No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. – Matthew 22:46

Today's Scripture Reading (January 31, 2024): Matthew 22

When I was in High School, I loved the argument. To be honest, I loved it so much that sometimes I took the opposite opinion just to argue with someone. As I got older, I probably became a bit of a contrarian until I realized that that really wasn't who I wanted to be. But I am still not afraid to hold a contrasting opinion on something if I feel that opinion deeply.

But in High School, my love for the argument led me to love the academic debate. It was part of the English curriculum at the time, and my class was divided into debate teams and randomly assigned different topics; none of these topics were very serious. Whether we supported or opposed the resolution was likewise a random action. My team went early in the debates, and we did well. I do remember that we won the debate, and I received a reasonably good grade on the assignment.

But late in the series of class debates, another situation arose. One of the members of another team was sick on the day of the debate. The teacher decided that one of the other team members would have to do double duty, putting forward the argument for herself and her sick teammate. The teacher assured the shorthanded team that she would take that double duty into consideration when she was assigning the grade for the debate. However, the leader of this team had a different idea and asked the teacher if I could take the missing student's position in the debate. The teacher looked at me and asked why he would want to participate in the debate; after all, he had already received his grade. (Did I mention that I love the argument?) But maybe the biggest surprise and compliment for me came from the opposing team, who didn't want me in the debate. They argued that it would be unfair for me to debate against them, even though I would be going in cold, with absolutely no time to prepare for the argument (which, if I remember correctly, was "Be it resolved that dogs are better than cats").

Eventually, the teacher sided with the team that wanted me in the debate. I entered the debate arguing that cats were better than dogs, and we won. However, I am sure the win had nothing to do with it and everything to do with the excellent debate preparation that my teammates had done and that their opposition had done only the minimum. But it was a fun class, and I became the only person in the class to be on two winning debate teams.

I am not sure that Jesus loved the argument, but he was good at it as he talked with the religious elite of the nation. He was so good that the Pharisees and Sadducees finally decided they wouldn't win the battle by using logic or rhetoric. Now, Jesus's enemies had agreed that if they were going to defeat Jesus, they were going to have to change their tactics and replace the debate with treachery and violence. If they couldn't defeat him in the discussion, they would kill him with a cross. But either way, the ministry of this Jesus had to end, and it had to end soon.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 23

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." - John 12:20-21

Today's Scripture Reading (January 30, 2024): John 12

Circumstances are multifaceted; they have many sides. John has been talking about maybe the most apparent sides of the story. He has told us stories about the supporters of Jesus: the disciples, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus has also reminded us of the rise of the opposition, the religious and social elite of Israel, who saw Jesus as a problem. These leaders saw in Jesus a theological problem. They believed that Jesus's theology was wrong, which made him a false prophet, and scripture is clear that false prophets are not to be allowed to continue among us.

Some feared that Jesus might bring down the anger of Rome on Israel. These people were often referred to as Herodians, and they believed that Jesus was disturbing the uneasy peace that existed between Israel and Rome. As John tells the story of feeding the five thousand, he says that the people wanted to make Jesus King.

After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself (John 6:14-15).

The question was whether Rome would sit on the side and watch as Israel crowned a new king or if they would intervene on the side of the Herods, and the smart money was on the side of an intervention. And then there was just the question of the loss of prestige. A King Jesus would mean that many of them would lose their positions of importance in favor of men with names like Peter, James, and John.

But these weren't all of the people that were gathering around Jesus. There were also people who were in between, like these Greeks. We have no idea who these Greeks were, but they had come to celebrate the Passover, which could mean a couple of different things. It is possible these Greeks were converts to Judaism. They had been circumcised and baptized into the faith. And they were coming to celebrate as equal partners with the Jews. These converts would also have access to the court of Israel at the Temple because their conversion made them Jews. But this option seems unlikely. It is more likely that they were God-fearers. Israel was filled with Greeks and Romans, among many others, who were attracted by the Jewish message, and they honored the God of the Jews, but they did so from a distance. They weren't circumcised, and they did not participate in all of the rituals of the faith, but they supported the Jews. And Jesus met with many of these God-fearers during his ministry.

It seems likely that these Greeks were God-fearers. But part of the problem with God-fearers was that the laws of cleanliness meant that a Jew could not enter into the house of a God-fearer. These people were set apart because they weren't total converts to Judaism. These God-fearers couldn't enter into the Temple. In fact, bringing a God-fearer into the Temple was the charge that sent Paul to Rome at the end of Acts. Paul was charged with taking a God-fearer named Titus, the same Titus to whom Paul's letter in the Christian Testament is addressed,  into the Temple, into areas where God-fearers could not go.

These Greeks were not supporters of Jesus, nor were they opposed. They were curious, wondering whether they could be accepted into this emerging Christian faith. And because they are unsure of their status in the faith, they go to Philip. It seems likely that Philip was chosen because his name, Philip, is of Greek origin. He was seen as someone like them.

And this has always been the evangelistic wing of the Church. Church growth is never because of the band or the speaker; it is people like you who take the time to tell people in your circles of influence about Jesus and invite them to come with you to Church. It is an ancient principle that was at work with Philip and these Greeks.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 22

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen. – Luke 19:37

Today's Scripture Reading (January 29, 2024): Luke 19

A few years ago, I talked a little about prayer to my community. Some of them have been swearing at me ever since. My purpose wasn't that I wanted them to have trouble praying, but I wanted them to think about what they were saying, really think about it.

Consider this. We serve the God who created the universe; He is the one who sets everything in motion. In science, he is known as the prime mover; he is the one who sets the natural laws in place that govern how our world runs. But he is also the God who loves us so much that he sent his one and only Son to die on the cross for the things that we have done wrong.

This is the God who we serve. Yet, the best we can sometimes come up with is, "Thank you for this day; bless me, my food, my meeting, my dog, and my dog's aunt. Be with us. Watch over and protect us. Forgive us for our many sins (because we are way too busy to start listing them to you). Amen (which we translate into "Okay, I don't know what to say next, so I will go now. Peace Out, God, I will try to catch up with you later). We serve a God who loves and created us as well as everything around us, and that is often the best we can do in conversation with him.

Luke seems to describe something different. As Jesus approached Jerusalem, a spontaneous song of praise erupted from his followers. No one was worried about how elegant the words might be or weren't. The words weren't rehearsed or something that had been said before. They weren't written by a professional poet who had weighed every word. They came out of the mouths of this group of disciples, arising from the center of their beings, because of what God was busy doing in their lives.

Many years ago, I heard Louie Giglio preach a series of prayer messages. That night, Louie preached on a passage about being blessed. He told the story of a lady who sold him food at a kiosk. Giglio said if you asked her how she was doing, she always said she was blessed. And Louie loved to hear that response. So he sought her out; it reminded him that he didn't need God to bless him; he was already blessed.

It is a response that should spontaneously flow out of us. We are blessed, although I recognize that too often, we don't feel that way. Maybe we just feel more Christian when we are persecuted. But regardless of what might be happening outside, God's work inside us means that we truly are blessed. My prayer for all of us is that God's spontaneous song will flow out of me, as well as out of you, in everything that we do.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 12

"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest heaven!" – Mark 11:10

Today's Scripture Reading (January 28, 2024): Mark 11

I remember singing a song in church when I was young. Fanny Crosby wrote the song. The chorus of the song repeated the opening lines of the first verse.

            Tell me the story of Jesus.

            Write on my heart every word;

            Tell me the story most precious

            Sweetest that ever was heard.

But what was the story that the people wanted to hear before Jesus? An argument could be made that during the days of Jesus's ministry, people longed to listen to the story of David. When the Messiah came, he would change everything and restore the political landscape to that over which King David presided.

Nothing touches all of us like politics. That is why the Good News that we celebrate has to be political. Politics touches your finances, it touches your security, it touches your life expectancy, and it touches how healthy you are (or aren't).

For Israel, the top of the political desire was summed up by the story of David. David represented what the People of God could be like. In David's politics, the one true God, the Nameless One, was worshiped. David provided national stability, David's Army provided protection, there was a level of national prosperity, and David brought personal wealth. There was also a unity in the nations that had not been enjoyed since his reign.

As people sat around the campfires, talked in the houses with their friends, and dreamed about what tomorrow might hold, inevitably, their dreams were filled with the stories of David's Israel. And as Jesus began to teach, when he performed miracles and challenged the different political parties, the people began to dream and compare. The Apostle Paul called Jesus the second Adam, but the people were thinking something entirely different; the people hoped that Jesus would prove to be a second David. The hope was that here was the man who could fulfill everything they had dreamed of. They were waiting for the Messiah who would restore the political Kingdom of David.

David was more than a King, more than a warrior, more than the one who defeated Goliath, and more than even a man after God's heart. David was a lifestyle, one that the people coveted. And so, they cried, "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 19

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” – Matthew 21:25b-26

Today's Scripture Reading (January 27, 2024): Matthew 21

I recently read that there are no wrong answers, only wrong questions. I am not sure that any of my professor’s would agree (because, if that is true, those who have control of my educational future have some deep explaining to do because they have flunked their students on more than a few exams.) The idea itself, though, is sound, however it is also overstated. There is a sense that if you receive a wrong answer, then one of the things we need to do is check the question. I wrote a New Testament exam a few years ago and I interpreted a question wrong. The answer that I gave (and it was an essay question, so I took me a few pages to give it) made absolutely no sense when it was read with the intention of the question being asked. Luckily, my Professor allowed me a measure of grace and took the blame for what he called a “badly worded question.” He allowed my answer to be graded in light of the question that I thought was being asked, instead of according to the one that he was really asking.

But there are some questions that simply would seem to have no right answer, or at least not an answer that the one asking the question would find acceptable. I have sat through several business meetings where this was exactly the case. The question was asked, and I knew the answer that was being sought, but the desired answer just wasn’t right, and the right answer could simply not be accepted.

And this is exactly the situation in which these religious leaders found themselves. They are trying to trick Jesus into the sin and, in Jerusalem at this time, the crime of blasphemy. The question that they had asked is “by whose authority do you do the things that you do.” The problem is that while Israel is expecting the coming of the Messiah, to claim to be the Messiah was considered to be a criminal act, an act of blasphemy. The authority by which Jesus did everything was that of his Heavenly Father. But in this case, the right answer in the eyes of religious elite was a crime.

So instead of answering, Jesus responds with a question of his own. “Did the authority by which John baptized come from heaven, or did John baptize by the authority of some human agency?” And now the religious elite faced the same problem they had presented to Jesus. They believed that the baptism of John was of human origin, but if they responded truthfully, they would face a riot from an overwhelming majority of the people who believed that John was sent from heaven.

In the end no one’s questions were answered because there were no right answers, or more precisely, acceptable answers to give.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Mark 11

See also Mark 11

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. – Luke 18:10

Today's Scripture Reading (January 26, 2024): Luke 18

Sometimes, opposites attract, but that is not always the truth. There are a few people who try my patience, but, really, it is just that we are opposites. But sometimes, they do attract. I remember a particular ride home from a football game that I had in college. It was long after the game, and I had been changing into my street clothes and decompressing a little after the game when the team manager offered to give me a lift home. So, I was alone with him in his car, heading home. And he had a question. I had just started dating the girl who would become my wife, and that emerging relationship hadn't missed the attention of John, the team manager. And so, he asked if he could ask a question. I responded, "You just asked one, so go ahead." And his question was, "You and Nelda, does that make any sense? I mean, you two are so different. So much the opposite of each other. How does that work?"

I don't think I had an answer for my friend that night. And I probably don't even today. All I know is that it has worked. Nelda and I have been married for forty-two years, and it has been over forty-four years since I had that conversation on the way home from a football game.

Luke tells the story of two men, and finding a more opposite pairing of people would be hard. The first was a Pharisee; sometimes, we get the warped conception that the Pharisees were evil men in the first-century world. But here is the truth: they were righteous men. They were so righteous that if anyone could claim they lived sinless lives, it was the Pharisees. I am a holiness preacher, and what that means is that I believe that God wants to do a work inside of you where he wants to separate you from this world and make you holy (holy literally just means "set apart.”) God wants to set you apart for his purposes. He desires that you would be remade in the image of Christ. It isn't that you are being formed to do the minimum; God wants to remold you until you want to do the maximum. So, I believe that becoming a Christian is only the beginning of a lifelong process; it is the starting point of what God wants to do in your life. The endpoint is that we will stand at the end of this journey as a holy people before our God, having been entirely remade into the image of Christ. However, while I am here on the earth, I understand that I am simply in the process of becoming; it is what I would call the process of Holiness.

The Pharisees took the process of Holiness to the extreme. The Pharisees were committed to the idea that the Messiah would come if all of Israel would refrain from sinning for one day. So, they were committed to keeping the law, every little portion of it, every day of their lives. They firmly believed in the idea of ethical Holiness. And the people respected them for it. That is what made Jesus's words so weird. These people were at least trying to keep the law every day of their lives. Some people didn't even try, but the Pharisees dedicated all of their energy to live sinless lives.

The Pharisees were the ones that had their theology right. They were the ones who had gone to Bible School and understood God's laws. The Pharisees believed that the rest of the nation was deceived; the rest of the church hadn't quite matured in their God walk yet, but the Pharisees had matured in their faith.

On the other side of the spectrum was the Tax Collector. Tax Collectors and Prostitutes are used in the Bible to describe the lowest of the low. A Tax Collector was essentially a non-person in Israel. A Jewish Tax Collector was considered to be unclean because of his profession. That meant that no one could hang around with them. So, when Matthew, a Tax Collector, tells the story of the day Jesus came over to his house for dinner, that dinner was attended only by tax collectors and "sinners," probably prostitutes. They were the only ones who could show up according to the Mosaic Law.

Regarding religion, the fact that the tax collector was unclean meant that the farthest into the temple they could come was the Court of the Gentiles. The Court of the Gentiles was the outermost area of the Temple complex. Only Jewish men and women could go beyond that point into the Court of Women and the Court of Israel. But the Jewish Tax Collectors no longer qualified as part of Israel. They were not only socially cut off from Israel but spiritually disconnected as well. When the people gathered together to talk about what was wrong with society, the answer was obvious: the Tax Collectors.

Legally, they were non-persons. If a crime was committed and the only witness was a tax collector, the tax collector couldn't testify to the crime; you couldn't trust that the tax collector would even be able to tell the truth. The criminal act might as well have happened with no witnesses at all.

Jesus starts his story with two men, one good (The Pharisee) and one Bad (The Tax Collector). The people thought they knew how it would end, but Jesus was planning a plot twist that would amaze and astound all of his listeners.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 21

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” – Matthew 10:23

Today's Scripture Reading (January 25, 2024): Mark 10

I am rich. I sometimes get asked that question so I thought I would throw it out there. There is absolutely no question about it. And that is also the way that I answer the people who choose to ask me. I am rich. This fall, when it was time to take my car in to have the winter tires put on, I decided to empty the cubby hole on my dash that replaced my ash tray. There was so much change in there that it took a few minutes to get the job done. It was money that I had essentially thrown away because I didn’t have anything else to do with it. And now, with that money safely placed in a box in my office, I have already started to rebuild the small fortune hidden in my car. When I open the refrigerator or kitchen cabinets, there is always food in there. Maybe not the chips or unhealthy snacks that I might be craving, but there is always food in the kitchen to eat. Whenever I open my closet, I have clothes; even if it is close to washing day. In fact, I have so many articles to wear that my clothes have had to spread out into two closets. (Although, in my defense, two-thirds of my closet is filled with my wife’s clothes.) And, with a dose of transparency, I don’t have a lot of debt. My home is the only significant debt I possess. It is amazing how far money goes when you don’t have to service any debt. I am rich, so this passage is about me.

But my suspicion is that you are rich too, maybe even richer than me. Most of our money problems are really rich people problems, whether or not we want to accept that. We are rich. We possess things that we don’t have to possess; I know because I also have a lot of those things. I have Television Channels that I don’t need. I pay for streaming services, including the music streaming service, Spotify, that I could live without. I don’t want to, and so I make sacrifices in other areas so that I don’t have to do without. But that is a decision of what I do with my money. And if I go into debt because of it, well, that is my fault, no one else’s.

All of this means that I have the potential of setting up things that might get in my way when it comes to worship. The temptation is there to begin to worship the things I have, rather than God. I have made the point that whatever keeps you away from church might have become an object of worship. But it is just as possible that whatever you spend your money on might also have become an object of worship in our lives.

It is up to us to make sure that these things do not become our gods. One of the ways of doing that is recognizing the power that things exert over our lives. And when it comes to money, that often means developing a generous attitude, and being willing to give it away as God instructs.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 18

The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" – Matthew 20:31

Today's Scripture Reading (January 24, 2024): Matthew 20

American poet Maya Angelou said, "Courage is the most important of all the virtues because, without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently." We need the courage that comes from holding deep convictions, convictions that we refuse to allow to be tossed aside by the pressures of the day. My greatest fear for our culture is that we have stopped believing in anything deeply. We only know our wants and desires, and nothing that happens around us can shake us to the foundations of our souls.

The two blind men in this passage knew two things were true in their lives. The first was that they had a problem that was affecting their entire existence; the men were blind. No other issues in their lives had a solution as long as that dominant problem remained unsolved. The second thing that was true in the lives of these men is that they believed that Jesus was the solution to their shared first problem. The blind men weren't sure that Jesus would solve their pain, but they were convinced that he could. This belief, the blind men held deeply within them; it was a belief of which they refused to let go.

As a result, these blind men had made a decision. They would do whatever they could to get their request for healing to Jesus. Armed with nothing but courage and a firmly held belief that Jesus was the solution to their primary problem, they had come to make their request. It didn't matter that they had no one to take them to Jesus; they would take themselves. It didn't matter if all those blessed with the miracle of sight stood in their way and discouraged their actions; these men would not be discouraged. The men planned on knocking on the door and making their requests until Jesus answered them with a yes or a no.

The blind men's response to Jesus passing by has often been recommended as a model for our prayers. To paraphrase Charles Spurgeon, we need to;

Take hold of the gates of heaven and shake them with all of your strength, as though you could pull them up by their foundations. Stand at Mercy's door, and take no denial. Knock, and knock, and knock again, demanding that you would obtain an answer to your cries. Cold prayers never win God's ear. Pull back your bow, and with every ounce of your strength, send your prayers like arrows up so that they can reach the height of God's heaven (A rephrasing of the words of Charles Spurgeon).

This was precisely what these men planned to do and what they hoped to accomplish. And because of their courage, they received their answer and, more importantly, their sight.

Note: Charles Spurgeon's actual quote:

Take the gates of heaven and shake them with thy vehemence, as though thou wouldst pull them up post and bar and all. Stand at Mercy's door, and take no denial. Knock, and knock, and knock again, as though thou wouldst shake the very spheres, but what thou wouldst obtain an answer to thy cries. 'The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.' Cold prayers never win God's ear. Draw thy bow with thy full strength, if thou wouldst send thy arrow up so high as heaven. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Mark 10

See also Mark 10:48

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." – Mathew 19:14

Today's Scripture Reading (January 23, 2024): Matthew 19

I am frequently drawn into a debate about the nature of faith. The problem is that faith is required for the many things we do. We have faith that our friends will tell us the truth about the essential things, that our employer will pay us regularly, and that the various promises made to us will be kept.  All of this requires some sort of faith on our part.  But all of that also has an objective truth.  If my friends lie, I will probably know. If my employer doesn't pay me, my bank account will remind me that I can't survive financially if that failure continues, and if the promises are not kept, something will fail to happen. But, at the same time, my faith in these things will also decrease.

I firmly believe that the church is the only hope this world possesses. We are in a position in this world to take care of the poor; we are there where the dying require medicine, and we are in the places where skills need to be taught. We are already in a position with churches in various parts of the world before disaster strikes.  We can really change the world because we already have people in place to funnel needed resources and help.

And yet, it is not enough.  It is not enough that we are in a position to help; with God, it is a matter of trust and faith.  Without faith, the job looks too big and complicated, regardless of the assets we possess to solve the problem.  A child doesn't think about such things.  A child-like faith does it because it needs to be done.

If you have been reading this blog, I hope you realize that I believe the church is here to transform our world and make a positive difference in our communities. But a positive difference also means it will take us all to act with a child-like faith. I believe that we are here for that purpose.  And we can accomplish that purpose. All we need is a child's faith to walk through the open door and decide that we will make the world a better place simply because we can.

Why not start with your corner of the world today? I pray that you will have the faith needed to make a difference. You will be glad that you did! 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 20

See Also Mark 10:15

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. – John 11:21

Today's Scripture Reading (January 22, 2024): John 11

According to John, Martha was the first one to come out to see Jesus. Mary stays behind, which might make a little sense. If Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene are the same person, as I believe is true, then it is probable that Mary had just been with Jesus and had left when word first came to the Apostles that Lazarus was sick. Martha might not have seen Jesus in a while, and so she is the one who runs out to meet her Messiah. As she sees Jesus, Martha makes a beautiful statement of faith, but there is also a lot of pain hidden within her words. Martha says, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:21). It is a beautiful faith statement. But am I the only one who also hears a bit of a complaint? Was there a bit of a "If you were here, my brother would not have died? Jesus, where were you? You knew he was sick? Why didn't you come? I mean, thanks for coming now, but you're too late!"

Jesus responds, "Your brother will rise again" (John 11:23). Maybe it is time for a review. Remember what Jesus said before he left to go to Bethany; "This sickness will not end in death" (John 11:4). Martha wasn't there when Jesus said it, but he has already telegraphed where he was going. Lazarus is dead, but this is not the end of the story.

Martha responds, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day" (John 11:24). It is another statement of faith in a doctrine that we take for granted, but that wasn't all that clear at the time of Jesus, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. But again, Martha makes this statement of faith. "I get it, Jesus. On the last day, there will be a resurrection. And that's great. But Lazarus is still gone now."

There might have been an economic concern here, as well as the natural grief over losing someone you love. Mary and Martha, as single women, likely depended on Lazarus for their financial well-being. It was a different world and a world where women often didn't have a legitimate opportunity to try to earn money. Lazarus was likely their financial future. And now it wasn't just Lazarus who was gone; so was Martha and Mary's future.

I know that Lazarus will rise on the last day. But Jesus, that doesn't help my here and now. But in this conversation between Jesus and Martha, we get some key points in what we might call our death theology. I read Jesus's response to Martha in almost every funeral I conduct. "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this" (John 11:25-26)? Do you?

And they are nice words as we gather around the grave of someone we love. But, if we are honest, we want that, but we also want our loved ones and friends to be with us now. Every once in a while, I pause as I walk past a memory plaque on the wall outside my office and just read the names of friends that have passed away from the community I lead. And as I do that, a fresh wave of grief washes over me. I miss them. But I believe that their story is not over. We will see them again when they rise on the last day. But somehow, that knowledge doesn't take away all of the pain.

Martha makes one more phenomenal statement of faith, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world" (John 11:27). Yes, Lord, I believe, and then Martha leaves Jesus and runs back to the house to kick Mary into gear. It seems like this was part of the sisters' relationship. We remember another story about the two sisters that Jesus was visiting at the home of Mary and Martha. Martha had been frustrated because Mary wasn't helping her in the kitchen. In that story, she wants Jesus to tell Mary to get her butt into the kitchen to help Martha with the food. And here, once again, Martha goes to the house to ask Mary to go and greet Jesus.

Mary quickly gets up and leaves the house. The Jews who had been with her think that she is going to the tomb of Lazarus, and so they follow her. But it is not the tomb to which she goes. It is to Jesus. She repeats the statement Martha had already made and maybe the accusation as well. "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:32). Jesus, where were you? Why weren't you here? I don't understand why you didn't come. You're late!" Mary didn't know it yet, but Jesus wasn't late; not according to his plan. He was right on time, something Mary and Martha would learn in just a few minutes. And that is also true in our lives if we could just see our circumstances from Jesus's point of view and not our own.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 19

When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. – Luke 17:14

Today's Scripture Reading (January 21, 2024): Luke 17

Some things have to be learned by doing. It is not that you don't need to know some of the theory in your head first, but you also need to actually do it. My favorite sport is probably American Football, although Hockey is a close second. But to learn to play either of those sports, you need some head knowledge but a lot of practice on the field or rink. In football, I played as a defensive end. And I admit, I think I would be a much better defensive end if I knew the theory of the position I know now, which I didn't know then, but the practice and the time on the field was also essential. Understanding the game theory alone is insufficient if you want to play well. You also must play. And it would help if you played in game situations. Practicing alone is also not enough.

The same is true about playing a musical instrument. Learning to play well includes learning some basic music theory, along with hours of practice. But, if you are going to play well, you also have to play with some other people and instruments. There is no substitute for playing as part of a band and experimenting with playing your instrument with others participating in a similar way.

Many years ago, I was in a worship experience. I tend to watch the musicians when I am in that environment. At one point, the band went into an extended musical interlude. As I watched the band playing, I saw the keyboard player look over at the drummer and shrug his shoulders as if to say, "I have no idea where this is going, but keep playing." After the worship experience, I had the privilege of sitting down for coffee with the band, so I asked them about that moment. The guitarist and lead singer laughed and said, I knew that the chord progression should lead somewhere, but I couldn't figure out where I had heard it before. It took me a few minutes to figure out where it should go. The lead singer had gone off the page of the session and went where the band had not practiced, but he could do it only because the band had played with each other and learned each other's tendencies.

In a culture that tells us that we must build ourselves up, the cry of the lepers still needs to be the cry of our hearts. If sin is sin, then we are all the worst of sinners. We have no advantage, and there is nothing that we can claim to be to our credit. And our hearts cry must be, "Master, have mercy on me." 

I know it is hard to utter the words, but there is no defense or excuse. Only Jesus, the Master, and we fall far short of where we are supposed to be.

As the lepers cried out to Jesus, his reply was clear, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And the Bible says, "As they went, they were cleansed." I do not believe that Jesus always gives physical healing, but he always gives spiritual healing. But I have noticed that healing is often tied to an action, in this case, showing themselves to the priest. The lepers didn't return to their colony or home and wait for the miracle to occur. The lepers went and showed themselves to the priest, and they were healed at some point on that journey. I don't think things have changed; I believe Jesus still tells us to do something. And it is as we go that we are cleansed.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 11

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." – Luke 16:13

Today's Scripture Reading (January 20, 2024): Luke 16

Many years ago, I worked at a small Toyota dealership in a small town. At the time, the dealership had a dual focus. First, it was a Texaco service station. We sold Texaco gas and oil products as a Full-Service Gas Station on a main North-South highway. But we were also a Toyota dealership, selling Toyota vehicles to the rural area around us, and we had some customers who drove from the cities that existed both to the north and south of the dealership.

There were many ways in which the service station and car dealership existed in conflict. I remember a day when a tourist drove a huge motorhome into the service station to get filled with fuel. The motorhome was so big that it was hard to maneuver the vehicle into position to receive the fuel. The driver noted that if we didn't have the Toyota vehicles on the lot, it would be much easier to get motorhomes like his in for gas, and we might get to sell more gas to larger vehicles. But the reality was that we weren't making much on the fuel we were selling, and it would take more than a hundred such vehicles to make the same profit that we could make on the sale of one Toyota. (And that is a comment on the pennies we were earning on the fuel rather than any vast profits made on the cars.)

The conflict between Texaco and Toyota was most easily seen because both companies wanted their products displayed in prime positions in the dealership/service station. And so there was a delicate dance we had to do whenever we knew a representative was coming out from one of the companies. If Texaco was due for a visit, we ensured that we were displaying Texaco products in all the key places. If a Toyota representative was on their way, Toyota products were prominently displayed in the same areas. Texaco and Toyota shared these prominent places if no one was coming.

Jesus says that it is impossible to serve two masters. You will love one and hate the other, or you might even despise both, giving neither master the best of what you have. Of course, Jesus focused on the two masters that compete in all of our lives: God and money or the material things of life. And we can't serve both. We can have both, but we can't serve both. The truth I have learned in this life is that money is a severe taskmaster. Money and material possessions are intended to be tools for making our way through this life, but God is the only master, and he is the one we need to serve.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 17

Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn't she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? – Luke 15:8

Today's Scripture Reading (January 19, 2024): Luke 15

Many years ago, I lost my iPod. I had purchased the iPod instead of an iPhone, and, at the time, all of my friends made fun of me for what they considered a stupid purchase. After all, an iPhone can do everything an iPod can, and it is a phone. (On the other side, if I had bought an iPhone, maybe I would have lost it and been in even more trouble.) Now, I am pretty sure that I know where I lost it. The last place that I remember having it was in my office. So, I first tore my office apart, believing it had to be there. I took my books off my bookshelf because I thought the iPod might have fallen behind the books. I looked in my desk, got down on the floor and searched there; I moved my filing cabinet. But all of my efforts yielded nothing. I couldn't find my iPod.

I am sure the last place I had my iPod was in my office, but I went home and started looking there. Question: I don't think I am weird in this, but have you ever looked for something where you are pretty sure it isn't? I know I didn't lose my iPod at home, but I couldn't find it in my office, so I started looking for it elsewhere. I began to search in rooms I hadn't even been in for months because maybe my iPod had walked in there of its own volition. But it wasn't there either.

I must admit that I would still look for my missing iPod for months afterward when I walked into a room. I don't know; maybe my iPod walked over to your house. When we lose something, especially something significant or that costs us money, we search for it.

How much more do we search when it is something in which we have placed our hope? The first thing we must realize in this parable is that the woman had found a source of hope in her ten coins. The coin in question was a silver drachma. And there were a couple of reasons why the woman would search for the coin. The first is purely financial. A silver drachma, while not worth much by today's standards, was worth more than a day's wage for a working person of the time. These people lived at the edge of survival, and it wouldn't take much to push them over the line, from being fed to being hungry. So, to lose a day's wage was significant; this coin provided hope, security, and maybe even what Jesus called "Peace" to the impoverished woman. The coin was important financially.

The financial aspect of the lost coin is likely what we think of most often when we approach this parable. But I wonder if there is possibly something more in the story. There was another tradition into which Jesus might have been speaking. It was customary for a woman to wear a headdress on her wedding day with ten silver coins sewn into it. The woman would scrimp and save for an extended period of time so that she could have these coins on her wedding day. The word used here is simply a woman, single or married, but it may also indicate an engaged woman.

Can you imagine the distress she was going through knowing that her wedding day was approaching and she had lost one of the ten coins she was preparing to sew into her headdress for her wedding day? Or if she was married, one of the ten coins that had been in her headdress on the day she was married. Those ten coins symbolized hope for the future and couldn't be replaced, at least not easily.

So, Jesus says that she searched for the lost coin. It wouldn't have been an easy search. The only light would have been a circular window that was eighteen inches at its widest point. The floor was pressed dirt covered with reeds. It would have been like looking for a needle in a haystack. Her only hope was that she would see the metal coin reflect the light of the lamp.

But it was her source of hope, not just financially but emotionally. So, she had to search for it.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 16

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. – Luke 14:11

Today's Scripture Reading (January 18, 2024): Luke 14

How important are you? Who is it that you rank above in your circle of acquaintances? Who is just above you? If you had to speak for yourself, what are your strengths and weaknesses? Okay, I admit I'm not too fond of any of those questions, especially that last one, partially because I never get the answers right. I know I should know where my weaknesses are and where my strengths might be, but I often find that I don't. I am me, a highly complex person who is trying to make his way through this life. But sometimes, these questions are asked, even if our inner voice is the only one asking them.

As Jesus came to the Pharisee's house, he first noticed that they were lining up according to who was the most important in the room and then who was next in significance. The invitees struggle with where they fit in the grand scenario with the other guests. It doesn't sound much different from my life in junior high school. Who is it that gets to sit next to the popular people in the room?

Jesus looks at these people lining up based on importance and argues they are asking the wrong question. The argument shouldn't be about who is the greatest but rather about who is the least and placing themselves in that conversation.

As I thought about this, my mind kept returning to Mother Theresa. A few years before she died, Mother Teresa was interviewed by a Western reporter. Proud of his opportunity to hear the words of this living saint, he had gathered together what he thought were the essential questions. How much did Teresa really know about how the world felt about her?

So, he asked his first well-thought-out question: What is it like to be famous? She responded, "I feel closer to God when I am with my friends, the poor and dying on the streets of Calcutta." It wasn't the answer the reporter sought, but he quickly decided to move on to his second question.

What is it like to be revered? Teresa responded, "I feel closer to God when I am holding onto my friends." The reporter was not getting the answers he wanted, but he pushed on asking his third question. What is it like to win the Nobel Peace Prize? Mother Theresa simply answered, "I just want to be a pencil in the hand of my God."

The frustrated interviewer looked at Mother Theresa and asked; But what about You? Mother Theresa looked back at him and said, "It's not about me; it's about God."

Those are the words that haunt me. I have seen people do great acts of service in the church, I have watched as they went on short and long-term mission trips, and I have seen them take the positions of the least, but when it came down to it, it wasn't about God; it was still about them.

The reality of Jesus's statement is that this has to become not about you. If this is about you, then you are not seeking the least. But if we allow life to become not about us, only then will God be able to lift us up.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 15

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. – Luke 13:1

Today's Scripture Reading (January 17, 2024): Luke 13

Pontius Pilate is a fascinating historical figure, partially because we know so little about him. That lack of knowledge has invited a few rumors and stories about Pilate that cannot be confirmed. But we do know that Pilate was governor over Judah from 26 to 36 C.E. and that he presided over the execution of Jesus Christ.

We also know that Pilate could be a cruel ruler, often meeting resistance with violence. One story highlights this tendency, although we are not sure of the date of the episode. But during Pilate's governorship, he decided to build an aqueduct from the Pools of Solomon to Jerusalem, bringing much-needed water into the city. The idea was good, but Pilate didn't have the money to get the job done. And so, Pilate decided that the thirty-nine-kilometer (twenty-four-mile) aqueduct would be paid for out of the Temple treasury. For Pilate, it was the perfect solution; he could upgrade Jerusalem, but the upgrade wouldn't cost his Roman employers a thing.

However, the priests and the Jews were less excited by Pilate's solution to the problem. The presence of soldiers in Jerusalem had already caused problems between the Jewish faithful and their Roman overlords. Taking money from the Temple treasury and using it for a secular aqueduct was nothing less than stealing from God. It was a crime the people could not let stand. And so they planned a protest and surrounded the governor's house to let him know of their displeasure, hoping that the governor would change his mind about the source of funding for his aqueduct.

Instead, Pilate sent soldiers disguised as protestors into the crowd. After the governor gave a predetermined sign, the soldiers began to kill the protestors. Ultimately, Pilate got his aqueduct, and Temple funds paid for it. That aqueduct was destroyed almost forty years later during the First Jewish-Roman War (66-74 C.E.).

We do not know about the specific incident that Luke is talking about here, but there is no doubt that it was within Pilate's character to kill those who did not go along with his plans. What these Galileans did to anger the governor may not be known, but his tendency toward violence is well known, so there is no need to doubt Luke's comment in this passage.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 14