pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: believe


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“No” to Self!

Reading: Luke 8:40-9

Luke 9:23 – “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me.”

Today’s reading begins with two stories where faith results in healing. Jairus comes to Jesus seeking healing for his daughter and a woman discreetly comes to Jesus for healing. Both believe that Jesus can bring healing. In spite of circumstances stacked against them, both experience healing because they continued to believe.

Jesus sends out the 12 to heal and proclaim the good news. After a successful outing, Jesus encounters a large crowd. After a long day teaching and healing, the disciples suggest sending the crowd to find food and lodging. Jesus suggests the disciples feed the crowd. Their response: But we don’t have enough. Fish and loaves are not what is lacking. With five fish and two loaves, Jesus feeds the huge crowd. In the end all eat their fill and the disciples each hold a basket full of leftovers. Jesus has faith to spare!

There are two sections about following Jesus in today’s readings. After Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus explains that this means dying and being raised. He will be an unexpected kind of Messiah. Because of this, Jesus defines what it takes to follow this way: “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me.” At the end of today’s readings we see that many cannot meet these expectations. Followers must be willing to lose their lives to take on Christ’s.

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain, where he is transfigured. They see Jesus in his divine glory. God’s words add to their understanding that he is truly the Son of God. They descend and Jesus heals a boy possessed by a demon. He then confronts the disciples lack of understanding about following him. They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest. Jesus states, “Whoever is least among you is the greatest.” It’s all about elevating others above self. This requires a follower of Jesus to say “no” to self again and again and again…

Prayer: Lord God, while the world and our culture tells us that self is all that matters, you say the opposite. Everything, everyone, all else is to be placed before our own needs and wants. In that place, we are trusting in you alone for all that we truly need. Grant us the faith and the courage to make this choice every day. Amen.


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Not Far

Reading: Mark 10:46-12:34

Mark 12:14 – “Teacher, we know that you’re genuine and you don’t worry about what people think. You don’t show favoritism but teach God’s way as it really is.”

Blind Bartimaeus sits beside the road as Jesus passes by. He shouts, “Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy!” Shushed by the crowd, he shouts louder. Today, who is crying out to Jesus that we are trying to shush? Seeing him as worthy, Jesus heals him. Going on, Jesus enters Jerusalem, triumphally riding on a colt as people shout, “Hosanna”! In Mark, Jesus looks around the temple and goes to Bethany.

On the way back to the temple, Jesus curses a fruitless fig tree – symbolic of the temple. Returning to the temple, Jesus clears it of all connected to their fruitless sacrifices. These rituals are not reflected in changed hearts and lives. Coming back into the city Jesus had encouraged the disciples to have faith in God. He told them, “Whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you will receive it, and it will be so for you.” Faith and belief leads to fruit.

The religious leaders question Jesus’ authority. He traps them in a question about John the Baptist’s authority, revealing their lack of faith in God. Jesus then tells the parable of the tenants, taking full aim at these religious leaders. The vineyard represents Israel and they are the tenants. These tenants abused and/or killed this sent to collect fruit. Soon the son was sent. They kill him, claiming the inheritance. Prophet after prophet and then finally Jesus was sent to Israel. Destruction is promised for these tenants. The stone rejected will become the cornerstone.

After a couple of attempts to trap Jesus using the hot topics of paying taxes, divorce, and resurrection, a legal expert asks Jesus a real question. He recognizes truth in the flattering words spoken earlier: “Teacher, we know that you’re genuine and you don’t worry about what people think. You don’t show favoritism but teach God’s way as it really is.” He deeply appreciates Jesus’ answer about loving God with all our being and loving our neighbors as self. The expert correctly deems these two commands “much more important than all kinds of… offerings and sacrifices.” Yes, faith in God demonstrated through love lived out – these matter more than anything. With a faith like this, we too won’t be far from God’s kingdom.

Prayer: Lord God, you call us to a faith that is alive and active, bearing fruit for your kingdom as we seek to bring your love to bear upon our world. Open our ears to the cries of those in need. Open our hearts to respond as Jesus would’ve. Draw us closer and closer to your kingdom – here and now, one day in your divine presence. Amen.


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The Ebb and Flow

Reading: Psalm 119:89-176

‭Psalm 119:159 – “Look at how much I love your precepts. Make me live again, LORD!”

The first half of Psalm 119 painted a picture of a new and growing faith. In verses 89-176 we find a more mature faith, one that quickly turns to God, one that expects God to act on behalf of the faithful. The overarching theme of these 11 sections can be summed up in today’s key verse: “Look at how much I love your precepts. Make me live again, LORD!” Much like Job, the psalmist wrestles with the good/reward, bad/punish framework of the ancient faith. We wrestle with this too.

This wrestling can be found in verses 126-127 and in 165-166. In the first the psalmist almost demands God’s actions because others have “broken” God’s law and because he or she loves the law more than gold. In verse 165 the statement is made that the faithful enjoy peace and do not stumble. Then in 166 the psalmist says, “Lord, I want your saving help.” I’m good, God. You should save me!

Throughout these sections we also find a consistent theme of loving God’s law and being angry at or hating those who don’t love God’s law. We see this played out in the New Testament too as the religious leaders clashed with Jesus and then with his followers. They couldn’t stomach how Jesus ate with and touched sinners. We too can be a bit like this. We can look down our noses at those who aren’t acting or believing like we act and believe. We can struggle with brothers and sisters in Christ who seek to minister to “those” people.

Overall these sections of Psalm 119 paint an accurate picture of our faith – for good and for bad. We sincerely want to know, understand, and live out God’s will and ways. We can judge and demand. And we can find ourselves as the psalmist did in verse 176: “I’ve wandered off like a sheep, lost.” And we can pray as the psalmist prayer: “Find your servant because I haven’t forgotten your commandments!” No, likely they’re just conveniently misplaced. Lord, help us.

Prayer: Lord God, the ebb and flow is part of the journey. The call to love the least wrestles with our inclinations towards judgment and condemnation. How fickle we are too. So, yes, help us Lord to know you more, to love you more completely, to serve more steadfastly. Continue to gather us back in. Shepherd us on your path. Amen.


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Obedience and Faith

Readings: Exodus 1, Exodus 2, Exodus 3, and Exodus 4

Genesis 2:24-25 – “God heard their cry… God remembered his covenant… God looked at the Israelites, and God understood.”

Today we begin the story of the Exodus! It is the story of God’s deliverance from oppression and it is the story of the formation of God’s people. The story begins with the fulfillment of part of the covenant – Abraham’s descendants become numerous. Seventy quickly grows to be thousands upon thousands. Pharaoh fears them then enslaves the Hebrews. Growth continues. Faith is demonstrated by Shiphrah and Puah, thwarting plan A. Plan B is to drown all Hebrew baby boys in the Nile River. Moses is born and goes into the Nile – in a tarred basket. Providence has him rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter. He grows up largely as an Egyptian.

Turning to adulthood, Moses defends a slave, killing an Egyptian. Moses then flees to Midian where his rescue of some shepherdesses connects him to Jethro and family. Moses marries, settles down. The Israelites cry out. At the end of chapter 2 we read, “God heard their cry… God remembered his covenant… God looked at the Israelites, and God understood.”

Out tending the flock on Mount Horeb/Sinai, Moses is drawn to a burning bush. It is holy ground – God is present. God asks Moses to rescue the Hebrews. Moses has lots of excuses. Sound familiar?! The excuses: Who am I? Who are you? How will they know you sent me? But I can’t talk well! Can’t you just send someone else?! Only the last one angers God. Yet God relents and sends a long Aaron to help. Pharaoh’s stubbornness is foreshadowed, as is the final plague.

Obediently, Moses goes. Yet obedience must be complete. On the way, God appears and tries to kill “him.” Is Moses or his son Gershom? Either way this is about circumcision – the symbolic act that identities the Israelites as God’s people. Zipporah reads the scene correctly and she acts quickly. The chapter closes with Moses and Aaron’s initial meeting with the Hebrew elders. They believe and then they worship the Lord their God.

Prayer: Lord God, oh how we are like Moses! Raised in two worlds – yours and this place we call home. We too can be confused about who and whose we are. And when you come to us, we can make excuses with the best of them. Yet, in love you lead and guide us. You desire relationship. You are not a tyrant. You invite us to be co-creators with you, loving and caring for your intended world. Thank you for the invitation. May we respond with both obedience and faith. Amen.


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Anyone? Someone?

Reading: Romans 9:1-5

Verse 2: “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.”

Photo credit: Nathan Dumlao

This week’s Epistle reading comes on the heels of one of the greatest passages about the power we find when we choose to live our life in Jesus Christ. Paul has passionately built the case for faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Romans 8 is one of the most convincing and moving arguments for choosing Jesus as Lord that can be found in the New Testament.

After completing this passage, I bet Paul felt drained. He poured his heart and soul into those words. Concluding that section, I can picture him letting out a big sigh, accompanied with a “Phew!” It was truly a monumental effort. And then his heart and mind turned to the great number of Jews who refused to see Jesus Christ as the Messiah, who refused to believe anything about having a saving faith in Christ.

In verse 2 he writes, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.” Paul is heartbroken over the peoples’ refusal to even consider Jesus Christ as the Messiah. His compassion for his own people is so great that Paul would gladly be “cursed and cut off from Christ” if the people of Israel would just come to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, as the Son of God. That is a deep compassion.

Is there anyone in your life that you long to see come to Christ? Is the someone for whom your soul aches and your heart longs for because of their refusal to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? For most of us, the answer to both questions is “yes!” Through our prayers and through our witness may we bring these before Christ.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be more intentional about how I am Christ to those who don’t quite know you as Lord and Savior. Use me in whatever ways necessary to draw these to you. Amen.


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Life or Death?

Reading: Romans 8:1-11

Verse 6: “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

Photo credit: James A. Molnar

Turning to our Epistle reading today and tomorrow, Paul writes about “Life in the Spirit.” He begins with an important truth: there is no condemnation for those who believe in Jesus Christ. Yes, we still sin. But – thanks be to God – our sin does not have the final word. Christ’s love and grace and mercy has the final word. And it has already been spoken. Because of his death and resurrection, one day Jesus will “give life to your mortal bodies” as all who believe in Jesus will join him eternally.

In our passage Paul juxtaposes the will of the flesh and the will of the Spirit. In Paul’s actual words and in his way of thinking, “flesh” is our fallen human condition. It is our proclivity to sin. It is our tendency to idolatry – both to the things of this world and to self. It is not the physical body. These words and others like them have been misused to judge and enslave and marginalize those who were not white males. Sadly this continues to be some people’s reality today. Prayers for us to all see all people as equally beloved by God.

To help us move away from this harmful, destructive, distorted viewpoint, let us turn to verse 6. Here we read, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” This verse places the battle between sin and life squarely in our minds. It removes the physical and emotional and places the battle solely in the spiritual realm. The mind controls our words, thoughts, actions, and inactions. We make choices. Sin or God? Love or hate? Welcome or exclusion? Life or death?

Prayer: Lord God, raise up and give strength to the will of the Spirit in my life. In your love, help me to die to self and to the sin it so easily leads to. Day by day, occupy more and more of my mind, more of my heart. Amen.


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Credited with Righteousness

Reading: Romans 4:18-25

Verses 20-21: “He did not waver… but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”

Our passage begins with these words: “Against all hope.” I bet Abraham could have felt that way later in life. At 75 he was called by God. He was faithful and departed Haran, making his way to Canaan. Upon arriving he again heard God’s blessing to be a “father of many nations.” It is 25 years later and Sarah is still barren. Abraham himself was 100. He was certainly in a position where he could have felt it was “against all hope.”

And yet… “He did not waver… but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” He continued to keep the faith. He continued to choose to believe that God was good and faithful and true. Paul reminds us that his faith grew. When most of us would waver, when most of us would doubt, Abraham doubled down. Because he believed, he gave glory to God. He trusted that God would do what God said would be done. Because of this, Abraham is credited with being righteous.

In verse 23 Paul includes us in this scenario. If we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord of our life, we too will be credited with righteousness. If we believe that Jesus died for our sins and that he was raised from the dead, we will be made right before God. We will be credited with righteousness. This is our promise too. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the great example set by Abraham. His sure and steady faith is a model for us to follow. And thank you for Jesus Christ, the one who died for our sins , the one who opens the way to life eternal. Amen.


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Steps and the Promise

Readings: 1st Peter 4:12-14 and 5:6-11

Verse 7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Photo credit: Uta Scholl

As we come to the close to our time in 1st Peter, the common themes continue: “Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering” and “you are blessed for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” Yes, you/we will suffer for our faith. Have hope! Glory awaits one day and God is with you/us each day in the trials.

Turning to chapter 5 we find some practical steps to walk faithfully through our suffering as well as a promise that gives us this living hope that we have in Jesus Christ. First, Peter calls for humility. Only from this place do we acknowledge our own weaknesses and fragility. Only then do we believe that we truly need God’s power and strength in the trials. Next Peter writes, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” He is NOT saying God will take away all the trials and suffering. He IS saying that if we trust God to lead and guide and to be with us as we walk through the trials and suffering, then we can turn over our anxieties, fears, doubts, worries… to God. This is a big step.

Third, Peter tells us to be “self-controlled and alert.” This advice is given because Satan is always on the prowl, always looking for ways to drag us into sin and away from God. By being disciplined in our faith practices we are arming ourselves with power against these attacks. By being alert we are aware of our own areas of weakness and of those people and/or places that hold negative sway over us. This leads us to the 4th step: “Resist him.” Luke trials and suffering, temptation will come. Satan will attack. To this too we could say, “Do not be surprised…” Peter calls them/us to resist, to stand firm on our rock.

And the promise: “And the God of all grace… will restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” We do not walk alone. God in Spirit is with us always. In and through the trials and the suffering, God builds our faith. God sees us through and brings us out better able and more equipped for the next round. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, we close this walk through 1st Peter with such hope! In this life we will suffer, we will have trials, we will face temptations. Yet you are there with us, giving and being all that we need to walk faithfully through each one, emerging more faithful, more trusting, more assured of the living hope we have in you. Thank you for your great love and care for each of us. Amen.


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Enough

Reading: John 20:30-31 – “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

When you first read these 2 verses maybe you, like me, feel that there really is more to the story of Jesus. And being raised in this culture, if more is available, we certainly want it. More knowledge, more wisdom, more followers, more time, more possessions, more wealth – you name it – we want more.

If one reads through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, one realizes that there aren’t a lot of stories that are in all four gospels. A few are, yes, but each gospel writer had a particular focus or purpose and gathered material accordingly. The writers even arranged the material in a different order here and there because that better fit their focus. From this perspective it makes perfect sense that John would write “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book” at the end of his gospel. Oh wait! He then sneaks in one more miracle even after this statement.

Even though it is fascinating to think about or even to imagine all of the other potential stories about Jesus that aren’t in the gospels, the reality is that each gospel, on its own, is enough. Each, in their own way, presents a picture of Jesus that is enough to lead someone to believe in him as Lord and Savior. Now one may appeal to you more than another. That is natural as each was written with a focus or for a specific purpose.

Our reading concludes with John writing, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” May it ever be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, the gospels are indeed more than enough – not only in content but in function. The complete picture is painted and yet your stories remain alive, offering new insights or a new application when I come to them from a different perspective or with a new need. Thank you for the living word – our living hope, our eternal promise. Amen.


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A Solemn and Sad Day

Reading: Matthew 27:57-66

Verses 59-60: “Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb.”

Photo credit: Falaq Lazuardi

As evening approaches Joseph of Arimathea gains permission to bury Jesus’ body. Normally the crucified would be buried in a slowly growing mass grave alongside the road. The Romans believed that was all a crucified criminal deserved. But Joseph thought differently. We read, “Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb.” He cared for the body of the one he must’ve believed in. Joseph is not just some guy doing a random good deed.

In verse 61 we read that “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” were present while Joseph prepared and laid Jesus’ body in the tomb. Joseph was a ‘secret’ follower of Jesus. Being a member of the Jewish ruling council, he has to keep this quiet. So Mary and Mary were the only two of Jesus’ regular followers to stick around through the whole gruesome event. No disciples came to care for Jesus’ body. No family members came.

On this solemn and sad Sabbath day, the followers and disciples of Jesus were surely overwhelmed with emotions: grief, shock, sadness, disbelief, doubt… Joseph cared for the body. Mary and Mary stayed present and grieved. They would prepare spices and perfumes to go early the next morning to finish caring for the body. No one expected the resurrection. Hope was lost. Love had died.

Prayer: Lord, help me to imagine what this day was like long ago. Let me feel the emptiness and loneliness and despair of the saddest of days. Temper the joy of the resurrection just this day so that I too can remain close to the one who died for me. Amen.