31 October 2024 - no one takes it from me

Today's Readings

(Audio)

He replied, “Go and tell that fox,

‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,

and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.

The plan of Jesus and timeline on which the plan would be carried out were not to be determined by Herod or any other human. The hour of Jesus was one chosen in advance, and in fact determined in the plan of God from the very beginning. The Pharisees thought they could manipulate Jesus with threats, as though they could at least alter where he was able to minister even if they could not for the moment prevent him from doing so. But every threat had already been foreseen by Jesus. He would only ever be in precisely the places he was meant to be, doing the things he intended to do. No one who tried to take him before his time, before he himself allowed it to happen, would be able to do so. 

Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,

for it is impossible that a prophet should die

outside of Jerusalem.

The Pharisees were unable to use fear of Herod to influence Jesus because Jesus knew precisely what the time and place would be for him to freely lay his life down for the sake of the world. As a culmination and summary of all of the prophets, most of whom Israel had also rejected, Jerusalem was meant to be the place where Jesus himself would be rejected. But Jesus did not go to Jerusalem because he celebrated the fact that he would not be received.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem,

you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,

how many times I yearned to gather your children together

as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,

but you were unwilling!

Jesus went to Jerusalem precisely out of love, because he desired to gather her children together as a hen gathers her brood. He went to do this even in spite of the fact that he knew they would be unwilling. He knew all the repercussions which would result from allowing himself to be put to death. He knew the judgment it would bring down on those who rejected him. But he knew that short-term punishment was worth it for the sake of the incomparable mercy that would ultimately be unlocked. Even if the house of Jerusalem would be abandoned for a time, Jesus would eventually gather all of those who were meant to be children of God into his Kingdom. 

Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad (see John 11:51-52).

We The Kingdom - God So Loved

30 October 2024 - will many be saved?

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Strive to enter through the narrow gate,

for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter

but will not be strong enough.

Will only a few people be saved? Jesus didn't answer the question directly, but rather shifted the focus back on the one who asked and the others who were listening. There were real potential obstacles that might prevent individuals from being included in the Kingdom banquet in the age to come. The gate itself was narrow, and pushing through would require that one strive to do so. Further, there was a time constraint. For once the master had arisen to lock the door time was up.

But where does one get the strength to enter? In a world where many will not be strong enough what sort of strength is it that enables those who manage to enter to do so? We know this can't come from any sort of innate talents or societal privileges since the ones entrusted with much actually face the challenge of greater expectations. According to Paul, true strength is something that comes from God.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might (see Ephesians 6:10).

It is appropriate to talk about striving since Paul wrote to his audience, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling", but while at the same time reminding them that "it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (see Philippians 2:12-13). There is therefore no sheer force of will with which we can barge into the Kingdom uninvited. What is required is the strength that comes from surrender. Surrender implies relationship, which is why attendance at the banquet is based on being recognized by the master of the house.

'Lord, open the door for us.'

He will say to you in reply,

'I do not know where you are from.'

Being recognized by the master means more than knowing about Jesus or having existed in proximity to his followers. It means opening ourselves to him in a way that makes us genuinely vulnerable to him, so that he can do the work of transforming us with his grace and giving us his own strength. Then Jesus will see one who desired to be with him forever. The Father will see one who reminds him of his only begotten Son. It is to those humble enough to allow this work in them that entrance into the Kingdom and attendance at the heavenly banquet will be granted. Those who insist on their own autonomy and their own strength to the very end, in spite of appeals to lay down their resistance, may be among some who are now first but will be last. Yet those with no great natural assets or amazing abilities or social status can truly rely on Jesus for strength. Then they may hope to be among some who are now last who will one day be first.

John Michael Talbot - Exodus 15

29 October 2024 - Kingdom dynamics

Today's Readings

(Audio)

What is the Kingdom of God like?

To what can I compare it?

It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.

The Kingdom of God started off small, hidden, and all but invisible. It was not established using obvious preexisting foundations. Rather than choosing primarily the well educated or the powerful Jesus instead chose ordinary women and men to be his followers. The Twelve Apostles who would become the pillars of a new and spiritual Israel didn't get the job because of their resumes or their curriculum vitae. It wasn't on the basis of prior experience or existing skillsets that they were chosen.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are (see First Corinthians 1:26-28).

The Kingdom was the realization of the great reversal about which Mary sang in her Magnificat, in which God, "has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate" (see Luke 1:52). It was already the incipient stage of a new world in which the one who "exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (see Matthew 23:12). In such a world it would be evident that all praise and all thanksgiving belonged to God alone.

Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?

It is like yeast that a woman took

and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour

until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”

The Kingdom of God definitely plays by its own rules, where success is not predicated on strength. But it might seem like this would only be true within its own limited sphere, as though this were fine for the specifically religious, but not applicable to other parts of society. And yet the influence of the Kingdom of God on the world around it also works differently than one would expect. Its influence on the society around it is not based on size, power, or prestige. It may often not even be evident to the world that the influence is in play. More frequently it seems that the rising effect of the leaven is misattributed to society itself. But the more the Christian element is isolated and prevented from interacting and exerting this effect the more society will first flatten, and eventually fall apart. We tend to take for granted the importance of Christendom for good aspects of the modernity that supplanted it. But much of what is good in our world is actually derived from the parts of Christendom from which the modern world has not yet realized the need to extricate itself.

Because the Kingdom of God works in small and hidden ways we should not fear when the world seems large and the Church seems hopelessly outmatched. Further, we should not worry that our own weaknesses might disqualify us from having a role to play. For God does not generally call the qualified but rather qualifies the called. And if our attempts at contributing to growth seem trivial and ineffective we should not fear. It is likely that we are just not in a position to see the results at present. The Kingdom gives us cause to hope even when things look hopeless and to help even when we seem to have nothing to give.

Newsboys - Secret Kingdom

28 October 2024 - called to himself

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,

and he spent the night in prayer to God.

Before calling the disciples to himself Jesus spent an entire night in prayer to God. Most probably it was not because of any uncertainty on his part about who was chosen to be with him. Rather he wanted to set an example of how his followers should attempt to discern important decisions. Since Jesus was the maximal and best example we might not always imitate him perfectly down to the last detail. It might not always be necessary to spend an entire night in prayer before making a crucial choice. But it is hard to avoid the impression that at least some time should be spent. This meant that, for his followers, choices were not merely to be based on cost-benefit analysis or the forecast of likely future outcomes, but also open to the genuine wisdom and spiritual insight that God might choose to give. They weren't just a matter of logic or theology but were meant to be discussed in relationship with one wiser than ourselves, whose ways are not our ways, and whose thoughts are not our thoughts (see Isaiah 55:8).

When day came, he called his disciples to himself,

and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles

The disciples had the reassurance that the fact that they had been chosen was not a spur of the moment or unconsidered decision by Jesus. Rather, it was deeply rooted in the mind of God. Even should they later have doubts about themselves or they own worthiness for the call they received they could reflect back on the prayer of Jesus that preceded it and take courage. They knew that the prayer life of Jesus was special, not like others, to the extent that they wished to learn and imitate it. This gave a solidity to their call that they might not have otherwise been able to recognize, especially when the path of discipleship forced them to confront their own limitations and failures.

We too have been called and chosen and are therefore among the elect of God, a theme to which Paul frequently makes reference.

he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved (see Ephesians 1:4-6)

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you (see First Thessalonians 1:4).

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers (see Romans 8:29).

Maybe if we come to realize that following Jesus is his idea for us, rather than something we happened to chose without him particularly noticing, we will become more bold, more capable of following in the footsteps of the Twelve in making the name of Jesus known and loved.

You are no longer strangers and sojourners,

but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones

and members of the household of God,

built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,

with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.

Brotherhood Of Hope - To Love You And To Make You Loved

27 October 2024 - that i might see

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,

sat by the roadside begging.

Without Jesus, the light of the world, we are all blind in some measure. Without him we cannot respond to his command, "Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you" (see John 12:35). Like the Pharisees this might be hard to process and we may protest, "Are we also blind?", to which Jesus would reply, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains" (see John 9:40-41). We won't be condemned for our blindness. But if we insist that we can see in spite of all indications to the contrary we do become guilty. But this was not a problem for Bartimaeus. His life did not allow him the luxury of imagining his condition as other than it was. He had no recourse but to remain by the roadside begging in order to meet his needs. People such as him who truly knew their condition and harbored no illusions about themselves were often ready to receive Jesus, and to turn to him for help.

On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,

he began to cry out and say,

"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."

Though he was blind Bartimaeus saw more in Jesus than most of those around him. Perhaps it was partly because he was less distracted by what was around him. Perhaps too it was because he wasn't so busy crafting his own facade. He heard what others heard about Jesus of Nazareth but somehow heard it more deeply and realized more of what it meant. He, and not they, was the one to acknowledge Jesus as the messianic "son of David". And he knew, somehow, that the messiah had the both the capability to do something about his condition and the heart of compassion that would make him do it.

And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. 

But he kept calling out all the more,

The needy are often uncomfortable and inconvenient to the followers of Jesus. Shamefully, we often behave like the crowd and try to silence those who would be disruptive to our lives or to the smooth and streamlined operation of the day to day functioning of the Church. We often prefer to send people away even though Jesus is always about the work of gathering. Whether it was to feed crowds, to bless children, or to heal a blind man, Jesus always chose to gather and never to scatter. We should not imitate the blithe indifference of the crowd. Instead we should seek Jesus with the persistence of Bartimaeus. He asked and kept asking, sensing that this would not be held against him. Though his coming might have been like a friend at midnight trying to borrow bread he refused to be silent or depart without it (see Luke 11:5-10).

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."

So they called the blind man, saying to him,

"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."

Jesus probably enlisted the crowd to do the calling so that they could learn to act in a way befitting disciples. The way they phrased the call did seem redolent of compassion, saying "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you".  He threw aside his cloak, representing his old life up to that point, sprang up, and raced toward Jesus. He seemed to be halfway to Jesus before they even finished their speech. His blindness he probably made him too cautious to move that fast before. But there was a way in which the presence of Jesus was already illuminating him, stabilizing him, and drawing him safely to himself. 

Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" 

The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." 

Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." 

Because Bartimaeus knew himself to be blind he was well positioned to recognize the light of the world in his midst. What Jesus did by healing his physical blindness was a confirmation of the deeper healing that happened within him because of the presence of Jesus. He was brought from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light (see Colossians 1:13), just as we all are in baptism, although he realized it more than most. The eyes of his heart were enlightened to realize the hope to which he was called (see Ephesians 1:18). And the fact that his literal eyes were opened was a indisputable physical confirmation of that fact.

Immediately he received his sight

and followed him on the way.

Bartimaeus knew there was no better use for his sight than to follow Jesus, no better good upon which to gaze than Jesus himself. Because his eye was sound his whole body was filled with light (see Matthew 6:22).

We need the light of Jesus to see clearly and navigate safely through this light. We need this not once, but throughout our days. It's is all too possible to experience the light of Jesus but the resign ourselves to the dim half-light of trying to get by on our own. Let us too take courage and arise from this pitiable state. Jesus is calling us.

SonicFlood - Open The Eyes Of My Heart

Songs In His Presence - Our Hearts Will Rise

26 October 2024 - greater sinners?

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way 

they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?

It was probably comfortable to assume that others suffered because of their sin. Were that the case it would allow for the sort of casual and disinterested discussion of horrific headlines as only pertaining to others and never possibly to oneself. It was safe to become outraged about the suffering of others as long as it didn't imply anything about one's own state and circumstances. It allowed politics to become a game in which one didn't need to be deeply invested to play. It allowed a whole class of commentators to arise who would not need to contribute anything beyond their opinions.

By no means!

But I tell you, if you do not repent,

you will all perish as they did!

Jesus clarified that those who suffered in tragic events in question were actually not guilty of any special grievous sins, or even any more guilty than their surrounding countrymen. But in so saying he revealed that no one was exempt from the possibility of sudden catastrophe. Like the rich fool in the parable their lives could be demanded of them that very night (see Luke 12:20), regardless of whether they had done anything particularly heinous. The fact that tragedy didn't only befall the especially guilty meant that headlines such as those about the Galileans and about the tower at Siloam were no longer merely safe abstract topics of discussion. It meant there was the real danger that they could happen to anyone at any time. And this meant that there was a real urgency to repent, not as though doing so could avoid tragedy, but so that one would be ready for whatever might come. Tragedies might not target only the especially guilty. But there were not really any people so innocent that a sudden end without repentance was not a fearful prospect.

For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree 

but have found none.

Repentance was supposed to mean bearing fruit in keeping with repentance (see Luke 3:8). The fact that tragedy was not currently befalling the tree was not necessarily a sign it was doing well. In fact in the parable it was opposite.  The gardener was pleading for patience on behalf of the tree, desperately doing all he could to coax from it the fruit it is meant to bear. We should not, therefore, see the lack of problems in our lives as an inherent sign of blessing, if we interpret that to mean that we are not in need of change. A lack of problems might be a blessing insofar as it gives us additional time to refocus all our energies and resources into bearing fruit, utilizing all of the care that the gardener never ceases to bestow.

Vineyard Worship Featuring Kate Cooke - Refiner's Fire

25 October 2024 - the hope of our call

Today's Readings

(Audio)

If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,

make an effort to settle the matter on the way;

Growth in holiness is not optional since without it "no one will see the Lord" (see Hebrews 12:14). Sooner is always better than later in this regard. If we close ourselves to the work the Lord wants to do in us now and imagine that we are putting it off until a more convenient time, perhaps until Purgatory, we are in fact hardening our hearts, and therefore giving the Lord more to do. The longer we wait to avail ourselves of his grace the more calcified layers there will be from which to excavate our hardened hearts. 

If we are in a state of grace the transformation we do not complete in this life will take place inexorably in Purgatory. And in many ways Purgatory is nothing to fear, it is the fire of God's love that will help us to pay back "the last penny" of debt keeping us from the fullness of his presence. But if we see ourselves heading in this direction, and if we recognize that our destiny is to appear before the judgment seat of God (see Second Corinthians 5:10), then how can we hesitate in such a way as to make this debt grow larger and increasingly more intractable?

When you see a cloud rising in the west

you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;

and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south

you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.

You hypocrites!

We tend to be prudent about our earthly priorities, highly strategic and practical in planning based on any signs we can interpret. But there is no more urgent sign than the coming of Jesus into our midst. Response to other signs might help us to travel safely our reap a better harvest. But our eternal destiny is contingent on our response to the Son of Man. If dark storm clouds were heading toward us we wouldn't leave the laundry out on a clothesline. How much less should we be willing to leave ourselves exposed and unhealed when the coming of Jesus draws closer day by day?

After all, holiness is not really a negative. Our egos fear it as though it will vacuum all of the fun out of life. But it is really our only hope. Humility, gentleness, patience, love, and unity that the Spirit make possible are far better than the violence and discord in which we find ourselves when left to our own resources. We were made for God and we should not and need not wait to draw near to him.

as you were also called to the one hope of your call;

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

one God and Father of all,

who is over all and through all and in all.

CFC Music - We Belong To God

24 October 2024 - to set the earth on fire

Today's Readings

(Audio)

I have come to set the earth on fire,

and how I wish it were already blazing!

John the Baptist had prophesied that Jesus would baptize "with the holy Spirit and fire" (see Luke 3:16). This looked forward to the events of Pentecost in which, as Jesus told his disciples, they would "be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (see Acts 1:5) when the Spirit would appear as tongues of fire (see Acts 2:3).

But the same Spirit that would so transform and empower the disciples would become a fire of judgment for those who rejected him, since, "the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire" (see Luke 3:16). The distinguishing factor that would make people experience blessing or judgment would be the response they made to Jesus himself. He did not delight in judgment, did not wish to divide families one from another.  But he did celebrate those who would choose him as their absolute and highest good, even over and against the pressure of their family and their society. He wanted the fire in the hearts of his people to burn above all with love for him and for his Father and to reduce to ash all the attachments that tried to hold them back from a full commitment to that love. 

Those who would not accept Jesus, and those who were hostile and rejected him, would only experience the Spirit's flames as a negative from their point of view as captives of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The Spirit would feel to them as though he were encroaching on their autonomy. What was meant to be purification would only feel like pain to those who struggled against it. If they chose to persist in rejecting transformation by the Spirit there was the very real possibility of choosing the fire of eternal judgment instead. The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote that "our God is a consuming fire" (see Hebrews 12:29). That was meant to be something worthy of celebration. But whether it would be so for an individual was finally down to his own choice.

There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,

and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!

The baptism of the Spirit which Jesus won for his followers was contingent upon the baptism of his own crucifixion. It was at the cross that blood and the living water of the Holy Spirit flowed from his side. The cross not only canceled the condemnation of sin but also finally unsealed all of the blessings Jesus intended for his people. Hence we can see that the fire in the heart of Jesus himself made him eager to the point of anguish to endure it for our sakes. This unstoppable passion of his for us was meant to be contagious. It was meant to be part of what the Spirit would ignite, and did in fact ignite, in the hearts of the disciples at Pentecost.

Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?

No, I tell you, but rather division.

How is our own attitude regarding the passion of Jesus and what it implies about us and our mission? Have we caught fire in pursuit of Jesus? Or do we prefer lesser goods, choosing temporary and transient peace that cannot last instead of the true peace that can only come from as a fruit of the Spirit? If our flame is not burning brightly, or if it has been reduced to mere embers, we are invited to fan it into flames once again.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands (see Second Timothy 1:6).

Jesus Culture - Set A Fire

TobyMac - Catchafire (Whoopsi-Daisy)

23 October 2024 - faithful servants

Today's Readings

(Audio)

You also must be prepared,

for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

The Son of Man comes at an unexpected hour to see how his servants perform while he is apparently absent. He is often represented in parables as a figure who is distant or absent in order to reveal what is truly within the hearts of his subjects. Does their faith make them willing to remain obedient even when he seems distant? Or do they quickly forget about him and do their own thing? 

If we lose our sense of urgency, forget about his Kingdom, and become lost in our own pursuits we tend to begin to act selfishly and put ourselves at risk. We begin to live, not from the motivation of what we can do to contribute to Jesus and his Kingdom, but from the motivation of what we can get from this life and from those around us.

But if that servant says to himself,

‘My master is delayed in coming,’

and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,

to eat and drink and get drunk,

then that servant’s master will come

The delay itself often seems to be the challenge to our faith that we either admirably overcome by obedience or which causes us to relegate Jesus and the Kingdom to something that isn't important 'right now'. Perhaps later. But if he isn't around anyway, then isn't this the time for us, for our pleasure and enjoyment? But this isn't the way to true happiness. If we persist in it Jesus's eventually coming will feel to us as an unwelcome surprise, visceral challenge to our attachments in which our egos "shall be beaten severely".

But Jesus does not come only at the end of time. He comes periodically to upset the stranglehold of our egos over worldly things. He comes in many ways and at various times when our attention is directed elsewhere. He appears as the thief who takes from us what was never truly ours, what we could not keep, in order that we can look to possess that which we can keep for eternity. 

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,

and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

We might be tempted to wish to remain in blissful ignorance of the master's will if knowledge of it makes us more accountable. But the thing is, it is possible not only to know his will, but to carry it out. Thus the person in the best position is not that of the servant ignorant of his master's will who was beaten lightly but rather the one who knew it and did it and was therefore beaten not at all. The master is fair but he does insist that we learn to be faithful. And for this sooner is always better than later.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

and he has been my savior.

With joy you will draw water

at the fountain of salvation.

Bob Baker - Bring Your Kingdom

22 October 2024 - awaiting the master's return

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Gird your loins and light your lamps

There were to be like the Israelites in Egypt eating the Passover before their flight, since that people was commanded, "This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt" (see Exodus 12:11). The disciples having their lamps lit would also be fitting for the imagery since the Passover took place at night.¹

and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,

ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.

There was an expectation that the the messiah would come during the celebration of a Passover meal (ibid). The disciples were not waiting to flee from Egypt, but rather for the messiah to come and lead them on the definitive exodus (see Luke 9:31) he was to accomplish, delivering his people from death and leading them to eternal life. 

Blessed are those servants

whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.

The master was to come and then the feast would truly begin and the deliverance would be accomplished. But it would be those awaiting his coming who would be prepared to participate in the feast. The messiah would indeed return, but some would be so caught up in worldly affairs and so compromised by collusion with evil that they would not only be unready but even unwilling to join the celebration. But those who were attentive to the presence of the master, looking to discover it in Scripture, the Sacraments, the believing community, and the poor and disadvantaged, would be ready to welcome the bridegroom when he arrived. By their faithfulness in the absence of the master they demonstrated their commitment to his Kingdom and their desire to dwell with him therein.

Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,

have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.

We probably would have thought that those waiting would need to serve the master on his arrival. At a different time Jesus told his disciples that a typical master would in fact not say to his servant, "Come at once and recline at table" (see Luke 17:7). But that was a caution against the disciples developing an attitude of entitlement on the basis of their service. Nevertheless, when describing the coming on the messiah we see that Jesus said that he did in fact plan to do precisely this. He would not wait for the servants to serve him, but would in fact to wait on them. This is what we experience when we participate in the celebration of the Eucharist with eyes of faith. And it is the culmination of this banquet in heaven to which we look forward at the end of time.

Let us be prepared. Jesus desires to come and dwell within those who watch for him and wait for his coming. May we be among them.

Through him the whole structure is held together

and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;

in him you also are being built together

into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

--

1) Gadenz, Pablo T.. The Gospel of Luke (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture): (A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Catholic Biblical Scholars - CCSS) (p. 244). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

Maranatha! Music - He Is Our Peace

21 October 2024 - what matters to God?

Today's Readings

(Audio)

“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”

He replied to him,

“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”

It might seem like such a request from the man in the crowd actually honored the authority of Jesus, using him as a reference to whom his brother would have no choice but to listen. But this man had already come up with his own judgment and arbitration and only wanted Jesus' stamp of approval. His brother wouldn't listen to him so he would try to put his decision into the mouth of those to whom he would listen. Jesus seemed to respond by saying that he was not the judge and arbitrator of this case because the man had asked for it. Rather, as Moses was appointed by God to be judge of Israel, so too was Jesus given an authority by God, one which was still greater, to be the judge of the living in the dead. Since he did not serve at the behest of this or any man he would give a just judgment and not defer to the preferences of those involved. By comparing himself to Moses Jesus also implicitly warned against the temptation to murmur against him or reject him. 

Then he said to the crowd,

“Take care to guard against all greed,

for though one may be rich,

one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

When we bring our problems to Jesus we may find that he reveals things within us that need to change. Perhaps, like this man, we have something that we feel is a matter of fairness or justice or something which at least represents a lack of generosity on the part of another. In some way there seems to be something about someone else about which we wish Jesus would take action. But often he turns the tables on us, shifting the focus inward instead. We frequently believe we have reasonably noble motivations for what we ask but Jesus often reveals that our request truly issues from things like greed and inordinate desire and that we are merely masking them under a pretense of desire for justice. 

Then he told them a parable.

The man in the parable was described as rich already even before his land produced a bountiful harvest. It was clear that the fruit of his fields was actually more than he could store, and therefore more than he could use, at least any time soon. Rather than receiving such abundance as a sign of favor from God and making use of it to help others he could only think of himself. He built larger barns because by doing so it would be less essential for him to work hard in the future. If anything went wrong he would then have a contingency plan in place. But it turned out that he was so worried about the exigencies of this life that he wasn't rich in what mattered to God. He was anxious about what he would eat or drink without realizing that such disordered concern could not add a single day to his life (see Matthew 6:25-27). What he tried to accomplish was not merely prudent planning, but was actually the desire for excessive and unrealistic control that riches sometimes represent.

But God said to him,

‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;

and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’

Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself

but is not rich in what matters to God.”

What matters to God? "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (see Micah 6:8). Riches are a lower good than family, which is a lower good than God. When we ask Jesus to arbitrate our case we should be prepared for him to reorder our hierarchy of goods so that they correspond, no longer to our fallen human nature, but to reality. He will do so precisely because of the great love he has for us.

But God, who is rich in mercy,

because of the great love he had for us,

even when we were dead in our transgressions,

brought us to life with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

raised us up with him,

and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus,

that in the ages to come

he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace

in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Matt Maher - Come To The Water

20 October 2024 - whatever we ask

Today's Readings

(Audio)

"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." 

Jesus would teach his followers to seek, ask, and knock for things they desired, and to be persistent in prayer. There was a way in which prayers would always be heard (see Matthew 21:22, First John 3:22). But there was a way in which one's intentions and the way he asked could prevent the fulfillment of prayer, at least in the precise way that he imagined and intended it (see James 4:3). 

They answered him, "Grant that in your glory

we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." 

The request of James and John was good insofar as it indicated a faith in the coming glorification of Jesus and the desire to be with in close proximity to him. But it also seemed to stem from a desire to have an authority that was like that of the rulers of the Gentiles. They wanted recognition and a power they could use to lord it over others. Their fellow disciples seemed to pick up on the competitive nature of this request when they became indignant.  James and John wanted to become the greatest of the disciples according to a worldly paradigm of greatness and this inevitably led to strife and division. 

Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. 

Can you drink the cup that I drink

or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" 

They said to him, "We can." 

Jesus did not entirely reject the petition of James and John. He instead explained that they didn't understand the true nature of what was good in what they requested. They thought that they desired leadership and greatness according to a worldly model. But the actual good that was drawing them was genuine, but different from what they thought they wanted. Jesus wanted them to discover and desire greatness according to the model of the Kingdom and as imitators of him. He wanted them to learn to desire to be leaders who came not to be served but to serve, just as he had done.

The cost of embracing the paradigm of Jesus and his Kingdom was to share in his chalice and his baptism. The naive confidence James and John demonstrated when he asked them if they could share his chalice and his baptism was not a bad thing. But they would have to endure much before they would be able to truly understand or participate in the salvific suffering of Jesus. And yet Jesus did not discourage them since it was precisely through participation in his own saving death that the ego and pride that were contaminating their request would finally be overcome in them. It was united with Jesus that they could discover the true glory that could be found in giving their own lives for the sake of others.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin,

he shall see his descendants in a long life,

and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.

One reassuring aspect of today's Gospel is how Jesus is willing to work with our imperfect desires, reinforcing what is good, and encouraging us insofar as we're on the correct path. He will also help us to see where we go wrong, just as he did for James and for John. But this means we should not be afraid to approach him with our desires just because we don't have one hundred percent confidence that they are pristine. We can draw near to him because he deeply understands us and wants to give us that which is truly good even more than we ourselves desire it.

So let us confidently approach the throne of grace

to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

Hillsong Worship - To Be Like You

19 October 2024 - acknowledged before the angels

Today's Readings

(Audio)

I tell you,

everyone who acknowledges me before others

the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.

If we will acknowledge Jesus before the people in our lives in this age then Jesus will reciprocate in the angelic realm in the age to come. It isn't a matter of quid pro quo. Rather, he takes our willingness to be associated with him seriously. If we deny him before others he takes that as a sincere signification that we don't really want to be with him. Then when it is time to see if we belong in his kingdom with his angels we will have demonstrated whether or not we desire it. After all, if we live a life here below in which we give no sign that we have met Jesus or been touched by his grace, what hope do we have to discover that in his kingdom we belong or feel at home?

Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven

Jesus did understand that there would be pressure to speak against the Son of Man, such as the pressure Peter felt during the trial of Jesus before the cock crowed. He knew that even those who did desire his friendship and who would, at most times, broadcast their association with him from the rooftops, might also cave under pressure. But this did not necessarily define the ultimate trajectory of their lives just as it did not for Peter. In many cases it would be possible to be forgiven as Peter was, somehow made an even more believable witness precisely because of his demonstrated human weakness. It was in some ways precisely because Peter had failed that he was suitable to strengthen his brethren once he had been restored (see Luke 22:32). Peter's life before his hour of trial was one in which he tried to respond to the grace of God, not always succeeding, but learning from his failures. This disposition helped him have a heart that was ready to hope again even when he denied him during his hour of greatest need.

but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit

will not be forgiven.

Mercy was possible for Peter. This was something that the Holy Spirit led his heart to realize. He had failed beyond his human capacity to hope again. But led by the Holy Spirit he did once again embrace his hope and his trust in Jesus himself. No doubt this same grace, to repent and be forgiven, was offered even to Judas. But Judas apparently rejected that grace as impossible, denying that even the Holy Spirit could have any effect on a heart such as his. And such a denial became a self-fulfilling prophecy. By refusing to believe that there was hope or the possibility of help for him that very possibility was excluded. Judas thus serves as a cautionary tale of our very real capacity to reject the mercy of God. If we refuse to believe that he can reach us in our situations we may prevent him from doing so. But if we will allow ourselves to hope in him then mercy is certainly always possible.

When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,

do not worry about how or what your defense will be

or about what you are to say. 

If we have a defense that is planned in advance we risk sounding lifeless and unpersuasive. We may sound like a textbook, well sourced and researched, but without human warmth or connection to real life. It is good, as Peter said to always be "prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you" (see First Peter 3:15). But we can't force this reason to fit into a preplanned speech or a flowchart. We must be sufficiently well acquainted with the Gospel message that the Spirit is able to dynamically lead us to share it with specific emphasis as appropriate for a given situation. We aren't meant to go in unprepared. But we aren't meant to be so over prepared that we give the Holy Spirit no room to move.

Paul understood the hope that belonged to God's call and for this reason could not resist speaking about Jesus and encouraging others to come to know him. If we too open ourselves to this spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we come to have our hearts enlightened then we too will find ourselves filled with the grace to acknowledge Jesus in all of the circumstances of our lives.

Elevation Worship - Here As In Heaven

18 October 2024 - marching orders

Today's Readings

(Audio)

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples

whom he sent ahead of him in pairs

to every town and place he intended to visit.

Jesus knew he was sending out these disciples as lambs among wolves, that they were going to face active opposition and hostility in the world. We might tend to imagine these earlier missionary trips as consisting of mostly successful encounters with audiences interested to hear the Gospel. But Jesus gave so many precautions in the event that the disciples would not be welcomed that we must assume that this too was a common occurrence. No doubt it was part of the reason that he sent them out in pairs. Alone they might have been tempted to think that they were the crazy one and that the world around them was altogether reasonable to criticize or ignore them. But since they went out together they could rely on one another for stability and solidity in the face of whatever hostility they encountered. They could minister Jesus not only to the world around them but to one another.

Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;

and greet no one along the way.

There were a variety of ways that the disciples could have become distracted from the primary purpose of their journey. Rather than providing a detailed list of rules and priorities Jesus simply removed the temptations entirely. In some ways this made the mission more challenging. The disciples would need to rely more on providence than on planning. But it made it much less likely that they would compromise along the way or seek to subvert their missionary purpose to some other end. It was clear that there was an urgency to the proclamation. There wasn't time for idle chitchat along the way. They had, as it were, marching orders, and they were meant to keep those as their primary focus.

Into whatever house you enter,

first say, 'Peace to this household.'

If a peaceful person lives there,

your peace will rest on him;

but if not, it will return to you.

The disciples were taught a way to offer the Gospel to others that didn't put their own emotional integrity at risk. If others didn't want what they offered they would not for that reason lose their own peace. The peace they had to offer was not their own but rather a gift from Jesus himself. And if others didn't want what they had to offer they did not need to interpret it as a personal rejection and become distraught. If others chose to reject the peace of Christ it would simply return to them and they would continue on their journey. It is probably the case that if we learned to offer peace in this way we would become more effective evangelists ourselves.

Luke is the only one with me.

When we learn the lessons Jesus desired to teach the seventy-two disciples we become not only better evangelists but also better partners in evangelism. We can then became reliable in the way that Luke was for Paul, present and ready to help even when it seemed the world was against him.

Newsboys - The Mission

17 October 2024 - in memorial

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets 

whom your fathers killed.

It is rather easy to celebrate the lives of saints with icons and images. It is rather more difficult to actually live as they did. We say we respect Padre Pio. But would we go anywhere near the line for his confessional? We may claim to love Saint Francis. But would we actually be as happy to hear him tell us about our unhealthy materialistic attachments? Saints seem safe as long as our appreciation for them remains to be merely aesthetic. Are we in fact building their memorials to keep them confined and lifeless in the past? This seems to be the criticism Jesus leveled at those who built memorials to the prophets in his own day. They claimed to honor them. But they were actually aligned with those who had acted against the prophets throughout history. And they would themselves demonstrate this opposition by acting against the one who would sum up in himself all of the prophets. Prophets had spoken in varied and partial ways. But in Jesus, God spoke to humanity through his Son (see Hebrews 1:1-2). Because Jesus was rejected by the generation to which he came they would not only be charged with his blood, but with the blood of all the prophets, since he summed up all of them in himself. This would be true of those who were obviously implicated in the death of Jesus at the time. But no one, excluding Mary, lived so completely without sin as to never act in a way that represented a rejection of Jesus and the line of prophetic voices he fulfilled. We too have done things for which justice would require that we were charged for his blood. But fortunately, even while we were enemies, Christ chose to die for us to free us from this guilt (see Romans 5:10).

In Christ we have redemption by his Blood,

the forgiveness of transgressions,

in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.

Christ received in himself the summed up form of the hostility of humanity against God. But he also summed up himself something better. All of the promises that were more or less explicit throughout the history of creation were fully realized in him. He was the one in whom every promise found its 'Yes' (see Second Corinthians 1:20). He put death and sin to death on the cross. And a new possibility of life, in union with him, was born from his resurrection.

Woe to you, scholars of the law!

You have taken away the key of knowledge.

You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.

Because of what Jesus has done for us we must do better than adorning our houses with memorials of saints. He has given the keys to his Kingdom to Peter and his successors. So we should make sure that the saints actually influence our lives and not just our decor. We should make sure that we don't just sit and look at the Kingdom but that we actually enter and invite others to do the same.

Hillsong Worship - To Be Like You

16 October 2024 - the big picture

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Woe to you Pharisees!

You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,

but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.

It was and remains possible to major in the minors, to fixate on fine points of minutia while forgetting about the big picture. Pharisees made sure their tithing extended even to small things which would be easy to neglect. But this action wasn't motivated by a big picture love for God, or even concern about judgment. It was more likely that it was done for the sake of appearances, since it would seem likely to others that one who was that concerned with the fine points of detail wouldn't miss anything anywhere else either. And even for the sake of their own self-image as professionally religious individuals this tithing seemed to them to be proof that they were in fact 'doing the thing' since this was something that was actually fairly easy to control and didn't really demand much of them. Which is not to say they were wrong to be concerned about the details. But they ought not have let that concern make them overlook the other more important things.

Woe to you Pharisees!

You love the seat of honor in synagogues

and greetings in marketplaces.  

The Pharisees were more motivated by the respect they garnered from those who highly regarded them than be any sincere desire to please God. If a Pharisee could do what he ought with no need to be recognized by others because he knew it was pleasing to God this would be a sign of maturity. But if he couldn't find motivation to act unless it led to these places of honor and greetings from others it proved he was seeking an earthly reward rather than a heavenly one, and that he was not acting for God but rather for himself. This desire to make a good showing before others made such Pharisees particularly dangerous. They avoided the appearance of impurity and yet were fundamentally motivated by selfish pride. For us, in order to avoid this trap, we must ensure that we are content to do our duty to God and neighbor whether or not we are recognized for it.

And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law!

You impose on people burdens hard to carry,

but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”

We can imagine teachers like this in our own day and even in our own Church, pleased to tell the world what must be done, but failing to point to the grace by which the difficult becomes possible and the heavy becomes light. Some such teachers even seem to delight in the fact that people fail to live up to their words, and secretly savor their imagined eventual condemnation. Their teaching is motivated, not by the desire to make a difference, but by the desire to broadcast their superiority. They make it sound as though they are perfectly compliant with the heavy burdens of the law precisely in and through their own strength and competence. They imply that others are failing because they simply don't try hard enough. But it is not the case that we are meant to carry our burdens on our own strength or imply that others must do so. For our burdens and those of others we know that there is no better solution than to bring them to Jesus in order to share his yoke and his burden. We see in Jesus the exact opposite of the behavior of the indifferent scholars of the law:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (see Matthew 11:28-30).

Maranatha! Music - I Will Delight

15 October 2024 - inside or out?

Today's Readings

(Audio)

The Pharisee was amazed to see

that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.

Jesus did not participate in a ritual that amounted to little more than virtue signaling. The original idea behind such a ritual may have been a good one, indicating the acknowledge of the need for cleansing. But from a heartfelt desire to be pure before God it seemed to devolve, first into a merely external practice devoid of devotion, and finally to a badge of honor by which people could indicate their religiosity. 

The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees!

Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,

inside you are filled with plunder and evil.

The outside of the cup and the dish are easy to clean and are the actions likely to elicit praise from others. The inside is more hidden, more difficult to address, but more essential. A dirty exterior may cause surrounding individuals to criticize. But a dirty interior might make one and those with whom one shares his life to be actually sick. Cleaning only the outside is fundamentally dishonest since it seems to promise that the inside would also be clean. And yet people can come to a place where they are only interested in what is external, in what they can easily control, and what is readily visible to others. A large part of the reason for this is likely because the inside of a human heart is much harder to manage than rituals and other externals. Fortunately, Jesus knew a solution that would work in the case of the Pharisee who invited him.

But as to what is within, give alms,

and behold, everything will be clean for you.

This idea, that giving alms had anything to do with what is within, must have been surprising. It should still be surprising. It seems like a very external action, visible, and within the scope of one's control. But it is precisely because it takes the focus off of oneself and one's performance that it can actually help. It is as though Jesus said that in order to address what is within people would need to stop thinking about themselves and think more about others. It was an action that had the possibility to short-circuit the loop of ego and pride that was filling the Pharisee with plunder and evil. 

Jesus knew that it was even possible to make the giving of alms and egotistical performance. But done properly it was a way to store up treasure in heaven. It was actually a way to be free from the need to impress and to be always right. In our day, when so much of our focus is on ourselves and our appearance, it is an escape hatch from the narrow confines of self to a larger world defined by love.

Mark Schultz - Give Us Clean Hands

14 October 2024 - demand for a sign

Today's Readings

(Audio)

This generation is an evil generation;

it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,

except the sign of Jonah.

Some people genuinely seek to know the truth and actually stand to benefit when a sign is given. Ahaz was not one of these. He was told to ask for a sign from the Lord, even one which was "deep as Sheol or high as heaven" (see Isaiah 7:11). The reason he refused to ask was because he didn't want to see such irrefutable evidence. But in spite of one stubborn individual God promised to give the sign anyway because his plans would not be derailed by one individual's lack of faith. There were other times when a sign was part of God's plan. The charismatic gifts functioned in such a way as to be signs, sometimes for people who are already believers, and sometimes for nonbelievers (see First Corinthians 14:22). And it was clear that the apostles "regularly" performed "many signs and wonders" as the early Church was built up (see Acts 5:12). There was, therefore, a context in which signs were not only valid but useful. 

There was also an unhealthy desire for signs that was demonstrated by the "evil generation" who refused to receive Jesus. They claimed to want and in fact demanded a sign. But they gave no indication that any sign would be sufficient for them. They were more than ready to contradict the apparent power of Jesus as being derived from the devil. In their case, asking for a sign was really a way to avoid listening to Jesus. Once one sign was given they would find reasons why it didn't meet their criteria and then request another. It was a way for them to keep Jesus safely under control and prevent the power of its word from reaching their hearts. It had the pretense of being rational and cautious, but it was really rebellious, just as the generation that escaped from Israel refused to listen to God or to Moses. This ability to never be convinced was not unique to the Jewish people. They were unique in that they preferred to require endless signs. But Greeks at the time of Paul similarly preferred to engage in endless disputes about wisdom and philosophy, not to arrive at the truth so much as to avoid it. What was God to do in the face of such a hard hearted response to his Son?

At the judgment 

the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation

and she will condemn them,

because she came from the ends of the earth

to hear the wisdom of Solomon,

and there is something greater than Solomon here.

The queen of the south and the people of Nineveh were surprisingly able to hear the word of the Lord and repent. The people of Nineveh heard the not terribly impressive preaching of Jonah and repented almost immediately. The queen of the south was drawn from the ends of the earth to her the wisdom of Solomon. These outsiders readily accepting the word of God when insiders were rebellious functioned as a sign. It was meant to make everyone stop and take note. They could then realize there was more what God was saying than they had guessed and hopefully break out of their defensive patterns of thinking. Jesus had already suggested it ought to have worked that way for those who heard John the Baptist:

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him (see Matthew 21:32).

Jesus was greater than Jonah, Solomon, or John the Baptist. This meant there were even greater stakes in the choice to believe in him or reject him. It meant that the temptation to close one's mind and heart to him would be even greater than in the case of past prophets and wise kings. But it meant the reward for recognizing him would be greater still. And we have seen that God would find those who would recognize his word wherever they might be. However unlikely those who did recognize him may have been, however unimpressive, they would still function themselves as signs pointing toward the power of Jesus, calling all, even people who initially rejected him, to repent.

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are (see First Corinthians 1:27-28).

Let's open ourselves to what Jesus wants to tell us, to signs he may in fact want to show us, so that, unlike the evil generation to which God sent Moses, we may at last come into the promised land.

John Michael Talbot - Exodus 15