16 January 2019 - free from fear

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Since the children share in blood and Flesh,
Jesus likewise shared in them,
that through death he might destroy the one
who has the power of death, that is, the Devil,
and free those who through fear of death
had been subject to slavery all their life.

We don't realize the subtle ways in which death controls our lives through fear. We don't generally go around moment to moment afraid that we could die at anytime (although this is true and there could be a right way to hold that thought). Nevertheless we do experience many fears that are the symptoms of death. When we fear failure, or fear to lose what we have, or fear getting what we don't want, these and any other kind of fears are actually the fear of death in disguise. Although intended to be a paradise this world is impermanent and imperfect. In many ways, it lives up to the expectations our fears set for it.

He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

Every healing Jesus performed was a victory over death in miniature. Death was a consequence of sin and Jesus came to solve both problems. God did not create death and does not delight in the death of the sinner. Sensing that an answer to their fear was at hand the whole town went out to see Jesus. They wanted to experience this reversal of death in their own lives.

When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Yet something more was required to solve the sin problem and grant access once more to paradise. The problem is not merely something external that can be solved by the snap of a finger. Deep, profound, internal changes were required in the human heart.

therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every way,    
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God
to expiate the sins of the people.
Because he himself was tested through what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested.

We often give in when we are tested. Fear makes us cave in when we should stand firm. It strips our confidence in God. Jesus conquers fear by his obedience. This victory is revealed in the resurrection and is the beginning of the final reversal of the death and the opening up of paradise to believers. We are now invited to taste the freedom of fearlessness.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" (see Romans 8:15).

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control (see Second Timothy 1:7).

that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear (see Luke 1:74)

Let us take fearful thoughts captive in our minds today. Let avail ourselves of the freedom Christ died to give us.

Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.

15 January 2019 - sympathetic ears

Today's Readings

(Audio)

For it was fitting that he,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering.

Jesus is in this together with us. We have a high priest that sympathizes with us. Let's take the time here to be amazed. Even angels don't have to experience what Jesus chose to experience for our sakes. When Jesus appeared on earth he allowed himself to seem "lower than the angels" because he wanted to be like us and to embrace the whole of human experience. He wanted to renew us from the inside out, transforming every facet of the human experience. He didn't care what that entailed for him as long as it meant "bringing many children to glory".

The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

His authority was surprising, wrapped as it was in the humility of his incarnation. But it is precisely this combination, the authority of God from God, Light from Light, and the human nature and flesh he receives from Mary, that make him the perfect redeemer of mankind. He has the most profound sympathy for us but abides in the truth. We often hand one another over to lesser instincts and call it sympathy. Jesus is at once too human and too divine to let any misplaced sympathy keep us from the fullness of life that he wants for us. 

Along with the demons we may feel that healing will destroy us. It does seem that way at times. That is, that we feel it may remove some essential aspect of who we are. But we can trust the one who speaks with authority and who has complete sympathy for our suffering.

Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!" 
Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet!  Come out of him!"
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.

How do we respond to a God so great as the one we meet in Jesus? The crowds have the answer.

All were amazed and asked one another,
"What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him."

Let's pause to be amazed at the greatness of our God. When we suffer today let us try to remember that Jesus is with us and that he need not have been and let this amazement permeate our day.

What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?

14 January 2019 - fullness

Today's Readings

(Audio)

This is the time of fulfillment.

This is the time when the empty are filled. The hungry receive the food they desire and the thirsty receive the drink for which they thirst. Jesus himself fills this emptiness in us. How else can we explain the readiness of Simon, Andrew, James, and John to follow Jesus?

Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.

There is something in Jesus that makes it worth abandoning a life of familiarity to stay near to him. His presence now means more than the sense of security the disciples have in being able to provide for themselves. They learn that in the occupation of fishing they only experience a hint of the true fulfillment for which they are intended.

Then they left their nets and followed him.

Jesus leads them from a place of finding their satisfaction in the simply physical to the spiritual. They gain more fulfillment from bringing souls to Jesus than any stores of wealth could provide. No mere human could fill this emptiness. Not even an angel could merit such dedication from the disciples.

he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

It is ultimately enough just to be near to Jesus and to gather the rest of creation together with us unto him. The Father's Son is the only one who can assuage this need.

For to which of the angels did God ever say:
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you?

The one begotten by the Father is the one who fills us all. Even our own fishing for souls has its source in his love spreading and gathering us all.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (see Ephesians 1:7-10).

Let's allow ourselves to be gathered and to gather today. Let us experience the gravity of love by which Jesus draws all people to himself.

13 January 2019 - the Holy Spirit and fire

Today's Readings

(Audio)

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

We are baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire because Jesus brings humanity with him into his own baptism. At creation the Spirit hovered over the waters and from this primordial state all things were brought forth. God caused the world to revert to this uncreated state when he brought his judgment in the time of Noah. He promised after that he would not destroy the world again by flood. Yet his creatures, because of sin, still fell back into nothingness, eventually succumbing to death. It is those waters which Jesus entered as the new ark. His Body, the Church entered with him. The Spirit descends like a dove, proclaiming Jesus, and therefore all who are in him, to be beloved children of the Father. In this ark even death cannot destroy us.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

We tend to treat baptism like it is no big deal. We hear 'sacrament of initiation' and think of something primarily ceremonial. Honestly, we like those things. We're good at those things. We are less sure about fire. Fire isn't something that can be predicted or contained. It is either extinguished or unleashed. We need to realize just how important this fire is to God so that our own baptisms can have their full intended effect.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

It is fire more than ceremony that leads to genuine renewal. It is not because we check the box of attendance that we are heirs of eternal life. That which is old and dying within us is allowed to burn away to give place to the rich new grace that God pours out. Baptism does this. Our part is to let the flame continue burning and to stir up the gift we have received when it seems to weaken.

He saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

We, like Jesus, are now anointed with the Holy Spirit and power. We, like him, must now go "about doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil" for God is with us. The world longs for God to come with power. They long to taste the reward and receive the recompense he offers. They long to hear the voice of the shepherd. It is the Spirit we receive that they desire. It is the fire we have that they long to have burn within their own hearts. Therefore we must continue burning brightly ourselves.

The LORD grasps us by the hand and calls us to the victory of justice. Because his Spirit is within us we in turn must live as be his hands and feet in this world.

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

Fire seems dangerous. But if we embrace it we can proclaim a genuine comfort to a people who have been so long in the cold, light to those so long in darkness, and peace to those who have never truly known peace.

12 January 2019 - not to us

Today's Readings

(Audio)

He must increase; I must decrease.

We must be willing to let Jesus take center stage in our lives. We often enjoy esteem among at least some of the people that we know because we follow Jesus. We gain a certain credibility and respectability because of him. If not that, even those that are opposed to our beliefs at least have to notice us when we stand our ground. Perhaps even from them we win a grudging respect. Are we willing to let all of this visibility and fame go so that Jesus may be more fully known?

He must increase; I must decrease.

Are we willing to be less popular, less respected, and less trusted if it means that Jesus can be more fully known? Can we allow Jesus to work through even our foolishness and mistakes and weakness? This is key. If our case for Christ requires us to be perfect we are setup to fail. If we really want Christ to increase then our own failures won't stand in his way.

It is only by our commitment to put Christ first that we ourselves are safe from sin.

We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin;
but the one begotten by God he protects,
and the Evil One cannot touch him.

It is precisely the emptying of ourselves in love, not counting equality with God a thing to be grasped, that keeps us from the power of the evil one. It is when we allow Jesus's own heart to be manifest in our lives that we experience the protection of the one begotten by God.

He must increase; I must decrease.

Where are we upstaging Jesus in our own lives? Where are we depending too much on our own ability. Let's surrender those things to Jesus today.

For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.

11 January 2019 - victory song

Today's Readings 

(Audio)

God wants us to have confidence in Jesus Christ. In order to have victory we must believe. It is for this reason that the Spirit himself testifies. He wants to convince us and to convict us of the truth of who Jesus is.

So there are three who testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, 
and the three are of one accord. 

The Spirit reveals Jesus to us. In the living waters of baptism, in the water flowing from the side of Christ, the Spirit himself comes to us as a living revelation. And only along side the precious blood of Christ does the living water of the Spirit flow. Wherever Jesus expresses his heart of love for us the Spirit bears witness and the Father confirms the testimony, either by his voice at the baptism, or by raising Jesus from the dead, or again by pouring out the Spirit at Pentecost. The Spirit is not merely floating around us telling us about Jesus. He actually comes into our hearts as we enter into the mysteries of the life of Jesus. We enter the mysteries in many ways, foremost among them are sacred scripture and the sacraments. In this way he provides a deeper confirmation than mere intellectual data.

Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony within himself.

If we have this testimony within us, not just in our heads, but, as it were, in our bones, we have life. If we believe in the name of the Son of God we have victory. Believing in his name and his testimony means believing in his power. It means becoming convinced of the love he has for us.

"Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." 
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
"I do will it.  Be made clean." 

It is certain that we all need more victory and more life. Let us begin with the testimony that God provides. Let us become ever more convinced of the love of Christ so that we can experience that victory for ourselves. Both promise and fulfillment are given to us in the Eucharist where he who eats with faith eats "Fire and Spirit" as St. Ephrem says.

And the leprosy left him immediately. 

Let us sing songs of victory today. If they don't feel sincere at first, let us listen once more to the testimony which the Trinity never seeks to offer. They long for us to know the joyful shout of victory.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.

10 January 2019 - claim victory

Today's Readings

(Audio)

This is the commandment we have from him:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Because the Father loves the Son he also loves all people who bear the image of his Son. We become sons and daughters of the Father in baptism. Even the unbaptized God loves in this way because he wants them, like the prodigal, to come home to the house where they are meant to live as part of his family. Since the Father loves humanity he wants us to love what he loves.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God,
and everyone who loves the Father
loves also the one begotten by him. 

The commandments are guidelines to check ourselves against so that we can be sure that we are loving as we are meant to love. It isn't finally about rules. It is about love. Not that the rules or negotiable. They simply point out the ways that love can go wrong and turn into selfishness. They protect us from deception.

We often find ourselves struggling with the commandments. We find ourselves not loving as we ought. It is at such times that we risk descent into a legalism that is concerned primarily with the letter of the law and not love. This is the minimalism that asks what the least we can do to get by and make it to heaven. It is not the glorious freedom of the children of God. When things get tough we must persevere. But we must not simply struggle. We need God's help.

And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. 
And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.

It's one thing to talk about victory. But what does it look like?

He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

We might feel condemned if we ourselves tried to read this passage and claim it for ourselves. We'd think about how we can't possibly manage to keep more than one or two of those things in mind. But Jesus has the confidence that God's Spirit in him has the power to make the passage real through him.

"Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." 

We are called to love. The commandments reveal that the victory does not come through our own strength. Rather, like Jesus, we need the Spirit to fulfill this call.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.