Mark 3:13-19a To Be, To Be Sent, To Be Sent with Authority

 

Observation: After an intense period of healing many people and casting out many unclean spirits, Jesus realizes he may be God's Son, but he still can't do this work alone. So he calls a group of people together who we called "apostles" (which is Greek for "one who is sent"). The plan of action is pretty clear cut. First, just be with him. Second, go and proclaim Jesus' message about the nearness of God's kingdom. Third, by Jesus' authority, cast out demons. 

Application: I've been thinking a lot about "unclean spirits", or demons, lately, because our gospel text for Sunday features Jesus' first exorcism. I myself have never seen an exorcism, and in the Christian tradition in which I was raised, they are not common (except when we renounce evil before baptism). That doesn't mean they don't exist. I think they do, and Christians in other parts of the world agree. 

But what I have experienced is that when we do what apostles do, evil tends to show up, both within us and around us. If we take Jesus' invitation to be with him, we won't be alone. Our selfish thoughts, our proud ambitions, and our deep insecurities will tag along. And if we spend enough time with Jesus so we actually start to understand and share his message with others, we won't be alone then, either. We will be challenged. And if we are really honest and forthright with Jesus' message and how it disrupts the status quo--empowering those with no power, declaring forgiveness and acceptance to those left out in the cold, healing us from dependence on unhealthy systems, both in families and in society--in all likelihood, we will see demons. But if we have followed steps 1 and 2, by the time we get to step 3, casting out demons, we will already have the authority of Jesus to do what we need to do. It will probably be a much slower, less dramatic, less action-packed battle than we find in the gospels. But one day, we will wake up and notice that the voices that plagued us, that threatened us with harm, that vowed our destruction, have fallen silent. And the cycle begins again. To be with Jesus, to be sent by him, to proclaim his message, and to do battle once again.

Prayer: Jesus, help me with step #1 today. Help me be with you, and we'll go from there. Amen.      

 

Genesis 45:25-46:7 I Will Make of You a Great Nation There

 

Observation: God makes an appearance in Jacob's dream, just like God did when Jacob was a young man. God's message: don't be afraid to go into Egypt. "I will make of you a great nation there." I never noticed this promise to Jacob before, and I have to say I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, God chooses not to mention to Jacob that this "great nation", hundreds of thousands of Jacob's descendants, will become so plentiful as slaves. Their life will be extremely hard. On the other hand, if God were to mention this to Jacob, would he refuse to go? Would they continue to desperately scrape out a living in Canaan, in the midst of famine? Would Israel's family remain divided? 

Application: As a person of faith, I believe God is active in my life. I have had moments like Jacob's dream, where I have a strong sense that god is calling me in a certain direction. What we talk about less often, especially if we've spent a long time talking up how we feel God has called us to a certain thing, is when it goes badly wrong. When it doesn't go at all the way we picture. When there is deep pain and frustration and regret. When we invest a lot of emotional, spiritual and sometimes financial capital into something we're excited about, and it doesn't go how we picture, sometimes we're tempted to not talk about it. Or if we do, there is no talk of "calling". 

"God called me to go into business with a friend, and it failed within six months and now we don't talk anymore."

 "God called me to move to this new city for this new job, and then I was laid off."

 "God called me to join this church, but once I got involved I discovered people had a toxic way of interacting and eventually I couldn't take it anymore, so I stopped going." 

Those statements seem strange, don't they? And why? Because we assume that God would only call us into situations that are successful by our predetermined definition of success. Because God wants us to be 'winners,' and if we're not it must be something wrong with us. Maybe we heard God wrong; maybe we totally missed the boat; maybe we didn't commit hard enough. 

It never occurs to us that God might need us to learn something from the way we are feeling: to find God in the crosses of our lives. To be prepared with compassion and support for those who come after us. 

I don't believe God makes bad things happen in our lives. I really don't. and IT IS NOT GOD'S WILL for us to endure bullying or abuse in any form. Our world is messed up and full of messed-up people who do messed-up things. But I do believe God can use our messed up situations and create new life we never could have imagined. So if you feel God's call to do something, and it all goes wrong, it's not your fault. God can use that part of your story. 

Prayer: God, help me see your role in my story, especially the painful parts. Amen.     

Psalm 86 An Undivided Heart

 

Observation: The two phrases that stood out for me in this passage are the continual description of God's "steadfast love", and the humble request to God for "an undivided heart to revere your name." 

Application: An "undivided heart" is not something that occurs to me in my prayers. Often my prayer life is centered on intercession: lifting up the urgent concerns of others as they come up. In the rare moments when I do make requests of God on my own behalf, it tends to be asking for help and strength in dealing with a particular day, moment or situation. I don't see anything wrong with that, but I do wonder if the strength and help would come more naturally, day by day, if like the psalmist I asked for "an undivided heart." 

If my heart was not so centered on my own perceived agenda (I don't care to think how many emails I already fired off today before remembering to do devotions), but rather let God set the agenda, I feel a lot of my problems would be much more manageable.

If more of my time were devoted to simply reflecting on and taking in who God is--gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love--maybe those attributes would rise up in me, by the Holy Spirit. At the very least I would go through my day more thankfully. 

Prayer: God, you are gracious. You are merciful. You are slow to anger. You abound in steadfast love. Give me an undivided heart, to revere you in my thoughts, words and actions. Amen.     

Judges 2:16-23 The Idol of Progress

Observation: At the very beginning of the book, the narrator establishes a pattern. God sets up judges to guide the people. The people go after other gods. They get beaten and oppressed by other tribes in the land. Then God sets up another judge. The cycle repeats itself over and over again. Anything and anyone the people can go after instead of listening to God, that's what they go after. 

Application: I wonder sometimes if I'm too obsessed with the idea of "growing in faith." From a very early age, we're given this linear sense of our lives, where we want to be moving forward, passing tests, moving on to the next level, advancing to the next grade, getting the next promotion, starting the next phase of our lives. And there's a good argument to be made that Christians should be concerned about that. Discipleship does involve learning and growing and helping others learn and grow. But I'm concerned about focusing on growth and progress so much that they become an idol. If I get up each morning going after some idealized person I want to be, instead of dwelling with God, I'm going after an idol. If I get up each morning expecting that I can "do better", in some basic way, at following Jesus, I'm going after a lie. Like the people of Israel in the Book of Judges, we keep repeating the same cycle. Start, fall, receive forgiveness, start again, fall again. There's no breaking out of that. We are captive to sin, and can not free ourselves. But the good news is God loves, saves and heals us in our brokenness, not after the quick fixes we're sure we can accomplish this time. Turn your eyes away from the idol of progress and to the one loving and saving you right now, as you read this. 

Prayer: God, help me turn my eyes away from "my best life" and fix my eyes on you.   

 

 

John 1:29-34 "I Myself Did Not Know Him"

 

Observation: John the Baptizer says something about Jesus that, if you use the other gospels as a reference point, is quite shocking. He says, "I myself did not know him." What does he mean? According to Luke's gospel, their mothers are cousins. Before John was even born, he leapt for joy in the presence of the unborn Jesus. To say, "I did not know him" about a close family member like this would be a huge dishonor in that culture. So what does John mean? Is the Fourth Gospel just telling the story differently, as if Jesus and John are strangers before this moment? Or is it possible that John is using the word "know" in a deeper, spiritual sense here? I think that's possible. Based on what John says about the prophecy he received, about the Holy Spirit descending, I think what he's saying here is, "Look, I grew up with this guy, but I had no idea who he really is. Not until now. But believe me, he's the real deal. He's the son of God." That's an interpretation that makes sense to me. 

Application: I sometimes have to stop and ask myself the same question John asked. How well do I actually know Jesus? In a way, I've known him all my life. I was baptized in his name as a baby. I've grown in my understanding of his story, and his significance in my own life. But does that mean I know him? Sometimes Christians will speak of knowing Jesus as if it's a light switch one can turn off and on. Once you've made a decision to entrust your life to him and acknowledge him as Savior, you "know him." If you've never done that, you don't. But if John's Gospel is true, and Jesus really is the Word of God made flesh--the infinite wisdom, intelligence, and love of the One who spoke creation into existence, in human form--then knowing him as Savior, in our own limited understanding of that word, is just the very beginning. There's always more to know, both in scripture, and in the world which God so loves, in which Jesus is still quite active. 

Prayer: Jesus, help me get to know you a little better today. Amen. 

Psalm 69:1-5, 30-36 In Over My Head

 

Observation: Psalm 69 is one of the most urgent prayers I know of in the Bible. It begins, "Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck." It would be hard to find a better poetic image for a spiritual emergency! You can go a long time without human contact, you can go a few days without food or water, but five minutes without air, and it's over. This is a "911" prayer if I ever heard one. 

Application: Spiritual emergencies are rare, but they do happen. I think more often than not, the spiritual problems I face are ongoing, but quiet. The doubts and insecurities, the questions with no good answers just linger like background noise. But once in a while there is an urgent spiritual problem that needs immediate prayer, and an immediate answer. This can be a personal crisis, like a health issue or a death in the family, or a societal crisis, like September 11, or last week's ransacking of the capitol building. 

What we need most in those times is to know we're not alone. It's often an abstract concept to say "God saves," but when you are in crisis and a sibling in Christ is by your side (or on the phone if that's not possible) standing ready to lift you before God in prayer, there's nothing abstract about it. God is coming to your rescue. I've had it happen before. I hope you have too. 

Maybe this week is a good time to be asking, "who would I call if I needed prayer right now? Who is my spiritual paramedic?" It's good to know ahead of time, and to have a community of faith ahead of time, for just such an event. Any church worthy of the name would not judge you for falling away for a time, any more than a 911 operator would lecture you about driving more carefully before sending an ambulance: what we do is pray, and show up for those who need it. 

Prayer: God, thank you for showing up and rescuing me when I need it most.  

Proverbs 22 God's Gift of Common Sense

 

Observation: This passage is a list of wisdom sayings that may or may not relate to each other, but each is worth thinking about on its own. One of my favorites is "Train children in the right way, and when old they will not stray." Proverbs do talk about God to some degree, but really they're just (mostly) good advice that proves its worth through lived experience. 

Application: A lot of Christian spirituality focuses on faith in things we can't see. But God also speaks to us through what we can see: the observable cause and effect we see in our daily lives. God gave us spirits for faith, but God also gave us brains, to process our experiences into common sense. 

Prayer: God, thank you for the gift of our brains. For experience, memory, reason, and our ability to make sense of the world around us. Guide us in common sense as well as uncommon faith in this new year. Amen.