14 April 2016 - taught by God

[ Today's Readings ]

“Do you understand what you are reading?” 
He replied,
“How can I, unless someone instructs me?” 

We all feel this way about the word of God occasionally. Not just the readers of this blog, not just its author, but even the greatest of scripture scholars occasionally encounter things which they don't understand. But there is good news for us and for them.

They shall all be taught by God.

Jesus reveals the Father to us. He is the Father's spoken word.

Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.

That is why there is a sense in which we don't need teachers.

But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him (see First John 2:27).

The teachers we don't need are those who teach only according to the wisdom of the world. They might be intellectual and academic but they are not spiritual.

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (see First Corinthians 1:17).

And yet there are teachers who open themselves to the Spirit and become channels of the divine wisdom for us. We do need such teachers as these. Everyone who listens to the Father comes to these teachers just as they come to Jesus. The same word is spoken.

The Spirit said to Philip,
“Go and join up with that chariot.” 

...

Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage,
he proclaimed Jesus to him.

So where does this leave us when we're confused? It means we don't need to be frustrated by our lack of understanding or our lack of training and scholarship. These things are not essential to the kerygma, the core truth of the scriptures. It means that when we don't understand we can trust God to teach us. We can rely on the anointing he gives us and the teachers he sends to teach us the truth he wants us to know.

Jesus, help us to know more deeply the truth of who you are today. This is what the Father wants us to know. This is why you yourself are the word he speaks.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.

Spirit anoint us and open our eyes to this glorious truth that is so easy to miss amidst the accidents of bread and wine.

Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.

13 April 2016 - all things for our good

[ Today's Readings ]

There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.

When we encounter hardships we think that they interfere with your plans, Jesus. We know that suffering is not your will. You don't will the persecution of the Church that scatters the people. But you certainly anticipate it. And you make all things work together for the good of those who love you (see Romans 8:28).

Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.

Philip might not be happy to be scattered by persecution. But he doesn't let it hinder him. Because he doesn't he is able to bring great joy to the city of Samaria.

With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.

If the persecution caused Philip to retreat into himself, to become selfish or afraid, Samaria would not know this joy. But the will of Philip is now like the will of Jesus: completely submitted to the Father.

And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.

Even when we see but do not believe you do not reject us, LORD. You still invite us. You tell us to come to you that we may never hunger. When you say this we realize our hunger. We realize that we are not satisfied. Only you can satisfy. You tell us to believe in you that we may never thirst. And we are, it turns out, so very thirsty. You do not reject us, LORD. You are the bread of life and only you can quench these desires. Only you can nourish us in the midst of worldly privation. Only you can bring joy from the sorrow of persecution and suffering.

through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.

12 April 2016 - loosening up

[ Today's Readings ]

You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always oppose the Holy Spirit;
you are just like your ancestors.

Aren't we stiff-necked sometimes? We get so set in looking in only one direction that it is actually hard to look and see when there is something new we need to learn. Perhaps we're afraid of what we'll see. There is always the possibility that it will shake up our lives. But there is always the possibility that our lives need shaking.

"Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain (see Hebrews 12:26-27).

We're comfortable now. But is this good enough? Is the direction we're looking exactly right? Not likely. But how can we know the truth? If we start looking around again don't we risk deception?

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left (see Isaiah 30:21).

If we aren't willing to look and listen we risk missing what is already before our eyes.

So Jesus said to them,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 
For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”

So they said to Jesus,
“Sir, give us this bread always.” 
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

We risk condemning people who act in accord with the truth as Stephen does. But Jesus, if we learn to look for your glory and listen for your Spirit we ourselves become unshakable even if the world tries to stone us.

But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit,
looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and Stephen said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Stephen's neck is not stiff. He does not cover his ears to the truth as do his persecutors. He looks to you standing in heaven and commends his spirit into your hands. 

Into your hands I commend my spirit;

But he also looks on his persecutors with your own compassion and love. Stiff necks can't do this. Loosen us up, LORD. Let your gentle Spirit rain down peace, joy, and love on us. Spirit give us the freedom you have for us. Stiffness, rigidity, and the letter of the law, all lead to death. You alone can give us life. 

Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.

11 April 2016 - don't break the seal

[ Today's Readings ]

Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.

If we work only for food that perishes we are unstable. We are "children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (see Ephesians 4:14). When princes start meeting and speaking against us we are quick to conform because we're really only interested in the loaves. And they can keep the loaves from us. They have the power to kill the body.

Though princes meet and talk against me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.

Jesus, your law shows us the way to true freedom. It shows us what is more important than bodily food. It shows us who we should fear more than people who can kill the body (see Matthew 10:28).

Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you. 

If we seek this food we are changed from being double-minded and unstable in all of our ways to being wise and faithful (see James 1:8).

Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.

The food that endures for eternal life comes from you alone. Only this food can save us from our own ability to fool ourselves:

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions (see Second Timothy 4:3).

This is the secret that Stephen knows.

Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.

We can tell that he knows it because he is utterly unphased by persecution. He has no fear whatsoever of those who can and do kill his body.

All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

The Father sets his seal on you Jesus. You in turn seal us with the Holy Spirit. 

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (see Epheisans 1:13)

One aspect of this seal is that he can keep all of the lies of the enemy out of our minds. He makes us, as it were, air tight. He is the advocate who reminds us of the truth from God (see John 14:26). He keeps us safe from the enemy who has been a liar from the first (see John 8:44).

Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.

This is the bread that truly sustains us. These are your words, O LORD, which give us life. Our task isn't as lofty or complicated as we might imagine. This is how we fool ourselves. Instead, we must simply trust you.

Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

10 April 2016 - the sake of the name

[ Today's Readings ]

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”

LORD, we distract ourselves with the ordinary things of daily life. But you enter into these circumstances and reveal yourself. You help us as we try to meet our daily needs.

So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”

Even simple things like breakfast become an opportunity to draw close to you.

Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.

You do this in the midst of our daily struggles. We need to know who you are so we can help others to know you. We need to be convinced so that when things get hard we stand firm.

He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Peter is able to get this, LORD. You love him where he is. You help him to move past his betrayal of you. He becomes an apostle who rejoices that he is found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

But Peter and the apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.

This is why the scene of worship in heaven is so overwhelming. It is comprised of voices like those of Peter and the apostles. These are voices which the world cannot silence.

They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain 
to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and blessing.”

Your resurrection is what makes this possible. It is the definitive act by which you change our mourning to dancing. You draw us clear so that our enemies don't rejoice over us. Help us to encounter you in ordinary places. Guide us with your love so that we can make a break with our sinful past lives. Give us your Spirit so that we can love you without reserve. Make our own voices fit to join the heavenly chorus of your praise.

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and in the sea,
everything in the universe, cry out:
“To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor, glory and might,
forever and ever.”

9 April 2016 - walking on the sea

[ Today's Readings ]

It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.

Jesus, we are prone to fear. When we don't perceive you nearby we assume that you are far from us. Then when the seas are dark and dangerous we focus on the danger and on the fear. We focus on them because we only know how to focus on you when you make your presence obvious to us. But even when your presence is not obvious it does not mean that you have forgotten us or that you are far away. Teach us to look up from the crashing waves. Teach us to find you even in the storms. Even when you aren't in our boats and haven't yet come to us in the ways we expect don't let us give up.

When they had rowed about three or four miles,
they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat,
and they began to be afraid.

We think that you can't have any part of these crazy storms. We think you only belong on calm and still waters. And so when we see you in the storm we don't recognize you and we fear.

But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”
They wanted to take him into the boat,
but the boat immediately arrived at the shore
to which they were heading.

Help us to look for you even amidst the waves. Help us to recognize that you come to us with your mercy and love even in the storms.

I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken (see Psalm 16:8).

Continue to spread your word, LORD Jesus. Continue to increase the number of people who are obedient to the faith. Fill you Church with your Holy Spirit and nourish her by the word of God. We need this message LORD. The waves are getting high. The winds are fierce and the night is dark. But with you at our right hand we shall not be shaken.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.

8 April 2016 - what good are these for so many?

[ Today's Readings ]

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?”

Your grace is always enough for us, Jesus. But sometimes the actual count of loaves and fish comes up short. We wonder where we can get enough food to feed the people. We are embarrassed even to mention the five barley loaves and two fish. Rationally speaking, it isn't enough for all of these people. Yet they are essential to your plan.

He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.

With miraculous multiplication of the food we might wonder why these loaves and fish are even important. They are of human origin. Why not just directly create the food you want to use to feed the people LORD? Why do you bring us to the edge of our own insufficiency before your grace takes over? On the one hand, it would be more convenient for us to sit back and watch as you just do everything yourself. But then we do not grow. Nothing is on the line for us when we are spectators. As mere observers we don't really have to trust you in the same way that Andrew has to trust you to even mention the five loaves and two fish. 

You call us to the edge, LORD. You call us to our own limits precisely so that we can trust you to surpass them by your grace in us. The world sees the boy come forward with his meager offering and doesn't know what to make it of it. Christianity itself seems like a meager offering in the face of a dark and damaged world. The world is quick to judge the whole thing to be of human origin.

For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin,
it will destroy itself.

But we know it is not. The world just needs to keep watching.

But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them;
you may even find yourselves fighting against God.

 If the world continues to watch they see your grace at work. They see loaves and baskets leftover.

When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” 

Will this happen if we are afraid to come forward with our meager gifts? Well, even then you don't give up. But why leave it to chance? Give us the courage to use the talents you give us so that there can be a rich harvest for the kingdom.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?

I'll bet you were expecting Matt Maher...