There is something very strange about this story of Jesus and the disciples. It happens whenever you see the words “peace be with you.” You see it first when Jesus enters into the locked room of the fear-struck disciples and he breathes on them a message of peace. You see it again when Jesus makes a special appearance for the benefit of giving Thomas his portion of Christ’s heavenly peace. Here is the strange thing; whenever Jesus speaks peace, he shows his wounds.
Have you ever thought about that before? Isn’t that weird? I mean, would not a person think it strange, if that person were in my office, crying because her husband left her for another woman, and I said, “Peace be with you, here let me show you the scars from appendectomy…they’re cool”? I can’t say that I’ve tried this pastoral care technique of Jesus. “Peace be with you. Now take a look at this canker sore! You feel better now don’t you?” It is very strange to put peace and wounds together, but for Jesus peace and wounds go hand-in-hand.
Of course, the problem with revealing my canker sore or the scar on my stomach is that they are somewhat trivial wounds. They have nothing to do with the woman’s problem of an unfaithful husband. Jesus’ wounds are anything but trivial. They are the wounds of death. They are the wounds inflicted by his own people. They are the same wounds that the people would inflict on Jesus’ own followers. They are the type of piercing wounds that are able to keep the disciples locked away in fear. The disciples have good reason to be fearful. What if they were to leave the safety of their small bunker? Would they swept up and crucified also? Maybe. Probably. But, is keeping yourself locked away in fear any way to live. It sounds like a coffin to me. It sounds like death.
What if Jesus were to enter into their fearful world, show him his wounds, and prove that wounds do not have the last word? What if Jesus was to show them that his formerly, blood soaked, raw hamburger wounds; are now healed, and that he is very much alive: resurrected even? Would they believe? Would they leave the safety of their bunker, venture courageously into the world, and proclaim the kingdom of God? Would they risk obtaining those wounds themselves, secure in the knowledge that all wounds can be healed?
When I was in college, this disciple’s heart was suddenly hollowed out and left profoundly empty when I began to doubt God’s existence. Words such as, “you just need to believe,” and “God is there for you,” failed to breathe the life filling words of the Holy Spirit. Walking around the school in a deep doubting Thomas depression, a religion professor of mine saw my depressed stupor and asked what was wrong. I mustered up the courage to tell this religion professor that I doubted if God was even there. He looked at me and said, “That is one of the most painful things you can go through. I almost ended my life when I went through it.” He really did not say much more. That pretty much ended the conversation, with one exception, he did said, “Come to worship this morning.”
Though it seemed silly to go and worship a God in which I did not believe, I did go to worship, because he asked. I know where your mind might be going, and it did not happen. He did not preach a sermon directed at my doubt that miraculously restored my faith. His sermon, as I recall, was about Abraham and was extremely boring. What I do remember was seeing this: I remember seeing a once profoundly wounded, doubting Thomas of a man, stand in the front of a congregation and declare the words “I believe I God the Father almighty…” and later take the bread and say with conviction to every person who came to him to eat, “This is the body of Christ, given for you.” What I saw was a scarred man…a wounded man who had been healed, and at that moment the breath of the Spirit gave me peace. Was my struggle over? No. But, did I have hope that God could resurrect my faith and pull me out the door of my dark and empty soul. Yes.
A lot of people get very confused. They believe that the life of faith is one that will have no wounds. Preachers on television will tell you that if only you believed hard enough, you will get money, the love of your life, and yes, even a life of peace with no hardship. Jesus promises no such thing. The life of faith will have wounds, but the wounds will not be the last word.
In fact, your healed wounds have the power to heal others. Jesus had no shame in sharing his healed wounds. And, in showing his wounds, Jesus freed the disciples from their fear. Look at your hands, your side, and your heart, what healed wounds do you have? Have you ever considered sharing them with someone whose wounds are raw and bleeding? Through wounds, the Holy Spirit just might bring peace and salvation to someone who is trapped in a coffin of pain and fear. Healed wounds can bring peace. Just consider, you were saved by the wounds of Christ.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Reflection on John 20:1-18
Welcome to this blog. I only have one question for you today. It is the same one Jesus asked Mary in the garden as she glanced hysterically at the risen Lord, but did not recognize him in the least. “Whom are you looking for?” “What exactly are you looking for?”
Whom are you looking for? What exactly are you looking for as you surf through blogs? Are you searching for a spiritual experience that will completely rock your world? Are you searching for a great church to visit? Would moving cyberlights flashing all around the altar and an accomplished, well polished band be enough to fill your soul? Would professional singers send you out with a charged heart and a willingness to share God’s love? Is a great performance the good news you need? What exactly are you looking for today? Whom are you looking for? If you are searching for spectacle, you may not find Christ. Sometimes it is hard to recognize the Lord. The problem with the Lord is that he is often overlooked because he comes to us as a simple gardener.
Are you searching hear from a seasoned pastor with silver streaked hair whose voice alone will overpower your soul and fill you with a power that you think must be the Holy Spirit? Are you searching desperately from the lips of this pastor the words that will touch your heart; words that will send you literally into tears of joy? What exactly are you looking for today? Whom are you looking for? If you are searching for greatness, you may not see Christ. Sometimes it is hard to recognize the Lord. Remember, he was not born a king, he was born in an animal’s slop trough. Remember, he did not die a king, he died as a criminal, abandoned by his closest followers. The problem with the Lord is that he is often overlooked because his words are more a whisper in the early morning than a loud shout at the end of the day. You probably will not find Christ while staring at a well known Pastor. But, if you look to your side, you may catch a glimpse of an ordinary gardener with words that can moisten a dry soul with the fresh water of eternal life.
What are you looking for this morning? Whom are you looking for? If it is truly Christ you are looking for, you may have a chance. Christ is with you. He is probably much too obvious to be seen right away. He will blend in with the scene completely. But, if you listen closely you will find him. He is the one who will call you by name.
Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher).
You may not recognize him, but he knows you like the back of his hand. In the beginning, he called your name and you were brought into the world. He called you by name, drawing you through the waters of baptism, and soon you found yourself washed clean. He died and saw you struggling in the pit of death. He remembered his promise to you. Again, he called you by name. He took hold of your hand and raised you out into the light. He does not forget a name, and because he remembers, all he calls are saved. You may not recognize Christ, but Christ will certainly recognize his own people.
You may have stumbled on this blog for any number of reasons, but deep down, is Christ the one you are looking for? If you find yourself here today, it is because Jesus called you here by name? Take a look. Listen closely. You will find him. Christ is here. He is very much alive. He is risen.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
Whom are you looking for? What exactly are you looking for as you surf through blogs? Are you searching for a spiritual experience that will completely rock your world? Are you searching for a great church to visit? Would moving cyberlights flashing all around the altar and an accomplished, well polished band be enough to fill your soul? Would professional singers send you out with a charged heart and a willingness to share God’s love? Is a great performance the good news you need? What exactly are you looking for today? Whom are you looking for? If you are searching for spectacle, you may not find Christ. Sometimes it is hard to recognize the Lord. The problem with the Lord is that he is often overlooked because he comes to us as a simple gardener.
Are you searching hear from a seasoned pastor with silver streaked hair whose voice alone will overpower your soul and fill you with a power that you think must be the Holy Spirit? Are you searching desperately from the lips of this pastor the words that will touch your heart; words that will send you literally into tears of joy? What exactly are you looking for today? Whom are you looking for? If you are searching for greatness, you may not see Christ. Sometimes it is hard to recognize the Lord. Remember, he was not born a king, he was born in an animal’s slop trough. Remember, he did not die a king, he died as a criminal, abandoned by his closest followers. The problem with the Lord is that he is often overlooked because his words are more a whisper in the early morning than a loud shout at the end of the day. You probably will not find Christ while staring at a well known Pastor. But, if you look to your side, you may catch a glimpse of an ordinary gardener with words that can moisten a dry soul with the fresh water of eternal life.
What are you looking for this morning? Whom are you looking for? If it is truly Christ you are looking for, you may have a chance. Christ is with you. He is probably much too obvious to be seen right away. He will blend in with the scene completely. But, if you listen closely you will find him. He is the one who will call you by name.
Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher).
You may not recognize him, but he knows you like the back of his hand. In the beginning, he called your name and you were brought into the world. He called you by name, drawing you through the waters of baptism, and soon you found yourself washed clean. He died and saw you struggling in the pit of death. He remembered his promise to you. Again, he called you by name. He took hold of your hand and raised you out into the light. He does not forget a name, and because he remembers, all he calls are saved. You may not recognize Christ, but Christ will certainly recognize his own people.
You may have stumbled on this blog for any number of reasons, but deep down, is Christ the one you are looking for? If you find yourself here today, it is because Jesus called you here by name? Take a look. Listen closely. You will find him. Christ is here. He is very much alive. He is risen.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
Reflection on John 13:1-17, 31b-35
“Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father.” Jesus knew he was going to die very soon. Jesus had heard the dark words, “you only have a few days left, make them good ones.”
I was told of a woman who heard these words come from the lips of a very sullen doctor. The words transformed the woman in a matter of minutes. This normally calm, complacent, stay-at-home woman turned to her still shocked family and said, “I am going skydiving. I have never been skydiving. My husband would have never let me go when he was alive. But, I want to go.” The shocked family just stared at their mother. “I only have a few days left. What is it going to matter if I die tomorrow with a thrill on my face or in this bed just a few days later? I am going skydiving. You are taking me skydiving.” And they went. And she survived the thrilling fall. And she died happily a week later.
Knowing the time of your death can change things a lot. Your old life, with all of its daily concerns and problems, fades away and dies its own quiet death. None of those worries seem that important any more. At the same time, a new life with new priorities emerges and controls your life. For this woman, skydiving…the thrill of the fall…the thrill of something she would have never allowed herself to do before took priority.
Jesus had a priority also. It was not skydiving. It was not traveling to a foreign country to see sight never seen and experience tastes never tasted. It was not even to spend every waking moment with his family. He wanted more than anything to show his disciples one thing.
Jesus stood up from their meal, took off his outer robe, tied a towel around himself, bent down, and washed his disciples feet. He the teacher, washed the feet of his students. He the King, washed the feet of his servants. He the Lord, God, showed his disciples that he was willing to do anything so they would know they were loved. Jesus did not expect his disciples to do things to comfort him in his final days, instead, Jesus showed the disciples through the care of dirty feet, that they could expect a great deal from him. He would go to any length, for their sake.
Jesus and the woman who chose skydiving did have one thing in common though, they had both become comfortable with the thought of dying. But, it is amazing that Jesus fear of death did not cause him to focus on himself and his bucket list of 1001 crazy things to try before he died. He had one item on his list and death was not going to get in the way of it. Death was not going to get in the way of showing love and devotion to those he cared about. It is amazing how easily love triumphed over death for Jesus.
It makes me wonder if I need to be a little more comfortable with the idea of death. It makes me wonder, “What would I be willing to let go of…to let die…in order to let the love of Christ burst forth from me?” Are their long cherished grudges that I must let pass away before Jesus’ love bursts forth? Are there expectations that I think I must fulfill first, that I have to let die and go unfulfilled? Is there a proud persona of Jirahood that I must let shrivel away? What must we allow to die in order for the priority of love and the heart for serving others (especially our enemies) to burst forth? What must we let die?
Accepting the reality of death has a way of rearranging our priorities. May Jesus’ priority of love shape our lives until the very end…and beyond. May nothing get in the way of Jesus priority in life, to love one another just as Jesus loves us.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
I was told of a woman who heard these words come from the lips of a very sullen doctor. The words transformed the woman in a matter of minutes. This normally calm, complacent, stay-at-home woman turned to her still shocked family and said, “I am going skydiving. I have never been skydiving. My husband would have never let me go when he was alive. But, I want to go.” The shocked family just stared at their mother. “I only have a few days left. What is it going to matter if I die tomorrow with a thrill on my face or in this bed just a few days later? I am going skydiving. You are taking me skydiving.” And they went. And she survived the thrilling fall. And she died happily a week later.
Knowing the time of your death can change things a lot. Your old life, with all of its daily concerns and problems, fades away and dies its own quiet death. None of those worries seem that important any more. At the same time, a new life with new priorities emerges and controls your life. For this woman, skydiving…the thrill of the fall…the thrill of something she would have never allowed herself to do before took priority.
Jesus had a priority also. It was not skydiving. It was not traveling to a foreign country to see sight never seen and experience tastes never tasted. It was not even to spend every waking moment with his family. He wanted more than anything to show his disciples one thing.
Jesus stood up from their meal, took off his outer robe, tied a towel around himself, bent down, and washed his disciples feet. He the teacher, washed the feet of his students. He the King, washed the feet of his servants. He the Lord, God, showed his disciples that he was willing to do anything so they would know they were loved. Jesus did not expect his disciples to do things to comfort him in his final days, instead, Jesus showed the disciples through the care of dirty feet, that they could expect a great deal from him. He would go to any length, for their sake.
Jesus and the woman who chose skydiving did have one thing in common though, they had both become comfortable with the thought of dying. But, it is amazing that Jesus fear of death did not cause him to focus on himself and his bucket list of 1001 crazy things to try before he died. He had one item on his list and death was not going to get in the way of it. Death was not going to get in the way of showing love and devotion to those he cared about. It is amazing how easily love triumphed over death for Jesus.
It makes me wonder if I need to be a little more comfortable with the idea of death. It makes me wonder, “What would I be willing to let go of…to let die…in order to let the love of Christ burst forth from me?” Are their long cherished grudges that I must let pass away before Jesus’ love bursts forth? Are there expectations that I think I must fulfill first, that I have to let die and go unfulfilled? Is there a proud persona of Jirahood that I must let shrivel away? What must we allow to die in order for the priority of love and the heart for serving others (especially our enemies) to burst forth? What must we let die?
Accepting the reality of death has a way of rearranging our priorities. May Jesus’ priority of love shape our lives until the very end…and beyond. May nothing get in the way of Jesus priority in life, to love one another just as Jesus loves us.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Reflection on Exodus 20:1-17
Here is a riddle for you. There are ten of them, and confirmation students stare at them throughout the entire confirmation class, memorizing every bit of them. The answer? Their toes; they stare at their toes the entire time. You actually thought that they would stare at and memorize the Ten Commandments? You do not remember your confirmation class very well, do you?
We should not poke fun at confirmation students too long though because most adults have a similar relationship with the Ten Commandments. They are something up on the board that we know we should take seriously, but we would rather look at other things instead. For many adults, the Ten Commandments are something that they will go to council meetings and demand that children memorize, but will not take the time to memorize themselves.
By the way, without looking, what is the seventh commandment?
“You shall not steal.”
If it really were that important, would we not know right away without having to look it up? But, for many people, they are something for children to learn. We adults have moved well beyond them.
Strange relationships with the Ten Commandments have not begun in our present age though. Ever since God spoke them to the Israelites from Mount Sinai, people have ignored, distorted, and, misused these ten statements from God. Heck, these words are the only words directly spoken to Israel by God in the Old Testament, and as soon as God was done speaking, Israel’s first request was that God no longer speak directly to them. “We don’t want to hear from God directly any more. You can speak for God from now on Moses.” I guess staring at the toes rather than staring at God’s wishes started with them.
On the other hand, some people have taken these things way too seriously. I think of a friend of mine in High School who was beautiful with long straight blond hair, who I would have actually considered dating until she became “born again.” And, I mean “born again” not in the good sense of Christ saving us in baptism, but in the bad sense of born again to hate and criticize everyone around. This beautiful, sweet, blond girl, overnight became our school’s commandment police.
“You said ‘God.’ That’s against the second commandment.”
“Quit talking about her. That’s the eighth commandment.”
“Don’t you think you are thinking about yourself a little much? That’s the first commandment.”
It was not that she was exactly wrong in what she was saying, but on the other hand her entire existence was just plain wrong. Her drastic change in character was like Jesus standing up from a meal with sinners, prostitutes, and tax collectors taking an axe, and saying, “OK, I was wrong about the forgiving thing,” and chopping the people’s heads off.
She, of course, was going to heaven because she knew the Ten Commandments, she could recite them, and she thought that she could therefore follow them. She thought getting to heaven had something to do with accomplishing each of these commandments. Somehow, she had missed the basic concept of salvation through Christ, not works of the Law that even her very own church taught.
Now that I am done making fun of her, and thereby done breaking the eighth commandment, I am going to admit that getting confused by the purpose of the Ten Commandments is something we all do. Some of us ignore them. Some of us use them as a weapon. Some of us think we will get to heaven by them. But, God had a different intention for them. God gave them as a gift, so that your neighbor might have life and have it fully.
Perhaps, the scriptures themselves confuse us; take this story from Mark:
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Right away most of us are thrown off track by the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus’ answer, of course, is to follow the commandments. But, let us not misunderstand what is being asked here. The man is not asking how to get to heaven. The man is asking how to live a life with “the eternal.” The man is asking how to live a life walking beside God: a righteous life. This is not about heaven. I could have dated my beautiful friend if she had only understood this.
So, if following the Ten Commandments is not about getting to heaven, what is it about? Maybe it is about living the good life? “Teacher, I have kept all these commandments since my youth. I’ve not stolen, not committed adultery, I’ve honored my father and mother, I’ve done all of these. I have the good life, yes?”
“You lack one thing,” Jesus essentially says, “follow the first commandment – You shall have no other god – sell what you own and give the money to the poor.”
In the end, the commandments are not even about living the good life. The commandments are about living is such a way that your neighbor can have a good life. The commandments are a gift to your neighbor.
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” Jesus teaches.
If Lutherans had bumper stickers about the commandments, they would not read “The Ten Commandments: Living the Good Life.” They would read, “The Ten Commandments: Living your life in such a way so that your neighbor might have a good life.” This example alone is why Lutherans do not own bumper sticker companies. That is much too long.
We are given the Ten Commandments so that our neighbor can prosper and have a good life. It is not us who prosper when we choose not to steal, it is our neighbor.
It is not us who prosper when we choose not to sleep with another person’s spouse, it is our neighbor.
It is not us who prospers when we choose to come to church on the Sabbath and hear the good news, it is our neighbors who benefits from the love given to us in worship.
The Ten Commandments are not about you. They were never meant to be about you. The Ten Commandment are about loving your neighbor. Perhaps, it is time that we reclaim these commandments, these gifts from God, not as gifts only for children, but gifts for us all to take seriously.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
We should not poke fun at confirmation students too long though because most adults have a similar relationship with the Ten Commandments. They are something up on the board that we know we should take seriously, but we would rather look at other things instead. For many adults, the Ten Commandments are something that they will go to council meetings and demand that children memorize, but will not take the time to memorize themselves.
By the way, without looking, what is the seventh commandment?
“You shall not steal.”
If it really were that important, would we not know right away without having to look it up? But, for many people, they are something for children to learn. We adults have moved well beyond them.
Strange relationships with the Ten Commandments have not begun in our present age though. Ever since God spoke them to the Israelites from Mount Sinai, people have ignored, distorted, and, misused these ten statements from God. Heck, these words are the only words directly spoken to Israel by God in the Old Testament, and as soon as God was done speaking, Israel’s first request was that God no longer speak directly to them. “We don’t want to hear from God directly any more. You can speak for God from now on Moses.” I guess staring at the toes rather than staring at God’s wishes started with them.
On the other hand, some people have taken these things way too seriously. I think of a friend of mine in High School who was beautiful with long straight blond hair, who I would have actually considered dating until she became “born again.” And, I mean “born again” not in the good sense of Christ saving us in baptism, but in the bad sense of born again to hate and criticize everyone around. This beautiful, sweet, blond girl, overnight became our school’s commandment police.
“You said ‘God.’ That’s against the second commandment.”
“Quit talking about her. That’s the eighth commandment.”
“Don’t you think you are thinking about yourself a little much? That’s the first commandment.”
It was not that she was exactly wrong in what she was saying, but on the other hand her entire existence was just plain wrong. Her drastic change in character was like Jesus standing up from a meal with sinners, prostitutes, and tax collectors taking an axe, and saying, “OK, I was wrong about the forgiving thing,” and chopping the people’s heads off.
She, of course, was going to heaven because she knew the Ten Commandments, she could recite them, and she thought that she could therefore follow them. She thought getting to heaven had something to do with accomplishing each of these commandments. Somehow, she had missed the basic concept of salvation through Christ, not works of the Law that even her very own church taught.
Now that I am done making fun of her, and thereby done breaking the eighth commandment, I am going to admit that getting confused by the purpose of the Ten Commandments is something we all do. Some of us ignore them. Some of us use them as a weapon. Some of us think we will get to heaven by them. But, God had a different intention for them. God gave them as a gift, so that your neighbor might have life and have it fully.
Perhaps, the scriptures themselves confuse us; take this story from Mark:
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Right away most of us are thrown off track by the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus’ answer, of course, is to follow the commandments. But, let us not misunderstand what is being asked here. The man is not asking how to get to heaven. The man is asking how to live a life with “the eternal.” The man is asking how to live a life walking beside God: a righteous life. This is not about heaven. I could have dated my beautiful friend if she had only understood this.
So, if following the Ten Commandments is not about getting to heaven, what is it about? Maybe it is about living the good life? “Teacher, I have kept all these commandments since my youth. I’ve not stolen, not committed adultery, I’ve honored my father and mother, I’ve done all of these. I have the good life, yes?”
“You lack one thing,” Jesus essentially says, “follow the first commandment – You shall have no other god – sell what you own and give the money to the poor.”
In the end, the commandments are not even about living the good life. The commandments are about living is such a way that your neighbor can have a good life. The commandments are a gift to your neighbor.
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” Jesus teaches.
If Lutherans had bumper stickers about the commandments, they would not read “The Ten Commandments: Living the Good Life.” They would read, “The Ten Commandments: Living your life in such a way so that your neighbor might have a good life.” This example alone is why Lutherans do not own bumper sticker companies. That is much too long.
We are given the Ten Commandments so that our neighbor can prosper and have a good life. It is not us who prosper when we choose not to steal, it is our neighbor.
It is not us who prosper when we choose not to sleep with another person’s spouse, it is our neighbor.
It is not us who prospers when we choose to come to church on the Sabbath and hear the good news, it is our neighbors who benefits from the love given to us in worship.
The Ten Commandments are not about you. They were never meant to be about you. The Ten Commandment are about loving your neighbor. Perhaps, it is time that we reclaim these commandments, these gifts from God, not as gifts only for children, but gifts for us all to take seriously.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Reflection on Mark 8:31-38
It is not looking good out there. You can see it all over the headlines. The jobless rate has reached a 25 year high and seems to be seeking even greater heights. Just one example of this, Circuit City closed all its doors across the nation sending another 35,000 people home with no job. The stock market appears to have no bottom. Even after government bailouts, banks still do not have enough capital to balance out their balance sheets and get our economy moving again. Locally, more jobs are being cut, and as jobs are being cut, fewer people are buying local products causing more jobs to be cut and the process just continues on and on. Politicians do not seem to know what they are doing…which usually is not that much of a problem in a freedom loving democracy where we are usually better off when government does not accomplish much, but we actually need them to get something right and accomplish it well this time.
You know what people want? People want someone who can see what is going on, who will be bold and decisive, make decisions for the good of the nation, and who will not be derailed by the nay-sayers out there. We want someone powerful. We want someone focused. We want a savior. I do not know if President Obama is that man or not, but many people want him to be. I do not know if Michael Steele is the man who will fix the Republican party and then go on to fix the nation with a fiscally responsible party, but many people want him to be. People want…maybe even need a strong leader who will save us and restore things back to the way they were.
Peter saw this sort of savior in Jesus. He was bold. He spoke his mind. He cut the disciples no slack. He healed the sick. He put the self-righteous Pharisees in their place. Jesus was a natural leader, and Peter saw it clearly.
“Jesus, you are the Messiah, God’s own anointed one,” Peter boldly declares to the excitement of the other disciples and the praise of Jesus himself. Peter has found his savior. Peter has found the one who will lead the Israelites through the wilderness and set them free from Rome. Peter has found a savior who boldly declares that he “must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again?”
What? Jesus, what are you saying? That makes no sense. How is walking straight to you grave going to help anything? That is like President Obama standing before the nation and saying, “A strong president must be scorned, spit upon, and impeached from office. Only in this way, will our nation be saved.” It simply does not make any sense. There is no logic to it. It seems foolish. It is foolish. Ask anyone who is not a Christian and they will tell you, it is foolish.
Peter pulls Jesus aside to point out the foolishness of what Jesus is saying; surely he will see how foolish it sounds. “Jesus, you are the Messiah. You are not a weakling. You are strong and decisive. We need a strong leader. We don’t need yet another person whom Rome will send to his grave.”
“Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things,” Jesus commands.
“Get behind me.” “Get behind me.”
If you are behind someone, you only have two options, stay there and let them walk off into the distance without you, or follow wherever they lead. It is clear that Jesus does not want Peter to choose the first option of just sitting there and allowing himself to be left behind. “Get behind me,” Jesus says. “Follow me,” Jesus urges.
It is true that we want strong leaders. It is true that we want decisive leaders. But, it is also true that we want leaders who will lead us where we want to go. Who wants to literally take up a cross and follow? Who wants to put their lives on the line in order to follow? Who wants to set out on the road, with their cross, leading to their death, without having any idea where they are going. Does not a strong leader who can simply flex his political muscle and make things in the world all better sound like a much more enticing and effective leader? The truth is most of us want leaders who will take us where we want to go. We are fearful to follow into places we have never been. But, followers of Jesus do not get to go where they want. Followers of Jesus have no idea where God is leading them. Followers of Jesus simply get behind Christ and follow.
Do I have any idea how this economic crisis will end? I have no clue, but, Jesus is leading us, so we follow where Jesus goes.
Do I have any idea where a person’s cancer will lead them? I have no clue, but Jesus is
leading us, so we follow where Jesus goes.
Do I know what your church is going to look like and what it is going to be doing in ten years? I have no clue, but Jesus is leading us, so we follow where Jesus goes.
Do I fear the future? Do I fear that Jesus may lead me somewhere uncomfortable, maybe even painful, maybe to the cross and death? Of course, I fear that. But, who else should I follow? Satan?
I have no clue where Jesus is leading us. It probably will be uncomfortable to say the least. But, if Jesus is Lord, as we say he is, then we have no choice but to follow. I guess we do have another choice, we could just sit and be useless. That is not the life Jesus wants for us. There is nothing enriching in that. So, we stand up, get behind Jesus, and follow. Though I do not know where Jesus will lead, I do promise that the journey will be a life of grace.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
You know what people want? People want someone who can see what is going on, who will be bold and decisive, make decisions for the good of the nation, and who will not be derailed by the nay-sayers out there. We want someone powerful. We want someone focused. We want a savior. I do not know if President Obama is that man or not, but many people want him to be. I do not know if Michael Steele is the man who will fix the Republican party and then go on to fix the nation with a fiscally responsible party, but many people want him to be. People want…maybe even need a strong leader who will save us and restore things back to the way they were.
Peter saw this sort of savior in Jesus. He was bold. He spoke his mind. He cut the disciples no slack. He healed the sick. He put the self-righteous Pharisees in their place. Jesus was a natural leader, and Peter saw it clearly.
“Jesus, you are the Messiah, God’s own anointed one,” Peter boldly declares to the excitement of the other disciples and the praise of Jesus himself. Peter has found his savior. Peter has found the one who will lead the Israelites through the wilderness and set them free from Rome. Peter has found a savior who boldly declares that he “must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again?”
What? Jesus, what are you saying? That makes no sense. How is walking straight to you grave going to help anything? That is like President Obama standing before the nation and saying, “A strong president must be scorned, spit upon, and impeached from office. Only in this way, will our nation be saved.” It simply does not make any sense. There is no logic to it. It seems foolish. It is foolish. Ask anyone who is not a Christian and they will tell you, it is foolish.
Peter pulls Jesus aside to point out the foolishness of what Jesus is saying; surely he will see how foolish it sounds. “Jesus, you are the Messiah. You are not a weakling. You are strong and decisive. We need a strong leader. We don’t need yet another person whom Rome will send to his grave.”
“Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things,” Jesus commands.
“Get behind me.” “Get behind me.”
If you are behind someone, you only have two options, stay there and let them walk off into the distance without you, or follow wherever they lead. It is clear that Jesus does not want Peter to choose the first option of just sitting there and allowing himself to be left behind. “Get behind me,” Jesus says. “Follow me,” Jesus urges.
It is true that we want strong leaders. It is true that we want decisive leaders. But, it is also true that we want leaders who will lead us where we want to go. Who wants to literally take up a cross and follow? Who wants to put their lives on the line in order to follow? Who wants to set out on the road, with their cross, leading to their death, without having any idea where they are going. Does not a strong leader who can simply flex his political muscle and make things in the world all better sound like a much more enticing and effective leader? The truth is most of us want leaders who will take us where we want to go. We are fearful to follow into places we have never been. But, followers of Jesus do not get to go where they want. Followers of Jesus have no idea where God is leading them. Followers of Jesus simply get behind Christ and follow.
Do I have any idea how this economic crisis will end? I have no clue, but, Jesus is leading us, so we follow where Jesus goes.
Do I have any idea where a person’s cancer will lead them? I have no clue, but Jesus is
leading us, so we follow where Jesus goes.
Do I know what your church is going to look like and what it is going to be doing in ten years? I have no clue, but Jesus is leading us, so we follow where Jesus goes.
Do I fear the future? Do I fear that Jesus may lead me somewhere uncomfortable, maybe even painful, maybe to the cross and death? Of course, I fear that. But, who else should I follow? Satan?
I have no clue where Jesus is leading us. It probably will be uncomfortable to say the least. But, if Jesus is Lord, as we say he is, then we have no choice but to follow. I guess we do have another choice, we could just sit and be useless. That is not the life Jesus wants for us. There is nothing enriching in that. So, we stand up, get behind Jesus, and follow. Though I do not know where Jesus will lead, I do promise that the journey will be a life of grace.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Reflection on Genesis 9:8-17
The young parents were excited to show me. Dragging me into a small bedroom with a “you gotta come see this quick” attitude and a bounce in their step, they showed me the room created for the son who would be born in just two weeks. The clean, light chemical smell of the paint still lingered in the air and the crisp lines of what they had painted on the walls grabbed the eyes.
Around the entire room were painted blue waves with a couple of birds swooping over them and dolphins happily jumping out of them. Above the crib, floating on the waves was found the boat: Noah's Ark. It was their pride and joy. Animals were painted, sticking their heads out of the Ark with smiles on their faces. There were giraffes with smiles, sheep with smiles, monkeys with smiles, elephants with smiles, crocodiles with smiles, cows with smiles, pigs with smiles, and a Noah at the bow of the boat with…a great big smile. I looked at the parents and they blended in with the latex paint creation they had made, huge smiles on their faces.
“So, what do you think?” they asked expectantly.
“It’s very happy,” I smiled.
Now, do not misunderstand me, I think that children should grow up happy, and having smiles everywhere is one way to make sure that happens. I am aware of the fact that a person smiles when they see someone else smiling. I also understand that the very act of smiling can lighten your mood and improve your life. I am aware of that fact.
But, were the parents aware of the fact that the story of Noah is not a happy story? They forgot to paint all the dead corpses of the entire population of the world floating on the water…with smiles on their faces…of course. They forgot to bring in the special candle that will fragrant the air with the happy smell of dead, rotting animals of the world. They forgot that the Noah story is not all that happy. It is like painting images of the holocaust on the walls of your child’s room with the survivors standing in the forefront with big smiles on their faces; “WooWhoo, I survived.” It is not right. They had painted one of the most disturbing events of the bible on the walls of their soon to be infant’s room. This was not right.
There were two weeks yet. This could still be solved. I looked them square in the eye and said, “I think that…I like the Noah story, it’s cute.”
Aaaauuuugh!!! Strike out! Pastor Jira, you are a wimp! Where are your values Pastor Jira? When will you learn to take a stand Pastor Jira? This whole room painting project was such an airheaded thing to do…and you confront them with, “it’s cute?”
But, it is a good thing that I kept my mouth shut because the couple then said one of the least air headed things I have ever heard. They pointed up to the ceiling, and painted across the ceiling, stretching like giant arms ready to embrace you, from one wall to the other, was a rainbow.
“We want our child to grow up knowing that no matter what they do, God loves him and will not hurt him. Do you see how the rainbow will hug him while he lays looking up from the crib? It’s like God is hugging him at all times. That was the promise wasn’t it? That God would never destroy us again. That God was in it for the long haul, no matter what? That’s how we feel about our soon to be baby. Like God, we are in it for the long haul, no matter what,” the very pregnant mother talked to her belly and smiled.
In an instant, the Noah’s Ark themed room went from one of the most, cheesy airheaded ideas, to one of the most profound and faithful I have ever heard from a young couple. I guess painting a child’s room with Noah’s ark and a rainbow is no different that hanging a Roman torture device on the wall of the room: the cross. It is a symbol of the promise God has made to us. God promises not to destroy us. God is in it for the long haul. The arms of the cross are opened wide to embrace everyone.
It is a good thing to wake up every morning to people and animals smiling at you. It is good for your mental health. It is good for the world to start the day smiling. But, it is an even greater thing to wake up every morning and see, first thing as you stare at the rainbow on the ceiling, that you are embraced by God.
In the rainbow, we see a God who promises to stick it out; no matter how messy the world gets. We see a God who chooses mercy over anger. We see a God who would go to any length for us. We see Jesus who is willing to die for us. How would your day be different if that was the first thing you saw each morning?
Around the entire room were painted blue waves with a couple of birds swooping over them and dolphins happily jumping out of them. Above the crib, floating on the waves was found the boat: Noah's Ark. It was their pride and joy. Animals were painted, sticking their heads out of the Ark with smiles on their faces. There were giraffes with smiles, sheep with smiles, monkeys with smiles, elephants with smiles, crocodiles with smiles, cows with smiles, pigs with smiles, and a Noah at the bow of the boat with…a great big smile. I looked at the parents and they blended in with the latex paint creation they had made, huge smiles on their faces.
“So, what do you think?” they asked expectantly.
“It’s very happy,” I smiled.
Now, do not misunderstand me, I think that children should grow up happy, and having smiles everywhere is one way to make sure that happens. I am aware of the fact that a person smiles when they see someone else smiling. I also understand that the very act of smiling can lighten your mood and improve your life. I am aware of that fact.
But, were the parents aware of the fact that the story of Noah is not a happy story? They forgot to paint all the dead corpses of the entire population of the world floating on the water…with smiles on their faces…of course. They forgot to bring in the special candle that will fragrant the air with the happy smell of dead, rotting animals of the world. They forgot that the Noah story is not all that happy. It is like painting images of the holocaust on the walls of your child’s room with the survivors standing in the forefront with big smiles on their faces; “WooWhoo, I survived.” It is not right. They had painted one of the most disturbing events of the bible on the walls of their soon to be infant’s room. This was not right.
There were two weeks yet. This could still be solved. I looked them square in the eye and said, “I think that…I like the Noah story, it’s cute.”
Aaaauuuugh!!! Strike out! Pastor Jira, you are a wimp! Where are your values Pastor Jira? When will you learn to take a stand Pastor Jira? This whole room painting project was such an airheaded thing to do…and you confront them with, “it’s cute?”
But, it is a good thing that I kept my mouth shut because the couple then said one of the least air headed things I have ever heard. They pointed up to the ceiling, and painted across the ceiling, stretching like giant arms ready to embrace you, from one wall to the other, was a rainbow.
“We want our child to grow up knowing that no matter what they do, God loves him and will not hurt him. Do you see how the rainbow will hug him while he lays looking up from the crib? It’s like God is hugging him at all times. That was the promise wasn’t it? That God would never destroy us again. That God was in it for the long haul, no matter what? That’s how we feel about our soon to be baby. Like God, we are in it for the long haul, no matter what,” the very pregnant mother talked to her belly and smiled.
In an instant, the Noah’s Ark themed room went from one of the most, cheesy airheaded ideas, to one of the most profound and faithful I have ever heard from a young couple. I guess painting a child’s room with Noah’s ark and a rainbow is no different that hanging a Roman torture device on the wall of the room: the cross. It is a symbol of the promise God has made to us. God promises not to destroy us. God is in it for the long haul. The arms of the cross are opened wide to embrace everyone.
It is a good thing to wake up every morning to people and animals smiling at you. It is good for your mental health. It is good for the world to start the day smiling. But, it is an even greater thing to wake up every morning and see, first thing as you stare at the rainbow on the ceiling, that you are embraced by God.
In the rainbow, we see a God who promises to stick it out; no matter how messy the world gets. We see a God who chooses mercy over anger. We see a God who would go to any length for us. We see Jesus who is willing to die for us. How would your day be different if that was the first thing you saw each morning?
Monday, February 16, 2009
Reflection on Mark 1:40-45
“They don’t come to visit anymore,” she said staring past me out the window. It was snowing lightly outside her home.
“Perhaps, it’s because of the weather. You know, it does get icy out. It gets so icy that they probably have a hard time walking up my drive,” she lied to me and to herself.
We both knew better. Her children had jobs that they made it to everyday. Her sidewalk could not possibly be the only one in the whole city that got ice on it.
“Maybe they are afraid of the ice…maybe,” I said back.
It has been this way since she got sick. At first when the cancer was discovered, her family came all the time. It was a daily routine of getting their mother out of bed and doing her hair and making her breakfast. But, as she started to get weaker and weaker, she started to see them less and less. We both knew the truth. They could not look at her caved in face daily. She was what the ancient’s called, “unclean.” She could not be touched anymore. So we sat and talked about the dangers of walking on ice.
That is how things go in the United States when illness arrives. In many African tribes, when death and disease starts to linger in the air, there are no veiled excuses for why people suddenly are left to suffer alone. The tribes are upfront. They cast the sick person out of the village to live alone much the same way that the sick and leprous were cast away from their families and communities in the times of Jesus. Illness is hard to be around after-all. Some illnesses transform our loved ones from the beautiful, peaceful people we knew to people who appear less than at peace. It is hard to watch someone be at war with their body; sometimes it is too hard. So, they are left alone.
“I was alone this holiday,” she said plainly. “It was icy that night also.”
“If you will, you have the power to make me clean,” was the request of the leper to Jesus. “If you will.” “If you will look past my disgusting skin and see me for who I am, you have the power to make me clean.” “If you will take the time to actually touch me, you will make me clean.” “If you will take the time to show me that I am someone worth loving, you will make me clean. And being clean I will be able to do the things that humans do like talk and fool around and dance and actually touch each other…if you will.”
I stretched forth my hand and grasped her delicate, fragile fingers as she stared out of the window.
“I will give your children a call…to see if they are all right,” I promised.
She looked at our hands, then in my eyes, and smiled a great smile. It was a simple act of touch. It was a simple act that I learned long ago in Sunday school from a powerful man.
Stretching out his hand, Jesus touched the man and said, “I will, be made clean.” And, in touching him, he was made clean. Ignoring a stern warning not to share what had happened, the man goes from Jesus dancing around town, sharing the wonderful news, touching people, enjoying the company of those around him.
I learned from a doctor, full of God’s grace and healing, that there is a difference between disease and illness. “Whether disease is healed is a conversation between us doctors and God,” she said with a slight Indian accent. But, as all doctors understand, ultimately healing disease is up to God alone.”
She shifted her eyes to look at a woman who was walking her mother down the hall. The mother was obviously in pain, but she and her daughter were smiling; laughing over a secret joke.
“Illness is different from disease. It is the condition of the soul. It causes a distance between the sick person, those they love and possibly also God. Most people who have a disease also have an illness. But, look at these two,” she said pointing at the mother and daughter. “That mother has a disease, but has no illness. The illness is cured for her,” she said smiling. “I’ve also known many people who have no disease, but are very ill.”
It was as if she had studied this story from Mark and had paid careful attention to her verbs. Maybe, she just had a good Sunday School teacher. Jesus taught me something important that day through her.
Disease is for God to heal either directly, or through the hands of skilled doctors, or not at all. What happens with disease is up to God. We cannot know if disease will be healed.
Illness is a little different. God chooses to heal illness quite regularly. Healing illness is very important to God. Healing illness is so important that Jesus has given all his disciples the ablility to heal it. Christ is able to perform the healing of illness through anyone reading this today; through the simple act of touch.
Two months after I touched her, I saw her. She was not trapped behind her windows staring at the ice and snow. She was at the wedding of a granddaughter and she was dancing. She was not dancing in the way you may think, but she was hand in hand in her wheelchair with her son, a grand smile on her face.
“God is good,” she told me later as we ate our cake. Staring at her son she repeated, “God is good.”
Almighty God, please choose to heal our every illness. Amen.
“Perhaps, it’s because of the weather. You know, it does get icy out. It gets so icy that they probably have a hard time walking up my drive,” she lied to me and to herself.
We both knew better. Her children had jobs that they made it to everyday. Her sidewalk could not possibly be the only one in the whole city that got ice on it.
“Maybe they are afraid of the ice…maybe,” I said back.
It has been this way since she got sick. At first when the cancer was discovered, her family came all the time. It was a daily routine of getting their mother out of bed and doing her hair and making her breakfast. But, as she started to get weaker and weaker, she started to see them less and less. We both knew the truth. They could not look at her caved in face daily. She was what the ancient’s called, “unclean.” She could not be touched anymore. So we sat and talked about the dangers of walking on ice.
That is how things go in the United States when illness arrives. In many African tribes, when death and disease starts to linger in the air, there are no veiled excuses for why people suddenly are left to suffer alone. The tribes are upfront. They cast the sick person out of the village to live alone much the same way that the sick and leprous were cast away from their families and communities in the times of Jesus. Illness is hard to be around after-all. Some illnesses transform our loved ones from the beautiful, peaceful people we knew to people who appear less than at peace. It is hard to watch someone be at war with their body; sometimes it is too hard. So, they are left alone.
“I was alone this holiday,” she said plainly. “It was icy that night also.”
“If you will, you have the power to make me clean,” was the request of the leper to Jesus. “If you will.” “If you will look past my disgusting skin and see me for who I am, you have the power to make me clean.” “If you will take the time to actually touch me, you will make me clean.” “If you will take the time to show me that I am someone worth loving, you will make me clean. And being clean I will be able to do the things that humans do like talk and fool around and dance and actually touch each other…if you will.”
I stretched forth my hand and grasped her delicate, fragile fingers as she stared out of the window.
“I will give your children a call…to see if they are all right,” I promised.
She looked at our hands, then in my eyes, and smiled a great smile. It was a simple act of touch. It was a simple act that I learned long ago in Sunday school from a powerful man.
Stretching out his hand, Jesus touched the man and said, “I will, be made clean.” And, in touching him, he was made clean. Ignoring a stern warning not to share what had happened, the man goes from Jesus dancing around town, sharing the wonderful news, touching people, enjoying the company of those around him.
I learned from a doctor, full of God’s grace and healing, that there is a difference between disease and illness. “Whether disease is healed is a conversation between us doctors and God,” she said with a slight Indian accent. But, as all doctors understand, ultimately healing disease is up to God alone.”
She shifted her eyes to look at a woman who was walking her mother down the hall. The mother was obviously in pain, but she and her daughter were smiling; laughing over a secret joke.
“Illness is different from disease. It is the condition of the soul. It causes a distance between the sick person, those they love and possibly also God. Most people who have a disease also have an illness. But, look at these two,” she said pointing at the mother and daughter. “That mother has a disease, but has no illness. The illness is cured for her,” she said smiling. “I’ve also known many people who have no disease, but are very ill.”
It was as if she had studied this story from Mark and had paid careful attention to her verbs. Maybe, she just had a good Sunday School teacher. Jesus taught me something important that day through her.
Disease is for God to heal either directly, or through the hands of skilled doctors, or not at all. What happens with disease is up to God. We cannot know if disease will be healed.
Illness is a little different. God chooses to heal illness quite regularly. Healing illness is very important to God. Healing illness is so important that Jesus has given all his disciples the ablility to heal it. Christ is able to perform the healing of illness through anyone reading this today; through the simple act of touch.
Two months after I touched her, I saw her. She was not trapped behind her windows staring at the ice and snow. She was at the wedding of a granddaughter and she was dancing. She was not dancing in the way you may think, but she was hand in hand in her wheelchair with her son, a grand smile on her face.
“God is good,” she told me later as we ate our cake. Staring at her son she repeated, “God is good.”
Almighty God, please choose to heal our every illness. Amen.
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