pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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The Great Commands

Reading: Matthew 22:34-40 and 7:9-12

Matthew 7:12 – “Treat people in the same way that you want people to treat you.”

Photo credit: Shane

In Matthew 22 the Pharisees get together and decide to test or trap Jesus. Their religious rivals, the Sadducees, have just been left speechless after their attempt to trap Jesus in his words. The Pharisees send one forward to test Jesus with a question: What’s the greatest commandment? The Law has 613 (or 623) commands. Which is the most important one Jesus?

Quoting from the Law, Jesus identifies the Deuteronomy law to love God with all that you are. He quickly adds one from Leviticus: “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” For a devout Jew these are the two core commands. These two verses form the heart of a prayer offered each and every day, both morning and night. While the concept of loving God and neighbor is easy to understand, the actual execution of these commands can be very hard. To date, I believe that Jesus is the only one with a 100% success rate.

Jesus offers some practical application tips in chapter 7, verses 9-12. Here he uses parenting as the analogy. If your child asks for bread or fish because they are hungry, who would give them a rock or a snake instead? Well, no good parent would. Jesus then reminds us that the one who loves us as children will do the same and even more. He then generalizes this teaching on loving well to others, adding, “Treat people in the same way that you want people to treat you.” Give that person in need not just bread but some water too. Give that stranger not just a fish but a place to stay too. Just as the Lord our God is good and loving and generous, Jesus says, you do the same.

Prayer: Lord God, the call is clear: love well, love deeply, love genuinely. You have modeled this and your son Jesus modeled it. We have no excuses. We can’t play dumb. Yet we sure can struggle to love you with all that we are and to love others as we love ourselves. Lord, encourage and empower us today to love as you call us to love. When we waver, strengthen us by the power of your Holy Spirit. Thank you, God. Amen.


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Divinity and Humanity, Strengths and Weaknesses

Reading: Luke 22

Luke 22:42 – “Not my will but your will must be done.”

Our reading begins with Judas agreeing to hand Jesus over. It must be an opportunity without a crowd. This time comes as Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives to pray, which he does regularly. Another regular event was the celebration of the Passover meal. Peter and John are tasked with setting it up. At the table, though, Jesus becomes irregular. He changes the words and the meaning of this ancient ritual. The bread represents his body and the cup of wine represents the new covenant of his blood. He will become the new Passover lamb, sacrificed for many.

At the table, Jesus tells the disciples that his betrayer is present. They question who it could be, which leads to an argument about who is the greatest. To prove that we’re not the “weak link” we often resort to sharing our strengths to prove our own innocence. Jesus reigns them in, reminding them to become low, like a servant, like Jesus himself. He also offers words of encouragement. Because they have (and will) continue to walk with Jesus, one day they’ll eat and drink at his table in heaven. One day they’ll each sit on a throne overseeing the tribes of Israel.

Jesus shifts gears, sharing with the disciples that Satan will “sift you all like wheat.” Peter boldly states that he is ready to go to prison or even to die with Jesus. Alas, Peter, you will deny Jesus three times this very night – all before the rooster crows. Jesus then goes to the Mount of Olives to pray. He first asks God to take away this cup of suffering and death. He then prays, “Not my will but your will must be done.” Jesus is committed to God’s plan. He’s then betrayed by a kiss, is arrested, is beaten and questioned. In the midst of all this, he heals a servant. Peter denies him three times, then breaks down, sobbing uncontrollably. Jesus makes the claim that he will now be seated at God’s right hand. His words seal his fate.

Prayer: Lord God, a plan hurtles towards completion. We know the story and the steps. We’re reminded of both Jesus’ divinity and of his humanity. We too carry these within us. We’re also reminded of the disciples’ strengths and weaknesses. We too possess plenty of both. Lord, be present to us today so that we too might know and follow your will. Amen.


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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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Living or Practicing?

Reading: Matthew 22: 34-46

Verse 36: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law”?

If one spends some time reading the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – one sees that the religious leaders and Jesus did not always see eye to eye. As the tension between Jesus and the Pharisees, Sadducees, and others in the religious circles increases, these religious power holders begin to look for ways to discredit Jesus. As these attempts fail, they begin to plot to eliminate him. Today’s testing of Jesus begins with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law”?

Much like he did with last week’s question about paying taxes, Jesus gives two answers to this week’s question. Often we too ask pointed questions, ones worded just the right way to force the answer we want to hear. The religious leaders think they know the correct answer to their question. And, in fact, Jesus begins with their correct answer: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”. Quoting from Deuteronomy 6, Jesus gives the #1 answer. From even the religious leaders perspective, keeping this commandment is essential to keeping all the rest. To possibly keep all 600+ commandments found in the law, one must love God with all of one’s being. To keep them all, of course, is impossible (except for Jesus). This aim or focus became the goal for the religious leaders, especially the Pharisees. It became so much their focus that Jesus had to add the second commandment to his answer.

Quoting from Leviticus 19, Jesus adds, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. This commandment takes the love of God and puts it into action, into motion, takes out into the world. Here we begin to see the source of the tension between Jesus and the religious leaders. They were all about knowing and following the laws. Jesus was all about knowing and applying or living out the law. Jesus chose not to live by the letter of the law but by the spirit of the law. He lived out his faith. The religious leaders practiced theirs. As we too face this decision, may we choose to allow the word of God to bring life and feet to our faith as we seek to model Jesus for others.

Prayer: Lord God, it is so much easier to just read and study and even to appreciate the life of Jesus rather than to strive to live it out. So much easier. It is safe and comfortable and warm here at my desk, just down the road at the church. Jesus’ road is hard, it is narrow. Guide my heart to that road. Amen.


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Serving God, Serving Others

Reading: Mark 9: 33-37

Verse 35: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all”.

The disciples are arguing about something we can argue about from time to time. As kids, we all argued with our siblings about who was our parents’ favorite. As we got a little older, we discussed who was the teacher’s or coach’s favorite. As we entered into adulthood, the discussion took place most often in our heads. Whenever we did voice our opinion concerning someone being the favorite, it was usually a manner of complaint or gossip.

Unfortunately, most people want to be #1. Some express this by being large and in charge. Some simply want to be the one others look to. Deep down, we all want to be important, to matter. Society teaches us that worth is in our possessions, our titles, our status. This equates out to being the greatest. Faith runs counter to these values and ideas. Knowing what the disciples were arguing about, Jesus says, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all”. If you want to be the greatest in God’s kingdom, be the last to consider yourself, be the first to offer yourself in humble service to one and all. How counter-cultural this is. What a radical way to consider greatness.

To drive His point home, Jesus has a child stand among them. In His day, children were at the bottom of the social and familial ladder. Jesus tells His disciples that when we welcome one of these – the least – we welcome Jesus and we welcome God into our lives. When we feed the hungry, visit the sick and the lonely, clothe the naked… then we are serving our needs last, we are being the servant of all. In the process, we often see the face of God in those we meet.

Lord God, this day may I seek to be last instead of first. May I be a giver and not a taker. May I be a person of humble faith, not a person of aloof religion. In all I do and say, maybe serve you as I serve others. May it be so each day. Amen.