sign quite so tempting on a summer day? It's like the red button you see in cartoons, with a sign saying "Do Not Push This Button." What's funny is, if I never saw the sign, I'd probably avoid the grass. But because the sign says not to, I'm that much more tempted to cut across. Why is it that when we see a sign telling us not to do something the first thing we want to do is see what will happen if we do it?

In a word: sin. Most folks don't like being told what to do. We would rather have control over ourselves. We would rather believe we know better than whoever put up the sign.

Even though, as I wrote yesterday, we are no longer bound by religious laws as a means of connecting with God--we are always connected through Christ--the law still serves a vital function in our lives. Without the law, each of us would believe we are perfect. We would have no sense that we fall short of God's expectations for us. We would have no self-awareness. God's law is a mirror showing us what we are really like. Without that we would never understand the need for the wondrous gift of God's grace and forgiveness.

Prayer: God, thank you for the gift of the law. Give me clear eyes to look at it directly, and see my real self in it, a sinner, yet loved and saved by you. Amen. 

Romans 7:1-6 Dead to the Law

Observation: Paul writes to the Roman Christians that those who belong to the body of Christ (believers in Jesus) have died to the law and no longer have responsibilities to fulfill it, just as a person whose spouse has died is no longer bound by marital vows. 

Application: Maybe this seems at first like an easier concept than it is. Of course, it's easy for Christians (especially those of us who have never been Jewish) to leave behind any idea of following dietary laws, or laws that say we have to dress a certain way. So far, so good. But what about laws like the ten commandments? What about not killing? Not committing adultery? Are we "dead" to those laws too? 

Well...short answer, yes. Now before you get too scandalized, let me clarify. By our baptism into Jesus, we have died to any and all religious laws as a means of determining our relationship or closeness to God. But they never did that effectively anyway. But that doesn't mean the law still isn't useful, both to restrain evil in our society, and to remind us that we all need grace. 

Jesus' first and only law was love. Love your neighbor as yourself. Seems simple enough, but when you follow along with where that commandment took him, you realize: it will take everything you've got, yet it's the only meaningful way to live. 

Prayer: God, remind me today that I am dead to the law, and free to offer my whole life to you. Amen. 

Matthew 11:20-24 Home Town Problems

Synagogue ruins at Capernaum

Observation: Our lectionary for Sunday conveniently skips over this fiery, angry passage in which Jesus calls down woe on Galilean towns which refuse to allow their hearts and lives to be transformed by his message and his works of healing.

Especially noteworthy would be

Capernaum, Peter's hometown and home to the synagogue where Jesus preached his first sermon and began his ministry of healing and casting out unclean spirits. It would have been hard for Jesus's disciples to hear and admit that Capernaum wasn't "getting it." Even harsher is Jesus' comparison to the ancient city of Sodom, famously destroyed by God in the Old Testament for its inhospitable and unjust ways. This would be a tough pill to swallow.

Application: Sometimes it's hardest to admit a need for change when it hits closest to home. It is often easy to look past the dysfunction and systemic illness in our own communities, our own families, and our selves. It is much easier to look at "that country over there," "that town over there," "that family over there," "that person over there," than take a clear-eyed look at our own communities, our own families, and our selves. Ultimately change begins at home. There is only one person over whose thoughts, behaviors and attitudes you have control, and that person is you. The first job of any Christian is to repent: to be changed in our inward heart by Jesus's healing message. That is what will change our families, our communities, and our world. But too often we try to skip that step and take responsibility for someone else. It won't work. Only God can change anyone. You'd be surprised how much we can accomplish when we allow God first to change us.

Prayer: God, you know me better than I do. Change me in my inward heart. Guard me against judging others. Help me to turn to you and be transformetd. Amen. 

John 14:1-7 Jesus is the Road

Observation: Jesus is teaching his disciples his final lesson on the night before he dies. While other disciples are content to sit by and pretend they understand, Thomas asks Jesus for a clarification: "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

Application: Since today is the festival of Saint Thomas, the scripture most people think of is the one he's known for: when he asks for physical proof of Jesus' resurrection, earning himself the nickname "doubting Thomas." But I think this story tells us more about Thomas as a person. It tells us that Thomas is not afraid to ask for what he needs. This is a quality Jesus tried to impart on his disciples again and again. He doesn't understand, so rather than nod his head, he asks his teacher to explain. And because he does, Jesus shares an even deeper teaching which has helped many: that he himself is the way to know God. Jesus' first followers were not known as "Christians." They were called "followers of the Way." Jesus is not just a cosmic portal to heaven after we die. He's a path through the difficulties of this life, and an example of how to walk it in a loving and healing way. Without Thomas, we'd never have known that.

Prayer: God, thank you for the witness of your disciple Thomas. Help us to follow your way, and like Thomas, to ask when we need help. Amen.