Reflection on Matthew 10:40-42

You need to have a song ready and some scripture to share. 

These cryptic instructions were given to us by our Christian Mission professor just days before we departed to visit India.  There were lots of things that needed prepared: passports, visas, clothing that did not look too rich (which curiously meant that jeans were not allowed), bottled water, and this cryptic instruction to have a song and scripture prepared. 

The trip to India was amazing by the way.  If, after all of this virus stuff plays out, you have a chance to go, most certainly do.  We visited Hindu temples, rubbed elbows with well-known theologians in India, and entered into life in the slums.  The hospitality in each of these places, even the slums, was amazing.  Everywhere we went, we were offered safely sealed drinks, deliciously spicy food, smiles, and great conversation.  We were turned away from nowhere. 

This is where the song and scripture comes in, because when followers of Christ are welcomed in India, they are welcomed as they would welcome Christ himself.  And, just as any Christian would give their whole life’s worth to be able to sit and talk face-to-face with Jesus, these gracious people hoped that when they welcomed you, that you would have something from Christ to share with them.

“Give us a song,” a group of youth cried out after sharing a tune of their own on the guitar.  They held out the guitar, and all of us students stared for a brief moment…probably a little more than a brief moment…and wondered what we should do. 

Finally, the one member of our group who actually took notes while our professor spoke had prepared a song and scripture, and so he took the guitar. 

The people smiled as the first notes rung out and Christ was shared with them in a new and exotic way to them.  In fact, the song was somewhat repetitive, so after just a couple of choruses we were all singing praises to God together.  It was a beautiful moment in time. 

It was also a valuable moment in time.  I learned that day: if you are welcomed as a follower of Jesus and you are given something to drink, those who welcomed you will also welcome Jesus.  So, you need to have a song ready and some scripture to share.

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”  In a world where politics and religion are not to be discussed in polite company, these are words of pure grace.  They are words that say, if you, a follower of Christ, are welcomed, then Christ is welcomed.  If people love you, then go ahead and love them back…big time.  Love them with the never-failing love of Jesus Christ.  Love them with a love that would go to the cross for them.  And, do not forget to have a song and some scripture to share.

After-all, you are a part of Jesus’ family.  And, that means something.  When people welcome you in, they are hoping to hear the love of Jesus in all you do and say, because you are a part of Jesus’ family.  When they give you some water as a follower of Jesus Christ, they are hoping that you might be blessed, and if you are blessed, then Jesus is blessed, and if Jesus is blessed, then these people have given a blessing to God.  In return for doing that these people will not lose the reward.  They too will know what it is like to be a part of Christ’s family.

When I was growing up, being an “Albers” (my last name) meant something.  When someone welcomed an Albers, they were welcoming someone who they expected to be kind and compassionate; they were welcoming someone who they expected to be knowledgeable; and they were welcoming someone who they expected to have a love of music. 

A lot of this expectation was a product of the kind of man that my grandpa was in the community, and the product of who his children were after him.  I am sure that you can relate.  Most families have expectations from those in the community.

It is no different with Jesus’ family.  When people welcome a follower of Jesus, they hope to see Jesus.  They hope to see the love that is found in the family of God.  They hope to experience the truth of Jesus Christ from his family members; a family that truly believes that Christ desires to love, save, and bless the world. 

Sure, not everyone will welcome a member of the family of Jesus, but Jesus promises that there are many who will.  And, when that happens, everyone in the encounter is blessed.

So, here is some practical advice for you from a beloved professor of mine: have a song and some scripture ready to share.  Have a song of faith that moves you humming from your lips or sharable from your phone.  Have some deeply life giving promises of Christ from the scriptures memorized or placed in your wallet or purse, or in a note on your phone.  

Believe me; those who welcome you will welcome Jesus.  They have a desire to hear the good news of Jesus Christ who claims us all as sons and daughters and frees us all from whatever binds us and holds us down. 

If you are welcomed as a follower of Jesus and given something to drink, those who welcomed you will also welcome Jesus.  So, have a song ready and some scripture to share.

Reflection on Matthew 10:24-39

An open letter to the Lord.

Dear Jesus,

You asked us to be like you, and, quite frankly, that scares me.  Be like you?  I know what they did to you!  There was that one time that you healed a man of an evil spirit, and people accused you of being evil for casting out the spirit.  You were made to be evil even though you did something good. 

I understand what you are saying when you tell us that we are the learner and you are the teacher.  You are the one who knows what is right and good, and we are simply the follower.  So, we should just follow, no matter the cost.  I get that.  But, how do you deal with those who hate you for doing what is right?  Losing friends, quite frankly, scares me.

Please understand, I have this friend in Minneapolis who just wanted to help her brothers and sisters in the black community through these tense days, so she organized a food drive for those whose community had become directly affected.  The food drive was an amazing success.  Lord, you truly blessed that effort. 

But, some people saw that she was one of the people behind the effort.  More to the point, choice family and friends saw that she was one of the people behind the effort, and those family and friends slowly started disappearing as friends on social media. 

To say that she is disturbed by the prejudice among those she loves is an understatement.  These people thought their prejudice was more important than having a relationship with her.  She is devastated.  She took a step beyond her fear, and the very thing she feared the most happened.  She lost people close to her.

Jesus, I know that you explicitly said that following you and pursuing the ideals of your kingdom, will “set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's foes will be members of one's own household.”  It is not like you hid it from us.  It is right there in the Bible.  But, how did you deal with it?

How did you deal with the hatred spat your way after you healed that woman on the Sabbath and people considered you evil for doing good? 

How did you deal with your mother and brothers and sisters coming to the house and trying to silence you when others were saying that you were off your rocker?  How did you overcome the fear of all those people set against you?  I truly want to know. 

How did you deal with those who disagreed with ministering to Samaritans; and how did you deal with those who stood slack-jawed as you spoke to a woman as your equal; and how did you deal with those who chastise you for caring about the poor and the poor in spirit, for comforting those who mourn the wrong people and for upholding the meek, for supporting those who seek justice and for aligning yourself with those who show mercy; and for refusing to mock the pure in heart and the peacemakers.  And, how did you stay strong enough to continue to love those who the world considered the wrong people…even the tax collectors…even the worst of the sinners. 

Jesus, I actually want to hear how you dealt with the mob from your own hometown that drove you out and tried to throw you off a cliff. 

How did you endure in the face of self-righteous people, and a power-hungry Herod and a Pontius Pilates who would dismiss your “truth” and instead preserve his own kingdom rather than see your kingdom of grace take over the world?  How did you endure through the cloud of fear?  We truly want to know Jesus.

And, this is a little off topic Jesus, but did you have an Aunt Frieda and an Uncle George who just could not be together at family gatherings?  I am just wondering about that.

Back on topic Jesus, I know of a guy who stood up to his alcoholic dad and his abusive ways, and for his righteous efforts to protect the weak against the regular, alcohol fueled attacks from his Dad, those involved in the situation turned on this guy who tried to help, because he was upsetting the world that they understood.  As sick and abusive as it was, they were more willing to preserve the world they knew than to venture into an unknown world.  I guess that it human nature, but it is not right.  And, the one who tried to do good was the one who was abandoned. 

What do you have to say to him Jesus?

I guess what I am saying is that, we have good reasons to be afraid.  We have good reasons to just remain silent when it is the easiest thing to do.  And, we want to know how you did it.

You say things to us like: "have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.”  You tell me during those dark times to keep on shouting, because it is your kingdom that matters.  And, that gives us hope.  That propels us forward.

So we hold back the fear and we continue to shout out your truth, but the fear floods in again, and the knee jerk instinct to preserve our own life kicks back in. 

That is when you say, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?”  Right?  Can’t you buy 10 baby chicks for just a little over twenty bucks at the supply store? “Yet not one of those sparrows will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  And even the hairs of your head are all counted.  So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”  “Aren’t you of more value than those cute baby chicks who everyone loves?” you ask.

Jesus, you have this amazing trust that even when they threaten to nail you to the cross, you still refuse to abandon the very soul of your kingdom.  It is as if you trust that there will be a third day.  It is as it you know the grave is not the end.  It is as if you know that love always wins.

Jesus, we know that faith is a gift from you.  So, I guess we ask that your gift of faith might not fade, especially when it is needed the most.  May we live our lives in the ways of your kingdom.  And Jesus, free us from the fear.

Sincerely,

Jira (a humble follower)

Reflection on Matthew 9:35-10:8

Jesus instructs us to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

When I was in grade school, I took that “wise as serpents” statement to heart.  I had a friend who was tormented by a crafty and sly bully who would talk terribly about my friend behind her back, but would be kind and generous to her to her face.  It was horrible.  She would just finish a compliment concerning my friend’s hair, and as soon as my friend walked away the bully would make fun of her looks to those who were close enough to hear. 

My heart ached knowing that the one who was ruining her life was also the very person that my friend trusted.  Because of the covert attacks, the class started to turn on my friend.  She was meek, but wonderful.  This could not continue.  So, I came up with a wise plan.

I started a game of hide and go seek; my friend had to count to one hundred with her face buried against one side of the corner of the school.  On the other side of the corner, I would ask the bully what she thought of my friend. 

Guess what?  The plan worked brilliantly.  My friend heard the painful truth and turned against her previously unknown bully.  Those gathered around to see the exchange followed my lead and also turned on the bully; her insidious meanness exposed. 

The bully dropped in school yard social rank, and was relegated to playing alone in a dark corner of the school building during recess.  It was a fitting end to the story, except that these stories do not end.  They continue on, unlike the movies.

The dark corner of the school is where she stayed, defeated and alone. 

I had successfully been as wise as a serpent in dealing with the cruel world, and this cruel person in particular.  I had even successfully carried out a campaign of justice.  There is something truly holy in that.  Then, why do I still see her lonely, depressed face each time she is brought to the forefront of my memory?  Her face haunts me. 

I want to confess something to you.  I want to confess that, though I stuck up for the lowly, just as Jesus expects, I also completely ignored the other half of his ministry.  In fact, I totally ignored the other half of Jesus’ sentence. 

Jesus instructed us to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”  It is one thing to expose injustice and bring back to balance what has been unbalanced.  It is quite another to show hate for others just as they have shown hate for us. 

Yes, be wise as a serpent, but be innocent as a dove as you go out into the world.  Do expose the injustice, but do not become the evil that you are trying to eradicate.  After-all, the entire reason that Jesus sends his apostles to minster to others is because Jesus looks out at the crowds and has compassion on them.  They are “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd,” Jesus explains. 

And, yes, my friend was harassed and helpless.  She needed someone to stand up for her and minister to her.  But, since I forgot to be innocent as a dove, I just transferred the title of “harassed and helpless” from one person to another.  And, I think that is why her face still haunts me.

I confess to you that I loved my neighbor and hated my enemy. 

This is not what Jesus teaches.  Instead, in Matthew 5:44 he says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  When you do that, you are clearly following in the footsteps of the Lord.  When you do that, you are clearly a child of your Father in heaven.  Our heavenly Father does not strive to create enemies, Jesus reminds us.  God makes his sun rise on both “the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”  Both were created with God’s hands. 

“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?”  Everyone on the planet loves their friends.  In addition to their friends, followers of Jesus love those sheep who wander without a shepherd.  Followers of Jesus remain wise as they minister to these people, but are also “innocent as a dove.” Jesus actually cares about these sheep that have no shepherd. 

Even after the bully’s sin was exposed, and after she was brought low…as she needed to be…I could have joined her in the lonely corner of the school.  I could have prayed for her and played with her.  I could have returned love for hate.  I could have allowed myself to be sent out by Jesus to this newly “harassed and helpless” person. 

If she did not accept me, fine.  I could have just shaken the dust off of my shoes as Jesus instructs.  I am not asked by Jesus to carry other people’s issues around with me.  Jesus invites me to let my peace return to me if rejected.  Perhaps, it just was not the right time for her to learn love; only God knows the right time of things. 

I cannot make someone be loved who does not want it, but I could have at least tried to show her love in the first place.  And, that is where I fell short.  “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

After-all, the dirt shook from Jesus’ feet as he was lifted off the ground and raised up in the air on the cross.  “Father, forgive them,” echoed from his lips. 

Hatred and resentment were not Jesus’ last thoughts as his life slowly slipped away.  His love for the world did not die with him.  Love does not die.  His love continued to the point of death and beyond death…beyond the grave.  Somehow, in some way, love is how this world is redeemed.  Love is what carries us to the end of time. 

God is love.  We can never forget that.

So, I allow her lonely face to haunt me.  It is OK.  It is supposed to.  I suspect that she has had a full, wonderful life following that childhood event. 

But, I hold the memory as a reminder that following Christ is not just about being wise as a serpent as we minister to an unjust world; it is also about acting in a way that is innocent as a dove.  Some of us would call that integrity.  I would call it, following the one who loves us all: Jesus Christ our Lord.

Reflection on Matthew 28:16-20

“Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

To all of those in nursing homes, who have been shut behind closed doors for almost three months; to those who miss feeling the soft skin of their great-grandchildren’s young faces with their fingers, Jesus has a promise for you: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

To those who have been stuck at home, teaching multiple children for nearly three months, and now face another three months before the picking up of toys and the settling of disputes and the cleaning of endless dishes and messes might come to a slight, momentary break when school starts again, Jesus has a promise for you: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

To those who have lost their income, who have lost sleep to the endless worry about how the rent will be paid and the food bought, Jesus has a promise for you: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

To those whose morning jogs don’t relax but create internal fear because they do not know if the woman walking toward them will feel threatened and call the police, or they wonder if the police will mistake their attempt to improve their health for running from the scene of a crime, all because God lovingly shaped and molded them with a beautiful dark hue to their skin, Jesus has a promise for you: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

To those who were chastised while they were kids just because they liked to watch Dr. Who…when it wasn’t cool to like Dr. Who…or were chastised because they watched every episode of My Little Pony but would have never thought to wear a dress because they were boys, and all those children today who feel abandoned by love because the taunting bullying does not stop when they get home, but continues its evil reach through the devices we all rely upon to stay connected, Jesus has a promise for you: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

To those who just cannot bring themselves to quite believe…to those who cannot find a way to have hope…to those who bow down and worship, but inwardly harbor a secret doubt, Jesus has a promise for you: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

To all who just cannot get up; to all who just cannot reach out; to all who just cannot climb up; to all who cannot get out of harm’s way; to all who just cannot…they just cannot, Jesus has a promise for you: “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The outrageous claim that God exists coeternally in three persons of the godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is not simply a religious head trip; it actually means something for very real people for very real reasons. 

It means that we followers of Christ know deep in our souls that God is not just up there somewhere, but chose to come down here, and walk among us…Immanuel, God with us. 

And, we followers of Christ know deep down in our souls that when the world comes and steals away your breath, and takes away the hope of your community, and the authorities nail it all to a cross to die, we know that there is a third day.  There is a third day when the stone will be rolled away and Jesus will emerge.  The Lord of love cannot be taken away from us and we cannot be taken away from the Lord.  God does not easily let go of someone created by God’s very own hands. 

Our bodies may die, but our hearts belong to Jesus, and love does not stay dead.  Never forget; never let these promises from Jesus pass from your mind; “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

And, even when Jesus calls us up the mountain with him, and we see him rise away, we know that he is not gone.  He is still with us.  He is with us through the blowing of God’s Spirit.  He is with us as the Spirit blows over the waters of baptism and wraps its arms around us, making us a part of Christ’s family.  He is with us as the Spirit blows through the pages of scripture and enters into our minds as we learn all that Jesus has to teach. 

The Spirit of Jesus is with us whenever we look into the eyes of someone cast down on the ground, pleading to us for help.  Jesus is with us, and we see him within the eyes of the one who hungers, or thirsts, or is forgotten, or is naked, or is sick, or is in prison.  He is right there, staring back at us.

And, when those who are cast down to the ground, buried under a knee, or trapped under the dirt of life are seen as Jesus right in front of our eyes, and when we give them a chance at resurrection, Jesus will say to us who strive to live out his teachings, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

Jesus is “with” us in the eyes of these cast down people.  But, “with” does not mean “agree.”  Being “with” someone does not mean that we agree with them, or they with us.  Being “with” someone does not mean we do not have a rocky past with one another.  After-all, we have all had a rocky past with the Lord.  Am I right?  And, I am certain that the Lord does not always agree with me.  In all likelihood, he rarely agrees with me. 

But, I am also certain that Jesus is “with” me, because in his last mortal words to the world, he promised to be there.  Jesus promises to be with you even today.  “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

May we also strive to truly be “with” others.  It is the way of those of us who follow the one who never lets go; Jesus Christ our Lord.