28 February 2013 - fruit or consequences
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
Why? Because if we trust in ourselves we will end up like the rich man.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
We must be like the poor man. We can't be so dominated by the things and superficialities of life that we trust in them rather than trusting in the LORD. If we are truly poor in spirit we will have all that we need regardless of how our circumstances turn out.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
Due season is usually not as soon as we'd like. That as one reason why we start trusting in flesh. The more we do this the more it seems like the seasons never change and the drought we are trying to escape is endless. We become more and more trapped by our own flesh which is never an escape and always a prison.
He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Trusting in the LORD like the poor man we will stand fast through trials. The dryness of life won't overcome us because we have the water of life to drink. And when we die, the truth of our circumstances will become apparent.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
Hear we will never thirst again, whereas the barren desert of the rich man becomes his eternal home since he does not repent.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Is this fair? Is it really a free choice that sends him to perdition? Are the stakes understood clearly? They are, because he has Moses and the prophets. Not only that, in Lazarus, he has the choice to either feed Jesus or leave him hungry (cf. Matthew 25:31-46) He chooses to leave him hungry. This is the choice for or against God on a profound internal level that transcends the merely intellectual. This inward turn is in itself the choice of the eternal barren desert of self isolated from God.
Let us delight in the law of the LORD and meditate on it constantly. It points the way to life!
Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
27 February 2013: servants of the word
27 February 2013: servants of the word
And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue;
let us carefully note his every word.”
How do we receive the Word of God? Are we open and receptive or are we looking for a loophole? There is much in the gospel that is hyperbole, but even so aren't we too ready to dismiss it as such? Aren't we more likely to say something is hyperbolic when it challenges us deeply, saying to ourselves that it can't mean what we think it means? We need to come to understand how the Word of God and the word of man are different. We must not try to sit in judgment over the Word of God. Instead, it has the authority over us. If we don't recognize this his word will always be twisted by our filters and it will be emptied of it's true power. Jesus is present in his word. Let us surrender to him.
Even when we do hear him we don't tend to hear all he is speaking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
They had just heard Jesus telling them exactly what that chalice entailed and yet they answered without really comprehending what was asked or the gravity of their answer. The good news was that Jesus didn't dismiss them.
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
Jesus redirects their thoughts from the glory they desired to the true glory of servanthood and the cross.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
It is a blessing that even when we struggle with his words he gently calls us back to the plan he has for us. Every mistake we make can be just another teaching moment to him as long as we don't harden our hearts. He is willing to start with the question "what do you wish?" He is able to guide us from that question to deeper desire we don't even realize ourselves: to be united with him, even if that means the cross.
Let us stake all our hope on his word to us. He will then be able to shepherd us unto the pastures of life eternal.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue;
let us carefully note his every word.”
How do we receive the Word of God? Are we open and receptive or are we looking for a loophole? There is much in the gospel that is hyperbole, but even so aren't we too ready to dismiss it as such? Aren't we more likely to say something is hyperbolic when it challenges us deeply, saying to ourselves that it can't mean what we think it means? We need to come to understand how the Word of God and the word of man are different. We must not try to sit in judgment over the Word of God. Instead, it has the authority over us. If we don't recognize this his word will always be twisted by our filters and it will be emptied of it's true power. Jesus is present in his word. Let us surrender to him.
Even when we do hear him we don't tend to hear all he is speaking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
They had just heard Jesus telling them exactly what that chalice entailed and yet they answered without really comprehending what was asked or the gravity of their answer. The good news was that Jesus didn't dismiss them.
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
Jesus redirects their thoughts from the glory they desired to the true glory of servanthood and the cross.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
It is a blessing that even when we struggle with his words he gently calls us back to the plan he has for us. Every mistake we make can be just another teaching moment to him as long as we don't harden our hearts. He is willing to start with the question "what do you wish?" He is able to guide us from that question to deeper desire we don't even realize ourselves: to be united with him, even if that means the cross.
Let us stake all our hope on his word to us. He will then be able to shepherd us unto the pastures of life eternal.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
26 February 2013 - forget hypocrisy
26 February 2013 - forget hypocrisy
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
We are called to holiness, not arbitrarily, but so for our good.
If you are willing, and obey,
you shall eat the good things of the land;
Today Jesus reminds us not to pursue these things for the sake of our self image. The Pharisees already have their reward.
All their works are performed to be seen.
No amount of superficiality will make a difference in our plight.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
But this is nevertheless a real danger. We don't have phylacteries and tassels, necessarily, but being seen as good or disciplined can be a "consolation prize" for giving up the baser pleasures of the world. Disagree? Think of a time when our intention was misunderstood, when we were doing something altruistically and it was interpreted as selfishness. How easy was it for us to just let that be? We don't want to give scandal of course, but was it really that? Wasn't it mainly that we need to be thought of as holy, more than the desire to actually be holy?
God will help us by showing us where we are inconsistent. He will show us where we are merely superficial. Our problem is often self-delusion in this regard, so in his mercy he will help us to see clearly.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
Praise is the necessary self-emptying that puts God's glory before our own. If we enter into praise sincerely it will undercut hypocrisy because we will care more about God getting the glory than we ourselves getting any recognition.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
Pridefully seeking self-image actually puts true fulfillment further and further from us. Seeking God's glory and becoming self-forgetful paradoxically opens us to receive all the blessings which God has for us.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
We are called to holiness, not arbitrarily, but so for our good.
If you are willing, and obey,
you shall eat the good things of the land;
Today Jesus reminds us not to pursue these things for the sake of our self image. The Pharisees already have their reward.
All their works are performed to be seen.
No amount of superficiality will make a difference in our plight.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
But this is nevertheless a real danger. We don't have phylacteries and tassels, necessarily, but being seen as good or disciplined can be a "consolation prize" for giving up the baser pleasures of the world. Disagree? Think of a time when our intention was misunderstood, when we were doing something altruistically and it was interpreted as selfishness. How easy was it for us to just let that be? We don't want to give scandal of course, but was it really that? Wasn't it mainly that we need to be thought of as holy, more than the desire to actually be holy?
God will help us by showing us where we are inconsistent. He will show us where we are merely superficial. Our problem is often self-delusion in this regard, so in his mercy he will help us to see clearly.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
Praise is the necessary self-emptying that puts God's glory before our own. If we enter into praise sincerely it will undercut hypocrisy because we will care more about God getting the glory than we ourselves getting any recognition.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
Pridefully seeking self-image actually puts true fulfillment further and further from us. Seeking God's glory and becoming self-forgetful paradoxically opens us to receive all the blessings which God has for us.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Monday, February 25, 2013
25 February 2013: grace of repentance.
25 February 2013: grace of repentance
During Lent we are called to repentance. We are called to let go of our sinful ways and be transformed in God's mercy. The first step is to acknowledge that we are in the wrong.
We have sinned, been wicked and done evil;
we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.
This is tricky, because we often hear this as if God is speaking to us in condemnation. Actually, he is desperately seeking that we return to him. He is our advocate and he longs to set us free as soon as we turn to him. It is we ourselves, conniving with the world and the enemy who prevent our freedom. If we can't experience how much God wants to set us free we won't be able to turn to him with our whole hearts. It isn't about what we've done because who God is matters still more than anything we've done. He loves us unconditionally. Since he is Father he wants us to become like him so that his unconditional love springs forth in our hearts.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
But there is a great paradox. We experience God's forgiveness and mercy more and more as our hearts are conformed to his heart:
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
We might otherwise think that be forgiven would come first but the Our Father agrees: "as we forgive those who trespass against us." Our forgiveness of others itself finds its source in the grace of God. When we experience the freedom to truly forgive and be giving and merciful we begin to experience these things from the LORD. This is because our ego has to step aside for God to work in us, and once he is working in us and begins to be the driving force in our lives we will experience all the gifts which are his by right. We never know blessedness apart from union. We can experience this more and more as we grow in relationship with him.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
Never lose sight of our great hope:
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.
During Lent we are called to repentance. We are called to let go of our sinful ways and be transformed in God's mercy. The first step is to acknowledge that we are in the wrong.
We have sinned, been wicked and done evil;
we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.
This is tricky, because we often hear this as if God is speaking to us in condemnation. Actually, he is desperately seeking that we return to him. He is our advocate and he longs to set us free as soon as we turn to him. It is we ourselves, conniving with the world and the enemy who prevent our freedom. If we can't experience how much God wants to set us free we won't be able to turn to him with our whole hearts. It isn't about what we've done because who God is matters still more than anything we've done. He loves us unconditionally. Since he is Father he wants us to become like him so that his unconditional love springs forth in our hearts.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
But there is a great paradox. We experience God's forgiveness and mercy more and more as our hearts are conformed to his heart:
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
We might otherwise think that be forgiven would come first but the Our Father agrees: "as we forgive those who trespass against us." Our forgiveness of others itself finds its source in the grace of God. When we experience the freedom to truly forgive and be giving and merciful we begin to experience these things from the LORD. This is because our ego has to step aside for God to work in us, and once he is working in us and begins to be the driving force in our lives we will experience all the gifts which are his by right. We never know blessedness apart from union. We can experience this more and more as we grow in relationship with him.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
Never lose sight of our great hope:
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
24 February 2013 - light casting out darkness
24 February 2013 - light casting out darkness
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
It begins with the revelation of who Jesus is.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
We are then empowered and confident to follow him as he leads us in exodus from this life to the eternal glory which awaits us.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus.
This is the true land which the LORD promised to Abram.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”
He wants us to have great confidence. He wants this hope to be our strength and the source of our perseverance.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
He alone is our light and our salvation. If we take the time to behold this light shining and the voice of the Father speaking it will renew us in hope in banish our fears.
But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified body
by the power that enables him also
to bring all things into subjection to himself.
It begins with the revelation of who Jesus is.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
We are then empowered and confident to follow him as he leads us in exodus from this life to the eternal glory which awaits us.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus.
This is the true land which the LORD promised to Abram.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: “To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”
He wants us to have great confidence. He wants this hope to be our strength and the source of our perseverance.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
He alone is our light and our salvation. If we take the time to behold this light shining and the voice of the Father speaking it will renew us in hope in banish our fears.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
23 February 2013 - law of love
23 February 2013 - law of love
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
This is a daunting statement, but our perspective can make a huge difference in how we approach it. It does not say to be perfect as a distant and unattainable idea is perfect. It says to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. Though he is glorious beyond all praise he is also our Father and so we will naturally desire to emulate him and to become as much like him as we can be. And since he is our Father we will believe that in spite of where we are now spiritually the family likeness we share with him will allow us to transcend our current limitations. Let us shed false images of God which come from the enemy and come to see him as the loving Father that he is.
he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory
above all other nations he has made,and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God,as he promised.”
And he has been quite explicit about what it means to be like him.
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
The law encapsulates how we are to be perfect as our Father is perfect. It is fundamentally ordered toward love, though it itself is not the cause of love.
But I say to you, love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
The psalmist seems like he is having quite a difficult time when he asks the LORD, "do not utterly forsake me." Yet we can see his confidence the the law of the LORD can bridge that gap of fear and dispair:
I will give you thanks with an upright heart,
when I have learned your just ordinances.
Let us come to know God as Father and so have this same confidence in his law.
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
This is a daunting statement, but our perspective can make a huge difference in how we approach it. It does not say to be perfect as a distant and unattainable idea is perfect. It says to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. Though he is glorious beyond all praise he is also our Father and so we will naturally desire to emulate him and to become as much like him as we can be. And since he is our Father we will believe that in spite of where we are now spiritually the family likeness we share with him will allow us to transcend our current limitations. Let us shed false images of God which come from the enemy and come to see him as the loving Father that he is.
he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory
above all other nations he has made,and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God,as he promised.”
And he has been quite explicit about what it means to be like him.
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
The law encapsulates how we are to be perfect as our Father is perfect. It is fundamentally ordered toward love, though it itself is not the cause of love.
But I say to you, love your enemies,
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
The psalmist seems like he is having quite a difficult time when he asks the LORD, "do not utterly forsake me." Yet we can see his confidence the the law of the LORD can bridge that gap of fear and dispair:
I will give you thanks with an upright heart,
when I have learned your just ordinances.
Let us come to know God as Father and so have this same confidence in his law.
Friday, February 22, 2013
22 February 2013 - care from the chair
22 February 2013 - care from the chair
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
Peter was willing to be used by the Holy Spirit to let the revelation of God be made known through him. Even though he was put in such an important leadership role he maintained humility.
Do not lord it over those assigned to you,
but be examples to the flock.
He must have been remembering the words of Jesus.
You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
Jesus himself came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. This is actually the starting point for Peter's instructions to the presbyters (priests) to whom he wrote.
I exhort the presbyters among you,
as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ [emphasis mine]
and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.
To abuse authority goes against the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. We follow the one who died for our sake even though he is God omnipotent and all authority is his by right. We share in the glory to be revealed by first sharing in his self-emptying.
The LORD is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. There is no one else like him. Because of his love for us we don't fear even when we walk in the dark valley. And our leaders strive to be shepherds after his own heart (cf. Jeremiah 3:15). They are indeed visible reminders of the providential care that God has for us. Our hope is immense.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
Here on earth we dwell in his house with the shepherds who follow him and we look forward to dwelling with Jesus himself on the golden streets of heaven. It should give us great confidence as we look forward to a new occupant of the Chair of Peter which we commemorate today.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
Peter was willing to be used by the Holy Spirit to let the revelation of God be made known through him. Even though he was put in such an important leadership role he maintained humility.
Do not lord it over those assigned to you,
but be examples to the flock.
He must have been remembering the words of Jesus.
You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
Jesus himself came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. This is actually the starting point for Peter's instructions to the presbyters (priests) to whom he wrote.
I exhort the presbyters among you,
as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ [emphasis mine]
and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.
To abuse authority goes against the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. We follow the one who died for our sake even though he is God omnipotent and all authority is his by right. We share in the glory to be revealed by first sharing in his self-emptying.
The LORD is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. There is no one else like him. Because of his love for us we don't fear even when we walk in the dark valley. And our leaders strive to be shepherds after his own heart (cf. Jeremiah 3:15). They are indeed visible reminders of the providential care that God has for us. Our hope is immense.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
Here on earth we dwell in his house with the shepherds who follow him and we look forward to dwelling with Jesus himself on the golden streets of heaven. It should give us great confidence as we look forward to a new occupant of the Chair of Peter which we commemorate today.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
21 February 2013 - praying like our lives depend on it
21 February 2013 - praying like our lives depend on it
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you.
Help me, who am alone and have no help but you,
for I am taking my life in my hand.
Yesterday and today the LORD is trying to teach us how to pray. He wants a sincerity that comes from a knowledge of who he is.
As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers
that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you.
Knowing that he is loving and faithful helps us to trust the LORD even when it means taking our lives in our hands as Queen Esther did.
Therefore, Jesus tells us:
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
It is a beautiful passage, but it is challenging. We ask all the time and we don't seem to receive. But as James tells us, "the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways."
It begins with the LORD's revelation of who he is for us. That leads to the trust to ask him in faith for the our desires. Then we will have confidence that the our God truly has a father's heart for us.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone
when he asked for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asked for a fish?
But we must not be like the prodigal son who asks for his inheritance to squander. James also warns, "You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."
Yesterday Jesus gave us words we can pray with confidence, knowing they do not come from our passions. He wants us to pray that the Father's identity is revealed more and more to us and that who he is comes to shape our world more and more as his kingdom comes. We ask him for what we need, both material and spiritual. We will then come to experience his fatherly care more and more in our lives until eventually we can say:
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you.
Help me, who am alone and have no help but you,
for I am taking my life in my hand.
Yesterday and today the LORD is trying to teach us how to pray. He wants a sincerity that comes from a knowledge of who he is.
As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers
that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you.
Knowing that he is loving and faithful helps us to trust the LORD even when it means taking our lives in our hands as Queen Esther did.
Therefore, Jesus tells us:
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
It is a beautiful passage, but it is challenging. We ask all the time and we don't seem to receive. But as James tells us, "the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord,
since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways."
It begins with the LORD's revelation of who he is for us. That leads to the trust to ask him in faith for the our desires. Then we will have confidence that the our God truly has a father's heart for us.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone
when he asked for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asked for a fish?
But we must not be like the prodigal son who asks for his inheritance to squander. James also warns, "You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."
Yesterday Jesus gave us words we can pray with confidence, knowing they do not come from our passions. He wants us to pray that the Father's identity is revealed more and more to us and that who he is comes to shape our world more and more as his kingdom comes. We ask him for what we need, both material and spiritual. We will then come to experience his fatherly care more and more in our lives until eventually we can say:
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
20 February 2013 - sign language
20 February 2013 - sign language
A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
God doesn't take delight in punishment. He actually doesn't enjoy it. It exists as a necessary consequence of sin but it is ordered toward our repentance. It is made to turn our hearts back to the LORD.
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out.
We ask for signs, but not sincerely. We seek distractions so that we may continue with our "evil way" but all real signs are calls to repentance.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
Imagine the people of Nineveh actually wanting to hear that preaching and to see that sign. They needed it precisely because they didn't want it. But they were able to recognize it nonetheless. The sign of Jonah showed that the the LORD had chosen him. The people could understand that the words he spoke mattered. They could see he wasn't speaking them for his own sake. If he was following his own will he'd be far from Nineveh doing his own thing.
Solomon and Jonah were great figures but Jesus is infinitely more. His cross is the most perfect call to repentance. In it we can recognize how selfless this call is. He himself bears the very punishment we fear. We can no longer accuse him of being distant, detached, or of lacking understanding.
We are made to live in his presence, filled with his Holy Spirit, but we must have a clean heart to be near him.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
The good news is that we don't create a clean heart for ourselves. If we ever try that we realize just how impossible it is. Instead, he does it within us. All we have to do is desire it.
The queen of the south came from a distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon but the wisdom of Jesus is both greater and closer at hand. Let us seek him out and let this wisdom transform us from within. His wisdom shining on our lives is the only source of true contrition. Only then will we begin to truly desire repentance rather than just imagining we desire it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Come LORD Jesus.
A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
God doesn't take delight in punishment. He actually doesn't enjoy it. It exists as a necessary consequence of sin but it is ordered toward our repentance. It is made to turn our hearts back to the LORD.
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out.
We ask for signs, but not sincerely. We seek distractions so that we may continue with our "evil way" but all real signs are calls to repentance.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
Imagine the people of Nineveh actually wanting to hear that preaching and to see that sign. They needed it precisely because they didn't want it. But they were able to recognize it nonetheless. The sign of Jonah showed that the the LORD had chosen him. The people could understand that the words he spoke mattered. They could see he wasn't speaking them for his own sake. If he was following his own will he'd be far from Nineveh doing his own thing.
Solomon and Jonah were great figures but Jesus is infinitely more. His cross is the most perfect call to repentance. In it we can recognize how selfless this call is. He himself bears the very punishment we fear. We can no longer accuse him of being distant, detached, or of lacking understanding.
We are made to live in his presence, filled with his Holy Spirit, but we must have a clean heart to be near him.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
The good news is that we don't create a clean heart for ourselves. If we ever try that we realize just how impossible it is. Instead, he does it within us. All we have to do is desire it.
The queen of the south came from a distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon but the wisdom of Jesus is both greater and closer at hand. Let us seek him out and let this wisdom transform us from within. His wisdom shining on our lives is the only source of true contrition. Only then will we begin to truly desire repentance rather than just imagining we desire it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Come LORD Jesus.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
19 February 2013 - rightly spoken
19 February 2013 - rightly spoken
Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
In praying with sincerity and intention we grow in similarity to God whose words are always perfectly sincere and intended and therefore effective.
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
When we learn to call on the LORD sincerely, to use our words as he uses his words, he will hear us.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
This is why he teaches us how to pray. The emphasis here is on relationship first and everything else after. Thus we begin:
Our Father who art in heaven,
The first and fundamental part of prayer is the person to whom we speak. Because he is Father and God we can come to him with confidence and trust. We can express the deepest desires and fears of our hearts to him because, unlike any other to whom we might confide, he will never ever reject us. We acknowledge that he is Father and has chosen to adopt us as his children. We are not workers who are only valued when we produce results. There is nothing conditional about his love for us. Our babbling in prayer and our like of sincerity and attention stem from an inadequate understanding of who God is for us. Therefore he gives us his words about himself to become our words about him. Without them we would always be a little off in our understanding of him.
Of course, none of us understands this as well as it can be understood. There is always room for us to draw nearer and nearer still to him who holds us in being with his love.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
He doesn't want just to give us some joy. He wants us to be radiant with joy. He alone can be the source of such joy. He wants us to live our whole lives acknowledging that he is God with us. He is for us and no one can be against us. We must acknowledge his identity with our whole lives. Today he reminds us that a particularly important aspect of that acknowledgment is our speech.
The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
Then we will say:
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
In praying with sincerity and intention we grow in similarity to God whose words are always perfectly sincere and intended and therefore effective.
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
When we learn to call on the LORD sincerely, to use our words as he uses his words, he will hear us.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
This is why he teaches us how to pray. The emphasis here is on relationship first and everything else after. Thus we begin:
Our Father who art in heaven,
The first and fundamental part of prayer is the person to whom we speak. Because he is Father and God we can come to him with confidence and trust. We can express the deepest desires and fears of our hearts to him because, unlike any other to whom we might confide, he will never ever reject us. We acknowledge that he is Father and has chosen to adopt us as his children. We are not workers who are only valued when we produce results. There is nothing conditional about his love for us. Our babbling in prayer and our like of sincerity and attention stem from an inadequate understanding of who God is for us. Therefore he gives us his words about himself to become our words about him. Without them we would always be a little off in our understanding of him.
Of course, none of us understands this as well as it can be understood. There is always room for us to draw nearer and nearer still to him who holds us in being with his love.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
He doesn't want just to give us some joy. He wants us to be radiant with joy. He alone can be the source of such joy. He wants us to live our whole lives acknowledging that he is God with us. He is for us and no one can be against us. We must acknowledge his identity with our whole lives. Today he reminds us that a particularly important aspect of that acknowledgment is our speech.
The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
Then we will say:
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Monday, February 18, 2013
18 February 2013 - Commanded to happiness
18 February 2013
The LORD does not give commands to be arbitrary or to be merely restrictive. They are something much more important than telling a child not to touch a hot stove. That sort of thing merely prevents negative consequences whereas the command of the LORD shapes us for our destiny.
There are two related statements today explaining the blessings of obedience.
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.
and
Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.
The commands he gives us are ordered toward our relationship with him. We must be holy to see God (cf. Hebrews 12:14). We must have clean hands and a pure heart to stand before him (cf. Psalm 24:4). The more we are transformed in this way the more we will see him in all of the least of our brothers and sisters.
As we let the LORD transform us, our hearts our opened to know his presence more and more. This empowers our love for our brothers and sisters in a wonderful feed-forward mechanism. Seeing him allows our love to become more and more perfect and as our love is perfected we can see him more and more.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The enemy tries to twist our understanding of his words so that they seem to be merely oppressive. He makes us want to oppose the commands just to be defiant and "independent." This is silly and childish, but we all do it. Instead, we must keep the attitude of the Psalmist:
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
And here is a true test for us today. Do we really feel that the LORD's law refreshes us? Instead of wearing us down and making us tired it is designed to be a source of strength. LORD, reveal this to us. Make us to live by your decrees. Only then can we hope to say:
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
The LORD does not give commands to be arbitrary or to be merely restrictive. They are something much more important than telling a child not to touch a hot stove. That sort of thing merely prevents negative consequences whereas the command of the LORD shapes us for our destiny.
There are two related statements today explaining the blessings of obedience.
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.
and
Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.
The commands he gives us are ordered toward our relationship with him. We must be holy to see God (cf. Hebrews 12:14). We must have clean hands and a pure heart to stand before him (cf. Psalm 24:4). The more we are transformed in this way the more we will see him in all of the least of our brothers and sisters.
As we let the LORD transform us, our hearts our opened to know his presence more and more. This empowers our love for our brothers and sisters in a wonderful feed-forward mechanism. Seeing him allows our love to become more and more perfect and as our love is perfected we can see him more and more.
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The enemy tries to twist our understanding of his words so that they seem to be merely oppressive. He makes us want to oppose the commands just to be defiant and "independent." This is silly and childish, but we all do it. Instead, we must keep the attitude of the Psalmist:
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
And here is a true test for us today. Do we really feel that the LORD's law refreshes us? Instead of wearing us down and making us tired it is designed to be a source of strength. LORD, reveal this to us. Make us to live by your decrees. Only then can we hope to say:
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
17 Feburary 2013
17 Feburary 2013
We ask the LORD to be near us when we are in trouble. We cling to him and he answers us with his saving presence. He has brought us this far, and so we don't need to hesitate when he asks for the first fruits of what he has in any case given to us. All of these blessings of the LORD depend on having a kingdom perspective where he is first and everything else is added unto us.
We do this because we remember how faithful he has been so far. In doing this we acknowledge his providential care and we receive grace to see more truly who he is.
And placing the LORD first we can have confidence in his saving care:
We won't be moved when the enemy tries to twist these words and tempts us to try to exploit them. We will be confident in the LORD and we won't feel the need to test his promises and yet we will be able to rely on them completely.
We ask the LORD to be near us when we are in trouble. We cling to him and he answers us with his saving presence. He has brought us this far, and so we don't need to hesitate when he asks for the first fruits of what he has in any case given to us. All of these blessings of the LORD depend on having a kingdom perspective where he is first and everything else is added unto us.
Therefore, I have now brought you the firstfruits
of the products of the soil
We do this because we remember how faithful he has been so far. In doing this we acknowledge his providential care and we receive grace to see more truly who he is.
And having set them before the Lord, your God,
you shall bow down in his presence.”
And placing the LORD first we can have confidence in his saving care:
Upon their hands they shall bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
We won't be moved when the enemy tries to twist these words and tempts us to try to exploit them. We will be confident in the LORD and we won't feel the need to test his promises and yet we will be able to rely on them completely.
The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart
The grace he has given us becomes so a part of us that it inspires us with this great confidence.
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
16 February 2013
16 February 2013
Once again the LORD reminds us that Lent is not an inward turn. It is concerned with loving our neighbor.
He has such wonderful plans for us. If we can lay down our own projects for our lives and take up his instead we can know his joy in all fullness.
Once again the LORD reminds us that Lent is not an inward turn. It is concerned with loving our neighbor.
If you remove from your midst oppression,
false accusation and malicious speech;
If you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and give you plenty even on the parched land.
Even more essentially it is concerned with giving the LORD first place in our lives, especially on the day he has claimed as his own.
If you hold back your foot on the sabbath
from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
...
Then you shall delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
The former is a prerequisite to the latter for the only way to get beyond our selfishness is through God's grace. None of us do this perfectly. Most of us don't even do it well. But we need not fear, because the LORD is forgiving.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
It is for our sakes of sinners that Jesus came, so we can rejoice rather than be afraid:
“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”
He has such wonderful plans for us. If we can lay down our own projects for our lives and take up his instead we can know his joy in all fullness.
Friday, February 15, 2013
15 February 2013
15 February 2013
Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
The LORD isn't interested in tack-on behaviors. Fasting isn't something we just add on to the life we otherwise live. To change a behavior is relatively easy but to change our hearts is harder and requires God's grace. The danger is that when we give something up we can find other temporal pleasures with which to replace it rather than allowing God to fill the vacuum. Of course this will never lead to peace for us.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting,
striking with wicked claw.
Again the LORD reminds us that he is not concerned with the externals of fasting. Fasting apart from grace turns us inward, wears us down, and leaves us angry and anxious. But if we let God fill the void our sacrifices create we has his promise that he will transform us. We will be more free to love him and therefore to love our brothers and sisters.
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
We are so afraid that this is true because we think that if it is it will mean misery for us. We are afraid that we won't find satisfaction but only chores, tedious work, and tasks beyond our ability. The fact is though, it is our selfishness that keeps us from joy and satisfaction, not God and not his plan for us. Selfishness and ego lie and promise false pleasures which we don't bother to question. They are satis-fictions but we prefer to remain stagnant and "comfortable" rather than risk change. But God calls us upward and the risk is worth the promise:
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Let us offer the LORD what he truly wants this Lent. Let us offer him souls maleable to his touch. This is one way to define contrite, the disposition which the LORD asks of us. We admit that the LORD is right and we are wrong. Once we do he is freed to shape us according to his purposes.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Jesus tells us the are times when he is too present to us for fasting to be appropriate. In those times fasting is superfluous because he is the dominant priority of our lives. No matter what we do or don't do it is for him. Sadly, this isn't the usual state of things. We are normally more driven by selfishness than by love of him. It is hard to hear that the bridegroom is far from us but it does make the goal clear. We fast so that we can have that degree of closeness to the bridegroom once more (and not so that we can more effectively live our life apart from him, I might add).
“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?
Come, LORD Jesus. Draw nearer than before. Fill us with your love and never leave us. We abandon ourselves to you. We leave our old ways at your feet. Instead of our human will, may your love be the force that moves us. Bring us to your embrace.
Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.
The LORD isn't interested in tack-on behaviors. Fasting isn't something we just add on to the life we otherwise live. To change a behavior is relatively easy but to change our hearts is harder and requires God's grace. The danger is that when we give something up we can find other temporal pleasures with which to replace it rather than allowing God to fill the vacuum. Of course this will never lead to peace for us.
Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting,
striking with wicked claw.
Again the LORD reminds us that he is not concerned with the externals of fasting. Fasting apart from grace turns us inward, wears us down, and leaves us angry and anxious. But if we let God fill the void our sacrifices create we has his promise that he will transform us. We will be more free to love him and therefore to love our brothers and sisters.
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking every yoke;
Sharing your bread with the hungry,
sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own.
We are so afraid that this is true because we think that if it is it will mean misery for us. We are afraid that we won't find satisfaction but only chores, tedious work, and tasks beyond our ability. The fact is though, it is our selfishness that keeps us from joy and satisfaction, not God and not his plan for us. Selfishness and ego lie and promise false pleasures which we don't bother to question. They are satis-fictions but we prefer to remain stagnant and "comfortable" rather than risk change. But God calls us upward and the risk is worth the promise:
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Let us offer the LORD what he truly wants this Lent. Let us offer him souls maleable to his touch. This is one way to define contrite, the disposition which the LORD asks of us. We admit that the LORD is right and we are wrong. Once we do he is freed to shape us according to his purposes.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
Jesus tells us the are times when he is too present to us for fasting to be appropriate. In those times fasting is superfluous because he is the dominant priority of our lives. No matter what we do or don't do it is for him. Sadly, this isn't the usual state of things. We are normally more driven by selfishness than by love of him. It is hard to hear that the bridegroom is far from us but it does make the goal clear. We fast so that we can have that degree of closeness to the bridegroom once more (and not so that we can more effectively live our life apart from him, I might add).
“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?
Come, LORD Jesus. Draw nearer than before. Fill us with your love and never leave us. We abandon ourselves to you. We leave our old ways at your feet. Instead of our human will, may your love be the force that moves us. Bring us to your embrace.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
14 February 2013
14 February 2013
What will mean life for us? We have many ideas. The right job, the right spouse, the right entertainment or hobby, financial comfort, and many other things all promise to be life for us. Scripture has a different view. We must find life "by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him."
What will mean life for us? We have many ideas. The right job, the right spouse, the right entertainment or hobby, financial comfort, and many other things all promise to be life for us. Scripture has a different view. We must find life "by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him."
He is already working to open the way to our destiny. He is preparing the promised land for us. Yet he still leaves it within the realm of our own choice as to whether we ultimately want the the blessings he has for us. The promised land stands shining just across the Jordan but we are free to refuse it. That isn't what the LORD wants for us.
Choose life, then,
that you and your descendants may live
that you and your descendants may live
For this to work, the promise of the LORD must be real to us. That means we must have hope. If we do not have hope we will quickly turn aside at obstacles or fleeting pleasures. If we invest ourselves in such things our way will vanish with them. But blessed are we if we hope in the LORD.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
Really? Whatever we do will prosper? If we understand the ends which the LORD intends then yes, even if it doesn't seem that way to us. All things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. This is why we must hope in his promise rather than trust our own ability to quantify the good and the bad and estimate wherein is the biggest net gain. His promise is more than can ask or imagine which eye has not seen and ear has not heard. If we insist on the things which we can imagine and have already seen and heard we thwart and subvert the ultimately better intent of the LORD.
Jesus has blazed this trail for us. On the one hand, his human life certainly was good. Yet he still hoped in the Father's will, even while being repulsed by the idea of death and desiring on one level to cling to the life he had.
“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
In the sacrifice of the cross, he ultimately took our own disordered and human desires and loves and subjected them to the greater love and obedience he has for the Father. In doing so he opened the way to resurrection for us all. He opened the way to the true form of the blessings of which the promised land of the Old Testament was a mere foreshadowing.
Let us not gain the whole world and thereby lose our souls. Let us count even natural goods as garbage compared to the supreme good of truly knowing and being in relationship with our God.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Ash Wednesday, 2013
Ash Wednesday, 2013
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
But not because he wants us to be hurt. He wants us to be healed. This is a necessary step because of how we cling to that which is bad for us. Having our grip on it pried open is painful but we must let go.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
We must recognize that the joy of salvation is worth more than these things to which we cling. Not only that but we must depend completely on the LORD for healing. We try to have the right disposition but we must beg:
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
He is the one who washes us. He is the one who sustains a willing spirit within us. We do not do this on our own. But do not despair. He stands ready to sustain us right now. We do not have to wait until some future time when he is finally ready to help us.
This is about what happens in our hearts. We cry out and the LORD answers. The trouble is that sometimes we don't know to cry out. We think things are under control when that is far from the truth. Sometimes we cry out only because we want to keep up appearances. We do the things we think a Christian should do but instead of surrender it is just one more thing we control. But the LORD is concerned with what happens in secret, and he stands ready to reward us. Only in that reward is true joy. If we open our lips to proclaim our own joy it is really little more than affectation. Instead, we ask:
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
But not because he wants us to be hurt. He wants us to be healed. This is a necessary step because of how we cling to that which is bad for us. Having our grip on it pried open is painful but we must let go.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
We must recognize that the joy of salvation is worth more than these things to which we cling. Not only that but we must depend completely on the LORD for healing. We try to have the right disposition but we must beg:
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
He is the one who washes us. He is the one who sustains a willing spirit within us. We do not do this on our own. But do not despair. He stands ready to sustain us right now. We do not have to wait until some future time when he is finally ready to help us.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
behold, now is the day of salvation.
This is about what happens in our hearts. We cry out and the LORD answers. The trouble is that sometimes we don't know to cry out. We think things are under control when that is far from the truth. Sometimes we cry out only because we want to keep up appearances. We do the things we think a Christian should do but instead of surrender it is just one more thing we control. But the LORD is concerned with what happens in secret, and he stands ready to reward us. Only in that reward is true joy. If we open our lips to proclaim our own joy it is really little more than affectation. Instead, we ask:
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
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