Readings

Micah 5:2-5a

Psalm 80:1-7

Hebrews 10:5-10

Luke 1:39-55

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Life can be overwhelming at times. Your boss gives you not enough time to finish the biggest project in your career. Your wife is diagnosed with breast cancer just as you loose your job along with the health insurance. Your daughter is raped in her college dorm. Your son is deaf and is hit by a school bus on his way to work. Or [whatever “it” is] that is going on in your life. Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary get the most overwhelming news in their lives by the angel Gabriel that God has plans for them.

The angel Gabriel visits Zechariah, a priest, about Elizabeth, his wife, having a baby, which he has a hard time believing because they are both old (Luke 1:16-25). It is overwhelming news for Zechariah, because Elizabeth barren and having a baby as an old lady is even harder and dangerous. When she does have a child, Elizabeth sings the Lord praises (Luke 1:24-25).

Elizabeth and Zechariah are not the only people the angel Gabriel gives overwhelming news to. The angel Gabriel visits Mary who is engaged to Joseph and is a virgin and tells her she is with child (Luke 1:32). Mary gets confused because she should not be able to have a baby yet. The angel Gabriel tells Mary God has looked upon her with favor and made her with child through the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).

Mary decides to go visit Elizabeth and Zechariah when she hears the news (Luke 1:39-40). As soon as Mary sees her, the child in Elizabeth’s womb jumps for joy and Elizabeth shouts with joy that the Lord has blessed them both (Luke 1:41-45). Elizabeth’s son (John the Baptist) will lead the way for Mary’s son (Jesus). The two women will be forever bond together.

Mary answers Elizabeth’s praises by singing God praises for blessing her. Mary understands God could have chosen a more suitable woman to be the mother to his son: someone married, older, wiser, richer, etc. To the world, Mary is young girl who is not married yet from a poor family with little consequence. God’s son should be born in royalty with all the power in the world. Yet Mary will be remembered by future generations (Luke 1:48b) for being the mother of God’s son. For this, Mary sings God’s praises – not because God gives her an easy life but because he gives her a reason to live out her faith.

We have a lot to learn from Mary. Many times when God gives us overwhelming news we run, hide, duck our heads, scream at the closest person to us, throw things, give up, etc. The last thing we do is praise God. Even with the overwhelming news, Mary sings God praises for blessing her with the greatest gift.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving Elizabeth and Mary a reason to live out their faith. Help us to have to their wisdom to sing you praises during overwhelming times. Give us the courage to be strong in our faith. Thank you for the many blessing in our lives. Amen.

Works Cited

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

Reflective Questions

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

1. Who do you visit when you get overwhelming news?

2. How will you be remembered?

3. When do you sing God praises?

Readings

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Isaiah 12:2-6

Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Darkness has entered our children and has left its mark. Children have come home silent and despaired – evil has taken away their innocence. Parents have rushed home to give hugs and kisses to their children. Other parents wail laments for their children who will never come home again – let alone wake Christmas morning to open their gifts. Words escape us. Nothing we say will bring back the  sense of safety for our children or our own sense of safety. Nothing we say will give the children back their innocence, because they face Satan today. Nothing we say…

Where do we go from here? How do we share the joy of Christmas in such a dark world? The joy in our children is replaced by horrid images that most adults have yet to see. Their innocence was taken from them. Joy is the last thing on our minds.

People are making the pilgrim to the wilderness to see John the Baptist. Others have gone and heard him preach and have told others to go experience his teachings. In today’s gospel reading, John the Baptist seems to be taking questions from the crowd. John the Baptist has started talking about the end of the world – how God will cut away the bad oats from the good ones. The crowd asks, “What then should we do?” (Luke 3:10 NRSV). John the Baptist puts it in simply: share, be fair, and be honest.

The wilderness has come to us as we try to put things back together, yet nothing will bring back the twenty children that were killed. Their parents’ joy was stolen from them in that fatal act. So let’s share and be fair and honest about our feelings. Friday was a dark day worldwide. The twenty children died too soon. The children left behind fear going back to school tomorrow, because their sense of safety is lost in the darkness. The children’s joy and innocent was stolen. Bitterness has replaced the joy of the season, and it is cruel. We are wondering in the wilderness.

The tax collectors ask, “What should we do?” (Luke 3:12c, 14b NRSV). You have to understand the tax collectors and the soldiers are daily reminders to the Jews of the Roman Empire. These individuals understand they are view as a threat to the common people. To the tax collectors, John the Baptist says to only collect what the Roman officials tell them too (Luke 3:13). We know from Mark and Matthew Jesus told his disciples to give to Caesar what is due to him and to give to God what belongs to him (Mark 12:17; Matthew 22:21). It is important to be fair by only taking from the people what is owed in order to ensure they can still provide for their family and help friends in need.

Even if you are not a parent, your heart is breaking. No one is asking us to pay higher taxes today, but friends and family need our time and energy. John the Baptist calls us to help those in need. Although words may not come easily, your presence is what is needed during this time of despair. One lady in a Cerebral Palsy support group has a daughter that attends Sandy Hook Elementary. Throughout the weekend, I have been passing along helpful links, like A Prayer of Lament, and hat to say to your children. I sent her anything that would give her words in amidst so many questions and so much fear. With no children of my own, my detachment from the tragedy – not by much – allowed me the ability to gather resources to share with the mother and others. I became rich in my time and energy, and I felt called to give to those in need.

The soldiers ask, “What should we do?” (Luke 3:12c, 14b NRSV). To the soldiers, John the Baptist says, “Do not extort from anyone by threats or false accusations, and be satisfied with your wages.” (Luke 3:14 NRSV).  The soldiers are to be fair to the people – do not punish them anymore than necessary and to protect them from false accusations whether than waving around their power to get what they want.

In amidst the heartache, people want someone to be held responsible for the twenty  children killed. Some people are calling for stronger gun control laws; others want every teacher to have a gun in the classroom; others say it would have happened no matter what. There is no simple answer. No matter what changes are made in the future those eleven children are not coming home.

What should we do now? Parents who have lost their children need our support more than anything. They do not need answers to all their questions or solutions. They do not need to hear God needed more angels. They need hugs, a listening ear, comfort and compassion, love and support, and someone to wipe their tears. These parents have tons of raw emotions. Making room for their wailing laments is our job.

John the Baptist and Jesus both understand the roles of the tax collectors and the soldiers. Under the Roman Empire, the tax collectors and the soldiers are able to be liaisons between the people and the government officials. The empire has a role in the people’s lives. John the Baptist is instructing the tax collectors and the soldiers to be fair and considerate to the common people.

Who are the parents’ liaisons? Who is going to listen to their fears? Who is going to prevent this from ever happening again? Where will survivors go from here? Who is going to lift up these children? John the Baptist understands the tax collectors and the soldiers have important roles in our lives. The soldiers are commission to keep us safe, even today. Soldiers come in different forms – police, firemen, teachers, counselors, mediators, judgers, lawyers, parents, and many more. These are the people who are commission to keep us safe. Our soldiers were attacked Friday by the evil, and now we need to lift them up in prayer and to stand by them as they weep. We need to be their soldiers in this time. To borrow a phrase from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: We are to be God’s hands and feet to those who need consoling.

The crowd starts to question if John the Baptist is the Messiah that they are waiting for (Luke 3:15). John the Baptist shoots the crowd down by stating that one more powerful than him will come. “John answered all of them by saying, ‘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 sandals. 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). The Messiah will be more powerful than John the Baptist; he will baptize with the Holy Spirit, not just water; he will separate those who believe from the darkness and cut away those who follow Satan; he will destroy the world and lift up those who believe.

As we reflect on the events of this past Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary, we find ourselves in the wilderness wondering when the Messiah will return to overcome Satan once and for all. Where do we go from here? How do we share the joy of Christmas in such a dark world? I invite you to light a candle in your window. Let it be a sign that the Holy Spirit burns within us, and an invitation for others to welcome Jesus Christ into their hearts. That is the joy baptism gives us, even in this dark world!

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending John the Baptist to point us towards Jesus Christ, your son. Guide us in the wilderness as we look for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Shine your light from within us and let others be drawn to your magnificent light. Thank you for sending John the Baptist to set a fire in our hearts. Amen.

Works Cited

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

Reflective Questions

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

1. What is John the Baptist calling you to do?

2. Write a press release about Jesus Christ and salvation. What would John the Baptist’s Twitter feed look like announcing the coming Messiah?

3. In the wilderness, what should we do?

Readings

Malachi 3:1-4

Luke 1:68-79

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Radicals: Individuals who make nonsense claims in the name of change and social advancements. Their ideas are way out there, based on the norm of the day, and they insist on pushing the envelope.

Each generation has its own radicals. Martin Luther and his Ninety-Five Theses called for radical changes within the Catholic Church. The beloved Martin Luther King, Jr. pushed for equality for African Americans. His “I Have a Dream” speech rings true in our minds today, but during the Civil Rights Movement, King was speaking against the “normal.”  Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple Inc., was a radical for dreaming that every family be able to have a personal computer one day. He dreamed this in the 1980’s, when computers were as big as rooms.

And then there is John the Baptist in today’s gospel reading with the proclamation of salvation for all. John the Baptist preaches in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord, so that everyone can experience God’s salvation. The wilderness has negative connotations in the Bible as a place that is barren and lonely, but it also has positive connotations as a place people go when change is about to happen. God has a new plan for his people that pushes the envelope on the “normal” way things are done. The fact that John the Baptist is the wilderness draws attention away from the Jewish temples and synagogues and into the unknown. The wilderness is a forbidden place where people wander around aimlessly and in confusion. Yet God sends John the Baptist out into the wilderness with a new message for his people: salvation for all.

John the Baptist in the wilderness is calling people to experience God, to get to know him, to be in a relationship with God, and to repent of their sins for the chance of a lifetime – a chance to experience salvation. Honestly, you have to admit that if John the Baptist was a traditional priest like his father, he would gone unnoticed. The high priests probably would have imprisoned him for going against their traditional teachings. But John the Baptist is in our face calling us into the wilderness to experience God: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:4b-6 NRSV, italics added for emphasis). John the Baptist says to us, “Make way for the Lord. The lame will walk, the poor will be fed, and the sinner will be forgiven. All who repent will be able to experience salvation.” Jesus Christ is coming; he wants to enter our hearts and fill us with joy and happiness, if we let him.

John the Baptist’s radical message is not just for those along the Jordon River two thousand years ago; it is for us today as well. Salvation is for all people, no matter their age, skin color, number of tattoos and piercings, education, cash flow, etc. John the Baptist says Jesus Christ, the Messiah, meets us where we are in our lives, either high on a mountain or deep in a cavern. Jesus is coming. Are you ready?

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for preparing our hearts to meet Jesus. Help us to repent of our sins and prepare the way of the Lord.  Thank you for Jesus’ salvation. Amen.

Works Cited

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

Reflective Questions

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

1. What do you need to repent of this Advent season?

2. How have you seen God use barren places in your life to bring change and renewal?

Readings

Jeremiah 33:14-16

Psalm 25:1-10

1 Thessalonians 3:3-19

Luke 21:25-36

Devotion

Peace be with you!

In the twenty-first century, we are inundated with “signs” telling us what to think, what to do, how to act and dress, and [whatever “it” is] that is our sights. The

Signs found using Google Images. Messages do not necessary represent opinions of God the Healer.

sun rises in the east alerting us to a new day; radio personalities inform of the day’s weather and news; our significant others leave us notes of their love or notes reminding us of the schedule for the day; we drive to work and see billboards advertising local businesses and services; we get to work and find emails informing us of upcoming projects; later, we watch our favorite television shows on our computers and tablets. Signs inform us what is going on in the world.

The Christmas festivities are now in full swing. You just have to step into Wal-Mart to be greeted with a cardboard Santa informing you Christmas is just twenty-three days away. As you walk pass the jewelry department, you read: “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” And if your kids happen to be with you, you are dragged to the toy department accompanied by begging and whining for the latest toys. According to Wal-Mart or [whatever department store you go to], Christmas is about buying gifts.

Jesus tells us about the sign of the end of time: earth will pass away (Luke 21:25-26) and the Son of Man will come in a cloud (Luke 21:27a NRSV). In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a few friends have asked if the end of time is coming. Although I am sure more destruction will happen before the end, it is important to remember that when that day comes, it will bring hope with it. We are looking towards the beginning of the end as we look forward to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,  and as we look towards the second coming of Jesus Christ. And when Jesus comes, he brings hope with him.

The destructive power of natural disasters, such as forest fires, tornadoes, and hurricanes, can leave communities devastated and in hopeless states of minds. A friend and I were discussing how dependent we are on electricity – from lights and heat to paying bills online and keeping touch with friends and family around the world. Much of our daily activities are dependent on electricity and we often do not realize this is true until it is gone. It scares me to think about not having electricity for a week, because I have to charge my electric wheelchair every few days. Otherwise, I am stuck relying on others to push me around in my manual wheelchair.

Yet Jesus says this world will pass away before the end of time will happen. We have to lose everything that surrounds our lives before we can stand in front of Jesus in the Kingdom of God. We must lose our comfort zone before we see the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise. As natural destruction happens, we keep our eyes on Jesus, because destruction means new life. The world may fall apart, but Jesus’ words of promise will always mean something to us – new life in the wake of destruction.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the signs leading us to your kingdom at the end of time. Help us to keep strong as the earth falls away. Remind us that your word will never stop having power. Lead us to your kingdom.  Thank you for new life after destruction as you have promised. Amen.

Works Cited

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

Reflective Questions

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

1. What signs lead you in your life?

2. How have you experience new life after destruction?

Readings

Isaiah 64:1-9

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Mark 13:24-37

Devotion

Peace be with you!

There is a certain level of anxiety that comes with waiting. Will my new son or daughter be born healthy? Will my husband or my wife make it through surgery? Will the builder make the deadline, or will the bank have to re-evaluate my construction loan? Will my son or daughter ever be healthy enough to escape the intensive care unit? Will my friend wake up from his/her coma? Will I achieve my life long dream – [whatever “it” is]? Will the government approve my request for public assistance? Or will [whatever “it” is] ever happen? It could be as simple as waiting for a friend to show up and as intense as waiting for a jury’s verdict.

The not knowing what will happen causes us to have anxiety, because we are so use to knowing what is to come. The day I defended my MA thesis was nerve racking for me. I had to defend my work in front of two professors who I respected whole hearty and felt unworthy to present before. After my defense, I was asked to leave the room for ten minutes while my thesis advisors deliberated. I remember driving my electric wheelchair in a figure eight in front of the library doors and having a friend come out to calm my nerves. After two years of studies and a year of writing, my fate was left up to those two professors. Although I was asked to reword a few topics, I was grated the pass to graduation. While I was relieved I got a pass, the ten minutes of waiting were nerve wracking, which has really never left me, especially now as I attempt to prove myself as a New Testament scholar.

Waiting is one of the hardest things to do, especially when you do not know what is going to happen or what the outcome will be. Sure, you may have an idea of what is going to happen and have an ideal outcome.

So here we are with Prophet Isaiah speaking to the Lord about forgiving the Israelites. By doing so, Prophet Isaiah reminds the Lord that we are his clay to scalp into his image (Isaiah 64:8). We are all children of God (Isaiah 64:9) as Prophet Isaiah reminds the Lord as well as the Israelites and us. God forms us in his own image.

Prophet Isaiah is reminding God of his ways and reminding us of how we are to live in order to honor God. We are being reminded of our relationship with God the Father and his love for us. We are created in his likeness, and we are his people – all his people.

Prophet Isaiah also has news of the Lord coming to meet Israelites (and us) in the world. We need to be alert and be prepared for his arrival by following the Ten Commandments and honor his ways. Each individual honors the Lord in different ways. One person maybe honor God by being a pastor, while another person may honor God by being a nurse, a newspaper seller, a politician, or [whatever “it” is] you do to bring the good news to others. When we live out our calling(s), we bring honor to the Lord.

While the Israelites were waiting for the first coming of the Lord, we, as Christians, are waiting for Jesus Christ to come again. The Advent season helps us to remember the promise of Jesus’ return to judge the living and the dead. The season of waiting is where we come to appreciate the Jews’ anticipation of the coming of the Lord and what it was like not to understand how the Lord was going to fulfill his promise. As Christians, (in my opinion at least) it is easy for us to skip a few and end up at Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection that we miss the anticipation in not knowing. Or do we experience anticipation of our own?

In Mark 13:24-37, we read about Jesus’ second coming. Jesus is talking in parables to his disciples in this section. Just a few verses before this parable Jesus warns the disciples about false messiahs who will “come in the Lord’s name” (Mark 13:22-24). But here Jesus is stressing the importance of keeping and being alert, because he will be back (Mark 13:33, 35, 36). Jesus is saying I maybe leaving for now, but I’ll be back as Arnold Schwarzenegger would say. We cannot forget what Jesus did for us on the cross, because he keeps on doing it and will have the final say.

Although we may know how the Christmas story, we do not know when, how, where, why, etc Jesus’ second coming. As the Jews had anticipation as to when, how, where, why, etc the Messiah was going to come, we, as Christians, have the same anticipation of Jesus’ second coming.

As I reflect on Jesus’ second coming, I cannot help to ask the when, how, where, why, etc questions. Are we almost to the end? Will I go to heaven? Have I made the Lord glad in my answer to his calling? I invite you to experience the anticipation the Jews/Israelites felt when they were waiting for the coming Messiah.

Another way to look at it is to forget the ending of the story for a moment and dwell on what it would be like to experience the wonderment of not knowing the when, how, where, why, etc answers. Try to hear the Christmas story for the first time. Walk with Mary and Elizabeth as they carry their sons. Feel their amazement, fear, joy, love, and anticipation as they begin the story that would change our lives forever.

Come, O Lord, come.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the opportunity to join in the anticipation of waiting for Jesus to come again. Help us to forget the ending of the Christmas story in order to feel Mary’s and Elizabeth’s raw emotion as the impossible happens. Thank you for inviting us to experience the Christmas story. Amen.

Works Cited

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

Reflective Questions

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

1. How do you honor God?

2. How are you going to relive the Christmas story?

3. Where are do you feel God is calling you?

Readings

1 Kings 17:8-16

Psalm 146

Hebrews 9:24-28

Mark 12:38-44

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The impoverished widow puts her last two coins in the offering plate, and Jesus says she has contributed more than all the rest (Mark 12:42-43). The widow had practically nothing to her name, yet she put in all she had. Meanwhile, the scribes dress in the best robes and want to be greeted in the marketplace and at banquets with honor. They really believe that it’s “all about them.” The scribes are the ones who are given authority over the Jewish laws. The scribes are supposed to live humbly among God’s people, yet they live “high on the hog” instead. The scribes are supposed to tend to the needs of the poor and needy, yet they fill their wardrobes with most elegant clothes.

Jesus is appalled by the scribes’ lack of caring for God’s people. He laments over the fact that the poor widow feels the need to give all she has to the treasury, yet no one tends to her needs as a child of God. The poor widow has nothing, yet she tends to the needs of others. Something is wrong with this picture, according to Jesus.

As God’s people, we are called to tend to the needs of the poor, people with disabilities, and others who need help. It is not enough to just read God’s Word and pray. God wants us to live in community with each other and take of each other, especially those who are less fortunate than ourselves. God entrusts us with resources not so much for our own pleasure, but to enable us to take care of one another.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for entrusting us with the responsibility to care for one another. Help us not to be like the scribes, but rather to be caring to one another. Give us a loving heart to show compassion to individuals who are poor, disabled, elderly, and less fortunate. Thank you for giving us a community to live in as your people. Amen.

Works Cited

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

Reflective Questions

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

1. Who are the scribes in today’s world?

2. Who is the poor widow in today’s world?

Readings

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Psalm 119:1-8

Hebrews 9:11-14

Mark 12:28-34

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The world Jesus lived in and the world we live in are not much different. The world was and still is a hostile place – Satan still lives among us. As the Pharisees and the scribes plot to have Jesus arrested and killed, Jesus is in the temple in Jerusalem when a scribe asks him what the greatest commandment is (Mark 12:28c). As Jesus faces the upcoming ordeal of the cross, the question allows him one last chance to teach the masses.

The scribe’s question comes out of sincerity; even though most of the scribes aligned themselves with the Pharisees, some of them were open to Jesus’ message. If Jesus is the Messiah (or even just a great teacher, as far as the scribe knows), then he should know which of the commandments is the greatest. The scribe wants to know what God really wants from his children. The scribe is asking, “What is at God’s heart?” (Mark 12:28c).

The answer is simple: love your God with your whole being – heart, understanding, soul and strength (Mark 12:29-30; Deuteronomy 6:4-5). This is the positive side of the first commandment: you shall have no other gods. Our God is the one above all of the other gods. No other god can love us more than our God. He deserves the wholeness of our love.

How do we express our love to God? Jesus gives us a second commandment: love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31; Leviticus 19:18). God shows us love through others’ actions, and we show others God’s love through our actions. Micah 6:6 says that God wants justice, kindness, and humility to be how we live out our lives and express his love to others.

As you look at the devastation Hurricane Sandy left in the northeast, I invite you to think of ways to show God’s love to those trying to rebuild their lives. Will you donate to Red Cross? Will you help with the clean-up? Will you send teddy bears to the children who lost their homes and toys in the storm? Will you make meals for those who now have nothing? Will you make families without a bed a quilt? Will you shovel your elderly neighbor’s snowed-in driveway? Will you drive a person in a wheelchair to safety? Hurricane Sandy is having a great effect on the northeastern part of United States. What a great excuse for us to love God by loving others.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us by sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins. Help us to show others your love through our actions of justice, kindness, and humility. Remind of your love through the actions of others. Thank you for allowing us to show others your love. Amen.

Works Cited

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

Reflective Questions

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

1. What is at God’s heart? What does God want from us?

2. How will you love God by loving those affected by Hurricane Sandy?

Readings

Jeremiah 31:7-9

Psalm 126

Hebrews 7:23-28

Mark 10:46-52

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Jesus is leaving Jericho for Jerusalem with his disciples, surrounded by a crowd. As he goes on his way, a blind man yells out to Jesus, begging for healing. The crowd gathered around Jesus attempts to silence him (Mark 10:46-47, 52). With a sense of urgency, the blind man yells out again, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:47b, 48b; NRSV).

How many times do we hush others when something more important – in our eyes – is going on? Maybe we just want the individual to wait for a more appropriate time. Parents will ask their children to be quiet when an adult is talking. The crowd senses Jesus is on an important mission as he leaves Jericho for Jerusalem. After Jesus’ three predictions of his crucifixion, the readers understand Jesus is heading to the cross to bring about the forgiveness of our sins. The needs of the blind man seem small in comparison. How often have you felt that your prayer concerns were so small in comparison with the needs of the world? How many times do you stop yourself from asking Jesus Christ for [whatever “it” is] that would make your life easier?

However, perhaps the blind man understands that this is his last chance to be healed by Jesus. He calls out to Jesus, desperate for his mercy and healing. Jesus stops and calls the blind man over to ask what he wants (Mark 10:49a, 51a). The blind man springs forward asking Jesus to allow him to see again (Mark 10:50, 51b). Jesus knows something the crowd does not know: the blind man will become a follower of Jesus and will become one of his disciples (Mark 10:52b).

Jesus answers the blind man’s request by simply saying, “Go; your faith had made you well.” (Mark 10:52a; NRSV). Upon regaining his sight, the man follows Jesus to Jerusalem (Mark 10:52b) where Jesus will die on the cross for our sins.

Jesus knows he is not just healing a blind man; he is calling a man to become one of his disciples. What seems like something minor to us can be something huge to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. By healing the blind man, Jesus is bringing the man into the light and giving him the blessing of eternal life. The blind man knows what it is like to live in the darkness; he understands the dangers of the darkness; he knows the feeling of being alone.

When the blind man seeks the healing, he is not only asking for his sight back, but he is asking to live in the light in community with Jesus’ disciples. The blind man wants a relationship with God. Nothing is more important than bringing an individual into the light to be in a relationship with the Triune God and in community with other followers of Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for stopping to tend to the needs of the blind man, even as you were heading to the cross. Help us to ask for [whatever “it” is] that burns on our hearts and holds us back from sharing the good news. Remind us that no prayer request is too small or too insignificant for you to answer.  Thank you for healing us of [whatever “it” is] that holds us back, so we can continue to share the good news. Amen.

Works Cited

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

Reflective Questions

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

1. What are the things you have trouble bringing to Jesus in prayer, worried that they are too insignificant? How could [whatever “it” is] help you further Jesus’ good news?
2. How does Jesus continue to call you to share the good news?

Readings

Isaiah 53:4-12

Psalm 91:9-16

Hebrews 5:1-10

Mark 10:35-45

Devotion

Peace be with you!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks be to God!

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

Works Cited

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

Reflective Questions

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

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

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

Readings

Job 23:1-9, 16-17

Psalm 90:12-17

Hebrews 4:12-16

Mark 10:17-31

Devotion

Peace be with you!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks be to God!

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

Works Cited

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

Reflective Questions

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

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

2. What do you trust God with? How?

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