pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: Jesus


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To God What Is God’s

Reading: Matthew 22:15-22

Verse 21: “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

In this week’s gospel lesson we see the Pharisees and Herodians trying to set a trap for Jesus. Part of me can’t but wonder how these schemes are devised. Is it late at night as they are trying to go to sleep in the temple dormitory? Is it after hearing about another amazing miracle that Jesus has done?

The plan is to try and trap him with a question about paying taxes to Caesar. This is a very heated subject amongst the Jews. The heavy taxes imposed by the Romans are very unpopular with most of the locals. Yet with Rome’s power and military presence, one has little choice. Speaking out against the taxes or refusing to pay them drew a harsh response from the Romans.

So these religious leaders send their underlings to ask Jesus this question: “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” If Jesus says “yes,” then the religious zealots come after him. If he says “no,” then the Romans come after him. But instead of a yes/no answer, Jesus first asks for and then inspects a coin. He finds out that Caesar’s image is on the coin. He knows whose image is on the Pharisees, on the Herodians, on his audience, on the Romans – God’s image. The same is true for you and for me.

Jesus’ summary teaching is this: “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Caesar has a right to what is his. And so too does God. The question for us to ponder is this: If we are God’s, how do we give to God what is God’s?

Prayer: Lord God, I know that the things of this world belong to this world. They are temporary. While they do have their place here and now, help me to hold them lightly. I know too that I belong to you – me and all that I have and all that I am. Guide me to freely give to you all of me. Help me to be generous in all ways. Amen.


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Newsworthy

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 1:4-10

Verse 8: “Your faith in God has become known everywhere.”

Photo credit: Vanilla Bear Films

Continuing in our Epistle text for this week, Paul recognizes that the Thessalonians have been chosen by God. The gift of the Holy Spirit and the deep conviction by which they live their faith is the proof that God has indeed chosen them. His words alone do not have that power. It is the power that comes through the Holy Spirit of God that changes hearts and lives.

Paul then commends them for becoming “imitators of us and of the Lord.” They lived out their faith joyfully just as Paul, Silas, and Timothy has: boldly even in the face of suffering. These disciples and this church were being Jesus to the world. They were sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. They model for us what it looks like to follow Jesus. Because of this, Paul is able to write, “Your faith in God has become known everywhere.” Wow!

Paul sees that their faith has “rung out” far and wide. What would it look like for your faith to “ring out?” How could your church engage the world in such a way that the church’s witness “rings out” in the community? This is what happens when we joyfully live out our faith and when we boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Our faith really can impact our world. It should impact our world.

For the church in Thessalonica, their faith was told of by others far and wide. Stories of turning from idols and of living for Christ were newsworthy. This is the end result of “work produced by faith… labor prompted by love… endurance inspired by hope.” May it be so for us.

Prayer: Lord God, enable and empower us and our churches, leading and guiding us to make your name known. Through our joy and through our boldness, may others come to experience the power of your Holy Spirit at work in their lives. May this be the witness that the Lord receives. Amen.


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Striving as Light and Love

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 1:1-3

Verse 3: “Your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope.”

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians begins much as his letters to the Colossians or Ephesians or to Timothy or Philemon. He greets them and then offers words of thanksgiving for their faith and for the ways that they are living out their faith. This usually connects them back to when they were physically present to one another. This reminds them of their relationship with Paul and of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

After thanking God “for all of you” and letting them know that they are in his prayers, Paul mentions three things that he thankfully remembers as he prays for the Thessalonian church. Paul first mentions “your work produced by faith.” This is the tangible outreach to their brothers and sisters in Christ and to the world beyond the church. This is the humble service offered to the other, modeled first by Jesus. Next Paul mentions “your labor prompted by love.” If the work produced by faith was the “what,” then this is the “why.” Love is the driving force of our Christian life and of our community of faith. God’s love drove Jesus, just as it drives and prompts us to labor for God as our joyful response to God’s great love.

Paul closes this verse by mentioning “your endurance inspired by hope.” This is the “how.” In a world that assails and persecutes the church and their faith, it is their hope in Christ that allows them to faithfully press on. They know the end of the story so they can work and labor for and with Christ, assured of their salvation. May it be so for us as well as we too strive to live as light and love in a dark and hurting world.

Prayer: Lord God, through the power of faith, love, and hope, use me today to make your love known. Through your power, help others to know the light and love that you bring into my life. Amen.


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Wedding Clothes

Reading: Matthew 22:11-14

Verse 12: “How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?”

Jametlene Respk

The wedding hall has been filled with guests – “both good and bad.” All we’re invited to come. As we continue in Matthew 22, the king comes and begins to mingle with the guests. Soon he noticed a man who was not dressed properly. The king says to the man, “How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?” While we might be puzzled by this question, Jesus’ audience would’ve known good and well that you dress (and act) for the occasion, especially if you’re invited by the king!

The man in question is bound and tossed into the darkness, where he will weep and gnash his teeth. This harsh metaphor is the reality that some people will face when they meet the King of kings. Then comes the point of the parable: “Many are invited but few are chosen.”

It can be tempting to respond to God’s invitation as this man did. He thought that he could just show up and be acceptable. Here is where some context is really important. Jesus is saying that there is a big difference between being called and being chosen. We are all called into a relationship with Jesus. Matthew’s audience would also understand that the wedding clothes were a metaphor for clothing oneself in Christ. To accept and live out Christ’s invitation into relationship was to put on Christ’s love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, compassion, hospitality… Understanding this, we can turn to our important question for today: Are you dressed in the proper attire for the great banquet of Christ?

Prayer: Lord God, day by day, as you call me into humble service, may I make the very intentional choice to clothe myself in Christ. Help me to soak in your word, to open my eyes and ears and heart to your Holy Spirit, and to find the strength and courage to live faithfully and righteously each day. Amen.


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The Target Audience

Reading: Matthew 22:1-10

Verse 3: “He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.”

Photo credit: Possessed Photography

Jesus loved to tell a good story, to teach in parables. These were stories that were often set in real life so that people could relate to them. Therefore they were able to remember them. Parables are great ways to teach lessons or truths without actually naming the target audience. And best of all, the people knew there were deeper meanings to these parables, so they wrestled with Jesus’ teachings.

Once again Jesus begins, “The kingdom of heaven was like…” Jesus is talking about both the future kingdom of heaven and of the kingdom here on earth. These are to be like one another. When we get to heaven, we should say, ‘This looks a lot like earth.’ That is the truth that frames this parable. The parable reveals the reality that they are not alike.

The king (God) invites people (Israel) to his son’s wedding. They accepted the invitation. (The Jews see themselves as God’s chosen people.) The time comes for the actual banquet – all has been prepared (Jesus has come.) The king tells the servants to summon those on the guest list. The people refuse to come. Some even kill the servants (prophets). In a harsh but true statement the king says, “Those I invited did not deserve to come.” Undeterred, the servants are sent out into the streets (the world) inviting people (all people) to come to the banquet. The invitation is wide open. The banquet hall is filled! This is God’s intent for the kingdom of heaven – both here on earth and one day in eternity.

The target audience has layers. There is wrestling to be done. A target audience is the religious leaders and other Jews that have rejected the prophets and who now reject Jesus. Another target audience is those who have read this parable ever since it was written. How often we (you and me) reject the invitations of God – be they in the words in red or in the gentle whispers and nudges of the Holy Spirit. What then is Jesus teaching us yet today?

Prayer: Lord God, may the truths that you reveal to us today not just be a sting that we allow to fade away with time. May they lead us to step further into your kingdom here on earth. May we hear your voice calling us to the streets, to the places where the lost and lonely, the broken and the hurting reside. In and through us may they hear your invitation to the feast. Amen.


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Interceding

Reading: Exodus 32:11-14

Verse 13: “Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel…”

Photo credit: Shane Rounce

As we continue in the Exodus passage for this week Moses seeks God’s favor, interceding on behalf of the people. This is not the first or last time that Moses will do this. Nor is he the first prophet to do this. This practice is not limited to prophets either. The practice of interceding on behalf of one another is at the core of the community of faith.

Using the same language as God, Moses doubles down, asking, “Why should your anger burn against your people?” Moses reminds God that it was actually God who brought the people out of Egypt. This is a type of prayer that we pray too. We remind God of what God has done in the belief that God will do it again. Moses wants God to rescue them not from Egypt but from their sin this time. Moses also reminds God of the relationship and its foundations. First, Moses says, “Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel…” Moses then reminds God of the promises. Yes, we too pray both of these prayer types too. We invoke our relationship (or another’s relationship with God) and we recall the promises found in the scriptures both as a reminder to ourselves and to God as well.

Can we change God’s mind with our prayers? Perhaps? Is God just using such prayers to reinforce our faith and trust? Maybe? While we do not know the answers to these questions, we do know that we are brought before God regularly and divinely. The Spirit interceded for us, often in groans and always in ways aligned with God’s will (Romans 8:26.) Christ himself also intercedes for us as he sits at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34.) I believe the content of these prayers comes from his time on earth.

May we too choose to stand in this long line of faith, interceding for one another, lifting one another before the throne of God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for being for us. Thank you for the ways that you, the three-in-one, intercede on our behalf – evidence of your great love for us. We know that you have good plans for us and that you seek to work these out. Help us to be a part of this today. Empower us to be a part of this great prayer effort today, both for ourselves and for one another. Amen.


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Heart Treasure

Reading: Luke 12:22-34

Verse 33: “Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail.”

Yesterday we looked at Paul’s invitation to strain forward towards the prize that we will one day receive in heaven. Along this journey we can face many challenges. Sometimes we get stuck. This happens most often when the things of this world rise up, getting in the way of our faith. So today we turn to Luke 12 to hear Jesus’ words about an emotion that can be very hard to deal with or to push past: worry. We often get stuck when we become overly focused on our “stuff” – the things that make us feel safe and secure. Instead of looking heavenward, though, we choose to concern ourselves with the things of this world.

Jesus first addresses our basic needs: food, water, clothing. He begins with the ravens. Look how God feeds them! Jesus then points to the lilies – look at their splendor! With both examples, Jesus reminds us that we are far more valuable than birds or “the grass of the fields.” God knows we need these things and will meet our needs. Next, we are reminded to first seek the kingdom of God – the things not of this world. This is the greater need. Here too Jesus offers encouragement: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” This calls us to trust.

Jesus then addresses our actions step: “Sell all your possessions and give to the poor.” This action step sits at the core of who and what we trust. It calls us to trust at the deepest level. Like Abel, who gave to God from the firstborn lambs in Genesis 4, and like the widow who gave all she had to live on in Mark 13, can we also offer up our possessions to God, trusting that God will provide? Doing so we will “provide purses that will not wear out” for ourselves. Doing so, we will lead with the heart, the true source of our treasure – our faith in Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, we know that you love us beyond our understanding. We know that you care for us and for our well-being. We know the promises of presence and of resurrection life. Help us to loosen our grip on the things of this world, freeing us to better grasp the things of heaven. Amen.


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Press On!

Reading: Philippians 3:4-14

Verse 8: “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

As we begin reading today’s passage perhaps we feel a common ground here with Paul. He begins by addressing our tendency to put “confidence in the flesh.” Paul lists his accomplishments and accolades – and in the religious culture of Israel at that time, it is quite the list. The tendency to define who and what we are by our job title or by our degrees or by some measurable worldly success is one we always need to be aware of.

The old Saul described in verses 4-6 has been born anew as Paul the apostle. In verse 8 he writes, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” All those titles, all that he did before – gone! He even goes so far as to call all of that old life “rubbish.” Paul has come to understand that faith in the Lord who wrote the Law is far better than the religion of simply checking the boxes that came with following all of those laws. Paul has come to live out a faith that has opened him up to the power of resurrection and to the joy of “sharing in his sufferings.” It is counter cultural to cast aside all that the world holds dear. To our old self, it feels upside down to lay all of that aside in order to live out “the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” Yet this is the “goal” and the “prize” to which all followers of Jesus Christ are called to.

I love the language and imagery that Paul’s words create in verses 12-14. This is what it means to be in love with Jesus. He “presses on” to “take hold” of Jesus Christ. He “strains” towards the goal “to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Jesus Christ.” What a beautiful goal! What a glorious effort! May this too be our “one thing.”

Prayer: Lord God, help me to fully find my identity in you. May the things of this world fall away on account of knowing you as Lord and Savior. Give me the courage and strength to daily press on towards that heavenly prize, walking humbly with Jesus day by day. Amen.


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A Disconnect

Reading: Matthew 21:33-46

Verse 46: “They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.”

This week’s gospel lesson is a parable about some tenants who reject, refuse, abuse, and even kill the messengers sent to them. This parable is an extension of Jesus’ answer to the chief priests and elders question: “By what authority are you doing these things?” (Matthew 21:23) In this second response Jesus and the religious leaders take center stage. In the parable the tenants refuse to listen to messenger after messenger. They even refuse to listen to the landowner’s son. They kill him, thinking they can take the inheritance (the vineyard) for themselves. Asking those who have killed the messengers and prophets what should happen to these tenants, the religious leaders answer, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end.” Trap set, bait taken.

Beginning in verse 42, Jesus unpacks the parable. Quoting from the Old Testament he speaks of a “marvelous thing” that God has done and of the rejection that he, “the capstone,” is currently experiencing. Speaking even more directly, he point blank tells the religious leaders that the kingdom of God (the vineyard) will be taken from them and given to those “who will produce fruit.” The religious leaders are stung by these words and their truth. They do not see the disconnect that has grown between their faith and the way that they live out their religion. Instead, they begin to think about how they can arrest and eventually eliminate the vineyard owner’s son.

Moving to today, I ask: Are we and are our churches producing fruit? We are good, I believe, at tending to our buildings, to our worship services, to our sheep. But are we producing fruit? Are we making new disciples of Jesus Christ? In the parable, the religious leaders wait to arrest Jesus because “the people held that he was a prophet.” There is not a disconnect here with the people. There continues to be a crowd out there that holds Jesus as a prophet, as an important part of their lives. And there is a disconnect between their faith and the institutional church. Once again, are we and are our churches being fruitful? Put another way, have we hunkered down inside the walls or are we stepping out into the world, seeking to make disciples of Christ, seeking to form a new connection? Have we, as followers of Jesus Christ and as churches, in essence rejected the model of the one who went out into his world, loving far beyond the walls of the temple and synagogues?

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes and our heart to the commission given by the capstone. Send us our, seeking to engage and make disciples of Jesus Christ. Move us beyond the comfort of our walls, out into the world, out where Jesus found the harvest to be most plentiful. Amen.


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The Love of God

Reading: Philippians 2:1-13

Verse 3: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

Paul opens this section on imitating Christ’s Humility by reminding those in the church of the encouragement, fellowship, tenderness, and compassion that they receive from Christ. These gifts draw the church together. These gifts power unity and connection. Paul invites the followers of Christ to “be one in spirit and purpose.” Is Paul inviting us to be one with Christ or one with each other? The answer is “both!”

To that end Paul gives this directive in verse 3: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Paul is really encouraging us to be like Jesus. Now, for Jesus, this was a very intentional choice. Jesus could calm the sea and restore someone to life. He could heal diseases, brokenness, and slavery to sin. He could chat with Moses and Elijah and he could rain down power from above. If anyone had the ability to pursue selfish ambition or had the accolades to be conceited, it was Jesus. But instead Jesus chose the role of humble servant. He chose to put God above all else and to place others needs above his own. We are called to this one purpose and spirit.

What made it possible for Jesus to walk daily in full obedience to God? What empowered Jesus to live out the role of humble servant? It was love. The love of God for all of creation flowed throughout Jesus’ whole being. This love found worth in all he met. This love elevated the other above self. It focused his life on living out God’s will and purpose. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, fill me with your love. May that love first lead me to give my heart, soul, mind, and strength to you. From there, Lord, may that love lead me to pour self out for others, covering them in your love. Guide me in your ways, O God. Use me for your purposes. Amen.