UNIVERSITY UNITED
LENTEN DEVOTIONAL 2007
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February 21 Luke
4:1-13
The Temptations of Jesus
Jesus
was able to resist all the temptations of the devil and he is perfect. Even in all this time he was humble
before God. What an incredible
faith. I love when my faith has the
pleasure of knowing I am doing what God would have me do. Unfortunately there are the other times
when I know I have done wrong. At
these times I feel bad but know God will still take me back and walk with me
again. I wish I did not have to
rely on this but being human I have to accept that I will make mistakes. All I can do is strive to do my best and
believe in my Savior. I feel compelled
to say I have discovered the joy of Christian Rock and listen on a regular
basis. The lyrics frequently
discuss the challenges and joys of the Christian walk. When I have highs and lows, the songs
help me thru the tough times and give me greater joy during the high times.
Art
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February 22 Luke
4:14-30
The Beginning of Jesus’
Ministry
Jesus
returned to
He went to
"The
Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to
the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to
release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Then
he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue
were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this
scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
All
spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his
lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.
Jesus
said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal
yourself! Do here in your hometown
what we have heard that you did in
"I
tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his
hometown. I assure you that there
were many widows in
All
the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town,
and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to
throw him down the cliff. But he
walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
At
the start of this verse, Jesus is being praised by all who hear him teach. He then returns to his hometown of
Now
most people do not enjoy hearing negative things about themselves (who would?)
and especially from someone you have known all your life. Yet, are these not the very people who
know us best? Are these not the
people who have our best interests at heart? Why is it that we are more than willing
to hear good things from those we know and love, but the moment we hear
something about ourselves that might need changing, we immediately discount
everything the person has to say? Are we like the Nazarenes—only
willing to listen to good things and ready to throw someone over a cliff when
they tell us there are areas to work on?
I would hope in this season of Lent that we could take the time to
listen to the good and the not-so-good, to truly have an open mind and be
willing to change.
Prayer:
Lord, help me hear the good things about
myself and help me listen for the things that need changing. Amen
Seanna McCurdy
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Jesus Calls His First
Disciples
Prayer:
Lord,
as I read these scriptures today, I ask that you open my heart, my mind and my
eyes to the opportunities you give me to be your disciple in the world
today. Amen
After I read the passage for today, I found myself
wondering where I had been called to be Christ’s disciple.
I have been called to help with the Feeding the
Hungry ministry.
Where are
you being called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?
I have responded with my service, leadership and
finances.
In your life,
how have you responded to Christ’s calling you as his disciple?
My gratitude goes out to Pam and Kristin who are so
loyal and responsive to this call with their own service, leadership and
finances. After two years now, I
find I’m tiring of this call.
My Saturday’s are taken up with being out at the park or over at
the church feeding those who may come to eat. I work every other weekend, and it seems
that when I have a Saturday off I’m either letting someone down by not
being available to serve or I’m serving and not being able to participate
in other activities that may take me out of town.
I have prayed asking, “Lord rekindle the fire
that started me on this path or to give me another path to follow. Oh yes Lord, please don’t make it
something that interferes with my other activities”. What I keep hearing is, “Do what I
have asked you to do until I ask you to change it or move on.”
(Walk away from your boat and nets) Keep serving with creativity joy and
gratitude. Today someone may meet
me, Jesus Christ, through you”.
(I will make you fishers of men)
So, I continue to pray and I continue in this ministry.
What
struggles have you experienced with your call? How have you responded to those
struggles?
Prayer:
Dearest Lord., you are so magnificent. You have provided a world of abundance
and yet we see so much need. Lord, I want to be your disciple. Let me hear your call. Help me to be steadfast in my service to
you. Amen
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The Man With Leprosy
What happens to a person, who seeks out
healing, finds the genuine source and is healed completely? Right, they would want to announce the
great news.
However, when the man with leprosy was
healed by Jesus in this passage, this man was ordered by Jesus specifically not
to do what came natural ("Don't tell anyone"). Instead it turns out that Jesus gave a
higher calling to this healed man, which was to go to the priests and performing
the required rituals ("offer the sacrifices that Moses
commanded"). This higher
calling required the now healed man to do this "as a testimony to them
(the priests)." As a result of
answering this higher calling, not only was the testimony delivered but
"news about him (Jesus) spread all the more..."
Although we can read this passage from many
different perspectives, consider at this moment a "higher calling"
that serves God's will and far exceeds our natural responses. We are reminded by God's Spirit to
respond to life with love, patience, joy and may other "fruits of the
Spirit" instead of what comes natural. Quite easy to say now, but wait for the
moment when self-control is low or we are "really tired" and can't
handle it anymore. Where does the
higher calling lead us in these moments?
As we reflect on our relationship with God
during Lent this year, let's consider the "higher calling" and the
higher results the Holy Spirit aims to achieve.
Prayer:
Oh
God, only by your grace can I have a heart that is aware of your higher
calling. Guide me to respond to
your call in new ways that far exceed my natural responses. Amen.
Bert Roark
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Jesus Heals a Paralytic
18 And some men were carrying on a bed a man
who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and set him down in
front of him. 19 But not finding
any way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down
through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of
Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, he
said, “Friend your sins are forgiven you.” 21 The scribes and Pharisees began to
reason, saying, “Who is this man that speaks blasphemies? Who forgives
sins, but God alone?” 22 But
Jesus aware of their reasonings answered and said to them, “Why are you
reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which
is easier to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you’ or to say,
‘Get up and walk’? 24
“But, so that you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to
forgive sins” -– He said to the paralytic -- “I say to you,
get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” 25 Immediately he got up before them,
and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26 They were all struck with
astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying,
“We have seen remarkable things today.”
Adrian Rodgers sees the paralytic as a man
who gave up all hope when there was no room to enter the door. He believes the man on the mat just
wanted to give up and go home.
Adrian Rodgers supposes that the litter
bearers all were touched by a miracle of Jesus. The first told the man on the mat,
“I was blind but he made me see.” The second said, “I was deaf; he
made me hear.” The third told
him, “You should try; I was a leper he made me whole.” The identity of the fourth man speaks
for itself. His name was
Lazarus. They convinced him there
was a way. They let him in through
the roof. They knew there was a man
in there.
Recently I have been on the flat of my back
with muscle spasms that would not stop.
The result was that most of the time I felt like doing nothing, no work,
no play, no singing, and sometimes not even wanting to eat even though I was
hungry. I wanted to do nothing but
sleep and ignore what was wrong.
It becomes hard to believe that you will
get better. Anxiety sets in. Will my job still be there? Will my life change? I realized that I am like the
paralytic. I didn’t want to
try.
My family from work, from church, and my
family {my wife and son especially} were all supporting me through calls,
letters and most important through prayer.
I know that I will never be given more than
I am able to handle. I know Jesus
is always with me. I know God has
given him to save us. When you just
want to go home do not ignore him.
I hope you will listen to your friends and family when they assure you
that there is a man in there. I
hope this Easter you say there is a man in here.
John
Grossman
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Jesus Calls Levi
So there is Levi,
collecting taxes. Not a fun job but
probably lucrative. Perhaps he was
a realist. He probably rationalized
that someone had to collect taxes and it might as well be him. What if he had became a Pharisee
instead? Taxes would still be
collected. He knew that Pharisees
very often just fooled themselves and nobody else with their public purity and
self righteousness.
So Levi finds himself
collecting taxes when Jesus sees him.
Jesus doesn’t just see another tax collector, he sees Levi. Somehow Jesus knows that Levi is
not only yearning to follow him but also ready and willing. So when Jesus says “Follow me,”
Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
I leave everything every
so often… I go camping. I
leave most of my stuff and most of my responsibilities and go camping. Norm and I were backpacking in the
Sierras when Richard Nixon resigned as President. We heard about it from another
backpacker. There are a lot of
times I just like the idea of leaving everything. I daydream occasionally of just that –
leaving everything! The Southwest
Airline ad comes to mind … “Want to get away?” Those are times when I realize I’ve
made a mistake, embarrassed myself or just start to feel overwhelmed. Wanting to get away from everything is a
pretty common fantasy. A whole
travel industry is built on it.
I have also read this
passage in the past with an attitude that goes like this … What do you
mean … leave everything? I
can’t leave everything. What
kind of an irresponsible person would I be to leave my job, my family, and for
what? Don’t make me crazy, I
can’t leave everything!
Levi, however, left
everything. What does that
mean? The very next thing that
happens is Levi gives a great banquet.
Good thing he did not immediately leave his money … no money, no
banquet. I am pretty sure it was
that way then, even as now. My
daughter is getting married in April … I know it takes some money to
throw a banquet. So exactly what “everything”
did Levi leave?
Here is my guess. He left a cynical reality. He left the way he viewed the
world. He left the way he used his
time, the way he used his money, the way he related to his friends, family and
contacts. He left his old ways for
a whole new way of being. When he
followed Jesus, he left the world he knew for a trust in God and work to bring
about the
By which he meant everyone
…. absolutely everyone.
Prayer for today: Almighty God,
thank you for your creation. Open
our minds, eyes and hearts to see the world the way you see the world. Help us see you, love you and work to
share your love with everyone.
Amen.
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Following the Leader
These are two events in which Jesus was accused of
doing wrong on the Sabbath. He was going
against the Law and its well accepted rules. At least, that’s how the
authorities saw it. Pharisaic
tradition, in His day, had much to do with petty issues of physical works. For example, if a hen laid an egg on the
Sabbath it could not be consumed, but if the hen had been kept for fattening
and wasn’t laying, the egg could be eaten, since it would be deemed a
part of the hen which had fallen off!
The list of “don’t”s was extensive and restrictive,
and the expectations absurd. It
seems the Pharisees were forgetting Deuteronomy 4:2 where it is written
“You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take anything
from it.” All this minutiae
of the Law did not come from God; it was all out of man’s worrying mixed
in with a bit of misconstruction.
Plus, perhaps I can quote our governor who said in a 1990 U.S. News
interview, “My relationship to power and authority is that I’m all
for it. People need somebody to
watch over them. Ninety-five
percent of the people in the world need to be told what to do and how to
behave.” Those Pharisees,
I’m sure, just wanted to help people stay clear of trouble and not upset
the big man upstairs. They seemed
to know it all when it came to the Sabbath. They were masters at that
game, lording over all its ordinances.
And yet Jesus concludes with the end-all, “the Son of Man is Lord
of the Sabbath” in verse five.
Jesus as the Light is there to reveal all our hypocrisy and strange
manners. He might even show us as
vipers at times. Only Jesus has the
right to do this. After all, if
Jesus had broken the Sabbath He would have been sinning. But according to 1 Peter, Jesus
committed no sin. So, Jesus knows
what’s best for us truly, as the only unblemished human being, and He
doesn’t want us caught in a mire of tradition and controversy over
non-spiritual matters. He can help
us do what He did on the Sabbath, which was teaching, helping people heal,
worshipping God, and focusing on what really needs to be looked at more
closely. Does it matter if they eat
that egg from the hen? It matters
what we’re going to do with the energy it gives us. Let’s all continue to do
God’s work on the Sabbath, and stop sweating all the smaller stuff.
May the Lord be our leader, and praise the Lord that
he gives us eggs by the dozens to do His will!
Elliot Smith
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Jesus Chooses 12 Disciples
In these days he went out into the hills to pray; and
all night he continued in prayer to God.
And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them
twelve, whom he named apostles; Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his
brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and
Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and
Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
In this passage, we find that, after lengthily
praying, Jesus called all of his disciples together. In the dictionary, the word disciple is
defined as a follower or pupil of a teacher. Jesus had many followers, but he singled
out a group of twelve from among them all.
So many choices and only twelve were picked – what a tough job!
This makes me think of the job of selecting a team
for baseball games – nine players and three alternates – so many
good candidates to choose from, all with high hopes. I think during the couple of days needed
for the selection process, I would have called on my father for help as well.
Once Jesus had chosen the twelve, he named them
apostles. Turning to the dictionary
once again, the word apostle is defined as a person sent out on a special
mission or as a preacher; an early leader of a new principle or movement; any
of the disciples sent out by Christ to teach the gospel. The chosen twelve had an incredible task
ahead of them. Many eyes, friendly
and hostile, would be upon them as they began spreading the gospel. Jesus had probably spent the extra time
praying to his Father for guidance in picking out twelve persons who would be
able to not only use their talents well, but also withstand the pressures and
trials their teachings and faith would bring upon them.
Now, the early teachings of the apostles are no
longer limited to a small region but haves spread around the world. Among my earliest memories from church
school are the Nativity and Easter stories, several parables, and how Jesus had
twelve chosen disciples traveling with him. Perhaps you have similar memories? Jesus told the twelve to go and make
disciples of all men. He chose
those twelve to spread his teachings, and his teachings endure to this
day. It looks like he chose well!
Cindy
Rechelluul-Grossman
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Blessings and Woes
Last year
a friend asked me to make her a humming bird quillow. It sounded easy enough since I just had
success with my first one, but it wasn't.
First
I couldn't find the material I needed.
When I did, the price was way out of my league, but a dear angel bought
me some of it and sent it to me a few weeks later. Then, after several weeks of trying to
figure out how I was going to do the other side, a pattern practically fell
into my lap. My friend is a sudoku
kind of person, and this pattern was for a sudoku quilt. It couldn't have been more perfect. I had my plan set and I began choosing
material for it. I took the
material down to show my friend and she helped me pick the nine pieces she
liked that went with the hummingbird fabric. I had MY plan and the material and went
to my step – mom’s to begin my project. Then everything fell apart.
First
off, because all the material wasn’t the same kind, it didn't cut the
same. When I tried to sew the
pieces together, some stretched too much, the other didn't stretch enough, so
nothing lined up the way it was supposed to. My step-mom, Linda, helped me by
teaching me how to square the blocks so that when I sewed the blocks they would
at least match up. Meanwhile I
spent a lot of time tearing out and re-sewing the blocks because I didn't sew
the color blocks the right way the first time. I was getting frustrated and threw the
thing across the floor on more than one occasion.
When I
finally got the one side done and the two sides together I found out that I sewed
the one material backwards so I had to take the whole thing out and sew it the
right way. I finally got the
blanket part done and quilted and discovered that I didn't sew the border on
the pillow correctly and had to put the pillow on the opposite side than where
it was supposed to go which threw the one side off space wise. By this time I was set on getting the
thing done because it was fighting me so hard not to get done. I was very upset when I was done because
I wanted it to be perfect for my friend.
She had done so much for me, and I was mad at myself for doing such a
horrible job with the one thing she had ever asked me to do.
Linda
and I sat down with it and talked about the things I learned from this. I learned that I need to pick the same
material, to take my time when cutting so that it all comes out even. I learned that I need more practice at
this skill, and that the more I do the easier it's going to get.
I also
learned that God has a better plan than I do. When all was said and done, the place I
wanted the pillow wouldn't have worked as well as where it had to go. I learned that my friend loves me a lot,
and a few stray lines weren’t going to matter to her, because I had put
all my love into this project. I
learned that the materials I chose did look good together, and they added
texture to the project. I learned
that even though I knew where all the mistakes were, others that saw it just
saw a beautiful quillow.
What
does this have to do with the scripture?
The beatitudes always confused me. Instead of blessed, my friend Evelin
Laycock always said "Oh the shear Joy!" Why do we have to go though the guck to
get joy or blessings? How does that
work? Then I looked at this thing I
made and heard in my head, blessed are the mismatched pieces of fabric for they
shall become a source of warmth and comfort. "Blessed are the random crooked
lines, for they shall create character.
Blessed is the non-perfect creation for it shall be a token of love to
your friend." I think I get it
now. We are not perfect
people. We want to be, but we
aren't. We beat ourselves up
because we don't have enough money, or people in our lives die, or horrible
things happen to us. But God uses
each and every one of us to bless other people in our lives. God uses us in our brokenness to his
glory. He knows our pain and he
know how much easier it is to get through it when we have someone in our lives
who knows what we are going through and can be the one just in front of us on
our journey to help us through the tough parts.
Dear God,
thank you for knowing us well enough to know that we need to know that there is
comfort to those who go through tough times. Thank you for giving me people in my
life who have helped me through these times and help me to know when to turn
around and offer help to others.
And above all, help me to remember this, "Blessed are those who let
God lead, for He knows where we are going, and how we are going to get
there." Amen.
Berta
Rickman
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Love Your Enemies
If
you have ever watched the Dr. Phil Show, one of his favorite questions to ask
his guest is “what were you thinking?” I want to ask Christ the same question
“what was he thinking” when he gave us this “hard
saying”—love your enemies.
Did the word enemy mean something different in Christ’s time then
what it does now? Is He really
telling us to love the person that shot down our child in cold blood? Did he say love the person who stole our
retirement fund and feels no remorse for their deeds? Did he really mean for us to love the
neighbor, who has made our life a living hell? I am sure you can fill a page with your
personal examples.
What
was Christ thinking?
He was thinking of who He is and who we can be
through Him. Through Christ’s
death, burial and resurrection, He defeated our worse enemy, Satan. We are bigger then our enemies—we
can still love them despite what they have done to us. (We can do all things through Christ
Jesus who strengthens us.) Christ
said it is easy to love someone we like, but hard to love some one who has
mistreated and abused us. He tells
us to “do good to those who hate you.” Christ says that “but if you love
those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love
them.” (Luke 6:32)
As we enter the Lenten Season, let us reflect on
what Christ has given to us—his immense love—to share. That means sharing it with our enemies.
Marilyn M.
Johnson
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Judging Others
“Judge
not, and you will not be judged; condemn not,
and you will not be condemned;
forgive, and you will
be forgiven; give, and it will be
given to you . . .”
n
Mark 6 - 37-38
“Judge
not, that you be not judged. For
with the
judgment you pronounce you will be
judged, and
the measure you give will be the
measure you get.”
n
Matthew 7
– 1-2
“. .
.Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
n
Galatians 6
– 7
Shoghi
Effendi, the Baha’i thinker, writes in Living the Life, that “each of us is responsible for one life
only, and that is our own. Each of
us is immeasurably far from being ‘perfect as our heavenly Father is
perfect,’ and the task of perfecting our own life and character requires
all our attention, our will-power and energy. If we allow our attention and energy to
be taken up in efforts to keep others right and remedy their faults, we are
wasting precious time.”
While, as Christians, we might quibble with the claim that “each
of us is responsible for one life only,” there can be no doubt that the
enterprise of judging others can be fraught with trouble, for none of us is
free of difficulty and poor judgment in our lives. Yet, judging the actions of others is in
the long run unavoidable, if we are to preserve a society based on moral
principle and ethical imperative.
When Jesus commanded, “Judge not,” he meant not that we
never judge others, but that the attitude with which we judge is what God is
most concerned about – “For with the judgment you pronounce you
will be judged...” Judging is
condemned when one is blind to one’s own faults, or when it is done
without mercy and love. But when it
is done with love and the wisdom to be aware of one’s own frailty, it is
an important pillar of Christian civilization.
It is well to keep this in mind as we engage in
small acts of judgment, as when we reflexively curse the actions of another
driver on the freeway (which of us is a truly perfect driver?), or when we pass
judgment on a relationship between two other people (which of us is without
difficulty in our own relationships?), or when we demean a well-intentioned
statement made by a family member or colleague (which of us has not made a
statement that, on reflection, would have been better left unsaid?). Let’s face it: Judging others is fun. There is hardly anything more pleasing
than discussing someone else’s faults. Yet we should not lose sight of the fact
that the act of judging also reflects powerfully upon the person who
judges. As Confucius writes in the Analects (12.16), “the gentleman
calls attention to the good points in others; he does not call attention to
their defects. The small man does
just the reverse of this.” A
legitimate act of judging others is a powerful tool, guided by love and wisdom,
to be reserved for those things that truly matter. Most of our judgmental energy is better
directed at ourselves, because that is where we know, without equivocation,
that we can make a difference.
Graeme Auton
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A Tree and Its Fruit
It
has been 39 years since my father passed away, and he has been on my mind
lately. When I read the scripture,
Luke 6:43-45, I interpreted the tree as my father and the fruit as his good
traits. One trait that passed on to
me and my sister was his love of nature.
Let me clarify this, he loved national parks in the good
Linda Smith
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The Wise
and Foolish Builders
"Why
do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who
comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who
dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck
that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does
not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground
without a foundation. The moment
the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was
complete.
It has taken me a very long time to stop
and consider a situation before acting.
The examples or Parables, given by Jesus have given me a better way to
deal with many situations. I will
give you only one example to keep this short; my son-in-law and his two
daughters were to come and trim my tree in the front yard. The deal was, I would pay each lady X
amount of money when the job was done.
One of the ladies was ill that day.
The other came and helped her Dad.
I paid each of my Grandladies the full amount of money. The one who worked said that was
fine. The one who was ill didn't
want the money because she was not able to help. I had to quote MATTHEW 20, "The
parable of the Workers in the Vineyard" before they agreed to accept the
money. As I study and absorb more
of the teachings of Jesus, I become more satisfied and comfortable with life as
it comes.
May the Grace of God be with you, Muriel Wells
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(Matthew
8:5-13)
1When
Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered
He
was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him:
"Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under
my roof. 7That is why I did
not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be
healed. 8For I myself am a
man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and
that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I
say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and
turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found
such great faith even in
Meditation (from “Word
Of Life Christian Community”):
In Jesus' time the Jews hated the Romans
because they represented everything they stood against -- including foreign
domination and pagan beliefs and practices. Why did Jesus not only warmly receive a
Roman centurion but praise him as a model of faith and confidence in God?
In the Roman world the position of
centurion was very important. He
was an officer in charge of a hundred soldiers. In a certain sense, he was the backbone
of the Roman army, the cement which held the army together. Polybius, an ancient writer, describes
what a centurion should be: "They must not be so much venturesome seekers
after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought
not to be over-anxious to rush into the fight, but when hard pressed, they must
be ready to hold their ground, and die at their posts."
The centurion who approached Jesus was
not only courageous, but faith-filled as well. He risked the ridicule of his cronies by
seeking help from an itinerant preacher from
"Heavenly Father, you sent us your
Son that we might be freed from the tyranny of sin and death. Increase my faith in the power of your
saving word and give me freedom to love and serve others with generosity and
mercy as you have loved me."
My
Comments: We often believe
that those with true faith are from only our flock. We must remember that God and Jesus are
so great that faith in them and what they are goes beyond mortal restrictions
and differences.
Gerald
Moody
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Messengers from John
the Baptist
Did John
forget who Jesus is? Should we look
for another – what kind of question is that? After all John was the one who declared
that Jesus had come as the Lamb of God, the sacrifice for the sins of the
world. Even Jesus called him a
great prophet. So why all these
questions now?
Reassurance
– sometimes all that we need is reassurance. God has no problem with that. He daily gives us assurance and
reassurance through His word and His people that He loves us, is looking
forward to this day with us, will provide for us, take care of us, is
interested in us and is looking forward to the time when we will always be in
His presence.
With
reassurance comes wisdom. For
instance, compared to when you were first saved – How much more secure
are you in the knowledge that God truly does care about you in every aspect of
your life? With reassurance comes
knowledge which leads to understanding so that we can arrive at wisdom which
brings security, comfort, and rest.
Have
a question, ask God – He always has the right answer.
Blessed
assurance Jesus is mine…
Mike
Woodring
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A Sinful Woman Forgiven
The story of the woman with ointment in Luke 7 provides
the context for the parable of the two debtors (verses 41-43). Jesus had accepted an invitation to eat
at a Pharisee's house, but a woman from the city who'd heard he was there,
brought an alabaster of ointment. She
stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her
tears and to dry them with her hair.
Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them.... Now when the
Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, 'If this man were a
prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching
him---that she is a sinner.'
Modern readers may think this an odd situation, but
it would not have seemed so back then.
Don't jump to conclusions about the Pharisee Simon's motive. It was common, even meritorious, to
invite a distinguished guest speaker to dinner. Despite the ongoing debate, Jesus had
friends among the Pharisees, who sided with him. One in particular, cited in Mark 12,
agreed with Jesus on Torah, and Jesus said You are not far from the
Simon thought Jesus a prophet, maybe even the prophet. He might've considered that a bit
excessive, but Simon's interest was not in the propriety of the woman's
behavior, as much as in what Jesus' reception of her signified about who Jesus
was. He thought a prophet,
especially the prophet, would know she was a sinner. How had Simon identified her as a
sinner? She must not have been a
total stranger. Otherwise the same
criteria Simon used in labeling her would surely have been accessible to Jesus,
if it were simply the clothes she wore.
It hadn't occurred to Simon that Jesus would welcome a sinner, so he
assumed that Jesus just didn't know who she was. Simon was confused.
Given the situation, it was easy for Jesus to read
Simon's thoughts. Jesus spoke
up and said to him.... A certain
creditor had two debtors; one owed him 500 denarii, and the other 50. When they could not pay him, he canceled
debts for both of them. Now which
of them will love him more? [The
one with the greater debt owed what would be a year's salary, whereas the
smaller debt was a months' pay] Simon
answered, 'I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.' And Jesus said to him, 'You have judged
rightly.'
Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon. Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no
water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them
with her hair. You gave me no kiss,
but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but
she has anointed my feet with ointment.
Simon suspected something was up. Jesus didn't ask 'innocent' questions,
and now he compared the woman's reception of him with that of his host. Other guests at the table may have been
annoyed for Simon's sake, but it would've mystified Simon himself, rather than
put him on the defensive, for Simon's hospitality was, for him, a non-issue. He always kept well within traditional
expectations. So how are Simon and
the woman comparable?
If this woman were a repentant sinner, Simon would've
respected that, and he could have set aside his initial reaction. The parable given speaks to forgiveness,
which, without having said so, normally implies repentance, but Jesus doesn't
stop there. He shows the host
something about himself he hadn't seen before.
Jesus said, Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which
were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven,
loves little. Then he said to her,
'Your sins are forgiven.'
Jesus reassured her in stating a fact. He made no claim to having forgiven her
then and there. Her sins had
already been forgiven, and this accounts for her great gratitude. Jesus gave her the credit (verse 50): Your
faith has saved you; go in peace. No
more fretting. Nothing to prove.
Your past is behind you.
You've been born anew.
Back to verse 49: But those who were at the table
with him began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives
sins?' Said like those who have
heard only a piece of the conversation.
What Jesus said to the woman, then, was also responsive to their
murmuring.
Thus it seems likely that Jesus already knew the
woman. In verse 48 the verb is in the
perfect tense, literally 'thy sins have been and remain forgiven.' But Luke's gospel is in Greek rather
than in the original Aramaic (or Hebrew).
Whatever the spoken form of Jesus' word to the woman, it is evident that
some present were inclined to interpret what was said to her as a declaration
of forgiveness conferred then and there.
If they had assumed, as Simon did, that Jesus had no prior acquaintance
with her, we see how they may have misunderstood. Indeed, the above translation from the
NRSV may lead church persons to the same conclusion, given the widespread
assumption that the Jesus of history had all the prerogatives of the Christ of
faith.
Persons concerned with the original sources of
Biblical stories are unsure whether this is a unique incident or to be
identified with reports in other gospels.
I habitually refer to Burton H. Throckmorton's Gospel Parallels comparing
Matthew, Mark and Luke (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1992). Apparently Luke alone reports the
event, and I am satisfied with this.
The parable teaches, the greater the sins
forgiven, the greater the gratitude called forth. I'm sure Simon wasn't offended. Would you have been? ---given the reason
for your having invited this guest in the first place? A clear and consistent manifestation of
Christian love is joyfulness at a sinner's having received the Lord's
forgiveness. The impulse to meet
out harsh punishments, whether here or in the hereafter dissolves. This is a soul for whom Christ
died. Here is one more for whom he
did not die in vain.
How about you?
Are you inclined to be critical of those who come to the Lord late in
life, as if they "had crammed successfully for the finals?" Persons who look at Christianity from
the outside may reason, "What about all the wrong she's done all her
life? Shouldn't she suffer for
that? And how about those who've
invariably done the right thing all their lives? Shouldn't they get a whole lot
more?" We may concede that
such saints may enjoy a good reputation, which they deserve. We remember Jesus saying about this
person and that; he shall be called great in the
Don Miller
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The Parable of the Sower
When
I hear Jesus telling the story of the farmer who went out to sow his seeds, I
recall where I was from 1943-1950.
My father and I were stewards of a large acreage in
The
disciples asked Jesus why he told this story. Jesus said, “Were you really
listening to what I just said?
I’m trying once again to give you insight into God’s kingdom
by telling you a story, but it’s sad to say even with stories some aren’t
going to get it.”
Jesus
continued---their eyes are open but don’t see a thing---their ears are
open but don’t hear a thing.
Jesus said that this story is about some of those people who have eyes
but cannot see and those with ears but cannot seem to hear.
Patiently
Jesus explains the story of the sowing of the seed. The seed is the Word of God. The seeds that fell on the hard surface
are those who hear the Word but as soon as they hear it the evil one snatches
it from them so they failed to believe and be saved. The seeds that fell on the gravel are
those who hear and readily accept with great emotion which appears to be a fad
(everybody is doing it) and when trouble or temptation comes their faith is
gone. The seed that fell among the
weeds are the ones, who hear, but this seed is soon choked out and nothing
comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money
and having fun. But the seed that
was received by the good soil are the good hearts who seize the Word and will
not let it go no matter what---hanging on until the coming of the eternal harvest.
In
this parable Jesus shows there is great power in the seed because the seed is
the Word of God.
If
our eyes and ears are open we will hear the call to be seed sowers,
sharing the Word of God. God
doesn’t call the qualified.
He qualifies the called.
God
gives faith to the sower, “If you
have faith as small as a grain of mustard seed, you can say to the mountain
move from here to there and it will move.
Nothing is impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20
God
calls every Christ follower to be sowers of God’s Word which is love,
mercy and forgiveness. His kingdom
seed when permitted to grow provides the abundant life and eternal life. Amen.
Harry
Ulmer, retired minister
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Jesus Calms a
Storm
And behold, there was a great tempest in the
sea, in so much that the ship was covered with the waves but he was
asleep. And his disciples came to
him, saying, “Lord save us, we perish.” And he saith unto them, “Why are
ye so fearful, O ye of little faith?” Then, he arose and rebuked the winds and
the sea and there was a great calm.
But, the men marveled saying, “What manner of man is this that
even the winds and the sea obeys him.” Matthew 8:24-27
Though,
living at a different time, the disciples of Jesus were very much people like
us. They got very frightened when
the mighty storm hit them. They
thought they all were going to perish.
Their intense fear impelled them to wake up Jesus who was asleep in the
rear chamber. For a time, they
almost forgot that because Jesus was with them, they need not be afraid because
no harm can come upon them. Jesus
reminded them that fear was the outcome of their lack of faith.
In
our times, the storm symbolizes the problems, worries and troubles of our own
lives, of our families and of the world around us. Sometimes, they become so severe and
complex that we feel we alone are unable to deal with them in a successful
way. In this way, they dominate our
minds, our feelings and even our soul.
We need help. Jesus, according
to his promise, is always near to help us.
“And lo, I am with you
always, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20.
With
Jesus by our side, nothing is impossible.
He can solve all our problems and take away all our worries. He knows exactly what they are. He lived on this earth and had gone
through them himself.
Charles
A. Tindly has written a beautiful hymn when he was in the midst of the storms
of his life:
When the storms of life are raging,
stand by me.
When the world is tossing me, like a
ship upon the sea.
Thou, who rulest wind and water,
stand by me
As
we celebrate Easter, let us remember that Jesus is with us always in this world
and the world to come.
Happy
Easter to all, Sharon Beecham
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Jesus Heals the
Gerasene Demonic
I was pleased to find this topic available, but also
surprised to see that I had not written about it in the past. I really like this story about Jesus
curing the man with the legion of demons.
I don’t know if it is because I teach special education and
therefore find myself drawn to persons on the fringes of society, or what, but
I have always enjoyed this story.
There are so many things about this story that spark
interesting questions. The way the
story reads the man with the demons comes to Jesus even though typically they
drive the man to solitary places and they immediately know and fear Jesus. You would think they would have avoided
Jesus. I also think it is
interesting that the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs rather
than being cast out into the “Abyss” but then immediately ran into
the lake and drowned. This makes me
wonder what the advantage of being in the pigs was. Finally I love the fact that the people
of the town, upon seeing the cured demonic, ask Jesus to leave because they are
afraid of Him.
It is unfortunate that more often than not fear is
our typical response to anything out of the ordinary or unexplainable. Thankfully even in spite of their fear,
the early Christians were willing to believe Jesus really did rise from the
grave. Lent is about believing in
the impossible. Jesus can change
our lives in incredible ways, even when it seems unlikely. Our charge, like that given to the
healed demonic, is to tell others how much God has done for us.
Kristin Wintergerst
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A
Woman and Daughter Healed
In this passage from Luke, Jairus, a leader of the
Synagogue, asks Jesus to heal his dying daughter. While Jesus was on the way to
Jairus’ house, a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve
years stole through the crowds surrounding Jesus and touched the hem of
Jesus’ robe and was immediately healed. Jesus stopped and asked who had touched
him. He made the woman admit that
it was her. He then told her
“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” While this was going on, someone from
Jairus’ house then shows up to tell them that Jairus’ daughter has
died and not to bother coming. Jesus
tells them “Do not fear. Only
believe, and she will be saved.”
They continue on to Jairus’ house and when they get there Jesus
tells them that the girl is not dead, that she is only sleeping. They laugh at Jesus because they know
that she is dead. He then tells the
girl to get up. Her spirit returns
to her, she gets up, and Jesus tells them to get her something to eat. He then instructs them not to tell
anyone what happened.
There are different kinds of healing. There is physical healing, emotional
healing, spiritual healing, etc…
In this bible passage, obviously both the woman and the daughter were in
need of physical healing. When the
woman suffering from hemorrhages just touches the hem of Jesus’ robe she
is healed. Why would Jesus stop and
demand that she admit what she did?
In Jesus’ time a woman who was bleeding was considered ritually
unclean; she would have been an outcast for over 12 years. After living with this for so long,
Jesus knew that the woman needed more than just physical healing, she needed
emotional healing. She needed to
know that she did not need to sneak around to be healed, that she was
acceptable to God and that Jesus healed her willingly with the peace of
God’s blessing. Jairus and
his wife had the faith to believe that Jesus could help them when their
daughter was sick, but did not believe Jesus could help them once their
daughter was dead. Jesus did more for them than they believed possible.
Prayers are often not answered in the way that we as
humans think they should be. We
have to have faith that God will take care of us and heal us in God’s way
and in God’s time. God knows
us better than we know ourselves.
Being a Christian does not mean that everything is instantly going to be
perfect in our lives. Being a Christian,
however, means that we are never alone, that we have a relationship with God
and the faith that God is with us during the difficult times, helping us in
ways we may not even realize
Prayer:
Heavenly
Creator, help us to have faith in things seen and unseen. Help us to trust in your guidance and
the patience to wait for you in your time.
We thank you for your healing Grace in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Leslie Hall
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Feeding of the Five
Thousand
The apostles returned and reported on what they had
done. Jesus took them away, off by themselves, near the town called
As the day
declined, the Twelve said, "Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the farms
or villages around here and get a room for the night and a bite to eat. We're out in the middle of
nowhere."
"You
feed them," Jesus said.
They said,
"We couldn't scrape up more than five loaves of bread and a couple of
fish—unless, of course, you want us to go to town ourselves and buy food
for everybody." (There were more than five thousand people in the crowd.)
But he went
ahead and directed his disciples, "Sit them down in groups of about
fifty." They did what he said, and soon had everyone seated. He took the five loaves and two fish,
lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread and
fish to the disciples to hand out to the crowd. After the people had all eaten their
fill, twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered up.
Jesus
fed the 5,000--without breaking a sweat!
Not me! Every Tuesday for
the past 15 years, I have fed between 4 and 14 people, as part of an evening of
sharing our weekly spiritual journey, and I’m not quite that calm. I worry about whether I have made
enough soups, set the table for the number I think might show up, and—of
course—is the house clean enough for company?
This
passage reminds me of several important elements that sometimes get lost in my
own hostessing. Jesus welcomed the crowds even though
he had not expected them to follow him to this lonely place. If he had intended on a quiet evening,
he graciously changed that agenda in order to once again talk about the
Second, the disciples saw the people as a
problem—“Send them away, so they can take care of
themselves.” Jesus saw the
crowds as a personal commitment—“Feed them.” Jesus didn’t worry about how
much those folks would eat—what the disciples could gather would be
sufficient. He merely blessed the
food, thanked the Great Provider, and—SURPRISE!—“all ate and
were satisfied”.
There are many times in our lives in which we are
convinced that we don’t have sufficient resources for the immediate
challenge. In this Lenten season, I
would like to adopt a new attitude:
I will begin by simply thanking God for what IS available; then I will
ask a blessing on whatever I can offer; and finally I will allow God to
multiply it (or not!) according to the true need. Whether it be food, finances, time,
material goods, courage…, God is the Great Provider. All I need to be is the trusting
disciple.
Prayer:
Thank you for reminding me that whatever
I have right now will be sufficient for the task that you set before me. Help me see more opportunities and fewer
obstacles. Amen.
Stephanie
Denham
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Jesus Foretells
His Death
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about
this. “For I, the Son of Man,
must suffer many terrible things,” He said. “I will be rejected by the
leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. I will be killed, but three days later I
will be raised from the dead.”
Then
He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must
put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for
yourself, you will lose it. But if
you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the
whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process? If a person is ashamed of me and my
message, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in my
glory and in the glory of the father and the Holy angels. And I assure you that some of you
standing here right now will not die before you see the
Jesus
explained that one day He would return in great glory to set up His eternal
kingdom. Christians follow their
Lord by imitation His life and obeying His commands. We must deny our selfish desires to use
our time and money our own ways and to choose our own direction in life without
regard to Christ. Following Christ
in this life may be costly, but in the long run it is well worth the pain and
effort.
People
are willing to pay a high price for something they value. Is it any surprise that Jesus would
demand this much commitment from His followers? There are at least three conditions that
must be met by those who want to follow Jesus. We must be willing to deny self, to
shoulder our cross, and to follow Him.
Anything less is superficial lip service.
Jesus’
disciples are not to use their lives on earth for their own pleasure; they
should spend their lives serving God and others.
When
Jesus said some would not die without seeing the kingdom, He was referring (1) to
Peter, James, and John, who would witness the transfiguration eight days later,
or in a broader sense, (2) to all who would witness the resurrection and
ascension, or (3) to all who would take part in the spread of the church after
Pentecost. Jesus listeners were not
going to have to wait for another future Messiah. The kingdom was among them, and it would
soon come to power.
Carl Gerber
Tuesday Morning
Prayer Group
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On the Eve of the
Feast of Tabernacles (1)
Thinking of the age to come,
and longing for Messiah’s Day,
Final Yom Kippur of Judgment,
Final Feast of Booths we pray,
Heralded by Second Moses, in
the New Elijah’s train;
“Some who stand here
will not die, before they see Messiah’s reign.”(2)
Sleeping there upon the
mountain, light breaks through the chilling cold,
Jesus shines as bright as
lightning, speaking with two men of old;
Wake to awe and admiration,
lips struck dry and dumb,
It’s the Feast of
Tabernacles and the Kingdom’s finally come!
Jesus meeting Law and
Prophets, radiance piercing through the grey,
“Let us build three
booths for you” (3) to celebrate this Day!
Lying trembling, clutching
clay, with faces pale and numb,
Final Feast of Tabernacles
and the Kingdom’s finally come!
You have heard His gracious
words explain the Law Moses proclaimed,
And soon you’ll see the
Spirit fall like fire from the throne;
Moses and Elijah fading,
“Jesus Only” (4) now remains,
Words of Moses, “Listen
to Him” (5) echo down in thundering tone.
“Listen to Him, Listen
to Him; He’s My beloved Son,
Listen to Him. (6) Listen
to Him, Listen to Him;
He’s My beloved Son,
Listen to Him.”
David
Bryson
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Looking Back
When my family lived in
So when Jesus’
hearers listened to these words: “No one who puts his hand to the plow
and looks back is fit for the
Most
of us, including me, have a hard time thinking of discipleship in that rigorous
way. Even the best of us have times
when practicing the faith is on and off again. We turn our heads to look at whatever
attracts us, even slightly. Praise
God that there is forgiveness and grace to enable us to begin again. However, grace does not relieve us of
our discipleship; we must take up our cross, and continue to follow after
Jesus.
Prayer: I
hear your call to discipleship today, Jesus; please give me the strength to
follow you with all my heart and mind.
And if I should falter, give me your healing mercy so I can follow you
again. Amen.
Glenn Hoskins
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Jesus
Sends out the Seventy-two
After
this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of
him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, "The harvest is
plentiful, but the workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his
harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among
wolves. Do not take a purse or bag
or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
I have always struggled with this. Knowing that if I were told to start
walking NOW and didn't take any money or luggage or extra shoes, I would
rationalize and just have to take care of things first. Family, financial obligations, etc. Whine, whine, whine. And I would want cheese and crackers to
go with it. The mission was urgent
then as it is today. I only pray
that if the challenge should be put to me I would be able to go.
"When
you enter a house, first say, "Peace to this house.” If a man of peace is there, your peace
will rest on him; it will return to you.
Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the
worker deserves his wages. Do not
move around from house to house.
When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell
them, "The
This part I could deal with! If the town is evil and against all that
is Holy, I need to remove myself as fast as my feet can carry me. This doesn't happen often in my little
world, but there was a time when I had to get out of a situation and was told
"If I really forgave that person, I would go back into the
relationship." I knew nothing
would change. Sometimes you have to
cut your losses and go on with life, even though it leaves a void.
Thank you, Lord, for our church and the
people in it.
Grace, peace and love, Muriel Wells
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Parable of the Good Samaritan
How
many times have we read the story of the Good Samaritan? I know I have read it several times,
taught it a few times, and even written several skits for kids based on it, but
I have never thought about it.
We can
look at the people of this story very superficially, but I have begun taking a
closer look. Where do I fit in this
story? Where do you fit? Are we the robbers beating someone down
physically or even mentally?
Showing no mercy or giving it a second thought as to how our actions are
going to affect those around us?
Are we The priest? So
focused on what we have to do for our church committee or Sunday school class
to stop and help out? Are we the
Levite, so busy in our own stuff to notice what is going on around us? Are we the Samaritan who, despite the
fact that the two nationalities didn't get along, stopped to help out? Maybe we are the hotel owner that is
shocked at the action the Samaritan takes.
Maybe we are the victim in the story. At one time or another in our
lives we may be more than one character in the story. What will your reaction be?
It's
hard to play out the story in your mind and try to fill the shoes of the
characters. I know I want to always
be the Samaritan, coming in to save the day. But what if one day I am the victim,
which in a way I have been. Not
beaten up physically perhaps, but financially I am a wimp. I am amazed at the people who come in to
help. Never the ones I expect. It's unsettling at times because I never
would have thought to help them out, but there they are. It makes me real hurt inside to know
that I have a long way to go still.
But
the good news is that we have grace.
We can pull ourselves together and commit to being the Samaritan in
peoples lives. People who we would
have never thought to help. Have
you spent time with the feed the hungry program? Have you donated a scarf, food,
time? Where have you been the
Samaritan? This Lent, and the coming year, I challenge you to find your
Samaritan opportunities.
Father,
thank you for the Samaritans in my life that have helped me when they didn't
have to. Help me find those moments
when I can be someone else’s Samaritan. Amen
Berta
Rickman
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Jesus visits Martha and Mary
Do
you have a brother or sister or both?
Have they ever left you to do all the work while they go play or watch
TV? Do you or did you have chores
around the house and you wound up doing them all? This story sounds all too familiar to
me.
I defiantly identify with Martha. I have always worried about how things
are done, doing it in a timely manner, and wanting everyone else to work with
me. I usually do not take time to
“stop and smell the roses.”
I don’t take time for me.
I must confess that I have not taken much time out of my schedule to be
in God’s presence and talk with him.
And
yet, how many of us need to stop and take time to be with God? I have a strong feeling that most of us
are in this tunnel vision. We
don’t take enough time with God, our families, our church family, our
friends, our quiet time.
This
year for a new year’s resolution and Lent, I am making time for me to be
with God. Time to study, meditate
and pray. It has not been easy for
me to work this into my busy schedule.
And yet, I am seeing times open up for me that I have not seen
before. I have been taken off
committees that I had major responsibilities for and this has given me more
time.
An
acquaintance of mine said that this year I should focus on my own
spirituality. Since I have more
time free from “doing church work” to take advantage of study
groups, support/accountability groups, and be in touch with members of my
congregation that I am comfortable with and be in touch outside the church
proper and the church agenda. So that
is what I am doing. I am going to
work at being more like Mary. And
with God’s help, I will be able to do this. I know that there are bigger things
ahead and I need this time to get me ready.
During
this time of Lent, when we prepare ourselves for Easter, let us be Marys. Let us prepare for the amazing time of
Easter. Let us nurture our spirit
to be better prepared for the amazing insights and community God has planned
for us later on this year.
Liz
Roark
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The Lord’s Prayer
The text in the New International Version
(NIV) of the Bible reads:
1One day Jesus was praying in a certain
place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us
to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
2He said to them, "When you pray,
say:
'Father,[a]
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.[b]
3Give us each day our daily
bread.
4Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive
everyone who sins against us.[c]
And lead us not into
temptation.[d]' "
This devotion
was chosen for me because March 20 is our wedding anniversary. So happens, this year will be 30
years.
Some
years ago, when we were still living in
She
goes on to say Jesus was teaching not words to be repeated by rote, but an
outline or pattern. Sometimes words
are repeated so often, they’re not heard anymore. So, each day communicate with this pattern:
“Father, hallowed be your name” - Begin with Praise, maybe a song.
“Your Kingdom come…” - Express allegiance. What’s our mission today?
“Give us this day our daily bread” – What’s needed today? Petitions, provisions,
intercessions…
“Forgive us our sins, for we also
forgive…” What needs to
be confessed, forgiven and resolved today?
“And lead us not
into temptation…” Ask for Protection, every day.
“For Thine is the Kingdom…”. In Matthew’s version of the
prayer, there’s a return to Praise, in closing.
And then, throughout the
day, keep on praying. “For
everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it
shall be opened.”
Janice Moody
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Perseverance in Prayer
As a child, my parents
never really spoiled me or my brothers with lots of toys and electronic gadgets…unlike
today’s children. But I can
remember one time pestering my parents for a TRS-80 color computer for months
on end until they got it for all of us at Christmas. That’s what comes to mind when I
read this scripture: pestering God to death with requests until either God
grants it to us or tells us “No!” in a giant voice. What does it mean “Ask and it will
be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to
you?” I would love to pull up
in the church parking lot in a brand new Mercedes Benz SL600 Roadster that God
gave me free for a Christmas present…I wonder how long I would need to
ask for that one.
But is that what Jesus is
really saying here? Is God just a
big best friend with all the money and stuff in the universe and all we have to
do is give a good reason and persist in our asking and it will be granted? I know of many prayers by devout saints
for healing of cancers and diseases that are not answered by God. What’s the deal? What could be
more urgent or needed than healing my child of their illness or getting through
war unhurt?
Perhaps the answer is not
in the request, but in the act of prayer itself. If we have such a relationship with our
God that we ask for what we need as a beggar asks for food, or a child asks of
their parent, it demonstrates a complete reliance upon that person for our
survival. Maybe prayer is to put
God above ourselves and demonstrate by faith that in all things we fully rely
and depend upon God, especially when our requests are not answered. That’s a hard pill to swallow,
especially when we suffer greatly in life.
Therefore, prayer becomes a great act of faith and worship to trust God
no matter what happens in life.
Persistent prayer is not
about pestering God to get what we want, it is about relying upon our heavenly
Father and using prayer as the vehicle to show that to God. Persistent prayer is praying every
moment of our lives, offering ourselves to God, and trusting that God knows our
needs and will take care of us.
Prayer: Hear
my prayer, Father, for I trust you to provide for me whatever I need. Please heal my hurts, comfort my fears,
and show me more and more of your great love for me. I give myself fully to
you. Amen.
Glenn Hoskins
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A House Divided
The
people of Jesus' day believed that demons exist as separate beings, just as a
certain number people today believe that there are ghosts. I look at this as making a thing out of
an experience. We don't need to do
this. An experience is something
that happens to human beings. So,
why do we as human beings, need to imagine that there are supernatural beings
in addition. I believe that the
experiences are real, but this doesn't mean separate supernatural beings
etc. I believe evil is real and
that we must own up to our sins, as well as the demons within us. What did Jesus think? Because, they believed in Beelzebub,
does that mean Jesus did too? Jesus
communicated well by using images they understood. He was speaking their language. We do not need to take this literally
today.
Brent Vihlene
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Let Your Light Shine!
Jesus said: “No one lights a lamp, then hides
it in a drawer. It’s put on a
lamp stand so those entering the room have light to see where they’re
going. Your eye is a lamp, lighting
up your whole body. If you live
wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in dread and
distrust, your body is a dank cellar. Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning,
so you don’t get musty and murky.
Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room.
The Message Bible
Elsewhere, Jesus also said we had to become as little
children to inherit the
This past Christmas, our newest granddaughter,
8-month old Caitlyn, was thoroughly entranced by the lights, the sounds and the
smells of Christmas. But the one
thing that seemed to hold her in its trance was a two-foot square of shiny
golden wrapping paper. At first,
she just patted the paper as it lay at her feet. It made a crinkly sound, and the lights
reflected and flashed off the paper as it moved. Her eyes lit up and laughter bubbled
forth. Now she grabbed the paper
with glee and complete, unrestrained joy.
God calls us to have this same kind of joy of life as
we embrace the world He created for us.
As joint heirs with Christ of the
Blessings, Alan
Graham
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Woe to the
Pharisees
In Jesus’ day the rabbis from the
various religious parties constantly debated vigorously how to properly follow
the laws of Moses. In this debate,
Jesus argues against the position of rabbis in the Pharisee party and makes
three points.
First, we should make sure what is hidden
inside us is cleaned, instead of just cleaning the outside. Having great motives and character on
the inside is far more important than looking good on the outside. We too, like the Pharisees, can be so
concerned about how we appear. We
take baths, put on make up, fix our hair just so, and dress up to impress other
people and build our own self-esteem.
But we easily forget what is most important to God, which is to clean
our insides by being kind and helpful without recognition. We have forgotten our fellow man,
whereas God wants us to serve Him by helping people without thought of
flattering praise, delicious self-indulgence, greedy gain or proud notice. He wants us to serve people because we
love God and our neighbor and because our neighbor needs our service.
The second point was about paying tithes. The Pharisees were very meticulous about
obeying this law perfectly, but overlooked the importance of being kind. We today also find it easier to focus on
what we can measure and quantify than on loving our neighbor. We focus on job performance scores, how
many sales we made this month, how high our children scored on their
tests. Often, beating out our
competition is how we relate to our fellow contestants. But God cares about how we accomplish
these tasks. Without God in our
lives, our accomplishments arise from self-centered materialism. God wants us to love and honor Him above
all the possessions and successes we have.
We must not overlook the good we can bring about by doing one act of
kindness to someone in need without taking credit for it.
Jesus’ third point was that the
Pharisees wanted to be recognized and admired for their religious
accomplishments, to be popular with others. They wanted to be seen outwardly doing
the right things to impress others.
They were being religious for all the wrong reasons. We today like people to notice our
stylish hair, make up and nails, our expensive clothing and jewelry, and our
new car or house. We like to be
publicized as a major contributor or fund raiser. We want to impress the Jones and have
people envy us. But such behavior
helps no one. Instead of uplifting
others, we contaminate them on the inside so they are “unclean”,
lacking in inner virtue, just like unmarked graves made people ritually unclean
when they unknowingly walked over them in Jesus’ day. Making our priority caring for other
people and helping them in a humble way is the behavior God is looking for.
So this Lenten season let us clean our minds
and souls by doing good for others and giving God all the glory. Let us make our highest priority loving
God through being kind and helping those in need. Let us show God’s love and mercies
by our actions, not just our appearance and possessions. May this be a glorious Easter of new
beginnings, as we remember that Jesus died for us and our sins.
Cheryl Bryson
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Parable of the Rich Fool
Many preacher and teachers
have used this scripture to warn against materialism and excessive wealth. And this is exactly what Jesus is
talking about here. In Roman,
When
men built the
The
truth is that we don’t need money to think that we are independent and
strong on our own. It is built into
our American culture: Doing it my way.
We separate ourselves from our relationships with God and others just
fine whether or not we are rich.
You see, building a tower or making money is not evil or sinful, it is
why they built that tower, it is why we make money. Everything is about the why, the heart
of a person, not necessarily what we do.
So
the question we need to ask ourselves about this scripture is why did the man
build bigger barns? He thought that
the land produced crops because of his expertise and farming skills. He thought that life was about eating,
drinking, and making merry, never once did he stop to think of someone else or
God for that matter. So it came to
such a surprise to him that his life was taken the day of his retirement, and
someone else inherited his riches.
Do I live my life in such a way that I will be surprised when I die, and
angry because my life didn’t turn out the way I wanted it? I saw a t-shirt last weekend that said, “Live
your life so that the preacher will not have to lie at your funeral.” How? By living your life as a sacrificial
offering to God and to your neighbor because that is the ultimate definition of
love.
Prayer: Providing
God, I ask that you would supply all my needs and that you would be all that I
need today. Amen.
Glenn Hoskins
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Do Not Worry
Have
you ever been told, “Don’t Worry?” Did you do it?
Our
text today breaks into one of the disciples training sessions, during the
latter part of Christ’s ministry.
Tension with Jewish leaders was growing. (Luke 11:37f) I’m sure Jesus sensed increasing
concern among the disciples. So he
said to them, “Don’t worry.” God will provide for you.
As
an aside, I know the disciples did overcome many obstacles after this time, but
I don’t recall food or clothing being among them.
I’m
not sure how strong my faith would be.
Worry is one of the manifestations of fear, and fear at times can be
very real and justified.
Jesus
used flowers and birds as illustrations of God’s provisions. As far as I know, flowers don’t
have the ability to think or do.
They are as God made them.
Crows, with all their reputation, have only limited ability to think and
do. They are as God made them. But God made us different! We have a wide latitude for thinking and
doing. We can make choices---even
detrimental ones. Under God’s
umbrella of love, He does lead and care for us. He does forgive and redirect us, if we
let Him.
Our
journey is not as precarious as that of the disciples, but when Christ says to
us, “Don’t Worry,” we need to use our think and do
ability. We can look behind the
worry to find our point of fear.
Then we can work around it, through it, or find someone who can help
us. We’re so fortunate in
this church to have so many saints who have passed through many of the things
that bother us. And too, with
really big fears we have the Christian Counseling Service, a group of caring,
dedicated Christian professionals.
Got
a worry? Ask God to help you with
it. Ask a saint to pray with
you. You won’t have to worry
for long!
Don Wirth
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A Faithful Servant
Luke 13:35-38 says 35"Be dressed ready for
service and keep your lamps burning, 36like men waiting for their
master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they
can immediately open the door for him. 37It will be good for those
servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth,
he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will
come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose
master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the
night. (NIV)
My mother was a homemaker
who stayed home and took care of all of the household chores in our two-story
four bedroom home in a small town in
I pray that all of us can
be like this servant waiting for our Master, eager to serve Him when he walks
through the door of our hearts. We
need to be ready for Christ when he returns with our lamps of faith burning.
Jackie Hoskins
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The Bent-Over Woman
Many of you who read this already know
that I have had a deep affinity for this particular scripture for a very long time. I have collected pictures and
three-dimensional images of bent-over women for more than 20 years. This woman, who had been bent over for
eighteen years, has no diagnosis for her condition. In that time it was presumed that her
crippled state was the result of demonic possession. We have no knowledge whether her
condition is physical or emotional or spiritual. Any of those circumstances can lead to
being "bent over" whether it is visible or not. We often carry
our pain in our bodies.
As Jesus enters the synagogue he takes
notice of her and calls her to him.
He says to her, "You are rid of your infirmity," and he lays
his hand on her. She immediately stands
up straight and glorifies God.
Recently, on the evening news, there was
footage of police dropping off mental patients out on the streets of downtown
The synagogue official was angry with
Jesus because he had healed on the Sabbath.
He told the people to come on a working
day to be healed since healing was seen as manual labor. Jesus confronted the hypocrisy by
declaring the woman to be a daughter of Abraham and just as worthy to be cared for
as the animals that were led to water on the Sabbath. Around the world women are treated with
less regard than animals, physically mutilated, and denied access to education
and opportunities for employment.
Rules and regulations of the synagogue
were anathema to Jesus. His primary
concern was for the well being of human beings. While he addressed physical disabilities
when they were presented to him, he longed for them to be brought to spiritual
health. In the same 13th
chapter of Luke, verses 34-35, Jesus said,
“
In
Chapter 20:41-42 Luke describes Jesus weeping over
I
find myself wondering if Jesus isn’t still weeping over
Prayer: Look upon us, Source of our liberation,
teach us to see, and to care. Bend
down to us and lift us up to face ourselves with courage, to look the demonic
straight in the eye. Let us see
another’s sorrow, share another’s injustice, bear another’s
burden and in the process lose our own.
Amen.
Nancy Grissom Self
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Parable of
the Mustard Seed and Yeast
18.
He said therefore, “What is the
20.
And again he said, “To what should I compare the
As
a young child in the fifties, I loved the mustard seed necklace my older sister
wore. The mustard seed was encased
in glass and it was tied around the neck with a velvet ribbon. Then as a teenager I learned the Matthew
17:20 “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard
seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move;
and nothing will be impossible for you.” Those are very powerful words for a
scared, unsure teenager and that necklace took on new meaning for me. So when I saw reference of the mustard
seed in this scripture, it just seemed that it was the one for me.
In
this scripture I believe Jesus is referring to the “
The
yeast parable is similar in that it represents the power of the Kingdom. Again a small amount of yeast is
powerful enough to permeate the dough and make it rise, just as a small group
had the strength through Christ to begin the rise of the “
For
me these scriptures give me confidence for the future. The “
For
those who know me, they will not be surprised to know that I still have that
mustard seed necklace. It is a
reminder for me of God’s power and the power of even a small amount of
faith.
This
Lenten season let us help grow the “
Lord,
give me the faith of a mustard seed to move mountains and to spread the “
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The Dinner Party
1) What to do, what to do? The person is sick, blind, lame, poor or
maimed – but it is the Sabbath – their situation will still
be the same the day after the Sabbath.
So, why not wait?
2) Who cares where I sit at the wedding feast? I do! I want to sit at the front, I am hungry
and I want the honor of getting served first!
3) Why should I go to that party? I know I RSVP’d but I don’t
have a good time and the people are sooooo boring. There are all these rules and ceremonies
that have to be followed before we get to eat. I don’t want to go!!!
Excuses
– God doesn’t want excuses.
He wants servants, people He can use and mold. Each of these situations is an
opportunity – for what?
1) To show compassion, minister and pray. It doesn’t matter what day of the
week or where you are, God will use you and what you can do to bless someone
else.
2) To assist others who have a greater hunger than we
do. Humble is like a four letter
word to some but not to God – when we are truly humble then we are open
to be used in the way God sees is best for us and others.
3) It is not about us – if you gave your word of
yes or no – Keep it! God can
make you into someone that can be counted on by Him and others.
Three
stories – one theme – Surrender your ways, preconceived notions,
whining and you can and will be used by God in ways you have never dreamed
of. He wants you to minister,
comfort, intercede in prayer and do so much more for Him!
Liesa
Woodring
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One Lost
Sheep, One Lost Coin and One Lost Son
Scripture reading:
Luke
15:1-7
The
Parable of the Lost Sheep
Luke
15:7-10
The
Parable of the Lost Coin
Luke
15:11-32
The
Parable of the Lost Son
Three parables recorded
back to back and each has something or someone lost. Just how do things get lost, and for
that matter, how do we get lost?
Lightly read, these
parables reveal something about our own tendency to get lost.
We are taught that sheep
must have a shepherd to care for them.
Without guidance and care, a sheep can wonder away and become lost in
the field. As such, it is certain
to become a nice meal for a hungry animal of prey. Many stories are written about the
nature of sheep and how they reflect their human counterpart. In this case, searching until the sheep
is found produces such excitement that "friends and neighbors" are
called to hear the exiting news.
We also see ourselves
while reflecting on the parable about the woman who looses a valuable
coin. The coin doesn't have the
ability to "walk away" and become lost, instead it becomes lost
solely by the actions of others.
Casting blame on the coin is useless but taking upon oneself to find it
can take a lot of energy. Likewise,
searching until the coin is found produces such excitement that "friends
and neighbors" are called to hear the exiting news.
Yet for others, the
parable of the lost son (prodigal son) provides a window in one's soul about
actions leading to become totally lost, finding ourselves at rock bottom. For all of the lessons that can be drawn
from this parable, focus for now on the ability we have to become lost through
our own choices. When our loved
ones see us coming home, they rejoice such excitement that "friends and
neighbors" are called to celebrate the exiting news.
Each parable follows a
sequence of events dealing with the nature of being lost or losing
something. Jesus uses these stories
to teach us how God finds us and is with us while lost or searching for
something lost. In each one, there
is excitement and celebration. This
reminds me of the journeys we take in life, some by choice and some by
accident. It is comforting to know
that God is with us always. And
when we are at a "found moment", we can rejoice with God's Holy
Spirit. So let's look forward to
the celebration when we find ourselves lost for the moment.
Bert Roark
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Parable of the Dishonest Manager
The manager was clever. That he had been dishonest has already
been established. But how dishonest was this behavior? Only in the sense that the master might
not have approved if he'd told him in advance, but after the fact he was
favorably impressed. Put yourself
in the manager's place. Have you
wondered why the rich man didn't demand that the manager surrender the books
when he told him he was being fired?
Modern corporation 'hatchet men' never allow such an opening. While telling employees of their
termination, effective immediately, custodians visit the employees' offices,
collecting their personal property, to hand over to them as they exit the corporate
executive's office and leave the premises.
The procedure forecloses possible complaining to coworkers, or
vandalizing corporation property.
Yesterday's newspaper reported that a major employer brought employees
to be terminated outdoors, with security guards barring the door to their
return.
Was the rich man naive? It doesn't seem likely. Is it possible he deliberately gave the
dishonest manager an opportunity to repair whatever damage he could, before telling
the public "Our manager will no longer be with us?" He didn't want to suggest. Whatever happens, let it be the
manager's own idea. After all, the
manager's reaction couldn't remain a secret. The rich man had the option of
countermanding anything the manager might do. Wouldn't that be in his financial
interest? Not necessarily. It is one thing to have sums owed
you. It is quite another to be able
to collect them. Look at it from
the debtors’ point-of-view.
The human tendency is to repay small debts before large, for normally we
want to repay our debts, if we think we can. Wouldn't the rich man more likely
collect and collect much sooner on 250 gallons of olive oil than, if at all, on
500? Likewise, to collect on 800
bushels of wheat rather than 1000?
This is a parable of grace. Is the dishonest manager actually
cheating the rich man, when it is doubtful whether anyone can collect in full
all sums listed in the books?
Should debtors pay all the dishonest manager's inflated charges? Surely they included commissions beyond
what the rich man expected. We
don't know whether it balanced out precisely, but even if it didn't there were
other considerations, such as goodwill, benefiting the owner as well as the
manager, and relieving the debtors.
I suspect there was a lot of celebrating going on, as well as words of
gratitude to the owner he'd be able to take credit for. The fact he was rich made him less
desperate than the typical small businessperson, and he would not feel
compelled to react in haste. Rather
he'd assess the cost and benefits the new situation offered, and decide, as has
happened here, to offer praise where praise has been earned. And would not the former debtors agree?
How do I know this? As it happens, at various times, I've
been both owner and debtor and set forth how I'd react under the same
circumstances. I've had to fire a
manager, and I wish I'd been as clever as both the rich man and his manager
were. It would've improved public
relations and cost less. I've never
been in the position of the dishonest manager, but I imagined how I'd assess
the options open to me if I were.
We may regard what he did as legal, so long as the rich man didn't
challenge his having done it. Lacking
a spirit of vindictiveness, the rich man would hardly object to the manager's
preparing for his future, when this was done at acceptable cost, maybe no cost
at all. Besides, it would eliminate
the embarrassment and trouble of collecting commissions trickling in, if ever
they did, or of the rich man's processing charges for what may turn out to be
uncollectible anyway. I don't know
whether this fits the historical situation, but it's an explanation the parable
itself allows. Nor would it seem
scandalous to those accustomed to plea bargaining.
The problem arises for those who want to convert
parables into allegories, making the rich man, as the master, stand for
Jesus. But cannot the Lord afford
to be generous? Isn't that what
grace is about? Shouldn't the
manager be punished? He did lose
his job. Should he go to
prison? Not if the 'injured party'
fails to press charges. What
purpose would that serve?
Apparently the rich man is a pragmatist rather than a legalist, or
compassionate like the Lord himself.
We may imagine the Pharisee reaction. But what is Jesus recommending? That we be dishonest managers? No.
This should show how important it is to see the difference between a
parable which thrusts home a single point, putting the listener on the spot,
and an allegory, which is a great teaching device for those who are disciples already. That teachers do not hesitate to work
over a parable to make it into an allegory diminishes the parable's
confrontation of those who, hearing the story for the first time, find
themselves identifying with the wrong side.
But if we have been, shouldn't we seek to salvage as
much as we can and undo as much as we can of a bad situation? Would the rich man have been as glad for
a tearful 'It's all my fault.
I'm to blame' as for the reaction actually obtained? Repentance would be great, but in this case
wouldn't it have gotten in the way of undoing a lot of the damage done? I assume, if he were more than a
fictional character, that when all was said and done, he repented, and avoided
letting the same set of circumstances recur. How often does our Lord risk providing
forgiveness first, which actually encourages subsequent repentance.
Doesn't Jesus challenge the priorities of legalistic
Pharisees listening and today's church persons as well? Clearly his story is parable-like, and
tailor made for audiences past and present. There is no doubt that this parable came
from Jesus. Consider the length
Luke goes in moralizing, as he is prone to do. See verses 8b through 14. But judge for yourself, which has the
greater impact, the story as Jesus told it or the editorial comments Luke has
appended? Why do I believe the
explanation comes from Luke rather than Jesus himself? Jesus does not normally explain his
parables, any more than a comic tells us how the joke was funny. Besides, the point of view is commonplace,
unlikely to stir up that audience, or any audience, for that matter --- except
possibly verse 13, which Luke must have imported from another context
altogether. The oral tradition was
fragmentary. Luke did what he could
to create a narrative.
If the second half of verse 13 seems strange to you,
that's because we've construed children of light in a positive way. Actually these were the
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Triumphal Entry
“The whole crowd of disciples began
joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:”
(shouting) “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the
highest.”
Luke 19:37b-38 (NIV)
A
PARADE! Mom, dad come quickly,
there’s a parade coming. Can’t
you hear all the shouting? Let’s
go see what all the excitement is about.
It sounded as if they were saying something about a king, a king coming
in the name of the Lord. But what
king? We don’t have a king
unless you consider Herod a king, but he is a king in name only. He really is only a puppet of
So---who
is this king they are shouting about and singing hosannas to? Who is this man that they are claiming
is coming in the name of the Lord?
A
triumphal entry, and what an entry it was!
But it was also the beginning of the end. One moment they are singing hosanna,
praise to the King who comes in the name of the Lord, and the next they are
shouting crucify him. They
proclaimed him King, the new Jewish leader, the Messiah, the one who will
over-throw the Roman domination; but in one short week all that is gone, fallen
by the way side. Their hopes and
dreams have vanished, trampled into the ground with Jesus’ death on the
cross.
The
people shouted hosanna with the disciples one day and just a few days later
they were shouting crucify along with the priests. They followed the crowd. Do we shout hosanna on Sunday and then
crucify on Monday? Do we follow the
dictates of the world or do we follow the way and example that Jesus set. Romans 12:2 says “And be not ye
conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
(KJ) Isaiah says “And thine ear shall hear a word behind thee, saying,
‘This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand and when
ye turn to the left’.” Isaiah 30:21 (KJ)
As
we enter into this Holy week, Jesus’ last week let us be transformed by
the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Let us not let our hosannas be momentary but life changing and on
going. Let us go out and share the
life changing message that Jesus is Lord-Emmanuel-God with us always - to
transform and change our lives to be like Him. Praise God!!!
Prayer: Father, God change us, transform us and help
us to order our lives after your will and your way. Thank you that you love us so much that
as you rode into
Thought for the day: Who are you following today?
Barbara Graham
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"Nothing is More
Certain"
“The
Widow’s Offering”
Here we have a lonely woman, departed from her
beloved husband, poor and meek. A modest
soul surrounded by rich bodies milling about the temple. So humble was she to
offer those two small coins, all that she had, to sustain her desolate
humility. It is written, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under
God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6 NIV
So also it is written, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5 NIV.
The widow gave all she had to live on, therefore,
gave her life to the Lord. He doesn’t easily overlook such things.
The woman put all her trust in God. She did not know what would become of
her life. Her faith told her she
had nothing to worry about. She was
without doubt.
Turn your life over to the Lord and He will lift you
up in praise. Nothing in this life
is more certain than that. Nothing.
Thank You Jesus!
Maria Smith
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Dispute About
Greatness
Can you imagine? The disciples were arguing about who was
the greatest. The very individuals who
were to become the leaders of Christ’s church arguing about such an
egotistical thing? Listen to what
Jesus told them: “The kings of the
gentiles lord it over them … but you are not to be like that. Instead the greatest among you should be
like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.” Luke
22:25-26
Aren’t you glad we’d never be like
that? We always defer to others and
… What, you’re saying that’s not true? Is it possible that we sometimes act as
if we were better than others? Well,
I don’t know about you for sure, but I can speak for myself when I say
there are times I get an inflated ego.
My mom used to tell me, “Don’t you get a big head,
Bob.” Mothers’ advice
is always to be followed—especially if it agrees with our Lord. Jesus went on to say to his people (gee,
that’s us now), “But I am
among you as one who serves. You
are those who have stood by me in my trials and I confer on you a
kingdom.” (22:27-28) Can
you even begin to imagine our Lord and Savior conferring on you a kingdom? I’d like that! It’s interesting that to get that
kingdom we need to stand by Jesus at his trials and act as the youngest among
us. Remember that in Jesus’
time the youngest weren’t in charge, as they so often seem to be
now. The bottom line is that we
need to practice humility and service if we want to receive the kingdom Jesus
is prepared to give to us. During
this Lent let’s give it a try.
If we do, we will experience the Lord’s promise “… that you may eat and drink
at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Bob Denham
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Peter Denies Jesus
But Peter said, “Man, I do not know
what you are saying!”
Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at
Peter. Then Peter remembered the
word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you
will deny me three times.” So
Peter went out and wept bitterly.
How many times have I done it? Afraid to getting in trouble, saying the
wrong thing, or even just wanting to keep something to myself; I deny my
knowledge of Christ’s path and go my own way. Just like Peter, I can’t face the
hard choice but instead go around it with lies or deceit. When Jesus looked at Peter, he ran away,
ashamed of what he’d done.
When I’m in prayer and confronted by my denial, I too feel the
tears and shame of knowing I’ve let my Savior down and added to his pain.
The
difference is, I know the end of the story! How Jesus rose again. How he met Peter after the resurrection
and gave him the opportunity to experience personally the forgiveness that had
been offered all along. At any time
when we hurt Jesus with our choices and our denial, He has already paid the
price for that pain and forgiven us – even before we forgive
ourselves. As much as I can see
myself in Peter’s place, I know something that he wasn’t able to
see until later. I know that all
the pain and shame will be replaced by the grace of Jesus’ death and
resurrection. And at the points
where I find myself hurting, and knowing that I’ve added to the pain of
Jesus on that cross, it’s so important to remember that this isn’t
the end of the story. Easter (and
forgiving grace) is ALWAYS in front of me.
Amen!
Heather Leon
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Jesus Sentenced
13Pilate
called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and
said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to
rebellion. I have examined him in
your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he
sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish
him and then release him."[a]
18With one
voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" 19(Barabbas
had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20Wanting to
release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21But they kept shouting,
"Crucify him! Crucify him!"
22For the
third time he spoke to them: "Why?
What crime has this man committed?
I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and
then release him."
23But with
loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts
prevailed. 24So Pilate
decided to grant their demand. 25He
released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder,
the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
Jesus Sentenced
As
a teenager, I can remember that my favorite accusation against my parents, the
establishment, the government, my teachers and friends was hypocrisy. I saw hypocrites everywhere; people
would say one thing and do exactly what they spoke against doing. When I read this scripture passage, my
teenage self cries out, "Hypocrites!
You charged Jesus with inciting a rebellion and you want him dead so
that you can remain loyal subjects of the Empire. But you take back a rebel in Barabbas
who is proven to incite riot and murder." What's the deal? Pilate pronounces Jesus' innocence and
then he is crucified, hypocrite!
Have
you ever struggled with hypocrisy?
The church is blamed by critics for hypocrisy many times. We say that Jesus teaches us to love God
and other people completely, and yet we ridicule one another, play politics and
destroy people's reputations, and ignore those who are not like us. We tout the Word of God to others as the
instructions we follow from God, and yet many of us have hardly read more than
a couple of books in the Bible. The
critics are right; we Christians are just as hypocritical as Jesus' fellow
countrymen who put him to death.
But why does this shock us?
We are human beings and not holy as God is holy. We sin just as much as anyone else in
our community.
I
guess the shock comes from the assumption that Christians are better people for
knowing Christ. We certainly say so
when we use such words as 'believers', 'the lost', or 'sinners'. What if we got off our assumptions and
humbled ourselves before God and others as Jesus did in this passage. Jesus knew who he was, and knew he had
the power to make every person who was going to hurt him disappear. And yet Jesus humbled himself and became
obedient to death, even death on a cross.
What if Christians became obedient to God again and lived like seekers
after God, desperately hungry and thirsty for righteousness (a right
relationship with God and people)?
Hypocrisy only exists when
there is unrealistic assumption of standards made about a person or group of
people. If Christians take away
that assumption and make ourselves equal with every other human being on Earth,
and perhaps even lower, we can begin to know what it means to follow Jesus
Christ completely. James 1:19 says
"You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen,
slow to speak, slow to anger" Jesus said, "Those who exalt themselves
will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." (Luke
14:11) Change begins with you and
me. So let us live in the spirit of
being slow to speak, quick to listen, and consider ourselves unworthy servants
that have been given a remarkable gift, to be the daughters and sons of The
Most High God.
Prayer: Jesus, when people talk to me and expect an
answer based on my relationship with you, open my ears so that I may listen to
your Spirit, open my mouth to speak your words, and open my heart so that I may
be humble in your sight. Amen.
Glenn Hoskins
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Why is Good Friday good?
I heard a Jewish comedian
recently who joked that Christians really don’t get it when they call
Good Friday good. “How can
they call it good Friday when Jesus died?
It doesn’t make sense!”
As I reflect upon Jesus’ last journey to the hill called “The
Skull,” the crucifixion, and the death of Jesus, good is not something
that first comes to mind as well.
It’s a sad day when a good man who worked all his life among
outcasts and the poor is executed by a mob as a criminal and an outcast. Jesus was right when he said to the women,
“If they (the religious leaders and the government) can do this to me
today in a time of peace, what a horrific holocaust is in store for you and
Of
course, we could jump to the end of the story and the resurrection to find the
goodness in the death of Jesus … then we could call that Friday
good. Many good church people
choose to celebrate Easter rather than Good Friday because it’s easier to
talk about new life than a horrible, unjust death. Heaven is much easier to look forward to
than struggling through this unfair life.
I trust that by now you hear my implication that this practice of
jumping over pain and discomfort is futile and dangerous. Life is a beautiful symphony but there
are many times when the music stops and chaos takes its place. We must stop at the cross, look at the
crucified Jesus, hear the ugly words hurled at him, and lament at the
unfairness of the whole affair.
As we stop and tarry by
the cross a while, Luke writes that it is a place teeming with talk, action,
and unnatural events. On one side
we have the people who affirm the goodness and innocence of Jesus: Pilate, the
penitent criminal, and the centurion.
The other side consists of people who mocked Jesus, insulted him, and
believed he was nothing more than a man: the religious leaders, the soldiers,
and the unrepentant criminal. It’s
interesting to note that the latter side mocked Jesus by sarcastically saying
that he is the Christ, the King of the Jews, and the Savior; but his supporters
did not make such claims.
However, it seems that
there does not need to be such a grand proclamation of faith for salvation to
take place. The penitent criminal
affirms Jesus’ righteousness with God and others and made a simple
request, “Remember me …”
Sometimes faith in God is a plea, remember me God, and Jesus does the
rest. The response of Jesus “Today
you will be with me in Paradise.” is the heart of this gospel, for Jesus
came to save the poor, the weak, and the lost. Jesus saved outcasts right up the very
end of his life. The criminal did
not deserve anything but the punishment he received, yet through Jesus, this
man was accepted by God. And that is what makes Good Friday
good!
We come to Jesus this Holy
Week not really knowing much about God, deserving the life that we live and all
the consequences of our actions.
But somehow we hear that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior, and we take a
leap of faith in this God that He proclaims. It doesn’t matter what other
religious people say about Jesus, or our family or friends, we bet our entire
existence on Him. Consequently, we
discover that the veil that once covered our minds with rules and regulations,
morality and good works … is torn in two. We now have a relationship with God
through Jesus based on faith by grace.
This is the Good News of Jesus Christ! This is why we as Christians need to
stop at the cross, sit down in awe of God’s grace, and praise God. Let us not skip over Good Friday to
Easter but discover God’s message for us this day at the cross.
Prayer: Remember
me, Jesus, as I lift my prayer today.
Remember me, Savior, when I suffer through pain and disappointment. Remember me, O Lord, as I run the race
of life and keep the faith you gave me.
Amen.
Pastor Glenn Hoskins