Reflection on Matthew 5:3-5 (Lent)

Matthew 5:3-5

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ⁵“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Reflection

This Lent, as we continue to look at what Jesus’ idea of the good life looks like for us, we will shift our focus first to see who it includes.  We will likely be surprised by some of the people that the good life includes.  I say that, because we usually assume that those who are well off in life are the blessed ones.  The well off are living the good life.  Even our own desires to have more tell us so.  “If I only had a bigger home, then I could live the good life.”  “If only I could afford a maid to clean, then I could live the good life.”  “If only I could have more influence in this society, then I could create the good life for us all.”  We assume that the good life is given to those who are well off and powerful.

But, Jesus’ vision of the good life includes a very different set of characters.  It includes the very people who were seeking him, following him, and hoping in his healing.  Jesus says, “The good life is for the poor in spirit.” 

If we remember that the word “spirit” in the Bible is attached to God’s wind, God’s life giving breath, and God’s creative power, then it starts to become clear who Jesus is talking about here.  The good life belongs to those who lack the creating power to accomplish important things.  Jesus is not suggesting that God has abandoned these people, quite the opposite; they get the kingdom of heaven.  Rather, Jesus is saying that those who have no power over anything in this world are well set to receive the gift of God’s kingdom; they are well set to live the good life that Jesus wants to create.  “The good life belongs to the powerless, for they get to be a part of God’s kingdom.

Not only does Jesus’ idea of the good life include those who have little ability to wield power in this world, Jesus also says, “The good life belongs to those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”  Mourn is a little too soft of a way to translate what Jesus is saying.  A better way to translate this would be, “The good life belongs to those who constantly suffer grief and loss, for they will be comforted and restored.”

You might have noticed a retranslation of the end of that statement as well.  In it you find a word of deep promise from Jesus.  To be comforted in the Bible is not only getting attention and hugs, which we do need, but it also has a hint of things being put right once again.  The promise is that Jesus’ good life belongs to those who suffer death and loss, because they will be comforted and their life will be restored.  

Grief is not something to be pushed away. Those who allow the death and destruction of this world to make an impact on them will be comforted, and they will see things being restored. According to Jesus, grief is not something to be pushed away. Grief is essential to seeing the problem and also to seeing Jesus’ restoration of life. That is Jesus’ promise. “The good life belongs to those who constantly suffer grief and loss, for they will be comforted and restored.”

As Jesus looks out into the eyes of those in the crowd who have actively sought him out, Jesus tells them to whom else his vision of the good life belongs.  Jesus says, “The good life belongs to the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”  The word “meek” is unhelpful here because it makes us think of people who refuse to “stand up” or “stand out.”  But, Jesus intends us to think of those who cannot “stand up” or “stand out.”  If we look at Job 24:2-4, we get an idea of the sort of people that Jesus is talking about.  It reads:

“The wicked remove landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them.  They drive away the donkey of the orphan; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.  They thrust the needy off the road; the poor of the earth all hide themselves.” 

The orphan’s pet donkey being stolen by a powerful and heartless man is a heart wrenching image of a young, helpless person who is picked on because they can do nothing about it.  The image of a poor person having the fences of their land removed by someone more rich and powerful, and their flocks taken by these rich and powerful for their own enrichment is enough to make you want to cry.  Jesus says that “The good life belongs to those who are afflicted and unimportant, for they will get the land.”

These are the people who have sought out Jesus.  Those who are powerless, those who are in deep grief, and those who have been made unimportant all look up at Jesus as he speaks from the mountain, and they hear straight from Jesus’ lips that God is looking out for them.  They will get the good life.  They will stand in God’s kingdom.  They will be restored.  They will get the land.

Those who stand in front of Jesus with empty hands will receive the goodness of the Lord.  The good life belongs to those who stand before the Lord, with hands open, ready to receive what the Lord has to offer. 

For those of us who feel as if we are the powerless, the grieving, and the unimportant, I want you to know that the Lord has decided that the good life belongs to you.  The future of Jesus’ good life vision has you as an essential member of the family. 

And, to those of us who stand in front of Jesus with hands full, who do have power, who ignore the painful cries of the world, and who are important in this world, well, we have found our reward already and it has nothing to do with Jesus vision of the good life.  Maybe, we will do well to have our hands emptied, so that they are ready to receive the true good life of the Lord, not our broken vision of the good life where only some are loved and prosper. 

Seeing Jesus visions of the good life come into reality all starts with getting our relationships right again.  That is what Lent is all about.  Is not Lent about getting in right relationship with God and one another?  But, we will get more into that next week.  For now hear what Jesus has to say about those right relationships.

“The good life belongs to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  The good life belongs to the merciful, for they will receive mercy. The good life belongs to the pure in heart, for they will see God.”  (Matthew 5:6-8) 

 

For more information on the Sermon on the Mount, and to discover the source information for this reflection, check out the Sermon on the Mount study series on Bible Project.

Reflection on Mark 8:31-38

 

“There is no way that Jesus would ever want me to have anything to do with my sister!” the woman tried to convince me.  “She deserves all the loneliness that she gets.  She is a rotten, horrible person.  Jesus wants us to be righteous people.  There is no way Jesus would want anyone hanging around with a sinner like her!”

The woman was very sure of herself.  The woman was convinced that the Jesus who walked around in her head, who was telling her to remain pure and stay separated from the sinner, was the same Jesus who lived and breathed and walked among us. 

But, the Jesus who walked among us did spend time with sinners and the despised tax collectors; all the time.  He ate with them, justifying his actions by saying, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners” (NRSV, Matthew 9:12-13).

The Jesus who healed and took away the sin of the world did forgive rotten, horrible people.  Just think about the criminal hanging next to him on the cross, who did deserve his punishment, but was forgiven none-the-less.  Instead of condemning, Jesus insisted, “Today, you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). 

In fact, that same Jesus took up his cross and lost his life for our sake.  Paul tries to convince us that, “God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Arguing against the Apostle Paul and Jesus himself, the woman was wrong, of course.  The holy life is not all about making sure you remain pure by staying away from everyone who is sinful.  But, there was no convincing her.  She was forcing Jesus to follow her and conform to her desires rather than the other way around.

To the woman and to us Jesus says, “You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things…If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:33-34).

We should not be too harsh on the woman though.  She is simply joining the Apostle Peter as he too failed to set his mind on “divine things” rather than “human things” (Mark 8:33b).  Peter too disagreed with the way that Jesus went about loving and saving the world.  Jesus had just told Peter that he, the Son of Man, 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” (Mark 8:31). 

But, Peter was having none of it.  Peter knew that the Messiah was supposed to be a great political leader.  Peter knew that the Son of Man was supposed to save his people by defeating real enemies through very real political acts and on very real military fronts.  Messiahs take up national flags.  Messiahs rally people to their political side.  Messiahs align people against common enemies.  Messiahs do not choose to march toward death; they march to victory. 

Jesus was headed in the wrong direction, and Peter was convinced that Jesus must start listening to him.  Jesus must start seeing reality for what it is; which Peter understood very well.  Jesus needed to follow the ways of Peter.

But, to Peter, and to us, Jesus says, “You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things…If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:33-34).

Back when I was in High School there was a fad among Christian youth to wear these cloth bracelets that had the letters, “WWJD” woven in.  Perhaps, you remember what WWJD stood for?  “What Would Jesus Do?”  Later, the silicone version came out in bright neon colors with WWJD, “What Would Jesus Do,” engraved into the top.  There was a question mark at the end of the WWJD statement.  So, the thought was that when we teens ran into a situation that was tough, all we had to do was look down at our wrists and ask ourselves, “‘What would Jesus do’ in this situation”?

I thought it seemed like a good idea.  I even sported a neon pink bracelet myself.  I know what you are thinking.  “That Pastor Jira has always been a fashion trend setter.”

But, one day my pastor spotted the bracelet on my wrist and said in an off handed sort of way, “I don’t like those things.” 

Now, I knew that my pastor could do heretical things like change the font in the bulletin, or suggest that the color of the narthex carpet might not be the most important thing on Jesus’ mind, but being against “What Would Jesus Do” bracelets? 

The confusion on my face must have been obvious because the pastor immediately said, “It should be WDJD, not WWJD.” 

The confusion on my face must have continued because the pastor explained:

“It should read ‘What Did Jesus Do,’ WDJD, not ‘What Would Jesus Do,’ WWJD, because we don’t necessarily know what Jesus would have done.  When I ask myself, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ I try to answer with my best guess.  But, the answer I come up with will probably be what I wanted to do anyway.  The truth is that I don’t know how Jesus would answer modern problems and modern questions!  But, if I ask, ‘What Did Jesus Do,’ then I am forced to search God’s Holy Scriptures and search for what Jesus did do in similar situations.  ‘What Did Jesus Do,’ brings me closer to Jesus, and closer to following Jesus.  I am less likely to be following myself.  That is why I do not like the WWJD bracelet.”

I kind of had to agree.  And, you know what?  I had just purchased the stupid thing.  Thanks a lot, Pastor!

Now, my pastor may have been a heretic, but at least my pastor was a faithful heretic.  My pastor wanted us teens to be setting our minds on divine things, searching divine scripture, and did not want us to be setting our minds on human things as we went about our everyday lives.

My pastor’s thoughts remind me of that bumper sticker that reads, “Jesus is my copilot, and he thinks you are driving like an idiot too.”

Now, if I were the pastor of a fancy, rich church I would plaster that sticker across the huge video screens in the sanctuary.  And, then I would contrast that bumper sticker with the one that you all know much better.  It is the one that reads: “If Jesus is your copilot, switch seats.”  Now, I personally wonder if that is a good idea…letting Jesus drive…because our creed states that Jesus was fully human and, therefore, never learned how to drive.  But aside from that; I would show both of those bumper stickers side-by-side on our huge, expensive screens so that we could see exactly what Jesus is getting at when he confronts Peter. 

Peter wants the first bumper sticker to be true; the one where Jesus, the passenger, agrees with the driver.  “All of you on the road are idiots!  ”  But, the second bumper sticker is the one that Jesus wants Peter, and us, to understand.  He is the driver.  He is the pilot.  Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). 

Jesus rebukes Peter saying, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Mark 8:33b).  If your remember, “the Satan” can also translate to “the adversary,” or “the obstacle.”  Peter might be the great rock of the church, but he can also be a rock that gets in the way.  He is a rock that is trying to cause Jesus to stumble.  But, Jesus will not stumble.  Jesus will not falter.  Jesus is on the way to the cross to love and save a whole bunch of sinners, and he wants Peter, and us, to follow.

“Get behind me,” Jesus says to Peter.  I think he means that literally.  Jesus actually wants Peter to get behind him and start following.  Peter is to stop being a road block to Jesus’ mission, and we need to stop being road blocks as well.

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it” (NRSV, Mark 8:34-35).

I cannot tell you the amount of times that I have seen this idea of “following” play out in the movies.  It usually goes something like this: the hero and companions get into some sort of impossible or frightening situation, and the hero looks at the scared companions and confidently says, “Follow me.” 

If it is a horror movie, there will always be the one guy, and it is always a guy, who says, “I know what I am doing,” and he will go out on his own and immediately get eaten by a huge worm, or wander over the edge of a cliff.  Am I right?  I am so that guy at times.  But, those who follow the hero, even if it is a hard journey, make it safely to the end.

The Message Bible translates Jesus’ words this way, “Calling the crowd to join his disciples, [Jesus] said, ‘Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?’” (MSG, Mark 8:34-37).

The path of self-sacrifice and self-giving love might look like a rough path.  It might actually be a rough path.  There might be other paths that seem easier and nicer, but if Jesus is truly, “the way and the truth and the life,” then we will follow our hero down that rough path.

The world will want us to follow big brands, or big names, or big influencers, or even small influencers such as members of our own family who may try to lull us into following them.  But, Jesus is our true hero.  Jesus is the one who knows the way to the good news.  Jesus is the one who will make certain we will walk the right path and not fall off the edge of a cliff. 

Speaking of cliffs, every good movie has the moment when one of the followers slips on some rock and almost plunges to their death, but the hero is right there to pull them up.  Well, I am here to tell you that, in reality, you have your hero also.  Jesus pulls you up with him, out of sin, out of death, out of the grave, and into a new life.  Follow the one who makes sacrifices for the sake of love.  Follow the one who gives himself to the cross in order to rise on the third day and save.  Follow the one who cares about you.

Once when I was visiting a more “seasoned” woman’s house, (I didn’t want to say “old,” but now she sounds like a steak…anyway) I noticed that she was making a huge supper while we talked.  I asked if she had plans to have visitors that evening, and she said, “No, I never learned how to cook for one, so I just keep cooking a family sized meal.”  After I gave her a quizzical look she said, “I give the rest of the food to my neighbors around here who need it.  They know to come and get the supper, or if they can’t get out I will take a stroll to their house.  Most of them appreciate it.  One of them never says, ‘Thank you.’  He just grunts. He’s grumpy.  But, I do it anyway.  It is my nightly routine now.” 

Understand that this woman had little money and could have used that money for her own needs.  But, she followed someone who gave of himself, and so she did the same.  She followed Jesus, who gave of himself to feed the hungry and care for the lowly and even help the grumpy; the sinner.  She followed the one who loved and saved a sinner like her.

She would remind us to set our minds on Jesus.  She would remind us, as did Jesus, to set our minds on diving things, not human things, because, Jesus will allow us to hear and see some very good news.

Reflection on Matthew 4:17 and Matthew 5:1-3a (Lent)

Matthew 4:17

¹⁷From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Matthew 5:1-3

5When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ²Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

³“Blessed are…”

Reflection

During Wednesday in Lent this year, as we try to ground our lives in God and all that God cares about once again, it seemed wise to take a look at what the good life looks like according to Jesus.  So, we will be looking at the Beatitudes in the very beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew.  If you ever wanted to know what Jesus’ vision of life looks like, the vision he casts in the Sermon on the Mount is the place to go.

Now, to set us up, I read that little snippet of scripture that comes just a little ways before the Sermon on the Mount begins.  It is Jesus’ first sermon in the book of Matthew.  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17).  Another way to say that would be, “Imagine your life in a new way.  Clear your mind and turn your life in new direction, because the time when God’s goodness is going to spread is right in front of you.”

Wow, that alone is an amazing word from the Lord to take in.  It is like your parents pulling up in the van after school, full of luggage and saying, “Get in, we’re going to Disney World.”  Or, it is like the young man who is pulled aside by his wife, who has a huge smile on her face, and hears these words, “Guess what, I’m pregnant!  We are finally pregnant!”

“Get your life ready for something new and great!  The time when God’s goodness is going to spread is right in front of you.”  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

That is great news, but it leaves us excitedly wondering, “Exactly, what is this good life going to look like?”

That is a great question.  In fact, that is precisely what Jesus preaches about in the Sermon on the Mount.  In Jesus’ sermon he declares, “Blessed are…” and then he lists some people who are blessed.  But, there is a reason that I stopped at “Blessed are” because, before we explore what this great kingdom is all about, we need to understand exactly what “blessed” means.

The word has puzzled me for a long time because Jesus says things like “Blessed are those who mourn.”  In my experience anyway, the feeling I have when I have lost someone who is really, deeply important to me is anything but blessed.  How can that be, Jesus?  If blessing is being given an abundance of good things, how can losing someone important being blessed?  I did not gain, I lost!

But, what if the word translated as “blessed” does not mean what we think it does?

The Greek word translated as “blessed” is “makarios.”  In Greek, “makarios” means, “the good life.”  This is exactly what we were talking about earlier.  The kingdom of heaven has come near.  The time when the good life will be given by God is right in front of us.

The Hebrew equivalent of “makarios” is “ashrey.”  And, when we see “ashrey” used in the Old Testament it is always connected with trees that thrive and bear fruit, and it is also connected with times when people live in safety and stability.  In other words, when we see the words “blessed are” we really should be hearing, “the good life is for.”

In today’s world, we might say, “The kids who move into a house next to an awesome park with multiple slides and swings are living the good life.”  The good life is for those kids.  Or, we might say, “The good life is sipping a cup of coffee while playing a game and talking with close friends.”  The good life is for the happy and well connected.

Jesus has his own idea of what the good life looks like and who it includes, but we will look a little closer at that next time.  For now, simply meditate on the words of Jesus:

“The good life is for the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The good life is for those who mourn, for they will be comforted. The good life is for the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”  (Matthew 5:3-5)

 

For more information on the Sermon on the Mount, and to discover the source information for this reflection, check out the Sermon on the Mount study series on Bible Project.

Reflection on Mark 1:9-15

 

Just after Jesus hears the voice from heaven say, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased,” the Bible says that the Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness.  And, while in the wilderness for forty days, not only was Jesus tempted by the Satan (also known as “the adversary,” “the accuser,” or “the obstructer”), Jesus also spent time among the “wild beasts.” 

I do not know about you, but I try not to spend too much time with the wild beasts.  I have trouble enough staying alive with four children running around the house, one is even 13 years old. 

But, the “wild beasts” here are so much worse.  This story evokes biblical images such as the chaos dragon that brings with it the chaotic waters that flood, drown, and destroy.  The story evokes an image of that snake in the garden that led Adam and Eve to stop trusting in God.  The story also evokes a more down to earth image of that great, African beast with a mane that hunches down in the tall grass and waits to pounce on its prey.  The wild beasts.

We have seen this image in the Bible before.  When Cain is unhappy that God accepted Abel’s gift but not his, God responds to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has the look on your face fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; its craving you, but you must master it” (Genesis 4:6-7).

As you can see, even sin crouches, like a lion in the field, waiting to attack and consume.  Unfortunately, sin does attack and devour Cain, leading to tragedy.  Right after God promises that Cain will always have another chance to make things right, Cain refuses to listen, and the Bible says that, “Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out to the field.’ And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him” (Genesis 4:8).  Cain is so consumed by sin that Cain himself becomes the wild beast in the field that crouches, pounces, and then kills his enemy, Abel.

And, this wilderness with wild, crouching animals is where we find Jesus.  Satan, the adversary, and the wild beasts of sin and death are all crouching in the long grass, like a lion, waiting to attack.

One day I talked with a man who, to his shame, cheated on his wife.  And, he talked like the sin of cheating just sprang on him from nowhere. 

“I had not ever planned to cheat on her,” he told me. 

“Really, pastor.  I mean it.  We were actually pretty happy, my wife and I.  But, that night at the company party I had a couple of drinks and this girl was very nice and it just happened.  I had no intention of doing something that would hurt my family and my marriage so much.”

I believed him.  Sin is like that.  It is like a crouching lion, waiting to spring.  That is what happened to Cain.  Sin sprang out of the grass at Cain, having waited for the right time to spring; a time that Cain stopped trusting God’s promises. 

As soon as that happened, the sin of envy sprang and Cain gave into something more primal within.  He killed his brother out of envy for Abel’s good relationship with God.  Mind you, God promised that Cain could have such a relationship also.  But, sin had pounced like a wild beast.

Again, that is where Jesus finds himself, out in the wilderness with those wild beasts.

But, Jesus does not succumb to the wild beasts, and that is where my interest was piqued while reading the story.  After-all, I succumb to temptation and fail in my testing all the time.  You do not want to begin to hear all of the times.  You want to go home and have a life.  I am affected by the beasts of temptation all the time, but, Jesus is not.  Instead of getting distracted by the temptations in the wilderness, the Bible says that “the angels waited on [Jesus]” (Mark 1:13).

“The angels waited on him.”  I cannot help but notice that in this story Jesus is literally surrounded by love and care.  Before, Jesus is driven out into the wilderness, he is reminded by a heavenly voice concerning who he is: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11).

A voice booms out from heaven, shouting that Jesus is loved and that Jesus makes God the Father proud.  That is how Jesus starts his ministry.  That is how Jesus starts his day.

I do not think that we always stop to consider just how vital this is, because not everyone in this world has been reminded that they are beloved.  Not everyone in this world walks around knowing that they are loved.  Not everyone in this world knows that there is always someone there, rooting for them no matter what happens. 

Some people walk around with the words “alone” and “damaged” bouncing around in their heads.  How easy it is for the wild beasts to pounce on someone who already feels attacked and wounded. 

How essential it is to have the words, “love” emblazoned upon your heart before you walk out into the wilderness of this world.

And, you will walk in the wilderness.  There is no doubt about that.  And, it will always take far too long.  Anyone who has been alive for any amount of time will tell you that you will walk through the wilderness of struggle and heartbreak, and it will seem like an eternity; at least 40 days. 

No one is exempt.  There are no free passes, even for those who are “beloved” by God.  Jesus is driven out into the wilderness and has to face temptations and testing.  The beasts wait to pounce on him.  But, knowing that you are “beloved” helps.

Do you know what also helps?  God’s angels.  God’s presence.  Having God’s angels present with you out in the wilderness helps a lot.  The Bible says, “the angels waited on him.”

It is so true that you cannot always sense that divine presence with you while you are struggling out in the wilderness.  But, how many of you, after the fact, after you have had the opportunity to sit and think back and ponder have said, “I didn’t know it at the time, but I know that God was doing something during that moment of struggle.  I know that God was with me!”

It is amazing to me that in this simple, two sentence story in the Bible, we find such a strong promise from God.  “The angels waited on him.” 

God does not leave you alone when struggling in the wilderness.  God was present through the angels when Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness.  God was present, right there, when Cain faced the temptation of eliminating his brother, giving him words of promise.  Of course, Cain ignored those words, but God was right there talking to him.  And, God is present in some way, shape, or form as you face your temptations and fears.  God is present with you when the lion crouches nearby, ready to pounce. 

God is present with those God loves. 

Can I say that again, God is present with those God loves.  You are loved. 

No matter what wilderness in which you find yourself, know that you are loved.  No matter what sin crouches and tempts, know that you are loved.  No matter what sin has attacked and won, know that you are loved. 

I read a quote the other day that said, “Ponder how valuable your soul must be for Satan to tirelessly pursue it, and the King to lay down his own life for it.”  You are so valuable that both the beasts and angels have their eyes on you.  You are valuable to God.  You are beloved. 

That will always be true.  You will always be a beloved creation of God.  In the Bible you find that God continued to love and protect Cain, even after he wiped away the life of his brother.  God protected Cain against abuse from others with a mark.  God’s love is always true.  God’s desire for you to be close will never go away, even on the dark days that it feels like God is distant.  Even when wandering in the wilderness, remember that God is there.  God’s angels are ready.

Do you know what also helps when wandering in the wilderness?  Having someone with you who has been through it before.

I once watched a documentary where a western tourist was exploring the grassy plains of Africa.  It was an amazing trip, with lots of firsts.  He looked up and saw his first wild giraffe.  He looked on the horizon and saw his first elephant family.  And, when he looked just yards ahead in the grass he saw the face of a lion, ready to pounce.

The guy would surely have never returned home to tell the story if it were not for his guide who gently told the man not to turn or run.  “Look at the lion.  Put your arms up and look big.  Slowly back away.  Now, shout with me at the lion!”  The man did so.  And, even when the lion charged at them the guide told the man to keep standing and shouting.  “Do not run!  Be big!  Shout!”

The guide saved both of their lives that day.  It is very good advice if you want a chance at saving yourself from a crouching lion, but it is pretty good advice in general.  “Stare at the crouching beast.”  Stare at the temptation.  Stare at the sin.  It cannot get power over you if you see it and refuse to look away.  “Look big.”  Know that with God’s presence, you are bigger and stronger than you ever feel.  “Shout.”  Make your desire to live heard!

After-all, God desires nothing more than for you to continue to live and thrive as one of God’s beloved.  So much so that God sent someone to be with you; one who has been through the wilderness before. 

There is someone with you who has faced the wild beasts crouching in the grass.  There is someone with you who knows who you are: a beloved child of God. 

And, there is only one person who is allowed to tell you who you are; not the ads on television, not the mean teacher from your past who told you that you would amount to nothing, not even your own self-critical voice that tell you that your are unlovable and not good enough; only Jesus gets to tell you who you are.  You are beloved.  You are worth dying for. 

There is someone with you who can sit with the wild beasts and the angels alike in a field of eternal peace: Jesus Christ, the one who made it through the wilderness, the one who is beloved, and the one who loves us enough to save us all.

Reflection on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commends almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, but emphasizes that spiritual devotion must not be done for show.

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
 ²“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ³But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
 ⁵“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ⁶But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
 ¹⁶“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
 ¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

 

Reflection

You are dust.  From dust you were shaped and molded into being, and back to dust you shall return.  You are dust.

But, you are God’s dust.  God formed you from the dust of the land, mixed with some holy water; the same way a potter forms a pot or a bowl out of the clay.  You are a wonderful creation of God.  And, just as the pot and the bowl have a purpose, God formed and molded you with a purpose in mind.  After God took the clay and formed your every leg, finger, and eye, God looked at the creation that God held in hand, you, and God smiled and said that it was very good. 

God made you to look just like God, like an artist crafting a self-portrait.  And, then God took a deep breath, and filled you with the active wind of the Spirit.  Releasing you into the world, God set you free to walk, and talk, and be God’s dust…God’s living, breathing, loving dust.  You are the image of God.  You are the breath of God’s love walking in this world.  You are God’s dust.

But, sometimes we forget.

Like a bowl that has been turned up-side-down and is good to hold nothing, we get ourselves turned up-side-down and we forget our loving, holy purpose.  We forget that the purpose of giving to and supporting others is to breathe new life into cracked vessels who have lost their wind and need repair.  Sometimes we forget that we are holy bowls, intended to transport God’s love and healing.  Sometimes we forget and giving to others becomes all about ourselves, and whether or not we are seen to be giving rather than simply being giving. 

Sometimes, we need to be reminded that we are dust.  We are nothing more than dust.  We will return to the ground and be trampled underfoot.  But, we are God’s dust.  So, our giving is to be done in secret.  And, when done in secret, we have the reward of being God’s precious dust.

Sometimes we forget.

Like a flower pot that wants to outshine the flowers that it supports, sometimes we forget that the purpose of our prayers is to hold up beautiful, broken people.  Sometimes, our prayers become all about us, and whether or not we are seen to be praying people rather than being praying people.  Sometimes, we forget that our purpose is to hold up and nourish with water those beautiful, withered people.

Sometimes, we need to be reminded that we are dust.  We are nothing more than dust.  We will return to the ground and be trampled underfoot.  But, we are God’s dust.  So, our praying is to be done in secret.  And, when done in secret, we have the reward of being God’s precious dust.

Like a statue that has forgotten that it was created to look just like its creator, sometimes we forget our creator entirely.  Our attempts to return to the Lord, like fasting and dedicating time to be with God, end up being all about ourselves.  We forget that we were created, not to become whatever we desire, but to become the image that God desires.  Sometimes we forget that our purpose is to be God’s image.

So, God sends us an image, another clay vessel with powerful breathed Spirit, which not only looks like God, but is God; for us to see, and follow, and to help us remember who we are.  God sends us the Son, Jesus.  God chooses to come and be with us so that we can remember that not only are we dust, we are God’s dust. 

You are God’s dust.  You are God’s holy, Spirit breathed dust.  And your destination is heaven.  Your very existence is to be the love of heaven.  And, Jesus will use a cross to remind you what that love looks like, and how far that sort of love is willing to go in order to repair broken, clay vessels.  Jesus does that because he has never forgotten who you are.  You are God’s dust.  And to God you shall return.

“Return to the Lord your God, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:13).