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.

photo credit: Ohio ~ Dover via photopin (license)

Reading for Second Sunday after Epiphany: John 2:1-11

Peace be with you!

Time measures our moments, our achievements, our failures, and everything in-between. Time indicates where we should be and what we should be doing by organizing our days, weeks, months, and decades into intervals. As children, we attend school and learn about meeting deadlines, making goals, and meeting the expectations of others. Upon graduating from high school, we enter college and/or the workforce. By our mid-20s and early 30s, most individuals settle down into a career, get married, and/or start families. Into our 50s and 60s, we begin caring for our elderly parents and maybe become grandparents. Of course, this timeline is ideal and presents the ordinary progression of life, which does not account for extraordinary life circumstances. I find myself about a decade ahead of my generation since I already help care for my stepdad and have settled into my own home. Time is different for each individual based on his or her own life circumstances, though there is also a natural progression of what should happen next.

In the Gospel of John, we jump right into Jesus’s ministry. In the first chapter, Jesus is baptized and calls his disciples. In the reading for today, Mary and Jesus are attending a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee when the hosts run out of wine. Mary goes to Jesus and tells him to do something about it (John 2:3). She knows Jesus is meant to do wondrous things for the world, and surely he can spare the host the embarrassment of running out of wine. We are led to assume Mary is helping in the kitchen and has authority over the servants, especially when she instructs them to do whatever Jesus says (John 2:5).

However, Jesus’s responses to Mary’s plead for help, “Women, what concern is that to you and to me?” (John 2:4a NRSV). To the reader, it seems like a harsh response for a son to say to his mother. Yet Jesus is creating distance between his mother and himself, because yes, he is human, but he is also divine—meaning only God the Father has ultimate authority over his actions. It does not mean Jesus is not affectionate to his mother for later he asks his beloved disciple to watch over her when he dies on the cross. In this instance, we see Jesus creating a boundary between his humanity and his divinity.[i]

Everyone experiences moments in their lives when they have to distance themselves from an individual who does not act according to their faith or moral codes. It does not mean we do not care about the individual anymore, but we simply have to create healthy boundaries between ourselves and those individuals and/or things that try to separate us from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I find myself easily influenced by people around me. I will pick up behaviors and talk like others. Over the past year, I have learned to “check” myself and be more true to my faith and to myself. When I find myself acting like someone else, I find myself stopping myself and saying, “No, this is not me. I need to act like myself.” Sometimes it takes a talk with my mom to see my fault, but yet it feels good to come back into my own skin and be true to I am as an individual and child of God—not that I am perfect by any means but I have to live according to my faith and my calling. Here we hear Jesus proclaiming his true identity and calling—only God the Father has authority over him.

Jesus goes on say, “My hour has not yet come” (Luke 2:4b NRSV). Jesus is commenting on the fact that his time has not come to reveal God’s full glory to the world. In the Gospel of John, Jesus’s time (hōra in Greek) refers to his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. At this time, Jesus will be lifted up and be manifested in God. The current moment does not allow Jesus to bring about God’s glory and would be self-serving to do so publically.[ii] Jesus is conscious about his role in the world and what it means to be the Son of God.

Yet Jesus works behind the scenes by instructing the servants what to do. Jesus tells them to fill six large, empty jars to the brim with water (John 2:6-7), and then he says to draw some out and give it to the chief steward (John 2:8). When the servants take the wine to the chief steward to taste, he raves at how the bridegroom saved the best wine for last (John 2:9-10). Although he does what his mother asks, Jesus does it on his own terms: in secret, without a big show-and-tell. This first sign is for his disciples to come to believe Jesus has authority from God and reveals God’s glory through his humanity.

There are times when we reveal God’s glory through our actions toward others. When we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick and disabled, and truly love our neighbor, we sharing God’s love with the world. Through Jesus Christ, God gives us a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God will be like—no one will be hungry, naked, sick, disabled, or excluded. We will all experience the love of God, if we believe.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for revealing your glory through Jesus’s humanity. Help us to be true to our identity as your children. Call upon us to express your love for and in the world. Be with us as we go out into the world to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick and disabled, and truly love our neighbors. Thank you for loving us as your children. Amen.

[i] Andreas J. Köstenberger, John, vol. 4 of Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), 94-95.

[ii] Ibid., 95.

photo credit: Project 365/50 In Search of Color, part III via photopin (license)

Reading for Baptism of Our Lord: Isaiah 43:1-7 & Luke 3:15-22

Peace be with you!

Fear drives us to worry about what the darkness tries to hide from us. Worrying drives us to fear what is hidden. Will I have enough money to pay my bills this month? Will I be able to eat tonight? When and where will the next terrorist attack take place? Will my child make it home safety tonight? Who will take care of me when I get older? The darkness of the world tries to swallow us up.

In our reading today, people have been traveling to see John the Baptist in the wilderness for some time now. They are beginning to wonder if he may be the Messiah (Luke 3:15) that is promised in Isaiah. The individuals are filled with expectation for the Messiah who will set them free from the oppression of the Roman government. The Jews hope they will be freed to rule themselves.

However, John the Baptist renounces being the Messiah by stating:

“I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:16-17 NRSV).

John the Baptist makes an extreme case to separate his role from the Messiah. John claims his role as the precursor to the coming Messiah for whom who he is preparing the way (Luke 3:3-4). John differentiates between his baptism and Jesus’s baptism. John’s baptism is a call to repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus’s baptism is with the Holy Spirit, and Jesus will separate those who believe from those who do not believe. Jesus will test everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike, and he will divide the unbelievers and the believers through God’s judgment (Luke 3:17-18; 12:10, 49-53; 17:29-30). In Luke 12:10, Jesus says those who speak again the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. In Luke 12:49-53, Jesus says families will be divided over his name. In Luke 17:29-30, Jesus claims he will cause a divide between believers and non-believers on the day of wrecking.[i] The image of fire illustrates how Jesus will consume and purify the unholy allowing them to sprout in new life, just as a forest fire consumes the dead trees and allows dormant seeds to sprout.[ii] John the Baptist directs us to what is to come—divine judgment.

In Luke 3:18-20, Herod puts John the Baptist in prison for speaking the truth about the good news because of his jealousies. Herod’s jealousy becomes one of the reasons why Jesus will be crucified and killed. There cannot be two King of the Jews, and Herod came first. Jesus being called the Messiah, meaning the anointed one, poses a threat to Herod’s kingship.

When Jesus comes to be baptized in the wilderness, the heavens open up and a voice says, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22 NRSV). Based on the fact that John the Baptist is prison, who baptizes Jesus? The other three gospels have John the Baptist baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River, but in Luke no one appears to be baptizing Jesus. However it occurs, God the Father claims and confirms Jesus Christ as his only begotten Son by pouring out the Holy Spirit on him—an action that can be done by God the Father alone. Jesus begins his ministry by spreading the good news and releasing the captives from sin. From this moment forward, Jesus tends to the poor, the homeless, the naked, the disabled, and the sick, until he goes to the cross. In his baptism, Jesus answers God’s call to reveal the truth in the world.

When we are baptized, God calls us by name, and we become his children. By claiming and confirming us as his children, the world cannot argue that we do not belong to God the Father. In the face of life’s struggles, God promises to keep us safe, to care for us, and to never abandon us, even in the darkest parts of the world. God takes away our need to worry or to fear the unknown. God sends us into to world with the Holy Spirit to lead us and to comfort in times of trial. We belong to God no matter what happens. We are claimed and confirmed as children of God.

Come, O Lord, come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for claiming and confirming Jesus as your only begotten son and us as your children. Help us to understand that you claim us at our baptism. It is your loving action that welcomes us into the fellowship of disciples. Thank you for providing us with your love, forgiveness, and grace. Amen.

[i] Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1-9:50 (vol. 3A of Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994), 323.

[ii] Sundays and Seasons: Preaching; Year C 2016 (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2015), 64-65.

Reading for Epiphany: Matthew 2:1-12

Peace be with you!

We have two choices in life: 1) to be frightened by the unknown and by God’s power in the world or 2) to accept God’s embrace and love. For those of us who accept God’s embrace and love, we embark on a journey without many clear directions or a clear purpose other than going where God calls us to be. God does not promise the safest path or the most cushioned lifestyle; he sends us into the darkness and the wilderness to find his lost sheep. However, there are individuals who are scared of God’s power in the world, a power which threatens their own power over others. To accept God means to let go of the things of this world and to follow a path that we may not know or understand, whose ultimate direction is unknown. God takes us on an alternative journey in order to lead others to his good news in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 2:1-15 juxtaposes these two ways of thinking. First, King Herod is introduced as someone who feels threatened by the Messiah—a toddler King of the Jews. King Herod will do anything in his power—even killing innocent little boys—to prevent this “king” from having any authority. Second, the wise men avoid going back to King Herod in order to protect the child. The wise men change their routes to go home and embrace a new journey through the Messiah.

King Herod hears about three visitors in Judea who are inquiring about the Messiah: who is he? (Matthew 2:2). The three visitors are called magi or wise men and may have been scientists who study the stars. The wise men have observed a new star in the sky and have followed it to Jerusalem. Based on their question, the wise men had some knowledge of Numbers 24:17, which predicts a king rising out of the line of Jacob. Of course, King Herod has no idea who they are talking about and calls upon the chief priests and scribes to find out about the Messiah (Matthew 2:4). The chief priests and scribes tell King Herod what the scripture says:

“In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel’” (Matthew 2:5-6 NRSV).

This information poses a threat to King Herod, because the Messiah is the true king of the Jews. The Messiah is posing a real threat to King Herod who has authority from the Roman Empire to rule over Judea. If this Messiah is king, how will King Herod keep order? King Herod lords over his subjects rather than serving their interests. King Herod is a cruel and jealous king who will do anything to protect his reign. By contrast, Jesus is a king who will eat with sinners, heal the sick and disabled, feed the poor, and comfort the needy. Jesus will reveal God’s mystery over his lifetime. In Matthew 20:25, Jesus denounces kings such as Herod. These two kings are juxtaposed against each other, setting the stage for what is to come.

King Herod sends the three wise men to find the Messiah to pay their respect and asks them to come back to tell him where they found the baby boy so he can do the same (Matthew 2:8).

photo credit: Los tres Reyes Magos adorando al niño via photopin (license)

The wise men go on their way to find and pay respect to the Messiah by following the star (Matthew 2:7, 9). When they find Mary with toddler Jesus, the wise men are overcome with joy and give him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:10-11). As they prepare to leave, the wise men are warned through a dream not to go back to King Herod and to go back home a different way (Matthew 2:12). Although the wise men practice a different faith tradition, God leads them by a star to Jesus, which changes their course in the future. It is no longer about astronomy or science for the wise men. The journey changes their directions and leads the wise men to a new understanding of life and the knowledge of in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, though they may have not understood the impact he would have on the world.

By contrast, King Herod refuses to embrace God’s light in the world and feels threatened by a baby/toddler king. Before he sends them on their way to find the Messiah, King Herod asks the wise men when they first observed the star in the sky (Matthew 2:7b). This tells King Herod approximately how old the Messiah is.

When the three wise men do not return to Jerusalem to inform him where the Messiah is, King Herod orders all boys under the age of two to be killed (Matthew 2:16). Because he is afraid, King Herod is cruel, and he attempts to aim his cruelty at the Messiah and at anybody else who gets in the way. King Herod views the Messiah as a threat who will be able to overthrow his kingship for he will be the true King of the Jews.

Massacre of the Innocents by Valerio Castello, Italy, 1656-1658, oil painting on canvas

Kingship means sometime different to God than it does to the kings of the world. To the kings in the world, kingship means political power and riches, while to God, kingship is the responsibility of tending to the needs of the people, his children who will follow Jesus.

Jesus escapes the cruelty of King Herod when Joseph, his father, gets a visit in a dream from angel who tells him to take his family to Egypt and to remain there until King Herod dies (Matthew 2:14-15). Jesus escapes death for the first time, because it is not yet his time.

God gives us an alternative route in life—a chance to believe in something bigger than ourselves. We can choose to live in fear or to embrace God’s love for us. Jesus does not enter the world with the promise of an easy life if we follow him. Mothers and fathers have and will always fear for the safety of their children, and they have and will question why God allows some children to die too soon. Jesus even says families will divide over the sake of his name (Luke 12:49-53). Jesus says the world will be at war with itself before the end times. Jesus, the Messiah, does not make the world a safer place. However, Jesus promises that the challenges of this world are only temporary. Through Jesus Christ, we are promised eternal life—entrance into the Kingdom of God. We are promised to see God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in heaven where there will be no pain and suffering. As long as we believe in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who comes from God the Father, we will see the Triune God in his glory and be welcomed home in his kingdom.

Come, O Lord, come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for protecting us from the cruelty in the world, like you saved Jesus from King Herod. Help us to follow the path that you are leading us to follow, even in our confusion and frustration. Guide us in the wilderness where the world plots against us. Remind us that you have a plan greater than us. Thank you for guiding and leading us through the wilderness. Amen.

Reading for Second Sunday after Pentecost: John 1:1-18

Peace be with you!

The Gospel of John holds a special place in my heart. John writes about Jesus being approachable by anyone—the sick, the lame, the sinner, the seeker, the doubter, and the poor. It is primarily about having a personal relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. However, John’s gospel opens in a wonderful literary, poetic way, introducing us to Jesus Christ, the Son of God and son of man—the Word (John 1:1-2, 14), the light of the world (John 1:5, 9), the life (John 1:4), and God’s Son (John 1:14, 18) who is full of glory, grace, and truth (John 1:14).

Imagine the opening credits of the story of Jesus Christ: The Movie with the narrator reading the first twenty verses of the Gospel of John.

photo credit: The Beginning via photopin (license)

Imagine the first scene being from the creation story when God (the Father and the Son) created the heavens and the world. The first few verses of John takes the reader back to the creation story, back to the beginning of time: “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2 NRSV). Jesus is the Word from God. God becomes flesh through Jesus Christ and is made known to us through him. No one can know God without first knowing Jesus. Yet it is God the Father who sends Jesus to us. You cannot know one without knowing the other. By knowing God the Father through Jesus, we become a part of an intricate relationship. The story of Jesus Christ, our Messiah, begins in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve brought sin, brokenness, and darkness into the world, which is why we need Jesus in the first place.

Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus Christ comes into the world to be our light and to overcome the darkness (John 1:4-5). Light vs. darkness is a central theme in the Gospel of John. The light represents the good news of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, while darkness represents evil. God sends Jesus Christ into the world to conquer the devil and to free us from his grip.

When an individual lives in darkness, he/she only feels despair, anger, and resentment. We all know an individual or two who fights darkness on a daily basis. The friend who never seems to land on his/her feet and feels engulfed by the darkness. It is as though every time they have something positive going for them, the darkness brings them down again.

But even if we feel like we are living in the darkness, Jesus is overcoming the darkness through his presence in our lives. All we need to do is allow Jesus to be active in our lives. We can do that by taking our problems, dilemmas, and despair to Jesus and by having conversations with him through prayer.

photo credit: Madonna Nativity 20 via photopin (license)

Now imagine the camera going to the nativity scene. Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem and find there are no rooms left at the inn—the innkeepers represent the dark forces in the world who do not want the light to enter. However, Mary and Joseph find an empty stable where Jesus enters the world, despite the wishes of the darkness.

Jesus brings life to those who come into a relationship with him. Not only that, Jesus offers us a chance to be in a relationship with God, if we only believe. By sending Jesus to do ministry, to be crucified, and to be resurrected, God is inviting us to live life through a relationship with him.

When we experience a spiritual healing, we are given the opportunity to experience life as God intended from the beginning. By having Jesus in our lives, we are invited to enjoy and have eternal life. Jesus conquered death through his crucifixion and resurrection, so we could enjoy eternal life with the Triune God.

photo credit: LE NAIN Brothers via photopin (license)

Imagine the scene changes to show the shepherds being visited by a host of angels. The shepherds find Mary and Joseph with Baby Jesus. The shepherds spend time with the holy family and tell them about the host of angels. Mary tears up with all that she hears as Joseph comforts her and Jesus sleeps in the hay. Then two years or so later three wise men follow a star to find the toddler Jesus with Mary and give then gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Even as a small child, Jesus begins having relationships with ordinary individuals in the world.

photo credit: Los tres Reyes Magos adorando al niño via photopin (license)

Jesus is God’s only begotten Son. God sent us his only Son, so he could die for our sins, a debt we cannot repay. Even at Christmas, there is the promise of the resurrection and eternal life for all who believe.

Jesus is full of glory, grace, and truth. Jesus comes into our lives to give glory to God the Father. Who else can give God the Father the glory he deserves? God’s perfect Son gives glory to his Father. We can learn a thing or two from Jesus about giving God the Father glory by lifting him up in everything we do. Imagine the scene of King Herod being angry with the wise men who tricked him and sending his soldiers to kill all of the boys two years old or younger. An angel visits Joseph in a dream, and he takes Mary and toddler Jesus to Egypt to escape King Herod’s ruthless decree. Even as a small child, Jewish authorities felt threatened by Jesus and his kingship over the Jews.

Massacre of the Innocents by Valerio Castello, Italy, 1656-1658, oil painting on canvas

Jesus brings us grace from God the Father. Through his crucifixion and resurrection, we are given grace to be in a relationship with the Triune God, even with all of our imperfections and our sinful nature. Without the grace God gives us through Jesus, we would not be able to be in a relationship with the Triune God.

Jesus brings us truth from God the Father. Jesus is constantly battling the Pharisees over what God truly wants for his children and the devil over what it truly means to be a king. Jesus is constantly showing us what it means to be loved by God the Father. In his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus proves all of these things to those who are willing to believe.

Jesus is also constantly battling rejection and acceptance (John 1:11-13). His own people would not accept Jesus because he was constantly going against the teaching of the Pharisees. Jesus goes against the grain and challenges us to seek truth. Since his own people would not accept him, Jesus reaches out to the Gentiles, non-Jews, and invites them to be children of God. Anyone, Jews and Gentiles alike, who chooses to believe in his name is given the power to be a child of God. What an awesome power to be given!

Preaching of St John the Baptist  1486-90
Fresco, width 450 cm
Cappella Tornabuoni, Santa Maria Novella, Florence

Now the movie begins with John the Baptist on the Jordan River. The crowd has its attention on John as he shouts, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me” (John 1:15c NRSV). Soon John will baptize Jesus, and we will follow Jesus as he travels throughout Galilee and to Jerusalem where he will face the Pharisees and be led to the cross. The author of the Gospel of John connects the story of Jesus with the creation story and invites us on the Jesus’s journey as the story unfolds.

On this third day of 2016, I challenge you to make a resolution to grow closer to God. Welcome this (re)introduction to Jesus Christ as a way to (re)connect with the Triune God.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for (re)introducing Jesus to us. Help us to accept his teachings this coming year and to welcome him into our lives. Thank you for the awesome power to be your children. Amen.