Readings

Isaiah 53:4-12

Psalm 91:9-16

Hebrews 5:1-10

Mark 10:35-45

Devotion

Peace be with you!

I do not deserve Jesus’ forgiveness through his grace. I hated my mom as a teenager. I have lied to friends and family. I am divorced. I do not keep the Ten Commandments – let alone all of the laws of the Torah. I am a sinner.

Jesus comes into our lives and becomes the ransom for our sins. Jesus enters the world as both God and a sinless human being; he is perfect. He is above the law because he is sinless, and yet he associates with sinners and outsiders, not with the elite. How many times have you walked away from a situation or a person because you felt above them? I do it all the time, and when I catch myself doing it I stop myself and try to understand the situation or person. I have a colorful set of friends from all different walks of life. I have friends with tattoos all over their bodies to friends who are pastors. Jesus hung out with all sort of people from all different walks of life. He knew these folks are not as burdened with pride, but are much more humbly aware that they need a Savior.

Jesus immersed himself in communities where the “righteous” religious people refused to go. Not only that but Jesus took on the sins of the world – past, present, and future – and made them his own. Luther says in his Commentary on Galatians 3:13, “And all the prophets saw this, that Christ was to become the greatest thief, murderer, adulterer, robber, desecrator, blasphemer, etc., there has ever been anywhere in the world. Now He is not the Son of God, born of the Virgin.  But He is sinner, who has and bears the sin of Paul, the former blasphemer, persecutor, and assaulter; of Peter, who denied Christ; of David, who was an adulterer and a murderer, and who caused the Gentiles to blaspheme the name of the Lord (Rom. 2:24). In short, He has and bears all the sins of all men in His body—not in the sense that He has committed them but in the sense that He took these sins, committed by us, upon His own body, in order to make satisfaction for them with His own blood.”

Jesus fulfills the law and brings forgiveness and grace into the world. According to the law, we should do righteous works and earn our own way into heaven, which we fail to do on a daily basis. Jesus takes on our sins and takes them to the cross so that can become the righteousness of God in him (Mark 10:45).

Jesus takes on our sins as if they are his own and pays the ultimate price. Jesus takes the sins of the world – past, present, and future – and pays the ransom. This salvation is nothing we could do on our own; only Jesus could accomplish our freedom from the penalty of sin.

Although I am a sinner, I am forgiven through Jesus Christ paying the ransom on the cross.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to accept our sins as his own and to meet us in our daily routines. Help us to live a life worthy of all you have done for us.  Thank you for loving us when we were “yet sinners” (Romans 5:8). Your love is unconditional. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. The Great Exchange means that Jesus has taken all of your sin on himself and given you his righteousness in its place. How does the Great Exchange affect your daily life?

2. How does the freedom we have found in Christ call us to a new life?

Readings

Job 23:1-9, 16-17

Psalm 90:12-17

Hebrews 4:12-16

Mark 10:17-31

Devotion

Peace be with you!

I have more money than most individuals my age. When I was born, the nurse forgot to put the oxygen on when she placed me in the incubator. This disastrous mistake led caused me to develop Cerebral Palsy; consequently, my parents were able to get a settlement from the hospital. The blessing of having money is that I can do what I want. I can take trips around the country to visit friends and family. I can afford a second electric wheelchair that can break down and fit in most cars for when I travel. I can afford things most of my friends can only dream about buying – not that I am particularity proud of the fact. However, it is a responsibility to have money, because I am called to share my wealth with those that have little. So maybe I do not buy new clothes as I would like, and instead I use the money to help a friend buy food for her family. My abundance allows me to serve others in order to give them the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to be successful in the world.

A rich man approaches Jesus with a question: How does one enter the Kingdom of God? (Mark 10:17). Jesus begins by recalling the Ten Commandments: you shall not commit murder, adultery, steal, or lie and you shall honor your mother and your father (Mark 10:19). Anyone who grew up reading the Torah knew the Ten Commandments and was also able to obtain a higher education if their parents had money. The rich man had studied the Torah and kept the laws of the Torah (Mark 10:20). Any other teacher would commend the rich man for keeping the Law since his youth – but not Jesus. It is not enough to keep the Ten Commandments. Jesus says the rich man needs to sell all of his possessions and give the money to the poor (Mark 10:21). It is a harsh word for the rich man to hear, because he has many possessions that mean a lot to him. The rich man was keeping the bare minimum of the Law, but he was not fulfilling the larger challenge to use his resources to help those in need.

As humans, we accumulate a lot of things over our lifetime. We are always looking for something better — for ourselves. People stood in line for hours — or even days – when the new iPhone 5 was released. Men are always looking forward to buying a new car with more horsepower. Women like their clothes and jewelry. I have enough books for a small library. We like to surround ourselves with stuff.

Yet Jesus calls us to surrender all of our stuff in order to help the poor. He calls us to use our wealth to build community by helping those who do not have the essentials. Maybe instead of buying a new iPhone whenever Apple releases a new version, you could donate food to the food pantry every other time. The $199+ could feed a family of four for a week. There is a responsibility when you have money, because there is always someone who needs a hand.

Serving others do not mean we give out handouts to everyone who asks for help. Some people will always use the system and so giving wisely is important, but even those who might not have made the best decisions in life need help to become better individuals. We need to equip individuals with knowledge and tools to be productive in our society, so they can go out and serve others. As the Chinese Proverb says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Last January, I went on a cruise where I met a mother with a son who could not verbally communicate. I basically handed the young boy my iPad and showed his mom and him my Proloquo2Go app, which allows an individual to program phrases and sentences to use when he is talking to others. The young boy was able to be involved in our conversation. The mother and I talked about how she could get her son an iPad with the Proloquo2Go app through insurance and other funding sources. I gave the mother knowledge to get her son the tools he needs to be successful in school and participate more in society. Jesus calls us to share our knowledge, tools, funding, and all of our other resources to help others to be successful. When we answer Jesus’ call, we put our trust in the Triune God who will take care of us in our time of need.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us an abundance to share with others. Help us to put our trust in you as we go out and serve others. Remind us that wealth is a blessing and a responsibility to serve others.  Thank you for allowing us to serve others in order to make them successful in the world. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How much are you willing to give up? What are you not willing to give up? Why?

2. What do you trust God with? How?

3. How do you serve God? How do you serve others?

Readings

Genesis 2:18-24

Psalm 8

Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12

Mark 10:2-16

Devotion

Peace be with you!

This passage cuts a bit close to home. I was eleven when my parents separated and eventually got divorced. I am not quick to share about this time in my life and few people know about it, unless they knew me then.  Flash forward two decades and after six years of being in a relationship with a man I called my husband I find myself having to end my marriage after much careful prayer and discernment.

Divorce. A few centuries ago hardly anyone knew anyone who was divorced. It just was not something done. Mark 10:2-16 was probably read with a nod. Individuals who were divorced got looked down upon. Today is another story. I envy my few friends with parents who are still together and I admire the couples who are able to weather the storms throughout the years together. I remember my mom squirming in the pew when my pastor preached on this text a few years after my parent’s divorce. I did not completely understand why my mom eventually walked out during the sermon. Now I do.

Jesus has some harsh words regarding the topic of divorce. Any man or woman commits adultery when he/she divorces his/her spouse for another (Mark 10:11-12). It is not an easy statement to swallow. Yet I invite you to think about what Jesus is saying. To me, Jesus is saying, “Do not divorce your spouse just because you are having a rough time. Marriage is a relationship between two people who are committed to each other.” I think of how the Gazettes have reports on the shortest marriages. Most of us have heard the jokes regarding Britney and Jason’s fifty-five hour marriage. Marriage is not taken very seriously in our culture today. Jesus’ stern tone reminds us that marriage is a serious relationship between two people and is not meant to be entered into unless the two individuals are committed in making the marriage last the long haul.

I also believe Jesus does not want individuals with an abusive spouse or a cheating spouse to be in an unhealthy marriage – a relationship God intends to be holy. God wants his children to experience the unconditional love that he has for all of us. Marriage is a holy relationship that two individuals enter into by committing themselves to the other person. When one spouse repeatedly breaks the relationship with harmful words and actions, the marriage becomes harmful to other spouse. I do not think God intends an individual to stay in a marriage where it is harmful to them.

Even with Jesus’ harsh words regarding divorce, I also hear his words of grace. The Kingdom of God belongs to the little children (Mark 10:14-15) who are innocent and love with their whole hearts. Although I am divorced, I love as a little child; I am forgiven; I am still invited to enter the Kingdom of God.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for making marriages holy with your love. Help us to enter into marriage with another individual who will love us unconditionally and help us to love our spouses with unconditional love as well. Give individuals in marriages that are broken the courage to do what is best for both parties. Give your love to the couples struggling to make it through the storms.  Thank you for inviting us to enter the Kingdom of God, even in the midst of our brokenness. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Where is God in the midst of a troubled marriage?

2. How do you know if a marriage is irreparably broken?  How do you know when you should keep trying?  How does this passage inform your view?

Readings

Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-20

Psalm 124

James 5:13-20

Mark 9:38-50

Devotion

Peace be with you!

There is something annoying about the street corner preachers who hold a Bible in one hand and shout verses to passersby. Don’t get me wrong: the street corner preachers are not all bad. Their goal is to bring non-believers to know Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But I find myself wondering if their approach will actually achieve the desired response. They often come across as judgmental and disinterested in actually knowing and loving the people to whom they preach.

The disciples have witnessed another man, who is not a follower of Jesus, perform an exorcism in Jesus’ name. The disciples are outraged that a man who does not believe would use Jesus’ name. How could he be so vain to use another’s man name to appear more powerful? You cannot just use Jesus’ name superstitiously to perform miracles! Before I go on, I should tell you there were other exorcists, healers, and miracle workers during this time in history. Jesus was not unique in doing exorcisms, healings, and other miracles, but he did these things on behalf of God the Father. When Jesus sends his disciples out, they perform exorcisms, healings, and other miracles in Jesus’ name for God the Father. So when the disciples see another man perform an exorcism in Jesus’ name, they are disturbed.

The disciples tell Jesus about the man performing the exorcism in his name and how they tried to stop him (Mark 9:38). You would think Jesus would thank his disciples for attempting to stop the man. Jesus has warned his disciples about false prophets.

How many times have you said or thought, “That is not how we do it”? You call a new pastor, and she wants try a new coffee or a different worship schedule. I am guilty of analyzing sermons I hear in church, especially if I go to a different Christian denomination. The other week I went to a Bible church where the pastor attempted to give a sermon on building walls to keep the Devil out based on the book of Nehemiah. Unfortunately, the way the sermon came across resulted in miscommunication. The pastor seemed to be suggesting that I should build relational walls in my life to keep Satan out of our lives, which is all fine and dandy until we build walls to keep people who follow him out of our lives, and therefore we prevent the spread of the good news. I believe building walls is a more of a sinful motivation (blocking God’s love and good news from others) rather than building up relationships in love. Needless to say, it is a sermon I am still arguing with. “I wouldn’t preach a sermon that way!” I proclaim to myself.

Jesus has an unique insight. Even if the man does not intend to lead people to know him, Jesus knows other people will wonder who Jesus is and will come to know him. Just his name will lead people to him.  In the sermon I heard, maybe it was just the thing someone else needed to hear that day.  Maybe God used it in a way I couldn’t anticipate.

As Christians, we fall into the trap of thinking our way is the right way. If others do not believe the same way we do, we want to bring them to know and love Jesus the way we do. We get so caught up in our own traditions and ways of thinking that we forget other faith traditions have their own important aspects to their followers, and Jesus came for them as well. Jesus is warning his disciples to not get stuck in one way of thinking. When we do, we keep the good news from spreading, because we close our hearts to other people. Our narrow ways of thinking become our stumbling blocks. Jesus calls us to keep our hearts open in order to spread the good news. This does not mean we have to accept every idea or religion that comes along, but it does mean that we should never demonize those who believe differently, but we should love and befriend them. For those who are not yet believers in Jesus, God may open up an opportunity to talk with them about faith. But if we approach them with a megaphone and judgment, why would they want to listen to us? In Jesus Christ, we have been given love for those who are different from us. Through the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to live out that love!

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for keeping helping us to keep an open mind in order to spread the good news. Help us to get out of our narrow ways of thinking so we can allow the good news to flow through us. Remind us the good news is for all, not just those who think and believe and look like us.  Thank you for setting our hearts free from being so judgmental so that we can be freed to spread the good news. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Can God work through others involved in different faith traditions?

2. Who can use Jesus’ name? When can they use his name?

Readings

Proverbs 31:10-31

Psalm 54

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Mark 9:30-37

Devotion

Peace be with you!

During my orientation week at Luther Seminary, I remember one professor saying that the more knowledge you obtained, the more questions you would have, like when a hot air balloon fills up with air the larger the surface area it has. It seems funny – you should have more answers with more knowledge. After three years of seminary and two years of writing devotions, I can honestly say I have more questions now than before. As students, we learn to side-step our questions and keep them internalized for a simple reason: we want to graduate. We want to appear scholarly, like our professors. We forget that some scholar before us probably asked (and answered) a similar question. Of course, his or her answered question probably just led them to yet another question!

Jesus’ proclamation that the Son of Man will be betrayed into human hands to be killed and that he would rise (Mark 9:31) leaves the disciples dumbstruck. What does Jesus mean he says he will be betrayed? Who will betray Jesus? Is it one of the other disciples…or is it me? Why would anyone betray Jesus? How could anyone betray Jesus? To whom would anyone betray Jesus to? The disciples were afraid to ask Jesus these questions. What would Jesus think?  Would he mock them for not understanding?

There are questions we as Christians struggle with and internalize too for fear of not knowing the right answer. When is a child ready to take communion? Should infants be baptized? What do we do when Bible passages contradict other passages, like the Gospels and Paul – the role of women in the church? Do the elements of communion – the bread and the wine – have to be blessed by an ordained pastor or can I bless the elements before a meal? Instead of facing the important questions – the ones presenting difficult solutions, the disciples turn their attention to a somewhat more comfortable question: Which disciple was the greatest (Mark 9:34)? They turn their attention away from Jesus and his impending death to who is the greatest among them and who is going to lead them. If Jesus is going to die, who is going to lead us? Who will be Jesus’ successor?

Jesus overhears the disciples’ spat among themselves and asks them what they are arguing about. Of course, the disciples fall quiet as if they know a lecture is coming. It is like when my mom yells from another room, “What are you and brother arguing about?” We both fall quiet because if we told her about our little argument, Mom would be annoyed. The disciples know that if they told Jesus they were arguing about who is the greatest among them that he would be annoyed. However, Jesus uses the opportunity as a teaching moment.

The question is not who is the greatest; rather, the question is who wants to serve. The first will be last and the last first (Mark 9:35). No one person is more important than the next one. A child is just as important as adult. Children and adults each have roles in the community. Adults teach children everything that they know while children take the knowledge and use it to better the world. We should serve each other and live as a community. It is the community that is the greatest, not any individual. Greatness comes not through elevating ourselves but through lowering ourselves to serve one another. And that is just what Jesus has done for us!

Have more questions? Let them keep you in God’s Word. There is always more to learn. As we learn, we can lower ourselves in humility before Jesus.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, We give thanks that Jesus was honest with us, even if we do not always understand what he means. Help us to ask the difficult questions within our families, congregations, and communities.  Thank you for being patient with us as attempt to understand what you calling us to do. Thank you that there is always more to discover and learn in your kingdom. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What questions are you afraid to ask? Why?

2. Where and how do you serve others?

Readings

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Psalm 19

James 3:1-12

Mark 8:27-38

Devotion

Peace be with you!

What kind of reputation do you have? Your reputation might be something silly or something serious. I have a reputation for crashing into things. I do not know why. My house only has two walls and a door with holes in them, and yet I have crashed into and moved couches, tables, and chairs in my electric wheelchair. (I cannot help it that the tables and chairs were in my way!) And do not listen to my seminary friends, who will claim I drove straight into a giant red planter coming out of Greek class one day! Ok, maybe it is true. Maybe I deserve my nickname, “Crash,” after rolling my brother’s go-kart, but I do not always crash into things – only when I am tired or upset.

The passage in Mark for this week deals with Jesus’ reputation. Jesus has been with his disciples a few years, and he knows people are talking about him. Jesus asks his disciples what his reputation is among the people (Mark 8:27). The disciples say people think he is John the Baptist, Elijah, or a prophet (Mark 8:28). These answers are not so out of line. Jesus and John the Baptist both have the same message or the same good news. The Old Testament says Elijah will appear on the last day. People can tell that Jesus, like the prophets, is called by the Lord. There is some logic to his reputation.

Then Jesus asks, “But who do you say I am?” Peter answers him, “You are the Messiah’” (Mark 8:29, NRSV). You would think Jesus would be overjoyed to be recognized as the Messiah. However, “Messiah” means two different things to Peter and Jesus. To Peter, the Messiah will purify the world of sins, make Israel the world’s superpower, and bring peace and hope into the world using military power. By calling Jesus the Messiah, Peter is telling Jesus he has big expectations for him.

Jesus rebukes Peter because of his worldly expectations. Peter has half of the story right, but misses the central point of what the Messiah is all about. Jesus will purify the world through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, not by condemning the unclean. Jesus will make Israel the world’s superpower by extending a relationship with God the Father to everyone in the world, not by separating out the Israelites as God’s chosen people. Jesus will bring peace and hope into the world by giving those who come to believe in the Triune God forgiveness and grace, not by waging war against the Romans.

Yet Jesus goes on to explain that we must follow Jesus to the cross. We must die with Jesus daily by confessing our sins and denying ourselves of our old ways. We have to turn our backs on Satan to follow Jesus to the cross of forgiveness. We must lose ourselves in order to find new life. The glory is hidden beneath the cross.

I may have the reputation of crashing into things, but I also have a reputation as a true Christian. I pray daily, confessing my sins and thanking God for the many blessings he bestows on me. I welcome everyone I meet to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Now I am not saying I am a perfect Christian. I fall every day, but I confess my sins and die and rise with Jesus daily.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for allowing us to follow you to the cross. Help us to turn away from our old ways and follow you.  Thank you for inviting us into a relationship with you. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What is Jesus’ reputation today?

2. Who do you say Jesus is?

3. How do you follow Jesus to the cross?

Readings

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

Psalm 125

James 2:1-17

Mark 7:24-37

Devotion

Peace be with you!

I giggle at the odd mix of friends God has blessed me with. From the hard core Christians to the hard core atheists, from the peacemakers to the rebels, from the prim and proper to the totally-out-there bunch, and all those in between, I have the oddest group of friends for a Luther Seminary graduate. One friend God has blessed me with is Geoff, who bears the tough guy look, complete with tattoos down both arms and a foul mouth. One day, Geoff and I attended a wake for a mutual friend’s father a few hours away. I remember being nervous that morning since I had never gone anywhere with Geoff before. What would we talk about on the long drive? My idea of a good Friday night is having a few drinks at dinner followed by a rowdy card game at home, while Geoff heads off to be a bouncer at a big party.

In the gospel reading, Jesus goes to the region of Tyre to escape the daily debates with the Pharisees. He does not want anyone to know he is there (Mark 7:24). However, as always seems to be the case, Jesus is noticed by the Gentile locals who have heard stories of his miracles.

Among them is a woman whose daughter has demons living in her. This woman, a Gentile, goes to Jesus and begs him to cast the demons out of her daughter. Upon hearing the request, Jesus challenges her faith by saying some tough times that might even sound mean. Jesus is not being mean, though. He loves the woman and wants her faith to be even stronger and more determined.  When she throws herself on Him with total trust, knowing Jesus is the only one who can heal her daughter, Jesus does make her daughter well.

Jesus has a heated debate with the Gentile woman. Upon hearing her request, Jesus says, “Let the children [the Jews] be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs [a common way of referring to the Gentiles among the Jewish community]” (Mark 7:27, NRSV). You would think the woman would run away and cry to her friends at these seemingly harsh words from Jesus. However, the woman responds with faith, firing back, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:28, NRSV). Jesus challenge the Gentile woman, but she treats him with respect while proving to him she deserves to experience God’s love. The woman may not be a Jew, but she is still given an opportunity to hear the good news. When we are faced with challenges that try our faith, when God seems silent, do we respond by turning away from God or by clinging to Him even more tightly as this woman does?

The woman’s faith was not easy to come by, but it does make sense Biblically. In the Old Testament, God repeatedly promised that the Messiah would bring salvation not just to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles. In this story, we see the beginning of that promise coming to fruition.  No longer is Jesus’ ministry only directed to the Jews but it is ultimately directed to all people who come to know Jesus Christ as the Son of God — including you and me! Later, Jesus goes to the region of the Decapolis and Jesus heals a deaf and mute Gentile man (Mark 7:33-34). Jesus will go on sharing God’s love with the Gentiles. God’s love stretches to all corners of the world. After Jesus returns to heaven, the message of salvation will spread all across the world through the ministry of the Early Church.

On the way to the funeral home, Geoff and I had a conversation about his belief in a Higher Being. He sees his daughter as a butterfly whom the Higher Being sent to transform him into a better person (perhaps not a Biblical image, but the start of conversation about faith). I never imagined having a spiritual conversation with Geoff, yet it is a conversation I remember fondly, because it reminds me God’s love is for everyone, even for the individuals who appear rough on the outside.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving those of us who are a little rough on the outside. Help us to welcome those who are different from us and to help them to hear the good news of God’s love. Remind us that the Kingdom of God is for all people, not just those individuals who look and act like us.  Thank you for sharing your love with us, your children. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Which of your friends seems like your oddest match?

2. How do you welcome those different from you and share the good news of God’s love with them?

Readings

Songs of Solomon 2:8-13

Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9

James 1:17-27

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Devotion

Peace be with you!

There are days when I just go through the motions. I bow my head before meals and say, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest. Let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen.” I go to church to sing hymns, to pray, to take communion, and to be blessed—but I do this without truly hearing God’s Word. I drop a few coins in the bucket without seeing the person needing help. The world rushes us through our days to meet deadlines, to climb the corporate ladder, and to be “successful” in the world. The busier I get, the farther away I seem to get from God the Father. I have deadlines to meet, volunteering to do, friends to keep in touch with, family gatherings to attend, house work to keep up with, four pups to attend to, the endless job of networking to engage in, finances to keep in order, and more. Some days the to-do list seems endless.

In the gospel reading, the Pharisees and the scribes challenge Jesus as to why he and his disciples do not wash their hands according to the tradition of the day. The Jews would wash their hands before every meal as a way to cleanse themselves of their sins. I imagine Jesus giggling to himself as he prepares to deliver some harsh news: washing your hands does not wash away your sins. The Israelites had a custom to wash their hands before meals as a way to set them apart as God’s chosen people. Yet the Pharisees and the scribes have made the washing of hands a cleansing rite.

So Jesus is challenging the traditions of the day as he tries to bring the true significance of what God wants. Jesus says, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ You abandon the commandments of God and hold to human traditions” (Mark 7:6b-8, NRSV). Jesus does not want us to just go through the motions but to invite the Triune God into our lives and to open our hearts to him. Jesus is scolding the Pharisees and the scribes for interrupting the laws in a way to fit their needs, such as requiring Israelites to wash their hands before meal to be cleansed of sin. The laws are meant to bring us closer to the Triune God.

Jesus reminds us that going through the motions does not make us worthy to enter heaven. We cannot just wash our hands and be clean of our sins. Evil tempts us to go against our neighbors, because Satan lives with us in this world. However, we become doers of the Word by living according to the will of God. By being doers of God’s Word, we resist Satan and spread the good news. Thus, Jesus offers us forgiveness making us new creations in Christ, His faithful followers. Paul writes in Second Corinthians 5:17, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (NRSV). Each day we accept Christ into our lives we let our old sinful selves die and rise up anew with the Triune God who offers us forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Even on days when I feel far away from God the Father, God knows my hearts. His grace grants me forgiveness to carry me through my darkest days. Jesus carries me through and grants me grace to fight against Satan, the world, and my own sinful nature and to be in a relationship with God the Father. Daily, through the Holy Spirit, I am able to drown my sinful nature and rise anew in Christ Jesus.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for granting us the grace and love of Jesus Christ. Help us to be the doers of the Word of God. Remind us that Jesus grants us your grace and love, even when we struggle with Satan.  Thank you for your forgiveness. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What is one time you have found yourself going through the motions in your faith life?

2. What does it mean to you to be a “new creation in Christ Jesus”?

3. How do you seek to strengthen your relationship with the Triune God?

Readings

2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27

Psalm 130

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

Mark 5:21-43

Devotion

Peace be with you!

My favorite meal of the year is Thanksgiving dinner. What I love best about this meal is the close-knit group of six to ten family and friends, gathering  around the table, sharing the things for which we are thankful. Even though we see each other almost weekly anyway, Thanksgiving dinner creates a stronger and closer bond among us as a community.

There is a second meal that brings Christians even closer together as a community: the Lord’s Supper. The act of going to the altar to receive God’s gifts of bread and wine connects us together as Christians; we are a people who are fed by the body and the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Satan works to undermine the good news and God’s creation, but Jesus’ body and blood sustain us to overcome him. Jesus’ body and blood unites us as a community; together, we go from the table to to spread the good news and to expand God’s reach in the world.

Communion means a few things to me. First, the act of eating and drinking Jesus’ body and blood serves as a reminder that he was crucified, killed, and resurrected for the forgiveness of our sins. God loves us so much that he sacrificed his only begotten son, so that we can be in a relationship with him. These past few weeks in our readings, Jesus has been talking about the bread of life, and the disciples have been thinking he is referring to literal loaves that come out of the oven. Today, Jesus clarifies what he has been talking about: the bread is his body and the wine is his blood. We eat the bread and drink the wine and experience his presence, which he promises will always be with us. He also gives us eternal life, promising to raise us up on the last day.

Second, communion draws us in as a community of believers. No matter how you have sinned and what you have done, you need to eat Jesus’ body and drink his blood to receive forgiveness. We are all in the same boat: we have all sinned and we are all forgiven. There are no levels to Christianity; there is no shame in saying you are sinner; there is no one who is not worthy of forgiveness. We are all in the same boat.

This week I have been feeling broken as an important relationship in my life is ending. I keep asking myself if I am worthy to have another relationship of a similar nature. The world can be a cruel place as Satan tries to break us. However, John 6:54-55 kept coming to mind: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink” (NRSV). I am worthy of new relationships in the future. I am worthy of God’s love, because even in my brokenness he loves me for who I am and who I am becoming in Christ. People come and go throughout our lives, but God remains with us all of our days, even if we do not feel his presence.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for true food and drink through Jesus’ body and blood. Help us to gather as a community of Christians, breaking bread and drinking wine in order to remember Jesus was crucified, died, and resurrected for the forgiveness of our sins. Remind us of your love, grace, and forgiveness as we go out into the world to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Thank you for the promise to raise us up on the last day. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What meal is your favorite each year?

2. How do you gather as community?

3. What does it mean to you to eat Jesus’ body and drink his blood?

Readings

2 Samuel 18:5-33

Psalm 130

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

John 6:35, 41-51

Devotion

Peace be with you!

I could go for one of the most chocolate-filled, gooey desserts out there about now, like a Chocolate Lava Cake or a Hot Fudge Sundae from Culver’s. My current favorite chocolate fix is Snickers ice cream from Baskin-Robbins. There is something soothing about chocolate that seems to erase all of the problems and drama of life for a time. For me, chocolate puts life’s troubles at bay and gives me a chance to catch my breath and to remember that life has something good to offer. For you, maybe your escape is a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or [whatever “it” is] that gives you comfort after a long day.

However, comfort foods only soothe the trials of life for a little while; eventually you have to go back to face the real world. Food on earth can only satisfy you in the present; it does not sustain you forever nor does it give you life once it is digested and exits your body. Jesus, on the other hand, comes to us as the eternal Bread of Life. He gives us life by leading us into a relationship with God the Father, the one who created us out of chaos and continues to give us order in a chaotic world. The earth was a formless void until God separated light from the darkness, land from the water, and plants from the animals. Today the world has chaos produced by Satan who puts desires on out hearts and causes distress in our lives.

As long as we believe in Jesus – the Bread of Life – we are forgiven of our sins and made new again. Jesus gives us life through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection where we are given forgiveness and grace in the world ruled by a death-dealing Satan. God the Father has life-giving plans for us, though; he wants us to have eternal life through Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life.

As an important relationship in my life ends, I am leaning hard on Jesus for his forgiveness, his love, his comfort, and his grace as well as for life. The relationship was with an individual for whom I care deeply, though it was not always a healthy relationship. As time goes on, I am slowly reconnecting with friends and family. I am regaining my sense of self-worth, independence, and self-awareness. Jesus is leading me to a new life as he feeds me the Bread of Life. He is giving me a new life where I can walk beside him and experience his forgiveness, love, and grace. Chocolate might make me feel better for a little bit, but only Jesus will get me through this difficult time and bring me into eternal life.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sustaining us far more than temporary food or drink can do. Help us to trust in you when we feel hungry and thirsty in this old world.  Thank you for your promise that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. In what ways do you turn to Jesus in hard times to fill the void that only he can fill?

2. What does Jesus offer that food or drink never can?