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Archive for the ‘Time Up to Pentecost’ Category

Eternal Words of Jesus

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 29, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Luke 21:33
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Jesus’ words are eternal. Jesus’ message, then, is also eternal. No matter how one might interpret the passages in this chapter of Luke about the end times and whether or not the signs have already happened or will still happen… well, that’s not my point today. No, I just want to highlight the other aspect of this passage which is even more important: Jesus’ eternal words, in the face of the passing away of both heaven and earth, two distinct dimensions of life, will remain. Pure truth will survive. Love will stand. Mercy will triumph over justice. Light will shine brighter than any darkness. Hope and faith will remain.

It is indeed the new heaven and the new earth and that idea is beyond anything we can fathom.

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One of the Others

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , on April 28, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Luke 24:9-10
When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. [emphasis mine]

Are you just among the others? There are such a lot of “big names” out there, the “stars” of Christendom or even in our local churches… you know, those obvious leaders of the church, the worship team, the choir director, the pastor, the lay leader, etc. And so often, we feel as though our small contribution to the big picture is unworthy of mentioning.

But I tell you today, the Lord is lifting up “the others.” Perhaps they are not mentioned by name, but they were there! The others who went with the Mary’s and Joanna to the tomb… they were there. They saw the angels, they saw the empty tomb, they had a story to tell. And the others who were with the Eleven… they heard the story, they communed together despite their fears, they were there. Who knows, perhaps they also ran to the tomb.

Sometimes, it’s important just to show up. We will never know what will happen… but if God speaks, we need to be present to hear. We need to be ready to “witness” what we see and hear. Your story is important. Your witness is important. Let us be present today to see God’s hand.

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Seed of Heaven

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , on April 27, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 13:31b-32
…”The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”

The mustard seed metaphor for the kingdom of heaven is really amazing. First of all, if we remember that the Kingdom of Heaven is synonymous with the Kingdom of God … which is within, then the mustard seed of heaven is within and actually has an opportunity to grow. So, some people have a very small kingdom within and some have a very big one…. the nurtured seed that has become a tree.

This is the whole point of following Christ… to nurture and grow the kingdom of heaven. The seed is planted when we accept Christ. If we follow all the growing metaphors that Jesus used and were recorded in the New Testament, there are lots of lessons on how to grow that seed.

I ask the Lord to give me courage to see the true size of my tree. I know I’ve sprouted, but is it still a seedling after all these years? Is it still struggling to grow because of the quality of the dirt? Is it bearing fruit?

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A Callous Heart

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , on April 25, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 13:15
For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.

A callous is formed on the skin when it is exposed to repetitive activities and the body lays down an additional layer of skin to protect a specific area. Usually, our skin is constantly regenerating by sloughing off old cells and growing new ones. But this repetitive activity prevents the skin from sloughing off.

When a callous forms on the hands of a worker or on the fingertips of a musician, it’s a good thing. It makes it easier to do those repetitive tasks without injury. But, when the heart is calloused, it is no longer able to feel compassion, empathy, or love. The heart is calloused by repetitive hurt, betrayal, and sorrow. Our natural tendency is to “protect” ourselves from further hurt, and so we allow the callouses to form. But, the way of Christ is full of paradoxes and this is another one.

We are called upon to keep the heart open. When we allow those callouses to form on the heart, we miss God. We miss seeing what we are to see and hearing what we are meant to hear. Without a doubt, this is one of the greatest challenges of being committed to the way of Jesus… an authentic Christian.

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Door Number One

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , on April 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 7:7
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Which door will I choose if these three are before me:

  1. Behind door number one are all the experiences that God has for me today. Some may be wonderful but some may be difficult. There will be both sorrow and joy.
  2. Behind door number two will be only the experiences that I want to devise. I can have total control over them. I would know before I opened the door what to expect.
  3. Behind door number three would be the experiences that someone else would select for me. I could choose the person who would pick them out for me. I could probably guess what would be there based on the person who I select to design my day.

We all know what the answer should be. If only we could trust God with our lives each day. Sometimes, I trust God enough to open door number one, but then, when I peek inside, I slam it shut.

Today, I have a follow-up appointment for my teenaged daughter who, apparently, has inflammation of the spine (rheumatoid arthritis). Today, we will hear what her prognosis and treatment plan will be. As much as I would like this part of the day to be behind door number two or even three, I must open door number one in faith. Give me the grace I need. Give her some too.

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See How You Are

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , on April 23, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 7:3
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

My daughter has picked up this phrase from friends at school. It’s said lightheartedly, but it’s always said when someone doesn’t do what she asks. It’s drawing attention to an action (or lack thereof) that is not lining up with her expectation or request. I’m still working on a comeback.

In the end, this pointing out is just another way of adding fuel to a flame. I think we are all saying this in our hearts when we have made a judgment against others. One way to catch these judgments is whenever we use the words of extreme generalizations like “never” or “always.” (Example: my husband “never” compliments me. Today, my husband does not compliment me when I went to extra effort to look nice: See how you are… you “never” compliment me.) It’s like we are building up the evidence to “make our case” … but to what end?

Wouldn’t it be lovely if, instead, we could use the same phrase when it’s a good thing: oh, he remembered to take out the trash, oh, she remembered my birthday, oh, he went the extra mile to help me, and so on. How powerful it could be to build the evidence for good.

Today, help me “see” how others really are… let me find the moments that are edifying and uplifting and to tell them so. “See how you are”… and thank you for being you in my life.

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Customized Temptations

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , , on April 21, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 4:1
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

The only desert temptations we hear about are the ones Jesus must have told to the disciples. We will never know if there were more. But Matthew’s report is that there were at least three and they are recorded as happening after his 40 days of fasting in the desert. The three temptations were 1) turning stones into bread for food; 2) throwing himself off a parapet (of the temple) to be saved, “hopefully,” by angels; and 3) earthly power and authority in exchange for worshiping Satan.

I believe these three temptations are specific to Jesus and what He could expect to encounter again and again in his ministry: the challenges of the body, challenges of faith, and challenges of power (or simply put, temptations of the body, soul & mind). I think it’s foolish to think that this was the only time Jesus encountered temptations. And the same is for us.

We are confronted in these same areas, but the temptations may look slightly different. In my own body, I struggle with body image, food, and aging. In my soul, I struggle with my faith in the face of difficult circumstances, self-condemnation, and hardness of heart (secret places of the heart). In my mind, I struggle with control, judgments of others, and disappointment. My “enemy” is more than happy to provide specific, customized temptations in each of these areas. It is one reason God calls us to daily prayer to prepare our bodies, souls & minds for the assaults of the day.

Keep me mindful this day, Lord, that you alone are worthy of worship. I trust your love. I give thanks for your Word.

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