pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: love


by Leave a comment

Images

Reading: Matthew 22:41-46

Matthew 22:42 – “What do you think about the Messiah?”

.

After answering the Pharisees’ question about the greatest commandment, Jesus asks them a question. It is interesting to note the phrase “surrounded by the Pharisees.” Matthew implies that every single Pharisee is there that day. In your mind’s eye, can you picture Jesus standing there, surrounded by a large group of men in religious robes? And a second question: in the picture you created in your mind, what did Jesus look like?

Jesus asks the Pharisees, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They know the answer given in the scriptures. The Messiah will come from the line of David, their greatest king. They know that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem, the city of David. They know… And they know that this man standing in their midst cannot be the Messiah. The Romans are still there. Israel hasn’t been restored to greatness and glory.

Correcting them, Jesus quotes from Psalm 110, verse 1. The Messiah, the one David called “my Lord,” will be greater than David. But Jesus, what could be greater than restoring Israel to greatness and power? That is the Messiah that the Pharisees have in their mind’s eye as they image a time in the near future. Do you think they saw a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jesus standing triumphantly? This image is likely what most of us saw in our mind’s eye as we pictured Jesus amongst the Pharisees.

Returning to Jesus’ question, “What do you think about the Messiah?,” how would we answer this question? The temptation is to shape Jesus into something or someone that meets our needs, our wants, and our expectations. This Jesus really loves us. But yesterday we were reminded that the call is to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbors more than ourselves. This is the Messiah that laid down his life in humble obedience, loving us enough to suffer and die for us. This is the model and example that we are to follow. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, our images of Jesus tend to make him into our image. Remind us that the reverse is true: we are made in your image and therefore in his image. Guide us to live with the correct order. Lead us to hold Jesus as the Lord of our lives. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Supply for the Demand

Reading: Matthew 22:34-40

Matthew 22:40 – “The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

The Pharisees come to Jesus with a trapping question. One of them, “an expert in religious law,” steps forward. The Pharisees, a legalistic and exclusive religious group, have classified the Law. In this process, some laws of God were deemed more important than others. This group had become so focused on keeping the letter of the law, they neglected the call for Israel to be a blessing to the world. A representative from this group asks Jesus what the most important command is.

Jesus’ response focuses in on the command to love. This action, at its essence, is who God is. It is what Jesus sought to be in the world. Quoting from Deuteronomy and Leviticus, Jesus does identify the two most important commandments, tying them together. One must love God with all that they are and one must love neighbor at least as much as you love yourself. Just as it was with Jesus, these commands define our mission on earth. That is why Jesus concludes with, “The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

We live in a world where it often feels like love is in short supply. There is oppression and war, injustice and broken systems all around. People are lonely and are living outside of community. Because of these things, many question if they are even worthy of love. Here is where faith can meet the harsh realities of this world. God’s will is to build blessed community, to bring justice and wholeness, to love all people so that all will know that they are the beloved of God. Love has the power to change lives and the world. Because it is in short supply, there is great demand. May we be people who love God with all that we are as we strive to love all of our neighbors more than ourselves.

Prayer: Lord God, oh to be love in the world. We know what it feels like to be loved unconditionally by you. Use us, then, to help others know this feeling. Use us to meet the great demand for love. Amen.


by Leave a comment

The Commitment

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 2:5-8

1st Thessalonians 2:8 – “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s good news but our own lives, too.”

.

Moving on today to the rest of this week’s Epistle reading, Paul continues to review his visit to Thessalonica. He is doing so as a way to refresh these new believers’ understanding of how to disciple others. Because we read these words today they are instructive to us as well.

Paul and his co-workers did not try flattery as a means to bring people to Jesus. Their words and actions stayed focused on the truth revealed in and through Jesus Christ. Speaking the good news honestly and directly, Paul and his companions earned the Thessalonians’ trust. To further this trust and to deepen their connections to these new believers, the apostles did not seek financial gain or human praise. Without any hidden agendas, Paul and his co-workers could keep the focus on God’s message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

To the Thessalonians, Paul and his companions were gentle and caring, “like a mother feeding and caring for her children.” The intimate nature of this family relationship is what Paul and his co-workers for Christ sought to build with these new believers. In verse 8 we learn more about this effort and about true discipleship. Here we read, “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s good news but our own lives, too.” The commitment begins with love. It is the foundation of all relationships. The apostles’ commitment went far beyond preaching or sharing God’s message. It got down into the day to day living of life, to an intertwining of lives. Paul and his companions were there, sharing all of themselves with these new believers. The apostles lived out the words that they were preaching. When life gets hard, when the valley gets dark, when tragedy or hardship strike, are we right there with those we are sharing the good news with? May that be the commitment we make as we seek to bring others to Jesus’ saving love and grace.

Prayer: Lord God, as we share our faith with others, may they first sense our love for them. Help us to reveal it in the ways that we keep showing up and keep engaging in the struggles as well as in the joys. Reveal it in the ways we walk alongside others through all of life and in the ways that we pour ourselves into their lives. Through our love may others know your love. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Love Poured Out

Reading: Psalm 90:13-17

Psalm 90:14 – “Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy at the end of our lives.”

Credit: Rebecca Gelaney

Continuing in the Psalm of Moses, we jump to verses 13-17. These verses reveal the ebb and flow of connection to God. In the opening verse Moses asks a question we often ask in times of hardship or suffering: How long? This question is fueled by the feeling that God is not present or, worse yet, is absent. Moses cries out for God to act and, by doing so, to become tangibly present. In reality, God is always with us. God is always present.

Hope and presence return to Moses in verse 14, where he writes, “Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy at the end of our lives.” This is a request for daily presence with proof: joy. Every morning, joy. It is good to awaken each morning, to connect into and to sense God’s presence, to allow the joy to well up within us. To seek this joy and to hold tight to God each day keeps us walking in faith. And it works against us yearning for or returning to our former years, to a time of misery and evil. Those “old self” things pull at us even as we are walking in faith. Yes, Lord, fill us with joy and gladness and good!

Moses closes with an eye to the future. He wants the children, the next generation, to see God’s hand at work. This builds their foundation of faith. The prophet closes with a double request to “make our efforts successful.” God has walked with Moses and with the Israelites. He desires to see this continue, so that Israel will be blessed with joy and gladness and faith. We also desire for faith to grow in our children and one day to be passed on to the next generation. O Lord, may it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, pour your love into our hearts every morning, filling us with joy and presence, with hope and trust. Take that love and all that comes with it, O God, and pour it out into others – our children, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our friends, and, yes, even into the stranger on the street. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Forever… and Daily

Reading: Psalm 90:1-6

Psalm 90:2 – “Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.”

The first part of our Psalm for this week celebrates God’s eternal nature. Enfolded within God’s eternity is our human existence. The psalmist rejoiced in this reality in verse 1, where Moses writes, “Lord, through all generations you have been our home!” Since Adam and Eve first walked the earth, God has sought us out for relationship and connection. While not everyone chooses to step into this relationship, God’s eternal love seeks to draw all people into a relationship. It is through this relationship that God becomes our “home,” our place of refuge, peace, belonging.

Reflecting deeper on God’s forever nature, Moses writes, “Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.” Before the creation story began to unfold, God was. And now God is. And God will always be. God is eternal! As we turn to verses 3-6, though, we’re reminded that we are not. At some point, we will all “return to dust.” Moses compares our lives to grass that springs up in the morning and withers by evening. To be reminded of our fragile, short-term existence draws us to God, the one for whom “a thousand years are as a passing day.” This God seeks to continue to walk in relationship with us once we are turned to dust, bringing each of us into eternity.

Moses knew a God who walked with him daily, leading and guiding his 120 years. We too know a God who desires to walk with us each of our days. May we lean into God each day, seeking to walk faithfully in this life. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, your love shaped and formed the earth and it shaped and formed each one of us. Within creation and within each of us, the spark of the divine is present. Your love continues to create, to refine, to make things new. Guide us each of our days, however many we are blessed with. Lead us to walk closely with you, O Love, during this life and into the next. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Give Unto God…

Reading: Matthew 22:15-22

Matthew 22:21 – “Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

Photo credit: Ryan McGuire

In this week’s gospel lesson an odd collection of folks come to Jesus. These religious leaders and political envoys both feel threatened by Jesus. Both groups see Jesus as a threat to their power. They come with a question designed to trap Jesus, lessening his power and/or popularity. The spokesperson(s) butter Jesus up first, speaking of how “honest… truthful… impartial” Jesus is. Then they ask the question: “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” What a loaded question!

Jesus’ response begins with, “You hypocrites!” He sees the trap. Then he asks for a coin. The snarky side of me envisions a Pharisee pulling a Roman coin from his robe pocket. As if seeing the coin for the first time, Jesus asks whose picture and title are on the coin. In other words, whose coin is it? Then, as only Jesus could do, he says, “Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” The odd collection of co-conspirators is amazed. They go away.

While the coin belonged to Caesar, the question that we are left with is this: Who do we belong to? Created in the image of God, woven together in the womb by God’s hands, it should be clear to whom we belong. All that we are and all that we have truly belongs to God. But how we prioritize, how we allocate our resources, how we spend our time – they all reveal who or what we actually worship and love. When we give to God and to our neighbors generously and freely, we honor God and we bring God the praise and glory. When we do not live in these ways, might Jesus utter the “h” word in our direction too?

Prayer: Lord God, each day, as we decide who or what we will worship and what we will chase after, whisper words of love into our hearts. Draw us towards your heart and create in us a heart like yours – one that loves unconditionally and forgives always. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Exalt the Lord!

Reading: Psalm 99

Psalm 99:5 – “Exalt the Lord our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!”

The first five verses of Psalm 99 remind us of God’s majesty, power, and greatness. These verses remind us of God’s holiness and of God’s love of justice and all that is right and good. At the end of this section, we too hear the invitation: “Exalt the Lord our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!” God is definitely worthy of our praise and worship. We bow before the Lord our God in humble awe when we pause to recognize the one who causes the whole earth to quake.

And just when it begins to feel like God is way up there somewhere and we are way down there somewhere, the psalmist reminds us that God is present with us. Moses, Aaron, and Samuel had intimate, personal relationships with God. They cried out. God heard and answered. There is hope for us! Long ago, God spoke through the clouds on mountain tops and through the prophets. God continues to speak through the Holy Spirit within each of us. The prophetic voice has not been lost. It has been multiplied many, many times over. It is within us all.

Verse 8 offers a bit of a reality check. Moses, Aaron, Samuel… also sinned and fell short of the glory of God. God forgave and restored them. We too walk this path, in spite of the Holy Spirit’s best efforts. God continues to forgive and restore. Yes, may we worship and exalt the Lord our God! God is holy. And God is with us. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, you are amazing, awesome, wonderful! You deserve all of the glory and praise. All of it! And yet you are right here with us. Your Spirit dwells in us always. Please continue to walk with us, to lift us back up when we fall down. Hold us daily in your love. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Filled with Faith, Love, and Hope

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 1:1-6

1st Thessalonians 1:3 – “As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian church opens with greetings from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. These three traveled together for much of Paul’s second missionary journey. Paul and Silas had recently been to Thessalonica, where they founded this new church and started to encourage them in word and deed. But some Jews had stirred up trouble, forcing Paul and Silas to flee in the night. Wanting to check in on these new believers, Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica. He found them faithful and unified, even in the face of suffering and persecution.

After the greeting and expression of thanksgiving and prayers for the church in Thessalonica, Paul adds, “As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Thessalonians are living out their faith in active ways, holding onto hope, trusting in Jesus Christ. Reading on we discern how and why these new Christians can be shining lights of faith. Yes, they heard the good news and, yes, they had Paul and Silas’ example. But even more importantly, they received the power of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Spirit in their hearts brought both assurance and joy – even in the sufferings.

The indwelling presence and constant power of the Holy Spirit is what fills the Thessalonians with the faith to do good works, with the love to practice good deeds, and with the hope to endure sufferings and trials. It is the Spirit that fills each believer with faith, love, and hope. In their everyday lives and in the times of great need, the Spirit is right there with them. We who believe have this same Spirit in us. May faith, love,and hope overflow from our lives as well!

Prayer: Lord God , thank you for the work of Paul and others that first shared the good news and opened hearts to receive Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit. Thank you for the work of those that did the same in our lives. In turn, O Lord, may Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit lead and guide us in faith, love, and hope, using each of us to build the kingdom of God in our time and place. Amen.


by Leave a comment

They Forgot

Reading: Psalm 106:19-23

Psalm 106:21 – “They forgot the God who saved them, the one who had done great things…”

Returning to Psalm 106 today, we read of the incident that happened in Exodus 32. It is the sin of the writer’s “ancestors” that was referenced in verse 6. It is the remembering of how their great grandfathers or great, great grandmothers “acted wickedly.” It is a reminder of how capable the current Israelites are of going down this same path. And it is a warning about how quickly we can turn to idols and sinful behaviors.

As we walk daily with God, we might wonder how this could happen to Israel. God has done so much for them lately: the plagues, the Passover, the parting of the sea, the manna and quail, the water from a rock… If we are tending to our faith, one of our daily habits is thanking God for the blessings, guidance, direction, protection… in our lives. We too should be able to quickly come up with a list of what God has done for us. With this in mind, we do wonder how they ended up worshipping an idol, “a bull that eats grass.”

The answer comes in verse 21: “They forgot the God who saved them, the one who had done great things…” They forgot God. We do this too. We allow temptation to become sin. We turn to our own devices and means instead of to God. We grasp control and seek power instead of surrender. And I am pretty sure that God has gotten ready a time or two to smite us. Or maybe that number is closer to four billion.

In the second part of verse 23, the psalmist reminds Israel of how Moses interceded and of how God’s anger subsided as love and mercy won the moment. This same love and mercy pours out over us when we are less than we are created to be. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the reminder that even when we chase after promotions and possessions and pleasures, you are nearby, waiting to reconnect with us, ready to pour out your great mercy and love. We are grateful for your Spirit that works and works within us and for your Son who intercedes for us. You are an awesome and amazing God. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Faithful, Enduring Love

Reading: Psalm 106:1-6

Psalm 106:3 – “The people who uphold justice, who always do what is right, are truly happy!”

Photo credit: Freestocks

As we read the first half of this week’s Psalm today, the psalmist begins with praise followed by a request for God’s “saving help.” Verse 1 opens with praise and thanksgiving for God’s faithful, enduring love. The psalmist then recognizes God’s might that is beyond compare. This seems like a Psalm of praise so far. It begins to shift in verse 3. Here we read, “The people who uphold justice, who always do what is right, are truly happy!” Maybe that’s other people. This feeling continues in the next two verses. The author invites God to “remember me” and to “visit me.” God feels distant to the psalmist.

Scholars believe this Psalm was written during the exile in Babylon. Israel was at a low point in the faithful-sinful-repentant cycle that repeats itself again and again in the scriptures. The golden calf was not the only low point in the wilderness. Exile was not the only low point after entering the Promised Land. These words of praise and thanksgiving are words of longing and of a desire to know God’s presence once again. These words of the psalmist are words of repentance.

The Psalm gets real in verse 6: “We have sinned – right along with our ancestors. We’ve done what’s wrong. We’ve acted wickedly.” This admission is not limited to the folks in the Bible. This is our experience as well. We sin and fall short. God feels distant. We repent. We are made right by God. We live faithfully for a while. And we sin again. Sadly, this seems to be the human condition. Yet there is a deeper and stronger truth. As the psalmist gives thanks for God’s faithful, enduring love, so too do we. God’s love and the grace that flows from this love are greater than our sin. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your long, sure, steady walk with us. Thank you for a love that never gives up on us, for a grace that never runs out. In praise our hearts sing the old hymn, “Grace, grace, God’s grace! A grace that is greater than all our sin!” Amen.