pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: obedience


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Our Brother, Jesus Christ

Reading: Hebrews 2:10-18

Hebrews 2:17 – “He has to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way.”

Today’s reading from Hebrews 2 speaks of how and why Jesus is our “great high priest.” The author begins by declaring that it was “appropriate” for Jesus to experience suffering. These experiences prepared him to be our “pioneer of salvation.” Suffering is a part of our lives. Because Jesus in the flesh experienced this too, we can be confident that Jesus in Spirit will be present to us during our times of suffering. This common experience is one way that we are brothers and sisters with Jesus.

In verse 11 the writer of Hebrews declares that both Jesus and all who seek to walk in his ways “all come from one source.” Using three quotes from the ancient scriptures, the author reminds the Hebrews and us that we are all born of the divine, that we are all made in the image of God. This is the second way that we are brothers and sisters with Christ.

Our brother, in order to set us free from the power of death, sacrificed himself so that we too could be resurrected to new life. This death was for our benefit. Without fear of death we didn’t have to chase after the things of this world. Freed from this we can pursue the things of God instead. This freedom allows us to focus on joyful and complete obedience to the will and way of God.

In verse 17 we read, “He has to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way.” Jesus chose to spend time up close and personal with humanity. His time with us fallible and imperfect creatures led to two things. First, it is what led Jesus to die for us too. He paid the atoning price for our sins, freeing us from the power that sin can hold over our lives. Second, it is what allows Jesus to be our “merciful and faithful high priest.” Being made like us, experiencing the temptation and suffering that we experience, it is what empowers Christ to intercede for us before God. And it is what draws our brother to us during our difficult times in this life. For the freedom from sin and death, for the presence and strength in times of need, we say, “Thank you, Jesus!”

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for taking on flesh to better understand, to better connect, to better be our advocate before God in heaven. You know our joys and sorrows, our griefs and elations, our sufferings and our victories. You were made like us so that we could become more like you. Thank you. Amen.


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Faithful Obedience

Reading: Romans 1:1-7

Romans 1:6 – “You who are called by Jesus Christ are also included among the Gentiles.”

Today we turn to Paul’s greeting in his letter to the believers in Rome. He is writing to a group that he has not met, to a church founded by others. This unfamiliarity is the reason for the longer than normal greeting. Paul begins by identifying himself – a “slave of Christ” and an apostle “set apart for God’s good news.” These two descriptors tells much about how Paul saw himself and about how he thinks all believers should be. More than any other New Testament writer, Paul paints a clear line between following the ways of Jesus and the ways of the world. Being 100% committed, living 24/7 for Christ, that was the only way to follow Jesus. Like a slave, faithful obedience was required in one’s relationship with Jesus Christ.

Paul also leans heavily into the idea of being set apart. This might come from his Jewish background. The Jews saw themselves as the chosen people, marked and set apart by God. Prior to meeting Jesus, that was a tightly closed and exclusive circle for Paul. After meeting Jesus, Paul wanted to loop that circle around as many people as possible. This Jesus who was raised from the dead and who offered grace to all who sought to live in “faithful obedience” – he is the good news. To the church in Rome and to the church today, Paul writes, “You who are called by Jesus Christ are also included among the Gentiles.” You, me, we all are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ with all the world so that they too may know the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, use us today to expand the circle. Use our faithful obedience to the will and way of Jesus Christ as a witness to the lost and the lonely, to the hurting and the broken, to the self-assured and the powerful. In and through us and our living may the world come to know the good news of Jesus Christ. Amen.


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Obedience and Righteousness

Reading: Psalm 119:137-144

Psalm 119:144 – “Your laws are righteous forever. Help me understand so I can live!”

In today’s portion of Psalm 119, the psalmist focuses on God’s righteousness. This is one of God’s enduring, unchanging characteristics. In verse 139 we read, “Lord, you are righteous, and your rules are right.” There is a sure connection laid out here. Because God is righteous, all things that comes from God are right, true, tried and tested, and completely trustworthy. The psalmist declares to God that he or she “loves your word.”

These truths are important for the psalmist. As he or she writes, life is not easy. The author feels “insignificant and unpopular.” It feels as if all of those causing the “stress and strain” are like enemies, like people who have completely forgotten God’s Law. This causes anger to rise up in the psalmist. Yet stronger still is their trust in God and in God’s righteousness in particular. The psalmist knows that these truths will endure forever, long after the current hardship passes. Rooting their hope in this fact brings joy even in the midst of the trial.

Today’s reading is in the “Tsade” section of this acrostic Psalm. The Hebrew letter itself is formed from the Hebrew letters Nun and Yod. In the image above the Nun is on the left and bottom. It is bent slightly to represent a humble servant bent in humble submission before God. The Yod is the upper right portion, representing an arm being lifted towards heaven in prayer. Together these images connect obedience and righteousness. Together, the psalmist’s faithful obedience combined with God’s righteousness yields joy and hope in the psalmist’s life. May it be so with you and with me as well.

Prayer: Lord God, we rejoice in your enduring righteousness and in your constant presence in our lives. In the trials, whisper your love into our hearts, drawing us closer to you. In the storms, put your arms around us, assuring us, bringing us strength, helping us to walk in obedient faith and sure trust. Amen.


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Practical Atheists

Reading: Psalm 14

Psalm 14:1 – “Fools say in their hearts, There is no God. They are corrupt and do evil things.”

Photo credit: Josh Calabrese

Psalm 14 is a prayer song to God. The psalmist is alarmed by the behavior of the leaders and those aligned with them. Verse 1 sums up the difficult situation: “Fools say in their hearts, There is no God. They are corrupt and do evil things.” For context, in ancient Israel a fool was one without fear and reverence for God. This lack of obedience to God was very evident in how these folks lived their lives. Since the politics leaders were the religious leaders, this practice of unfaithful and even ungodly living was doubly bad. The leaders were living a “practical atheism” – they claimed to follow God’s will and way but there was absolutely no evidence of this in their words or actions.

Some actions and behaviors and words were even in direct opposition to the God revealed in the scriptures. These ungodly leaders were “devouring my people,” taking advantage of the poor and powerless for personal gain. These bad leaders were “humiliating” the plans of the poor, maintaining and even touting the gap between those with and those without. So if you read this Psalm and look at the current treatment of refugees and immigrants, at the “power over” dynamics often on display, and at the general disregard for the common good and think that this Psalm sounds like 2025, I am right there with you. Many of our leaders today are practical atheists.

I also want to be right there with you as I invite us all to look within, to consider when and where and how we live as practical atheists. We do so when we judge or gossip or when we withhold grace and forgiveness. We do so when we ignore the whispers and nudges of the Holy Spirit, turning our backs on the hungry, thirsty, sick… We do so when we see injustice or oppression or abuse… and choose preservation of self over standing with and speaking for the vulnerable, for the least of these. When tempted to these ungodly choices, may we remember what the psalmist proclaimed: God is our refuge. With this faith and trust, may we step forward boldly in faithful action.

Prayer: Lord God, it is easy to point fingers. It is much harder to honestly look within. Guide us, O Lord, to remove the planks in our own eyes before we tackle the specks in other’s eyes. Amen.


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One in Christ

Reading: Galatians 3:6-9 and 26-29

Galatians 3:29 – “Now if you belong to Christ, then indeed you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.”

In Galatians 3, Paul is working to bring unity to the churches in Galatia. There is division between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. The division centers on the importance (or not) of the Law in terms of faith in Jesus Christ. To the Jews, this feels essential. To the Gentiles, this is a non-issue.

Paul uses Abraham as his example of someone who God declared righteous – about 430 years before the Law was given by God through Moses. It was Abraham’s belief and obedience that led God to declare him righteous. Not only that, but God also “preach the gospel in advance,” declaring that the Gentiles would be blessed (saved) through Abraham’s descendants – all in the basis of belief and obedience to the Lord Jesus.

On this basis Paul can write, “You are all God’s children through faith in Jesus Christ.” For all who are baptized into Christ, for all who profess Jesus as Lord and Savior, they have “clothed yourselves with Christ.” The old self is gone and the new has come. As one in Christ, all social, economic, ethnic, and gender divisions are gone. Clothed with Christ there are no such things as Jew or Gentile, democrat or republican, slave or free, upper class or lower class, male or female, single or married. All are one, all are equal in Christ. With this truth, Paul sums up in verse 29, writing, “Now if you belong to Christ, then indeed you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.” All who believe are blessed to inherit the promises: the salvation of your soul and the gift of life eternal. We hold these promises. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your wife open heart- one that loves all of humanity, one that seeks a saving relationship with us all. In you there is just one kind of person: a child of God. Help us to see all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior this way too. All equally loved, all equally belonging, may we come to truly live as one in Jesus Christ. Amen.


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Choices

Reading: Isaiah 1:15-20

Isaiah 1:19… 20… – “If you agree and obey… But if you refuse and rebel…”

Isaiah was a prophet called by God to speak God’s word to Judah, the southern kingdom. Isaiah called Judah, particularly its leaders, to a radical trust and faith in God and away from their sinful behaviors. Judah is characterized at the start of Isaiah 1 as children who have turned away from God. The nation outside of Jerusalem is ravaged and the cities burn as Assyria wages war against Israel and Judah. But still Judah refuses to turn towards God. Yes, they are going through the motions of worship but their hearts are far from God. In fact, God calls all of their offerings “worthless.”

Because their worship is full of hypocrisy, God’s eyes refuse to see their extended hands. God’s ears are closed to their lengthy prayers. All because Judah’s hands are “stained with blood.” God even implores them, “Wash! Be clean!” Yet it is not the blood of warfare that stains their hands. The blood comes from within Judah. God instructs them, “Put an end to evil; learn to do good.” What good? To champion justice and to care for the oppressed, the orphan, the widow.

As if in a courtroom setting, God says to Judah, “Come now and let’s settle this.” With promises of their scarlet sins being made white as snow, God tells Judah, “If you agree and obey you will eat the best food of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” Choose God or idols. Choose good or evil. Choose life or death. The same choices lie ever before you and before me.

Prayer: Lord God, since the beginning of creation these have been our choices. Until Jesus comes in final victory these will be our choices. Just as Isaiah spoke words of warning and words of life, may your Word and your Spirit guide us to faithful obedience. Lead us to walk your path in faith and trust, O Lord. Amen.


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All for Us

Reading: Psalm 22:1-18

Psalm 22:7-8 – “All who see me make fun of me… ‘He committed himself to the Lord, so let God rescue him ‘”

Photo credit: Emily Crawford

In these words of David there is lament, sorrow, pain, abandonment. As we read these words we can feel what David was going through. Perhaps you, like me, connected back to an experience in your life when you felt these emotions. Jesus felt them. Throughout this Psalm we see connections to the passion of the Christ.

David begins with words Jesus echoes from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you left me all alone?” Taking the sin of the world upon himself, God could not look at Jesus. David then recalls times – both personal and corporate – when God rescued, saved, answered the prayers and cries for help. That trust and faith still wants to be there. The pain and suffering just makes it hard.

David is being “insulted by one person, despised by another.” On the cross, Jesus endured taunts, insults, mocking. In verses 7-8 we read, “All who see me make fun of me… ‘He committed himself to the Lord, so let God rescue him.'” The gospels echo these last words, spoken by the religious leaders who orchestrated Jesus’ crucifixion. In verses 9-11 there is a slight reprieve to the difficult emotions. David recalls a life committed to God. He asks for God’s presence. In the garden there are moments of intimate prayer between Jesus and God. Reflecting his own commitment and obedience, Jesus says, “Not my will…”

On the cross, as it was in the Psalm for David, it must’ve felt like everyone was against Jesus. He must’ve felt surrounded. Jesus’ life was poured out like water for us. The soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothes. Jesus was pierced in the hands and feet. All for us. All for us. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you truly hold it all in your hands. In these words that you inspired in David we see Christ’s story, played out a thousand years later. Your plan is grand. Yet you also hold each of us in your hands. You created us in the womb, designed to bear that image to the world. You walk with us daily. You are our God. Thank you. Amen.


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Shining the Light

Reading: Luke 22:39-53

Luke 22:53b – “But this is your time, when darkness rules.”

On the Mount of Olives, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus goes to God in prayer. This was a place Jesus went to regularly. He invites the disciples to pray too, so that they “won’t give in to temptation.” Moving away from them, Jesus prays earnestly, so much so that he sweats profusely and needs angelic strengthening. His prayer reveals both his humanity and his understanding of his purpose. In this hardest moment, Jesus ponders if the “cup of suffering” can be taken away. Then, in obedience, he prays, “not my will but your will must be done.” He returns to the disciples and finds them sleeping, “overcome with grief.”

At times we will struggle or waver. The thing God is asking of us is hard, maybe feels risky, possibly includes a cost. So we teeter. At times we do step forward. Other times we choose the easier way. In our own way we too “sleep,” giving in to the temptation of non-obedience. As we grow in our faith, as we mature, we come to better understand our purpose in the kingdom of God. While we’ll still fail, the frequency lessens.

The story continues as the mob arrives to arrest Jesus. A disciple starts to defend Jesus. He quickly halts the violence, healing the injury, reminding the disciples of who he is and who he is not. Jesus questions the mob – the swords and the clubs. He reminds them of his daily presence in the temple. The implied question is, “Why didn’t you arrest me there?” Jesus answers this unspoken question: “But this is your time, when darkness rules.” In an isolated place, under cover of darkness, Jesus is arrested.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for this look into Jesus’ humanity, into his struggle. In our battles with obedience, remind us of this moment. May we draw upon strength moving forward, upon grace in failure. Encourage us to be people of the light, shining your love and power into the darkness of this world. Amen.


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With Us, Every Day

Reading: Matthew 28:16-20

Matthew 28:20 – “Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”

Matthew closes his gospel with Jesus commissioning to disciples to carry on his work. There is no ascension here. Matthew is intentional in how he ends his gospel. Perhaps he picked up this idea from Mark. The abrupt end to Mark invites us to be the continuation of the story, to be the church. Matthew’s ending offers the same invitation.

Eleven disciples go to the mountain in Galilee. The women who met the risen Lord remind them of this planned gathering. In what feels curious to us at first, some disciples worship Jesus and others feel some doubt. But we too find ourselves here at times. We can feel some doubt even as we seek to cling to our faith.

Being given all authority in heaven and on earth, Jesus tells the disciples first to go. They are to go out into the world just as Jesus was out in the world. He spent also all of his ministry hours out in the world. Once our in the world, the disciples are to make new disciples. A disciple is one who repents of their sin, who trusts in Jesus for salvation, and who obeys Jesus’ teachings. Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a public act of faith in and of surrender to Jesus Christ. Following baptism, the disciples are to teach new believers all of Jesus’ commands. This faith in and obedience to Jesus, to his teachings and example, this is the mark of a Christian and of the church.

This commission must’ve felt like a lot to the disciples. It feels like a lot to us. So may we too hear the promise Jesus makes to the disciples as his promise to us: Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”

Prayer: Lord God, lead and guide us to live into our commission. Use us to draw others to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. When the task feels big, help us to hear the guidance of the Holy Spirit, your promised presence with us. Walk with us, carrying us along as needed. Amen.


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Faithful Actions

Reading: James 2:14-24

James 2:24 – “So you see that a person is shown to be righteous through faithful actions and not through faith alone.”

As we come to a close reading scripture and applying is to John Wesley’s “Three Simple Rules,” we turn to James 2. This short passage works well to illustrate how doing no harm, doing good, and staying in love with God should work together in the life of a believer.

Our passage begins with a question: What good is it to say you’re a Christian if you don’t act like one? To claim to have faith does nothing. James points to wishing well someone in need without meeting those needs. You are, then, in fact, doing harm to the image of Christ.

As he continues, James argues that one cannot separate faith from your actions. Yes, he says, to believe is good. But our faith cannot stop there. It must flavor or impact all areas of our lives. James cites Abraham as an example of one whose faith was “made complete” by his actions. Nearly sacrificing his only son Isaac, Abraham’s obedience to God through faithful actions brought him to the place of righteousness. To faithfully follow God’s word, nudges, whispers… leads us to do good for the image of Christ.

Woven into Abraham’s example is one who stays in love with God. Abraham listened to the voice of God. He chose to worship God alone – elevating his love of God over his love for his own son. In summary, James writes, “So you see that a person is shown to be righteous through faithful actions and not through faith alone.” May this be what the world sees through our faith as well.

Prayer: Lord God, interweave into our lives these three practical pieces of faith. Guard us against doing harm and lead us to do good. Fuel both of these practices through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. May our love for you arch over all we say, do, and think, drawing others into the great love that you have for us all. Amen.