pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Radical Love

Reading: Luke 23:33-38

Luke 23:34 – “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Our readings today and tomorrow focus on Jesus’ crucifixion. The way of Jesus stands in very sharp contrast to the ways of the world. This contrast begins in verse 33. The Romans crucify three people. Two crucifixions are just and one is unjust. All three accomplish the same goal: eliminating those who challenge your power. This remains the way of the world.

Those present at the crucifixion, all three groups named in today’s reading, they all equate power with strength, control, wealth, status. The religious leaders and the soldiers and the Roman governor sneer at and mock Jesus. They all want (or say they want) Jesus to exert some of his power to come down off the cross: “Save yourself.” That’s what we’d try to do. We’d try to save ourselves. Many there that day that utter these words have seen the miracles and heard the unearthly wisdom of Jesus’ teachings. Pilate’s sign above Jesus’ head mocks him too. A king? Surely he would save himself if that were true. Today we continue to mock and sneer at things and at people that do not meet our expectations and/or that we do not understand.

Jesus’ power runs counter to all of these ways of power and of the world. As he is physically being nailed to the cross – large spikes being driven through his palms and his feet – Jesus says, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” As John Wesley noted in a sermon, Jesus ignores this incredible pain because he is more worried about the salvation of all involved in the crucifixion. Forgiving others always, this is power. The way of love for God and neighbor triumphs over all things. Thanks be to God for this most excellent way of love.

Prayer: Lord God, what great power we see in your radical way of love. It was unaffected by the things of the world going on around you. It was an unconditional love that reached out to those harming you and taking your life. Lord, fill us with this powerful love. Filled, send us out as your radical love lived out in the world. Amen.


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Changing Dynamics

Reading: Philemon 1-21

Philemon 6 – “I pray that your partnership in the faith might become effective by an understanding of all that is good among us in Christ.”

Photo credit: Sophie Walker

Today’s reading – a short letter containing 21 verses – appeals to a slave owner on behalf of the slave. Paul writes to Philemon, a fellow Christian who is known for his love and faithfulness. Paul addresses his letter not only to Philemon but also to the church that meets in his house. This home church was likely started by Paul and is likely led now by Philemon. Paul writes to both because he is counting on grace to shape both Philemon’s decision and the community that will be affected by his decision.

Paul is sending Onesimus, the runaway slave, back to Philemon, probably with this letter in hand. Paul has been in prison and Onesimus has been like a son to him. He sends Onesimus back not as a slave but as if he was sending “his own heart,” as one who has become “a dearly loved brother to me.” Paul writes this prayer to Philemon: “I pray that your partnership in the faith might become effective by an understanding of all that is good among us in Christ.” Paul hopes that Philemon, a fellow leader in the church and a brother in Christ, will accept Onesimus back not as a slave but as “a brother to you, personally and spiritually in the Lord.” Paul is asking Philemon to change the dynamics of the relationship in a radical way.

How might the Spirit ask you or I to do a similar thing? While the slavery of this distant past doesn’t exist, today many people are enslaved in other ways. Who do we hold imprisoned in stereotypes or in broken relationships? Who do we know that is held captive by addiction or debt or grief or because of continuing unwise or unhealthy choices? What radical steps or changes of heart could we undertake in ourselves to love and free these folks, seeing them as sisters and brothers in Christ?

Prayer: Lord God, just as Paul experienced the life-changing love and grace of Christ, so too have we experienced his love and grace. Move in our hearts today, Lord Jesus, to open us up to changing the broken dynamics, to seeing all as a future brother or sister in Christ. In practicing radical love and grace we will be transformed as we seek to transform our world into the kingdom of God, here on earth. Amen.


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Radical Love

Reading: Luke 6:27-36

Luke 6:35 – “Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. If you do, you will have great reward.”

Jesus defines behaving as God’s children by loving our enemies, by doing good to those persons who hate us, by blessing the people who curse at us, and by praying for the folks who mistreat us. He continues on, explaining how these actions become real. For Jesus, love is not a sentimental feeling. It calls us to offer the other cheek, to give our cost and our shirt, to give money without seeking or expecting repayment. To materially support those who hate, curse, and mistreat us? This is a deep and encompassing love that Jesus calls his followers to live out.

Why would Jesus call us to such a radical love? First, it is the love that he demonstrated in both his ministry and in his death on the cross. More practically, in verse 31 he says, “Treat people in the same way you want to be treated.” Jesus calls us to this radical love as a means to change hearts and to change culture. Loving in this way will attract attention and will raise questions in other’s minds. When this kind of love is given to our “enemies” it shows that this love is deep in our hearts. It is not founded upon the other person’s behavior but upon Christ in us. When we love all people with a radical love, then the compassion of the Father will then be our compassion. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, how great your love is for us. It is beyond measure and past comprehension. When we ponder this we are left in awe, able only to muster a meager “thank you.” Lord, empower us to reflect this love to others, drawing them towards that place of awe. In this way may you be glorified and praised. 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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Radical Love

Reading: Luke 6:27-31

Luke 6:31 – “Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you.”

Photo credit: Christopher Beloch

Today’s passage begins with “But I say to you.” This is a familiar phrase Jesus uses, especially in the Sermon on the Mount. As Luke employs this phrase, he adds to it. His phrasing includes “to you who are willing to hear.” This is Luke’s way of getting his readers, including us, ready to take in and wrestle with a difficult teaching.

In verses 27 and 28 Jesus encourages us to “love your enemies… do good to those who hate you… bless those who curse you… pray for those who mistreat you.” This kind of love is counter-cultural. It calls the followers of Christ to act in a way that surprises the world. Instead of returning hate for hate, which is the norm, do good instead. Radical.

The next two verses provide real world examples. To offer the other cheek, to give your shirt too, to not expect repayment – these too run against the cultural norms. Our culture teaches us to hit back, to hold tightly to all that is ours, to charge high interest. Not so with Jesus. Here he call his followers to a self-sacrificial, others first kind of love. This kind of radical behavior is something that also surprises the world.

Our reading closes with a well known maxim: “Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you.” This kind of love is given regardless of who the other person is or isn’t, regardless of what they’ve done or not done. This radical love comes from within us. It is motivated by Christ’s example and it is empowered by his Spirit. It is a love for all people. May this be a live we embody and practice daily.

Prayer: Lord God, what a call we hear today: love all people, especially when it is hard or costly or both. Your counter-cultural and counter-instinctual call to sacrificial love is challenging, but so powerful. Walk with us and enable us to overcome evil with good, hate with love, greed with generosity. Use us to change the world. Amen.


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Radical and Unconditional

Readings: Isaiah 56:1-8 and Matthew 21:12-16

Isaiah 56:6-7 – “Everyone who keeps the Sabbath… who hold fast to my covenant: I will bring them to my holy mountain, and bring them joy in my house of prayer.”

Photo credit: Jon Tyson

Beginning with Isaiah 56 we feel the connection that God desires to have with all people who act justly and do what is right. To those who keep the Sabbath and honor the covenant, God’s salvation is “coming soon.” God’s prophet includes two groups that are normally excluded from the temple: immigrants and eunuchs. In verses 6 and 7 we read, “Everyone who keeps the Sabbath… who hold fast to my covenant: I will bring them to my holy mountain, and bring them joy in my house of prayer.” In New Testament language we would say there is no Jew or Gentile, no slave or free, no rich or poor… All people – all – who are devoted to God’s ways are welcome in God’s “house of prayer,” the temple. These were radical words to the closed-circle Jews of Isaiah’s day.

Turning to Matthew 21 we see another prophet doing and saying radical things. Entering God’s house, Jesus forces out the people changing money into temple coins and the folks selling animals for sacrifice. Quoting from our Isaiah 56 passage and Jeremiah 7:11, Jesus denounces these profiteering practices. Cleared of these “crooks,” the blind, the lame, and the children enter the temple. Jesus makes space for these normally excluded groups, mirroring the spirit of Isaiah 56. He heals the blind and the lame and rejoices over the children. The religious leaders are angry about all of this. Their closed circle has been broken wide open by the radical and unconditional love of God present in Jesus. May this breaking open of the circle and of our hearts also be our regular practice as we seek to follow Jesus’ example.

Prayer: Lord God, it is a beautiful thing when you reclaim and include those often excluded and unwelcome by the religious of the world. You create each and every one of us in your image. You weave each of us together in the womb with intention and purpose. From our first breath you long to walk in relationship with each of us. Lord, as you walk with us, fill us with your radical and unconditional love. Filled with this great love, may our regular habit be to include and welcome all people into your house and into your family. Amen.


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Pour It Back Out

Readings: Romans 5:1-5 and 12:18-21

Romans 5:3-4 – “Trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Paul begins chapter 5 by reminding the Roman church (and us) that they (we) are made righteous through Christ’s faithfulness. We are made right because of and through Christ’s work on the cross. We cannot do anything to restore ourselves to righteousness before God. But Jesus can and does. That brings us peace with God. And because we are forgiven through grace, we can and should be gracious to others. Through our own radical acts of love, others can experience and then claim the hope that we have in Christ Jesus.

Paul then rejoices because we experience hardship, trials, suffering. What?! Paul is not celebrating that we experience these things. He is celebrating how God uses them in our lives. Trouble builds endurance which builds character which builds hope. As we endure faithfully, we model Jesus and through this process take on more of Christ’s character. As we are made more Christlike our hope in God deepens. In turn we receive more of God’s love, poured into our hearts.

Shifting to chapter 12, Paul focuses in on those times when evil is the cause of hardship… He encourages an attitude of peace even then. The apostle encourages us to allow God to be the one in the punishment business. Paul then asks us to do just the opposite: give your enemy, the one doing evil to you, give them what they need. Give them food or drink or burning coals. (This last one refers to actually giving them coals so that they can rekindle the fire, bringing them warmth.) By taking the love of God that is poured into our hearts and pouring it back out into our relationships with difficult others we will “defeat evil with good.” May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ – he who not only became the atoning sacrifice for us but also set before us the daily example of love. In the times when it is most difficult to muster up love, grace, mercy – in moments of hardship… – remind us of your great love for all of us. In gratitude and faithfulness lead us to pour these out, blessing others. Amen.


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Connection, Belonging, Faith

Readings: Genesis 21, Genesis 22, Genesis 23

Genesis 22:7 – “Isaac said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the entirely burned offering?’”

Chapter 21 brings a shift in the family dynamics. Sarah gives birth to Isaac. Her laughter of doubt and shame turns to the laughter of joy and celebration. As Isaac grows so too does the tension over the inheritance. This leads to Hagar and Ishmael being sent away. God assures Abraham of their future too, so he is able to send his firstborn son away. Death soon feels near and Hagar and Ishmael cry out to God. Once again God sees her and hears their cries. God promises to make him into a “great nation.” The chapter closes with Abraham making a treaty with Abimelech. This secures water rights for an immigrant living in a foreign land. This reality comes up again in chapter 23.

In chapter 22 God tests Abraham. He is instructed to sacrifice Isaac – his one and only son, again in a place that God will reveal. Showing radical obedience once more, Abraham rises early, chops the wood, and heads out – the fire, the knife, and also Isaac in tow. Leaving the two servants behind, Abraham says to them, “The boy and I will walk up there, worship, and then come back to you.” Carrying the wood himself and seeing the fire, Isaac asks, “But where is the lamb for the entirely burned offering?” Abraham’s response – “God will see to it” – demonstrates his faith. Going so far as to raise the knife over Isaac then demonstrates his trust. God intervenes, providing a ram. Then God reiterates the covenant promise of many, many descendants.

Sarah dies at the beginning of chapter 23. After grieving for her, Abraham goes to the Hittites – the locals – to buy land to bury Sarah. He is at their mercy. Abraham is a temporary immigrant. After some culturally necessary back and forth, he buys land at a very high price. It provides a burial space and it begins a social relationship with the Hittites. To a small degree, they have now become “family.” There is connection and there is belonging, something we all need.

Prayer: Lord God, as the story progresses we see that you do not change. You are faithful, you provide, you are grace. Abraham experiences all of these things again and again as he walks faithfully and obediently with you. Encourage and guide us as we seek to walk this same walk. As we do, Lord, bless us too with your care, your provision, your grace. Amen.


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Abram – A Model Faith

Readings: Genesis 12, Genesis 13, Genesis 14

‭Genesis‬ ‭12:4-5 – “Abram left just as the LORD told him… Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all of their possessions.”

As we begin chapter 12 the stories become more personal. We explore the relationships between God and Abram and between various human characters. The relationship between Abram and God reveals the ideal human relationship with the divine. All of the relationships between the human characters run the gamut from faithful and true to selfish and power-hungry. In many ways these human relationships mirror our relationships today.

Chapter 12 begins with God directing Abram to leave Haran to go to “the land that I will show you.” Abram doesn’t know the destination or the time frame. Yet in verses 4-5 we read, “Abram left just as the LORD told him… Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all of their possessions.” Living out a radical faith and obedience, Abram heads out. Abram leaves everything to follow God’s word. He is the model of faith in the Old Testament and beyond.

But Abram isn’t perfect. That’s another thing that character after character reveals in the Bible. Famine forced Abram and family to Egypt. He lies about who Sarai is to save his own life. She becomes part of Pharaoh’s house. This brings plagues on Pharaoh and his house. Abram is figured out and expelled from Egypt. While living there, however, God has abundantly blessed both Abram and Lot. This becomes a problem when they get back to Canaan. Splitting up is necessary and Abram graciously gives Lot the first choice. He greedily chooses the best land. It is near Sodom, a place of sin and evil.

Lot then becomes a victim of a local war. He and all he has is taken away as plunder. A survivor tells Abram who goes and rescues Lot. On the way home they meet Melchizedek, who blessed them in the name of El Elyon – the God of heaven and earth. Abram returns the blessing by giving the priest a tenth of the plunder.

The question I’m left with today is this: Do my relationships with God and others seek to emulate the relationships modeled by the good and faithful Abram?

Prayer: Lord God, were I to be as obedient and faithful as Abram, how my life and faith would change! When I lean towards being selfish or sinful, bend me back to your will and ways. When you bless me, O God, turn me to others so that I may bless them in turn. Amen.


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I Am a Follower

Reading: John 1:16-28

Verse 22: “Who are you?… What do you say about yourself?”

Photo credit: Felipe Correia

In the second part of our gospel reading priests, Levites, and Pharisees are sent from Jerusalem, out into the wilderness, to question John the Baptist. They are sent to John not out of genuine curiosity but to assess the situation and to evaluate the opposition. It is odd to me that the religious leaders are somehow opposed to someone preaching repentance and drawing people back to God. John the Baptist is outside of their system. As this week’s Disciplines devotional writer Carol Covin-Dillon puts it, “Often the coming of God into the world does more to disrupt the status quo than it does to reinforce it” (page 415.)

The representatives of the temple ask John, “Who are you?… What do you say about yourself?” In essence they want to know who he thinks he is and just who gives him the authority to do what he’s doing. John’s indirect answer draws from the Old Testament. Just as his father Zechariah did in Luke 1:76-77, John connects to Isaiah’s words. He is the messenger sent by God to prepare people to receive the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

As we close on this third Sunday in Advent, let us personally reflect on these questions. To begin, I ask, do people even ponder these questions about you and me? Are we living in such a way that we stand out, in a way that Jesus shines through in ways people actually notice? We too must live out our faith in ways that are radical and counter-cultural. We must love and tend to the least of these with such depth of generosity and compassion that we are asked, “Who are you?” This starter question will lead us to answer in a way that covers the second question too: I am a follower of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. May it be so!

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be disruptive as Jesus was. Use me to counter the ways of society and the church that tells others they are “less than,” that build walls instead of bridges. Lead me to bring your love and grace to bear in ways that tell others that they too are a child of God. Amen.