Peace be with you!           

As Christians, we live with a difficult tension between “already” and “not yet” of Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Jesus has already walked the earth, done his ministry, and suffered greatly for our sins, and yet he will also come again to judge the living and the dead.

The next two weeks also have us on edge as we observe the passion and are tempted to jump to the ending: Jesus’s resurrection. We do not want to remember the pain and suffering Jesus went through on our behalf. We do not want to imagine Jesus being beaten and whipped, crawling to Golgotha with his crossbeam, falling under its weight, being crucified, and dying. We would like to go from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday without the detour to the cross. However, we have to take the painful road to the cross, because without it we miss the point of Jesus’s resurrection—that God the Father loves us so much that he sent his only begotten Son into the world to experience our pain and sorrow and to ultimately defeat these broken things.

The story of Mary anointing Jesus lives out this “already” and “not yet” oxymoron. Jesus is alive and well when Mary anoints his body with perfume (John 12:3)—a selfless act performed on Jesus’ behalf. Mary’s devotion is one of deep love and affection for her Savior. Jesus will show his disciples the same kind of love when he washes their feet at the Last Supper (John 13:8). Like Mary, Jesus expresses his humility towards his disciples—the master is not greater than his workers.

Mary anoints Jesus’s feet with expensive perfume and wipes them with her hair (John 12:3a). When people anointed others’ feet, it was common to use water and to be done by a servant. When people are anointed with oil, it is normally done on the head. Mary shows humility when she anoints Jesus’ feet with the expensive nard perfume and wipes them with her hair. Mary lives out the command to love one another even before Jesus teaches it (John 13:34-35). Mary responds to the true reason Jesus has to die on the cross before he explains it (John 14:2-4; 16:19-24). Mary anoints Jesus out of love and devotion. Mary’s act demonstrates what discipleship looks like. Discipleship is the pouring out of your love for God and Jesus Christ into the world. It is the kind of selflessness that will also work later to help the poor, the homeless, the disabled, and the naked. Mary shows her devotion to Jesus by giving of herself in his time of need.

Judas Iscariot is outraged with Mary for wasting such an expensive perfume on anointing Jesus’s feet, saying it could have been sold to help the poor (John 12:4-5). The author clues us in on Judas’s selfish reasons for wanting to keep the perfume: he takes care of the common purse and would sometimes steal out of it (John 12:6). His intentions are self-centered. Judas Iscariot is an example of an individual who tends to the needs and wants of the world and serves only himself. If the perfume is sold for money, it would get a year’s salary and would allow Judas to have [whatever “it” was] that he wanted. Judas does not care about the poor, the homeless, the disabled, and the naked. Judas is not interested in living as a disciple or loving God and his neighbor. Judas is only concerned with his own needs and desirers.

Jesus scolds Judas Iscariot for being harsh with Mary when she has done a great service for him. Mary brought the perfume as if for the day of his burial (John 12:7). In biblical times, family members would anoint the dead before burial as a way to show them honor. By anointing Jesus before his death, Mary is showing him her devotion and love. She is making preparations for his journey to the cross and beyond.

Jesus is also scolding Judas for giving into the pressures of the world. After everything Judas has seen Jesus do, he is still blind to God’s love. His main concern is how he can get ahead in the world, which has nothing to do with the good news or with being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus has to be frustrated with Judas, because after three years together he still does not get it. Jesus is days away from dying, and one of his disciples is still in the dark. What more can he do?

As Christians, we live with the tension of being in but not of the world. We live in the world as God’s children who answer his call of discipleship to spread the good news. We live according to the commandments to love God and neighbor commandments. However, we do not belong to the world. We do not care to be the richest or most famous; instead, we tend to the needs of others—the poor, the homeless, the disabled, and the naked. We do not give into the pressures of the world; instead, we believe in the power of the resurrection and look forward to Jesus’s second coming. The world does not own us, though we work in the world to take back what belongs to God.

Jesus also states the poor will always be in the world, but he will not always be with his disciples (John 12:8). There will always be someone who needs assistance—physically, psychosocially, or spiritually. Someone in the world will always need shelter; others will need clothes; others will need food and water; others will need prayers. The world is a needy place where someone will always need something. However, Jesus was not to always be physically present in the world. Mary is taking the opportunity to express her devotion and love for Jesus—the one who brought her brother back to life, the one who has healed so many, the one who has taken care of the poor, and the one who will die for our sins. Mary does the one thing she can do for Jesus—anoint him for burial.

Mary’s devotion to Jesus shows us what discipleship means. Discipleship is our devotion to Jesus’s death and resurrection and what is to come. As disciples, we dedicate our lives to spreading the good news and Jesus’s love in the world. We give up ourselves as Jesus gave up himself for the sake of our sins. We acknowledge our brokenness and our need for Jesus to die on the cross, so we can be in relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us an example of discipleship. Help us to live in but not of the world. Give us the strength to help the poor, the homeless, the disabled, and the naked. Lead us to be your hands and voice in the world as your disciples. Thank you for giving up your Son for our sake. Amen.

Peace be with you!

A broken relationship can be disabling to individuals who care deeply for each other, but sometimes a relationship has run its course.

There are many reasons why relationships become broken and eventually end. We have all seen or experienced relationships that have become unhealthy for the people in them. Breaking a person’s trust, growing apart, or even different viewpoints can cause a relationship to be broken. Individuals who have suffered a broken relationship can feel paralyzed or disabled for a time. There is a period of time when the individuals getting divorced have to find and redefine their identity; they have to separate themselves from the other party and become their own person again, something which takes mental strength and courage. Sometimes, people may fight to find a way to repair a broken relationship, but it takes time and energy and can wear a person out.

Each relationship is a journey, in which the individuals involved work together to create a bond. Every relationship has its high and low moments where the bond is strong or is being tested. It takes commitment and work to keep a relationship healthy, with mutual respect among the members.

The parent-child relationship creates a special, sacred bond between two people, but it can also be challenging as the child grows up and starts formulating their own opinions and ideas. The parent may question where they went wrong, and they may mourn the loss of a strong bond with their child. In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus tells a parable in which the prodigal son runs off with his inheritance, only to spend it foolishly, and then comes back home to beg for mercy and grace from his father.

At one point or another, we have all been the prodigal son, the jealous older brother, and/or the father. We have all seen relationships from different angles and understand the arguments and attitudes of the three individuals. We understand the complexities within the family system.
We have all been the prodigal son who is eager to leave home and
conquer the world. When teenagers turn eighteen, they want to leave behind the lifestyle of their parents and start their own life. In the parable, the prodigal son asks for his share of inheritance from his father and leaves home soon after (Luke 15:12-13). The prodigal son rebels against everything his father taught him. The prodigal son goes to another country and squanders his money while living a scandalous lifestyle. The text does not tell us what the prodigal son did exactly, but we can imagine what kind of trouble a young man could get into. If we set the parable in modern times, the prodigal son probably would be doing drugs and/or drinking to excess, buying expensive toys, paying for sex, getting in trouble with the law, or [whatever “it” is] that he wanted.

After spending all of his money, the prodigal son ends up working for a pig farmer who never paid him (Luke 15:15-16). As he is starving as a foreigner, the prodigal son realizes he could go home and work as one of his father’s hired hands, and he would have plenty of food (Luke 15:17). Yet the prodigal son knows he is not worthy to be welcomed home as family, because he has sinned and mistreated his father. The prodigal son knows he cannot go home and expect things to be as they were; it would be unfair to his older brother. The prodigal son understands he deserves nothing more than to be one of his father’s hired hands. We all act like the prodigal son at some point during our lives. Sometimes it comes with a high cost. Sometimes we have to hit rock bottom. Sometimes it costs us our relationships with loved ones. No matter what the cost, we have all been where the prodigal son is at this point of the story. We have all felt the sting of regret and the need for forgiveness.

The father of the two sons is in a hard situation. He loves both of his sons for different reasons. The father loves his older son for being loyal and committed to him, for making his life on the family farm, and for caring for him as he ages. The older son has been with the father the whole time—making memories, learning the family business, and growing the family. The father is extremely grateful for his older son, yet he mourns the loss of his younger son—the prodigal son. The father misses spending time with the prodigal son. By taking his inheritance and moving away, the prodigal son robs his father of making memories with him, of teaching him the family business, and of watching his grandchildren grow up. The father’s heart aches to know the prodigal son personally, to know he is safe and healthy, and to watch him grow into a man. It is devastating for any parent to have a child run off and to have no contact with them. Not all of us are parents, but we all of us have experienced being wronged by someone who we should have been able to trust.

When the prodigal son returns home, the father runs to greet him and dresses him in his best, and he prepares a great feast to celebrate (Luke 15:22-23). The father is overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving, because his son who was lost is now found (Luke 15:24). When a parent watches their child struggle with substance abuse, they experience similar emotions as the father in the parable. Anyone who struggles with substance abuse is taken away from their family by the chosen drug of choice, because it changes their behavior and makes them dependent on it. However, sometimes the individual is able to go into rehab and remain clean. When this happens, the individual is able to return home and renew their relationships with family members. I remember rejoicing with my mom when my brother went into rehab for substance abuse, and every year we rejoice he has remained clean and has a steady job. We rejoice every time we are able to have a conversation or take a trip with my brother, because if he had kept doing drugs, he may not have been here today. My brother was lost, but now he is found.

However, when the older son sees his father rejoicing over his brother’s return, he becomes angry and jealous (Luke 15:28-29). His father is celebrating over his brother, who wasted his inheritance on foolishness things, while the older son never left his father’s side and worked hard to maintain the family business. And yet, the older son has never gotten a celebration (Luke 15:29-30). The older son feels underappreciated.

Yet the father appeals to the older son, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found” (Luke 15:31-32 NRSV). The father truly loves his older son and treasures every moment they spend together. However, the father is rejoicing over his younger son returning home alive and well. For a period of time, the father was left to wonder if his younger son was alive or dead, if he was safe or in danger, or if he was prosperous or homeless. Now the father could breathe again and no longer had to worry. This is a time to rejoice over a life and the ability to be together as a family.

The love God the Father has for his children is like the father’s love for his sons in the parable. No matter what we have done, God the Father welcomes us back into his loving arms. He offers us grace and mercy when we turn away from the wicked ways of the world to return to him and follow the example of Jesus Christ. Like the father in the parable, God the Father allows us to make our own decisions—right, wrong, or indifferent—and loves us just the same. His arms are always open for our return.

Like the older son, we are left with a choice: to stick to our own ways or to join the celebration. If we stick to our own ways, we will miss out on having a relationship with God the Father. But if we choose to join the celebration, we open our hearts and minds to the impossible being possible. We welcome God the Father into our lives and

receive his love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. We become empowered by the Holy Spirit to do God’s work in the world as his ambassadors. We are reconciled to Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, which gives us new life. When we join the celebration, we express God’s love and grace to others.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for forgiving our sins. Help us to love one another as you love us. Open our hearts to accept your forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace, so we can be your ambassadors in the world. Be with us in the days ahead. Thank you for loving us beyond our imaginations. Amen. 

Peace be with you!

An accident can change a person’s life in an instant. One minute
teenage boys are running scrimmage at football practice and the next minute one of them gets tackled and cannot get back up. The boy is rushed to the hospital where the doctors say that even after he recovers, he will always have a three-inch difference in the length of his legs. His dreams of football glory are over.

A teenage girl is having a great night of partying with her friends when suddenly their car is hit by a drunk driver. The girl doesn’t have her seat belt on and goes flying out the window. She is paralyzed forever.

A family reunion turns tragic when a man dives into a shallow lake and breaks his neck, leaving him a quadriplegic.

In a moment, these individuals go from being able to walk to having to learn how to do everything from a wheelchair. Even if you are born with a physical disability and grow up with limitations, the teenage years can be rough when you are different and cannot always do what your peers are doing. Whether you were born with physical limitations or you were left with a limp or paralyzed by an accident, it is normal to go through a time period when you wonder if God is punishing you. As a teenager, I remember feeling isolated

photo credit: Spiral Ramp via photopin (license)

by my peers, because I could not do everything they could do. My peers did not invite me to go out with them. I did not have friends over very often. I often wondered: Why did God allow this to happen to me? Why is God punishing me? Why? It’s easy to feel hopeless, alone, and angry.

Jesus asks the crowd why they can read the changes in the sky for the upcoming weather, but they cannot interpret the current events (Luke 12:56). Though the question is not stated outright, a few people rise to the challenge and ask, “Why do bad things to good people?” The question is a result of Pilate killing Galileans in a ghastly event (Luke 13:1). The people ask why Galileans died so tragically—even the good people. The question implies a punishment and reward system with God: if you are a good person, God will reward you, but if not, God will punish you.[i] When individuals are killed or become disabled, we search for a reason why. There has to be a reason for human suffering. There has to be an explanation why I have cerebral palsy, why I am paralyzed, or [whatever “it” is] from my past.

Jesus meets the implied question with his own questions: “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? … Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?” (Luke 13:2, 4 NRSV). These questions can easily be reframed to fit any situation. Do you think you have cerebral palsy because of your parent’s sin? Do you think you are paralyzed because you are a horrible human being? Do you think you are suffering because you are the worse sinner ever?

Jesus answers both of his questions, “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did” (Luke 13:3, 5 NRSV). Suffering is not always the result of divine judgment and punishment, because God grants us freedom of choice and free will. In John 9, the healing of the blind man happens not because of anyone’s personal sin, but in order to bring glory to God the Father (John 9:1-3). This provides the Lord a way to enter life in the world in order to be present in our lives. In times of tragedy and suffering, Jesus calls upon us to repent and to turn back to God, so we can call out, “Lord, have mercy,” and receive redemption. However, if we do not repent our sinful ways and turn back to God, then we will perish—not just a physical death but a separation from eternal life in the kingdom of God.

When we are suffering, we are given a choice: to blame God or to seek mercy and redemption through Jesus Christ. When we become disabled (at birth or otherwise), we are given the opportunity to bring glory to God the Father through our suffering—just as Jesus suffered on the road to the cross and at his crucifixion. A person who is disabled has the opportunity to bring God glory by living her life according to her abilities and God’s call for her.

Isaiah also calls upon us to turn back to God to receive goodness: “come to the waters,” “buy wine and milk without money,” “eat what is good,” and “listen, so that you may live” (Isaiah 55:1-3). This call reminds us God provides everything we ever need and want. God will also grant the wicked and the unrighteous abundant pardon (Isaiah 55:7). God the Father is gracious and forgiving.

The parable of the fig tree reminds us of God’s mercy. A man planted a fig tree, and after three years it never produced any fruit, so he told his gardener to cut it down (Luke 13:6-7). The gardener begged the man to give it another year, offering to tend and fertilize it, giving it the best possible chance to produce fruit (Luke 13:8). The owner agreed, but threatened to cut it down after that time period if it did not produce any fruit (Luke 13:9). Jesus is like the gardener: on the cross, he steps in and intervenes on our behalf. God’s mercy is for everyone as long as you acknowledge your sins and humbly repent. When you accept God’s mercy (the fertilizer), you use the gifts God gives to answer his personalized call for you to share his good news with others. In his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, Jesus allows us to have this second chance to be in a relationship with God the Father.

As you continue to travel to the cross with Christ, let your suffering give glory to God, just as Jesus suffered in order to give us God’s glory. Let the mystery of the resurrection to give you hope, because hope is what allows you to get a glimpse of the kingdom of God.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for your forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Give us your grace and understanding as we look toward the Kingdom of God. Allow us to be like Christ by letting our suffering bring you glory in the world. Forgive us as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Renew us and keep us in your grace through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. Have you ever asked God why something happened to you? If so, what was the situation?
2. Has there been a situation that you thought was a result of a sin?
3. When has God granted you grace and mercy?
4. What gifts has God given you?
5. How have you used your suffering to give God glory?

[i] Arland J. Hultgren, “Commentary on Luke 13:1-9,” Working Preacher, 23 February 2016, http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1578.

Peace be with you!

Photo Credit: Samantha Lynn Parker

The world is full of injustice; it is what keeps certain individuals from being able to do their best work. Women face the glass ceiling in the workforce—not allowing them to be promoted beyond a certain level. People of color are racially profiled without attention to personal guilt or innocence. Individuals with disabilities face society’s judgments regarding their abilities—making it difficult to find good paying jobs. Everyone faces some kind of injustice in the world at some point, because the devil is in the world, and human beings are broken.

The Pharisees warn Jesus that Herod wants to kill him (Luke 13:31). Though in other parts of the Gospel of Luke the Pharisees oppose Jesus, it is unclear if they warn Jesus out of concern or if they are mocking him.[i] Nevertheless, the news of Herod wanting to kill Jesus fits the character of the jealous king. Herod has already beheaded John the Baptist out of jealousy and when he sees the crowd gathered around Jesus, Herod becomes jealous of him too (Luke 9:9).

Anyone in their right mind would take this kind of news as a warning. When an individual moves into a new area, they do their research on neighborhoods, schools, jobs, traffic patterns, recreational activities, and more. The individual may seek advice from people who they know are living in the area already.

Family and friends also give advice on other aspects of our lives. People with disabilities seek advice on how to navigate agencies to get the support they need to live productive lives. Two of my friends (who also have cerebral palsy) and I are always discussing which apps work best and what strategies to use to manage our personal care. Seeking advice and heeding warnings are what we do as human beings. We support and guide each other throughout life.

However, Jesus keeps on doing what he has been doing: healing the sick and the lame, caring for the poor and homeless, and preaching to the masses (Luke 13:32). Jesus will not stop doing his day-to-day routine until his ministry is finished. He will not stop until he takes his last breath. It is so easy to change directions when danger larks ahead. As an individual with a significant physical disability, I focus on my well-being and my safety. After having been exploited by others in the past, I now make sure I live in a safe neighborhood and surround myself with trustworthy people. Jesus does not seem to worry about his well-being or safety. His main concern is doing what God the Father sent him to do, and he does it for our sake, even if it means walking straight into danger.

Jesus is well aware of what is about to happen, and that it has to happen in Jerusalem (Luke 13:33). Jesus also understand Herod cannot do anything to him until he enters Jerusalem, because he has to die there, like the other prophets (for example, Jeremiah 26:20-23). Instead of kneeling to the Pharisees’ warnings, Jesus keeps on travelling to Jerusalem in order to complete his ministry on the third day (Luke 13:32d). Jesus goes into Jerusalem knowing he will be killed, and he goes willingly. We are quick to find reasons why we cannot fulfill God’s call for us—too hard, too dangerous, rejection by friends and family, and [whatever “it” is] that stops us. As an individual with a disability, it is easy to use the “I cannot” excuse:

• I cannot serve communion without making a mess.
• I do not speak clearly, so people who do not know me don’t always understand me.
• I cannot drive, so I cannot always make unplanned visits.

And the list goes on. Yet God the Father finds a way to make the impossible possible. I can type out my thoughts and have my iPad speak them for me. I can serve the Church to the best of my abilities. Just because you cannot do things the traditional way, does not mean you are not able to do it another way. Jesus easily could have said, “I cannot go to Jerusalem because it is dangerous and I will be killed,” but he goes willingly in order to gather God’s children and lead them to the good news.

Jesus laments over the fact Jerusalem, a Jewish community, wants nothing to do with him or the salvation he offers. Jerusalem is a community constantly rejecting and killing the prophets the Lord sends. Jesus wants to gather the people of Jerusalem as a mother would (Luke 13:34) and give them salvation and grace, yet they continue to turn their backs on him. Jesus laments that Jerusalem will not accept his good news before he dies on the cross.[ii] In a similar way, Paul laments that there are many enemies of the cross (Philippians 3:18)—those individuals who do not believe in the power of the good news in Jesus Christ, God’s son and our redeemer. It causes Jesus and Paul great pain to know those who die without knowing Jesus as their Savior will experience destruction and not eternal life (Luke 13:35; Philippians 3:19).

Jesus goes about doing his ministry—healing the sick and the lame, caring for the poor and homeless, and preaching to the masses—as he travels to Jerusalem. He does his ministry to gather those who are weak, lost, and exploited in order to bring them into a relationship with God the Father. If the Jewish authorities will not listen to his message, Jesus will go find people who will, though he will not leave God’s people either and will continue to call them into his fold until his last breath.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to gather us into your fold. Help us to accept the salvation Jesus offers us, even when we do not feel like we deserve it. Lead us to the place where people need to hear the good news. Gather us into your loving arms and raise us up to new life. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. What kinds of injustice do you face?
2. How do you make an important decision? Who do you go to for advice?
3. What excuses do you use to get out of something?
4. How do you lament when your community goes a different direction than what you think it should?
5. How did God gather you into his flock?
6. In what ways do you do God’s work in the world?

[i] R. Alan Culpepper, “The Gospel of Luke: Introduction, Commentary, and Reflections,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible: General Articles & Introduction, Commentary, & Reflections for Each Book of the Bible, including the Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical Books in Twelve Volumes, eds. Leander E. Keck et al. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), 280-81.

[ii] Ruth Ann Reese, “Commentary on Luke 13:31-35,” Working Preacher, 19 February 2016, http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2770.

Peace be with you!

Life is a journey. Each community experiences a different journey along the road to equal rights and equal opportunities. African-Americans and individuals from the Middle East have to fight racial profiling. People with physical disabilities have to fight for barriers, such as stairs, to be removed. People with psychosocial and/or physical disabilities have to fight against negative connotations others have regarding their disabilities. The Civil Rights movement—past and present—is a fight for individuals, regardless of race, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, etc., to have equal opportunities to live their lives according to their abilities and choices.

For people with disabilities, the journey of life seems to take a broken road. We enter establishments through back entrances and are often stuck in back corners, out of the way and out of sight. Even after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), not all buildings are accessible or easy to maneuver in a wheelchair or a walker,[i] which makes people with disabilities feel unwelcome and not worthy to be present. Accessibility means removing barriers that prevent someone in a wheelchair from accessing your building (permanent or temporary) and providing access; for example, you might provide a ramp or an elevator as an alternative to stairs, and you might add braille to signage.

photo credit: Spiral Ramp via photopin (license)

Accessibility affects individuals psychosocially, and the lack of it can negatively affect a person’s self-esteem and self-worth. If a person cannot physically enter a building or an event, she can feel unwanted or unable to do an activity. The lack of accessibility can prevent a person from being active in a community, such as a church, small shops, a town, or transportation. A person who is housebound is excluded from the community— even neighbors—and can suffer from depression and anxiety. Furthermore, a community’s attitude towards the disabled is part of accessibility. If a community does not welcome someone with disabilities, then she is not likely to feel comfortable asking for help and will probably not come back.

In Luke 4:1-13, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1-2) after being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (Luke 3:21-22). In ancient times, the wilderness represented a transition between being captives of an oppressor and entrance into the Promised Land. The book of Exodus and other Old Testament books give us a lineage journey from Egypt or Babylon to the Promised Land. In other books and in today’s world, we get glimpses of the Promised Land as we wander the wilderness. For the disabled community, the Promised Land would be an inclusive community where physical and psychosocial barriers are removed. No one would be excluded for having a disability; the community would find ways to include everyone based on their abilities and their choices. The continued fight for the ADA represents the wilderness people with disabilities as a community wander in.

The devil tests Jesus three times, while he is in the wilderness for forty days and nights. In the first temptation, the devil says, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread” (Luke 4:3 NRSV). This temptation appeals to Jesus’s and our basic needs in order to survive in the world. We need food, clothes, shelter, and security to live. For the disabled community, the first temptation speaks to individuals’ personal needs and desires. People with physical and psychosocial disabilities rely on others to assist them with basic needs, such as eating, dressing, and other personal care needs. There is a temptation to give up and fall into a depression and suicidal thoughts for individuals with disabilities who rely on others, because they feel like burdens to their friends, family members, and others. Another temptation for an individual who needs personal care is to settle for a personal caregiver who is reliable but just does the bare minimum and does not encourage or allow them to be active in the community. The personal caregiver may make decisions regarding the person’s schedule, impose their own agenda, or rush the person while still acting as a friend, hoping to leave early or do what they want.

photo credit: Cíih Landim & Ramon Marden via photopin (license)

Jesus answers the devil, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone’” (Luke 4:4 NRSV). Jesus recalls when Moses reminded the Israelites that God provided them with manna after testing in the wilderness with being hunger; it helped them understand they could not live on just bread (Deuteronomy 8:3).[ii] People cannot survive on food alone; they need to live in community with others and support one another. Rather than settling on a reliable but so-so personal caregiver, an individual who needs personal care needs to find someone who will do what they are instructed to do and encourage their client to live life to its fullest. People who have disabilities have dreams and goals, just like anyone else. A personal caregiver should enable their client to live according to their own wishes, even if they do not agree with them, and to work towards their own dreams and goals. Also, the personal caregiver should enable the individual with a disability to be out and a part of the community to the best of their ability.

The second temptation appeals to our need for power and authority. The devil shows Jesus the whole world and says, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will be all be yours” (Luke 4:5-7 NRSV). People with disabilities so desperately want to be in charge of their own lives and to have power over others. For people with disabilities, being able to make their own decisions is a luxury, to a degree. Even if an individual is able to make their own decisions and can live independently with the aid of government funding, they are restricted by how many hours they can have personal caregivers, how much money they have in the bank in order to stay on Medicare or Medicaid, and more. Even if an individual is able to make their own decisions and can live independently without the aid of government funding, there are limitations as to where they can live due to needing a fully accessible apartment or house and due to when their personal caregivers are available to help them. There is a temptation to live with family members or friends who are home most of the day and rely on them to provide their personal care. Another temptation is to hide money in bank accounts under a family member’s name to get ahead. Another temptation is when the person needing care overuses their personal caregivers by having them do things they can do themselves. These temptations make people with disabilities face difficult decisions and blur the lines between right and wrong.

Again, Jesus answers the devil, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him’” (Luke 4:8 NRSV). Jesus is echoing Moses’s reminder to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land: to worship and serve only the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:13). Moses did not want the Israelites to forget who gave and led them to the Promised Land.[iii] People with disabilities sometimes need a reminder that God will provide for their needs. Whenever I lose a personal caregiver and need to hire a new one, I am always amazed as to how quickly God responds to the need—almost as though he has them waiting on the sidelines, waiting to be put into the game. God has also provided me with amazing family and friends who help me problem solve different issues so I can be more independent. For example, I have a difficult time opening pill bottles, and I find myself dropping pills all over. To solve this issue, my one personal caregiver keeps different pill organizers filled with different medicines, so I can take them as I need them, even if I am alone. God provides for people with and without disabilities by sending the right individuals to support them as needed. Sometimes all a person needs is a fresh pair of eyes to solve an issue.

The third and final temptation is when the devil asks Jesus to test God the Father. While standing on the pinnacle of the temple, the devil says, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone’” (Luke 4:9-11 NRSV). Individuals with and without disabilities fall into the trap of testing the Lord. Someone who is blind may say, “God, if you allow me to see, I will become a leader in your church.” Another person who is looking for a job may say, “God, provide me with a good paying career, so I can be better parent to my children.” The “if you do this, Lord, I will do [whatever “it” is]” statements set conditions on our faith in the Triune God. This temptation feeds off of our own desires for power and authority. The devil tries to make us think we can be in charge of everything and we need lavish things.

For last time, Jesus answers the devil, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Luke 4:12 NRSV). Again, Jesus echoes Moses’s reminder to the Israelites: to not demand more than what they need from the Lord, like they did in Massah where they demanded that the Lord provide them with water until Moses struck a rock, causing it to produce water (Deuteronomy 6:16).[iv] God does not send us out into the world empty handed. In Deuteronomy 26:1-11, we are reminded of the many gifts God gives us throughout the years. Moses instructs the Israelites to give back to God what is his during the first harvest of the season, to thank him for what he provides us with (Deuteronomy 26:10). In the Lord’s Prayer, we give thanks for our daily bread, which includes much more than just bread—food and water, medical care, shelter, community and family, jobs, and [whatever “it” is] you need. God provides it all. We do not need to test or brag to the Lord for things that we think we need; he knows what we need before we realize it. People with and without disabilities need to trust the Lord will provide them with anything and everything they need. We do not have to give God a set of conditions for our love; he does it automatically. We can trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, even if the world says what we need is impossible, because anything is possible with God—the blind man will see, the paralyzed will walk, the mute will speak, and [whatever “it” is] will be possible.

Erin M Diericx with ladies at Shepherd of the Hill
© Copyright 2015 Original Photo take by Margaret Schrantz

Jesus counters the temptations not to prove he is above us but for our sake, so we may live in community with one another. Jesus refuses food in the wilderness but will feed five thousand people with just a small family’s meal. Jesus refuses power and authority over the whole world but will be called King of Kings at his crucifixion. Jesus refuses to test the Lord but will suffer and die on the cross for our sake and will be lifted up on the third day by God the Father. Jesus does it all for our sake—to fulfill out greatest need: to be in a relationship with God the Father.

As the disabled and broken community, all too often we fall for the devil’s temptations. We make the right decisions for the wrong reasons. We allow the devil to get into our heads. However, the good news is God provides a way for us to conquer the devil, despite our brokenness, through Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Through Jesus, God saves us from ourselves and makes us whole. As the Psalmist writes,

Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation (Psalms 91:9–16 NRSV).

Even in our darkest hour, the Lord provides with security in knowing he will protect and defend us, and in our last hour he will lift us up and grant us entrance into his kingdom.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for gifting us with your forgiveness, grace, and love. Continue to provide us with our daily bread. Be with us as we turn away from the devil’s temptations. Guide us through the wilderness to the Promised Land and a life that only you can grant us. Through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection, make our brokenness whole again. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. How are you disabled or broken?
2. How does the devil try to tempt you?
3. Where or what is your wilderness?
4. Where and how do you see God’s promise or blessings in your wilderness? What gifts does the Lord bless you with?

[i] Private companies and buildings do not have to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standard. Public buildings built or modified before 1991 do not have comply, and buildings built or modified on or before March 15, 2012 do not have to comply with the 2010 ADA standards. For more information, go to access-board.gov.

[ii] Arland J. Hultgren, “Commentary on Luke 4:1-13,” Working Preacher, 2 February 2016, http://workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=508.

[iii] Ibid.

[iv] Ibid.

Peace be with you!  

Sometimes it seems we are battling crises from every direction. From ISIS to natural disasters to violence on our local streets to health issues to [whatever “it” is] going in your life, crisis seems to be central to life.

People with disabilities find themselves handling crises every day, especially those of us who need personal caregivers daily. There are schedule changes, getting your needs met, personality conflicts, and more. Then you have to get new, durable medical equipment, which needs a doctor’s prescription, insurance approval, evaluations, and finally, ordering. Just when you think one crisis is being handled, another one sneaks up, and you dive into another whirlwind of panic, stress, conversations and debates, and action. Being in crisis seems normal to people with disabilities.

photo credit: DSC_8561 via photopin (license)

The prophet Joel writes after the devastating locust plague (Joel 1:1-5) during the Persian period. The prophet interprets the crisis as God’s judgment on the people of Judah and Jerusalem for their past sins. The Israelites cry out to their Lord as a community after the plague:

“Spare your people, O LORD, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2:17 NRSV)

As a community, the Israelites search to locate their Lord in the midst of a crisis. Today the crises of communities are not much different. Winter storms, like the recent Elsa, leave thousands of households without power and heat. Refugees leave their homes, taking few possessions with them, simply trying to seek safety and a new life in another country. Countries stay on alert to prevent the next terrorist attack. Political parties struggle to find unity in midst of a presidential election. People struggle to find jobs in order to pay their bills and to support their families. People with disabilities worry if the next government official will make changes to their funding for personal caregivers, insurance, and more. Like individuals, communities struggle with their brokenness, their sins, and their relationship with the Lord. Where is God in these struggles?

People with disabilities struggle to find the balance between being independent and asking for help. Some individuals with disabilities think others should help them with everything and anything, which makes them dependent on personal caregivers. Others refuse help from anyone, even when a little help would make their lives more manageable and productive. Personally, I believe in finding the balance between being independent and asking for help. Individuals with and without disabilities want to do as much as they can on their own, yet we have to be willing and able to ask for help when it comes to meeting deadlines, being respectful of others’ time, and saving our energy for other tasks.

As a community, people with disabilities have struggled with meeting the expectations of society. In the past, society has sometimes conveyed the idea that people with disabilities should stay home and out of view (or at least with others like ourselves). Alternatively, society has made us into heroes for living our ordinary and productive lives (the disabled community calls these attempts, “inspiration porn”). When I have been in public, strangers have approached my friends or personal caregivers and said, “It was good you could get her out,” or asked them, “What is wrong with her?” Both phrases imply something is wrong with me—I am broken.

Photo Credit: Samantha Lynn Parker

The constant opposing messages of living up to society’s expectations versus being a burden to one’s family and society creates tension for people with disabilities living ordinary lives. People with disabilities are either encouraged to celebrate being able to complete simple tasks or are pushed aside with the implication that they burdens to society. When people with disabilities are celebrated for their accomplishments, they say, “Look, I have overcome my disability.” This way of thinking puts a wedge between the individual with a disability and God the Father, because they are not giving him credit for giving them the strength to overcome their limitation. On the other hand, if an individual with a disability believe their limitations are the result of a sin or not having enough faith in God, then the individual becomes distanced from God. This tension causes people with disabilities to either believe they are strong enough to overcome their disabilities on their own strength or to blame God for making them broken. Both of these issues cause people with disabilities to walk away from God at times.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs the crowd not to brag when they give alms, when they pray, or when they fast, like the hypocrites do (Matthew 6:4-5, 16). We are to give alms, pray, and fast and give respect to God, our Lord, not give ourselves the credit. We are also to do these practices according to our own abilities and should not shame others for not living up to our standards. The disabled community should not be viewed as exceeding society’s expectations or as a burden to society and family. People with disabilities should be allowed and supported to live out their vocation to the best of their individualized abilities.

In the readings from Joel and 2 Corinthians, we are encouraged to lament and repent as a community. The prophet Joel says,

Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. (Joel 2:12-13 NRSV)

Our Lord is a loving God who does not wish to watch us suffer, so he mends the broken and gives us new life. Our Lord wants to know us so desperately that he sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to suffer and die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and the healing of our brokenness. Our Lord became broken so we could have eternal life in the kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul writes,

We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:20b-21 NRSV).

Therefore, we need to lament and repent as a community—the abled and disabled. In order to do this, the church has to break down theological understandings that support the able-bodied norm. This is possible when we see the Lord as the Disabled God. Nancy L Eiesland understands God to be disabled through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Eiesland writes:

In the resurrected Jesus Christ, they [the disciples] saw not the suffering servant for whom the last and most important word was tragedy and sin, but the disabled God who embodied both impaired hands and feet and pierced side and the imago Dei.[i]

After the resurrection, the disciples see Jesus with his wounds from being nailed to the cross. It is an image of an imperfect body embodied by God himself so we can have eternal life and a relationship with him.

In our pain and suffering, we lament as a community for the brokenness in the world. When we confess and repent, we are actively coming back to the God who grants us new life through Jesus Christ. The Psalmist writes, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 NRSV). The Psalmist does not ask for a new body but for the mindset and strength to do God’s will in the world. The disabled bodied is made whole through Jesus dying on the cross. When we seek forgiveness by confessing our sins and seeking absolution, we can join the Psalmist in singing:

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a burnt offering,
you would not be pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise
(Psalm 51:15-17 NRSV).

As you journey through this season of Lent, gather with your fellow brothers and sisters and lament what is broken in your community. Let no one be alone in their brokenness, because we are all broken and need each other for guidance and support in fulfilling our individualized callings. In community, we experience wholeness in the unity with one another.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Lift up our voices to give you praises and thanksgiving. Lead us to comfort the disabled, the homeless, the sick, the tired, and the broken. Guide us to use our abilities according to your will. Help us to understand the disabled body as being made whole through Jesus. Thank you for making us whole through Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Amen.

Reflective Questions

1. What are your current crises? What are you struggling with as an individual? What is your community struggling with?
2. How do others view you? How do these views affect you?
3. How do others view your community? How do these views affect your community?
4. How do you lament to God? How do you lament as a community?

[i] Nancy L. Eiesland, The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994), 99.

photo credit: Transfiguration of the Lord via photopin (license)

Reading for Transfiguration Sunday: Luke 9:28-43a

Peace be with you!

We all have moments when, after a long day, we close our eyes and relive a moment. Maybe you close your eyes to imagine being comforted by a loved one who has passed away. Maybe you close your eyes to relive a family gathering where kids ran around while the adults talked at the table. Maybe you just close your eyes to feel closer to God. In these moments, we try to escape the current situation by going back to a time when things were peaceful.

Peter is excited beyond belief when he sees Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah—two of the greatest figures in the Torah. He is so excited that he wants to build three shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah (Luke 9:33) to live in as a way to preserve the moment. Three of the greatest men who ever lived were all together for a moment in time. Who wouldn’t want to preserve the moment?

However, Jesus experiences the moment drastically differently than Peter. The anguish of the conversation about his departure from the world (Luke 9:30) weighs Jesus down in the coming weeks. The glory becomes apparent on Jesus’s face as well as in his dazzling white clothes (Luke 9:29). Jesus understands the moment needs to pass and the scriptures need to be fulfilled. As Jesus is praying, Moses and Elijah come to Jesus to discuss his departure from the world and what he will do in Jerusalem (Luke 9:30-31). Jesus is praying for guidance from the ones who have gone before him as he starts the end of the beginning. It is a moment Jesus probably relives in his mind several times during his journey to Jerusalem, although it is probably not a pleasant conversation with Moses and Elijah by any standards.

Jesus’s conversation with Moses and Elijah gives him the strength to go on the journey to Jerusalem. He glows, like Moses does after he sees the Lord (Luke 9:29). Unlike Moses, Jesus does not cover his face; he wants all who see him to witness the change in him as the Lord claims him as his Son (Luke 9:35).

The voice from cloud also instructs Peter, John, and James to listen to Jesus in the coming weeks (Luke 9:35c). God the Father confirms Jesus’s authority in front of his disciples. Luke 9:35 alludes back to Jesus’s baptism (Luke 3:22) and to Psalm 2:7 when it uses the title of “Son.” “Listen to him” (Luke 9:35 NRSV) also alludes back to Deuteronomy 18:15 where the Lord speaks of a prophet like himself who will teach us how to find the path to him.[i]

Jesus teaches and leads us on the path to God the Father. Jesus teaches us how to care for our neighbors—the homeless, the hungry, the prostitute, the sinner, the disabled. Jesus teaches us how to honor God the Father through our relationships with others. Jesus shows us what it means to live in community and to value the gifts of others. Jesus Christ becomes our way to know and be with God in his kingdom. Through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, Jesus gives us a way to have a relationship with God the Father. We are no longer bound to cleansing rituals the Israelites were slaves to keeping. Jesus frees us from the barriers to having a relationship with God the Father. The Word became flesh (John 1:1) to take on and to free us from our sin, pain, and suffering. Though he was innocent, Jesus bore all this on the cross; he died and rose again in order that we could have eternal life—new life in him.

When Peter suggests the building of three huts for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, a voice from the clouds says, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” (Luke 9:35). Peter has earthly ideas, wanting nothing more than to share this glorious moment with others. However, the Lord has other plans for Jesus, his Son and Chosen One. The Lord has an even larger, more glorious moment coming that the whole world will witness and take part in. Unfortunately, it will involve pain and anguish to get there, but it will change our lives forever.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for letting us witness this glorious moment in Jesus’s ministry. Help us to come face-to-face with you to hear your plan for us. Allow us to glow in order to share your glory with others. Remind us to listen to Jesus and to follow his instructions. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to lead us to Jerusalem. Amen.

[i] Darrell L. Bock, Luke, vol. 3a of Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994), 874-875.

Reading for Fourth Sunday after Epiphany: Luke 4:21-30

photo credit: Volum, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Napoli via photopin (license)

Peace be with you!

The routines at home and in our communities are comfortable and easy. We know what is expected of us, and we often go about our business with a sense of privilege and purpose. We also know whose job proceeds and falls our task. We know who does what and when. A community evolves around its individuals and their assigned tasks. Yet what happens when someone tries to expand the community to include more people? What happens when a company expands its operations? What happens when a congregation expands its outreach program?

In the previous devotion, Jesus was in his hometown synagogue and read Isaiah 61:1-2 to the assembly (Luke 4:16-19). We discussed how Isaiah 61:1-2 is Jesus’s job description as the Messiah—to release captives, to give the blind sight, and to set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18b). God calls upon Jesus to make his kingdom inclusive and to welcome all people, not just a select few, to know the good news. In this devotion, we read about the Jews’ reaction to Jesus’s message.

In Luke 4:21, Jesus proclaims Isaiah 61:1-2 is being fulfilled in the here and now. The Messiah has come into the world to release captives, to give the blind sight, and to set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18b). The time is now.

At first, the Jews in the synagogue are excited and amazed by the news. They ask, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22c NRSV), though Jesus said the Jews will wonder why he has not done the signs and miracles that he did in Capernaum in his hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:23b). Surely, the Jews in Nazareth feel Jesus should give the hometown crowd special treatment. Surely, Jesus will show the Jews in Nazareth his extra-special powers. However, Jesus is not just in the world for the select few who already know God the Father but also for those who are on the outside. This is why Jesus quickly becomes hated in his hometown (Luke 4:24, 28)—the good news is not just for the Jews, God’s select chosen people.

Jesus goes on to explain how Elijah was not sent for everyone but to a few chosen people. God sent Elijah to widow at Zarephath in Sidon and a leper named Naaman the Syrian whom he helped through difficult times (Luke 4:26-27). There were a few select Gentiles who God the Father led Elijah and Elisha to help and heal. This exclamation outrages the Jews who are listening, and they plot against Jesus to kill him (Luke 4:28-29). Jesus escapes the angry crowd (Luke 4:30) by going on his way.

Jesus chose to lift up the widow and the leper to communicate that God sent him into the world for the outsiders—the ones who are not welcomed in town and live on the outskirts. Jesus is not just in the world for people who have faith in the Lord; his ministry reaches beyond the boundaries in order to include everyone. Jesus comes into the world for the broken hearted—the ones left behind.l

When Jesus preaches this message, the Jews, his neighbors, reject his teaching (Luke 4:24). His neighbors had high hopes for Jesus as a preacher, but this message goes against everything they believe. The Jews are God’s chosen people. In their minds, God would never open his arms to the non-Jews, the Gentiles, the Samaritans, and the other outsiders. The Lord would never want impure people mixed with his chosen ones. The Jews cannot accept Jesus’s teachings about welcoming the stranger.

Yet this does not stop Jesus from going into the world and preaching the good news: the stranger is welcome in the Kingdom of God. His hometown neighbors may not be able to accept the good news, but the world will hear it and the stranger will be invited. Jesus will go out into the world and have conversations with the Samaritan woman, the Gentiles, the blind, the lepers, the crippled, the hungry, the poor, the prostitutes, and so on, because they are welcomed into the Kingdom of God.

The good news is for us today as much as it was for the people two thousand years ago. We, the Gentiles, are welcomed into the Kingdom of God. “We” means the sinners, the unbelievers, the poor, the lost, the blind, the crippled, the drug addicts, the strippers, the bullies, the confused, and so on. We are all welcomed into the Kingdom of God, not because we have earned it by any means but because God loves us so much that he wants to be in a relationship with each one of us.

At different times in my life, people have asked me, “How can you hang out with that person?” The reason is simple: Jesus did and would hang out with those people. I may not be the most comfortable around some people, but Jesus calls me to share the good news with all people, not just those like myself. Jesus pushes us beyond our comfort zone. Why should we ignore individuals who are different than us? How can we walk past the homeless without offering a place to stay? How can we walk past the disabled without offering help? How can we walk past the hungry without offering some food? The world is filled with individuals who make us uncomfortable. However, Jesus calls us to share the good news with anyone who is willing to listen, because it is for everyone.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for exceeding the Jews’ expectations by inviting us, the Gentiles, into your kingdom. Help us to understand that the good news is not for a select few but for all people. Show us the way to continue to invite the stranger into a relationship with you and into your kingdom. Push us out of our comfort zone, so we can share the good news with all people. Thank you for sharing the good news with us. Amen.v

Reading for Third Sunday after Epiphany: Luke 4:14-21

photo credit: Volum, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Napoli via photopin (license)

Peace be with you!

Society has an image of what individuals should look like and how they should act. Magazines convey an idealized physical appearance and tell people what roles they should take on within society and the family and how they should behave. Teenage girls are shown beauty products and the latest fashion in magazines marketed toward them, whereas magazines with outdoor activities and beautiful women are used to target teenager boys. The gender roles, right or wrong, are defined by society.

In ancient times, the Jews had an image of what the Messiah would be like and would do on their behalf to free them from the Roman Empire. The Jews felt the Messiah should be willing to fight against the enemies of the Jews and give them the “Promised Land” as the Lord gave it to the Israelites when he led them out of Egypt. The Jews are expecting Jesus to physically free them from the Roman Empire. Instead Jesus is going to psychosocially and spiritually free the Jews from the darkness and their sins.

The author of the Gospel of Luke gives us small details that are easy to miss. Jesus goes to the synagogue in Nazareth in his hometown, is given the scroll, and reads Isaiah 61:1-2 (Luke 4:16-17).

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19 NRSV).

After he reads the passage, Jesus sits down (Luke 4:20) for a moment before getting back up to preach (Luke 4:21a). He sits down to reflect on the passage. How often does your pastor jump right into his sermon after the Gospel is read? How often do you read something and move to the next thing without reflecting on what it means? Jesus sits down to ponder on the passage, to pray for wisdom from God the Father, and to gather his thoughts. The simple pause between the reading and the sermon or any pause between any two activities can provide a moment for individual(s) to reflect on what just happened and to prepare for what is about to take place.

This pause allows Jesus to reflect on what the reading means to him and what he needs to say to the assembly in the synagogue. Jesus understands the Isaiah passage as his job description as the Messiah. Jesus understands he has been filled with the Holy Spirit since his baptism. Jesus has come into the world to release captives, to heal the sick and disabled, and to set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18b). He will overcome the boundaries the world sets for us by getting rid of the distinctions that divide us—Jews and Gentiles, males and females, slaves and masters, disabled and nondisabled, sinner and saint, and so on. This is what it means to be set free by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God loves us unconditionally—almost to a fault, because he wants to be in a relationship with us and know us on a personal level. When we are baptized, we become members of the body of Jesus Christ where we are valued the same no matter what roles we take in accomplishing God’s plan in the world (1 Corinthians 12:14-17). God’s family is inclusive and does not withhold membership from anyone as long as they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Jesus understands what the Jews expect of him, but God the Father has other plans for him. Jesus will set the Jews (and anyone else who follows him) free by releasing them of their sins through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Jesus has a hefty job to do. He has to turn the hearts of the Jews toward God the Father. Leviticus 25:8-17 instructs the Israelites about the year of Jubilee, in which individuals are released from their debts and slaves are released every fifty years. The Jubilee year is a year of deliverance. Jesus brings the spirit of the Jubilee year into the world by delivering us from our past, present, and future sins through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. This is what overcomes worldly boundaries and barriers and makes us all children of God. This is what unites and connects us with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

The Jews do not understand how Jesus, the Messiah, will deliver them from their sins and allow them to be in a relationship with God the Father again. The bonds the world has on the Jews will be broken, and they will be lifted up to be with God the Father. Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection will free the Jews beyond their imaginations. He will bring light into the darkness, feed the hungry, and find the lost. Isaiah 61:1-2 will be fulfilled by Jesus the Messiah.

We may not always understand how much we need Jesus to deliver us, how much we need to be in a relationship with God the Father, and how much God loves us just as we are. God overcomes the world’s boundaries by coming to this planet in flesh and bones and experiencing our pain and suffering in order to free us and to deliver us into his kingdom. We do not have to prove anything to God the Father—he does that for us through J esus Christ. All God asks of us is that we love him, believe in him, and let him lead us.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us so deeply that you give us what we need, not what we want. Help us to understand Jesus came to redeem us of our sins through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Remind us that we need your love when we are in the wilderness, especially when we are lost and confused. Thank you for redeeming us of our sins. Amen.