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Category Archives: Mark

“Hypocrite”

21 Jun

Note on April 22, 2024: I originally wrote this prayer in the summer of 2023. This evening, I was listening to the Bible Project Podcast, and in the midst of their series on the Sermon on the Mount, they had a whole episode dedicated to the Word “hypocrite.” They redefined it for me, and I found that I have apparently either been misinformed or misunderstood the definition of the word the translators used to convey Jesus’s message. Apparently, a more accurate definition would be someone who is doing the things they say they (and you) should do, but they are only doing them for show. So it’s not what I thought, which is the old “do as I say, not as I do” definition, but it’s actually something that only God can tell if we are doing it or not. Only God can see our hearts and motives as we do what we do and say what we say. So this is another example of how my interpretation of scripture can be influenced by misunderstandings and my own lack of education. With that said, her is the prayer I prayed with the wrong definition in mind.

Dear God, I noticed that the New Testament reading for today for the Catholic church had the word “hypocrite” a couple of times. Both times, it was Jesus talking. I decided to take the New Living Translation and find out how many times the word is used in the Bible. As it turns out, it came up 21 times. Three times in the Old Testament (one in Psalms and two in Isaiah) and then 18 in the New Testament (13 in Matthew, one in Mark, two in Luke, one in Acts and one in 1 Timothy). So Matthew really seems to have zeroed in on this word and Jesus’s use of it. Therefore, I thought I would look at the instances when Matthew quotes Jesus as using it, courtesy of Bible Gateway.

  1. Matthew 6:2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  2. Matthew 6:5 Teaching about Prayer and Fasting“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  3. Matthew 6:16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  4. Matthew 7:5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  5. Matthew 15:7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  6. Matthew 22:18 But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  7. Matthew 23:13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  8. Matthew 23:15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  9. Matthew 23:23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  10. Matthew 23:25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  11. Matthew 23:27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  12. Matthew 23:29 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
  13. Matthew 24:51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Jesus seemed to have very little tolerance for hypocrites. Perhaps this is something I should be careful about as I move through this life. Are there areas where I am hypocritical?

I guess hypocrisy is something that requires self-awareness because I know of very few people who are able to see their own hypocrisy in real time. Even now, as I try to search my heart, I try to think of areas where I might be hypocritical, but I can’t think of any. Am I a hypocrite? Almost certainly. Can I identify how? Apparently not.

I think hypocrisy starts with a spirit of judging others. Maybe that’s where I should start. Do I judge others and how do I judge others? If I am judging them for this thing or that, then the odds are probably good that I have some work to do on myself in that area–oh, and I need to stop the judging.

Father, there are six instances in Matthew 23 that includes the phrases “What sorry awaits you…” and “Hypocrites!” I recognize that this is partially Jesus getting the Pharisees riled up so they will crucify him. It’s also getting his last words in with them while he can. But the message is still true. If it is true with me, please reveal it to me. Holy Spirit, please reveal it to me. Jesus, please forgive me.

I pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 21, 2023 in 1 Timothy, Acts, Isaiah, Luke, Mark, Matthew, Psalms

 

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Mark 8:34-35

20 Jun

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.
Mark 8:34-35

Dear God, there are parts of my life I really want to hang on to. I confess it. Not just admit it–I confess it. I want some things in my life the way I want them, especially as they relate to my family. But I’m slowly getting better. I’m slowly turning loose of it. I’m turning loose of my own way and taking up my cross to follow you. I’m getting there.

Last night, I had a conversation that I thought would have messed me up pretty badly, but I think I’m really okay this morning. I think I am. Maybe I’m not, and I’m just in denial, but I think I’m okay. It feels like I given (at least mostly) the forgiveness you’ve told me to give for my own sake. To some extent, I almost feel like I’m outside of this situation looking down on it like a third party. Almost an out-of-body experience. I’m not mad this morning. I didn’t lose any sleep over it last night, although my adrenalin was a little high as I went to bed after the conversation just from the intensity of it so it took me a while to get to sleep, but I wasn’t thinking about it as I went to sleep. My own way that Jesus mentions in verse 34 is not a path to peace. It is a path to angst.

Father, there is a lot of damage that’s been done in the situation to which I’m referring from last night. Some of it really concerns me. Heal hearts. Bring repentance to all involved, including me, for each of our own sakes. I have some people on my heart right now who are really hurting. Please raise up people around them who can be your ears, your voice, and your hands to them. Bring them healing. Ease their pain and make them whole. Help them to deny their own way, turn loose of it, and take up their cross to follow you. Do all of this for their relationships with you and for your glory to come into this world. Please, continue to do the same for me.

I gratefully pray all of this to you, my God, my King, my Savior,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 20, 2023 in Mark

 

Water Stories

16 Jun

Dear God, I was looking at a list of upcoming retreats at Laity Lodge this evening and I came across this description of a retreat

Water is one of the most important of scripture’s recurring symbols. As we work our way through the beginning of the Bible and read about the watery chaos depths of creation, the flood of judgment, and Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea, we begin to see that water is associated with chaos as well as cleansing, death as well as deliverance. Mark’s gospel takes up this symbol-theme in creative and sometimes astounding ways. This weekend retreat will undertake a close reading of three different scenes of Jesus and the disciples in a boat on the sea (Mark 4, 6, and 8) to see what they might teach us about following Jesus through the storms of life.

https://www.laitylodge.org/retreats/summer-2023-2/

It made me want to look at the stories in Mark 4, 6, and 8 to see what they were.

The first is Mark 4:1-2,35-41:

1 Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. 2 He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one…

35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

The second story is Mark 6:45-56:

45 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

47 Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 50 They were all terrified when they saw him.

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” 51 Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, 52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.

53 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. They brought the boat to shore 54 and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once, 55 and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

The third is Mark 8:1-21, although this one is just a brief mention of being in the boat:

1 About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, 2 “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.”

4 His disciples replied, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?”

5 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

“Seven loaves,” they replied.

6 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. 7 A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.

8 They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. 9 There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten. 10 Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha.

11 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

12 When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.” 13 So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.

14 But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. 15 As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”

16 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? 19 When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”

“Twelve,” they said.

20 “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

“Seven,” they said.

21 “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.

As I look at these–especially the first two–I want to think about “following Jesus through the storms of life,” as the description of the retreat said. The first story is interesting because I’m not sure what the disciples should have done differently. If they had done it right, what would they have done? I’m not sure I’ve ever asked myself this question before. I’ve accepted their correction by Jesus for doing it incorrectly, but what would doing it correctly have looked like? I suppose they should have just sat and prayed. Maybe together. Maybe separately. Maybe holding hands. But I guess, in an ideal world, they would have simply let Jesus sleep and prayed. I suppose they could have sat and talked among themselves during the storm, assuming that as long as Jesus was with them they probably weren’t going to sink, but simple prayer would probably have sufficed. I guess the thing that made what they did really wrong was that they seemed to blame Jesus for their danger. They accused him of not caring.

I have a situation I need to deal with, and my first reaction was to sit and reason through the solution. I was fretting a bit. What will I do? How will I handle this? Will I survive it? Then I mentioned it to a friend and they reminded me that I needed to start with prayer. Wow! One of my biggest failings is that my first response is almost never to come to you in prayer. To bring my situation to you and ask for your Holy Spirit to guide me through it. I lean upon my own “wisdom,” such that it is, and I don’t lean on you.

The second story from Mark 6 is interesting because it does not include a rebuke from Jesus, but comfort. He was going to walk past them, but he saw they needed to know they were safe. I have to admit I’ve never really understood what the plan was here. How did they think he would catch up to them at Bethsaida? Would another group of disciples bring him in a boat? But as they were struggling, they saw him. They didn’t understand and they were scared, but he comforted them and told them to not be afraid and take courage. “I am here.” You are here. Yes, you are here. I can take courage. You are here.

The third story from Mark 8:1-21 isn’t like the other boat stories because the disciples aren’t in crisis. They just don’t understand what Jesus is telling them. I think it’s that I need to stop looking for new signs and just accept that Jesus is already at work all around me. You, Father, are at work all around me. You, Holy Spirit, are at work all around me. You, my Triune God, are at work all around me.

Father, I suppose when I combine the stories, that is the answer. You are here working whether I can see you at work or not. It’s amazing that the God of the universe (which seemingly is getting bigger and bigger than our minds can comprehend) is interested in my puny little life. My role is to worship you with all my heart and love my neighbor as myself. Seek you first and your kingdom to come and your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, and then I will find the fruits of your Spirit growing in me. Sometimes you calm the storm, but other times you calm me. Either way, I have nothing to fear. Thank you.

I pray all of this under your authority and with so much gratitude,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 16, 2023 in Mark

 

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Mark 11:27-33

03 Jun

27 Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 28 They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”

29 “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. 30 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!”

31 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. 32 But do we dare say it was merely human?” For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet. 33 So they finally replied, “We don’t know.”

And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Mark 11:27-33

Dear God, I read an article this morning about the culture wars and companies getting “canceled.” This particular article was talking about how large companies can no longer stay neutral on culture war issues as is evidenced by Chick-fil-A angering conservatives because they did some diversity training for their employees and hired an executive to be in charge of diversity initiatives.

I thought about this when I read this passage this morning. In a lot of ways, the Pharisees were trying to carefully navigate the line between your truth and the mob’s opinion. Of course, in their case, they were wrong about John and about Jesus, but I don’t judge them too harshly for their skepticism since I would probably have been skeptical about Jesus too had I been there.

I guess what I need to determine for myself is what is important to me and where do I draw different lines in my life? For example, I have my opinions on LGBTQ+ issues, but, frankly, a lot of them are only partially formed and are not of highest priority for me to figure out. If asked about my love for everyone, my willingness to hire in a diverse way and certainly to serve clients of every walk of life, I am comfortable with how I would answer, but am I willing to take the stands that need to be taken in other areas of my work? Like with the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC), for example. Students of all types need your help. Am I willing to stand in the gap so that they might feel loved and, ultimately, drawn to you?

Father, when I read this story, I know I am a lot closer to being a Pharisee than I am to being one of the apostles. Holy Spirit, reveal to me what you would have me do. Reveal to me the love you have for others. Reveal to me how you feel about different behaviors and lifestyles while also demonstrating to me how to take that knowledge and apply it. I was reminded this week that the message of the apostles in Acts was not about the difference between going to heaven or hell, but it was about attracting people to freedom of release from their sins and also a life lived as Jesus lived. Let that be my mantra as well, and then, Holy Spirit, I will let you take care of the convicting of sin from there.

I pray all of this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 3, 2023 in Mark

 

Mark 6:53-56

06 Feb

When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Mark 6:53-56

Dear God, for whatever reason the word “ran” caught my attention this morning. The first version of this story I read used the word “scurried.” These are words that apply to humans and not you. Whether it’s the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, the image of any type of franticness just doesn’t fit—except for one example.

When I was in college there was a song by Benny Hester called “When God Ran.” The only time we get an image of you running is in the Prodigal Son story. The second part of Luke 15:20:

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

To quote “When God Ran”: The only time I ever saw him run is when he ran to me, took me in his arms, held my head to his chest, said, “My son’s come home again!” lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes, with forgiveness in his voice he said, “Son, do you know I still love you?” It took me by surprise when God ran.

Father, as a dad—as a dad who has been left by a child—I can see at least a little of this in me. It’s interesting because it really hasn’t left me angry at this child. I can see myself responding exactly how Jesus describes you in this parable. I heard a podcast last week who where a mom and dad were missing an adult daughter who had left. When she finally answered the phone one day, His first words were, “Please don’t hang up. We don’t care what you’ve done. We love you.”

Father, help me to live my life in such a way that franticness is not a part of it. Give me peace. Help me to exude you. And I pray that you will one day give me the opportunity to run to my child.

I pray this all under your authority, trusting in you no matter what.

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 6, 2023 in Luke, Mark

 

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Mark 5:21-23

31 Jan

21 Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22 Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, 23 pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”

Mark 5:21-23

Dear God, what kind of begging would it take from me to hear the answer I want to hear from you? My heart hurts, and I’d do it. You know what keeps me from doing it? You. Knowing that you have heard my prayers, you have overlooked nothing, and my faith that you are working out your plan in your perfect timing. I never had to beg for my child’s physical life. I guess, in some ways I have in the past, and you were…well, answering the prayers fit into your plans.

So now I have things on my heart that need your attention. I mentioned them last night in my prayer to you. Endangered pregnancies. Failing marriages. Strained relations between parents and children. Sick children. This morning, I can add someone who lost a brother. And you get to figure this all out. You get to take your knowledge of time and space and guide us through this world, all the while using our prayers to not only inform you on how we are feeling, but also form us into knowing you and becoming more and more like Jesus.

Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, please be in all of the situations on my heart. For friends, family, coworkers, and those about whom I just know of their situation. Holy Spirit, teach me, comfort me, guide me, and live through me. Help me to represent the Father well. Help me to be part of your kingdom coming and your will being done on earth as it is in heaven.

I pray all of this submitted to your authority,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 31, 2023 in Mark

 

Mark 9:30-34

29 Jan

They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
Mark 9:30-34

Dear God, this is all supposition, but I wonder how their conversation went from Jesus saying he was about to be killed and them being afraid to ask to them arguing about who among them was the greatest. That’s a weird transition. Jesus was in some level of anguish and hesitation and they were taking their confusion and arguing about who was the greatest? Very odd.

I told you last Thursday that I really do feel like I’m largely past getting credit for things. That hasn’t always been the case. I don’t know. The older I get the smaller I’m starting to feel. And it’s ironic because, in actuality, this is probably the most influential I’ve ever been in my life. I have a lot of credibility in my little sphere of influence, and that’s great, but I’m certainly not seeking it anymore.

Probably my favorite thing is that I have people come to me when they are trying to solve a problem. I even had a really nice man come to my office today to help him figure out how to help high school students with severe acne. I do really like it that when people wonder how to help someone else, I am one of the people in town they come to for ideas. If I’m going to have a reputation, I want it to be that of someone who knows how to help others. Of course, I tried to talk a lot about you in my conversation with him. In fact, I was talking with a salesman for a staffing company today, and I was able to bring up my faith and praying with him as well. And I met a man on Saturday who I want to reach out and help. It seems like he needs you. Might I be the vessel through which you can bring him to yourself? Can I help him to know you and totally change his life? For his sake. For your sake. Not for mine.

Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, I simply love you. That’s it. I love you. My life is not perfect. I have sorrows, but I also have incredible joy. Be in my sorrows and use them to refine me. Be in my joys and help me to celebrate you in them. And please take care of the people I’m thinking of right now. Some have pregnancy issues. Some have memory and even brain aneurism issues. Some (a surprising number) have back issues and are either recovering from back surgery or preparing for back surgery. Some are going through a divorce. In that case, be with the child involved. Some have children dealing with substance abuse. There is a lot of pain and sorrow out there. Use it all. Use it all for your glory. Don’t waste any of the pain. Use it at, my Lord and my God.

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2023 in Mark

 

Judas

31 Oct

Dear God, I was listening to the Catholic Bible in a Year podcast from Ascension Press by Father Mike Schmitz recently when he was reading from 1 Maccabees. As a Protestant Christian, it was my first time to hear any of the stories. While I was listening, something occurred to me. Judas Maccabeus was a Jewish military hero less than 200 years before Jesus was born. There were two of Jesus’s 12 disciples who were named Judas. I don’t remember reading the name Judas in the Old Testament other than Judas Maccabeus. Is it possible that Judas was a common name to give boys during this era in Israel? Finally–and this one is a big leap–could Judas Iscariot have been wanting to live up to his namesake and frustrated by this fact even more that Jesus didn’t seem to care about Rome’s rule over Israel?

After that, I decided to see who else in the New Testament was named Judas. Just how common was this?

  • Judas Iscariot (we all know him)
  • Judas (not Iscariot): John 14:22
  • Judas, Jesus’s brother: Mark 6:3
  • Judas, called Barsabbas: Acts 15:22 [I wonder if he changed his name because of Judas Iscariot]
  • Jude (author of Jude)–some debate if this might be a duplicate–Jesus’s brother
  • Judas of Galilee: Acts 5:37–rebel leader

Yeah, I think this naming your kid Judas might have been a thing at the time. Of course, that went away over time. Judas Iscariot has become as abhorrent in Christian circles as Benedict Arnold or Adolf Hitler have become in our modern times. I don’t know how many people in Germany currently name their son Adolf, but I would be surprised if it was many.

Father, I don’t know what is in this story for me, but it’s interesting to stop and think about how little decisions, like what to name our child, might impact their lives. I have a few things happening today. Help me as I prepare to go through this day. Let your Holy Spirit go with me. Go with me to work. Let there be healing. Go with me to Rotary. Go with me to San Antonio tonight. Go with me as we strive to bring you glory for all that you do in our lives. Help me to be part of you bringing your kingdom and will being done into the world.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 31, 2022 in Acts, John, Jude, Luke, Mark, Matthew, Uncategorized

 

Mark 9:2-10

01 Oct

2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

Mark 9:2-10

Dear God, verse 2 is the verse of the day from Oswald Chambers’s My Utmost for His Highest. I thought the first few words of his thoughts were a good place to start with this passage:

We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain. If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong. It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he may later go down and lift up the demon-possessed people in the valley.

The part of you not wanting us to stay there. I guess this is why I’ve always had an issue with monks. It feels like they’ve made an intentional choice to avoid the valley as much as possible. I might be wrong and this might be unfair. Perhaps their valley is being there to greet those who come to their monasteries to find a mountain of their own. But I suppose it seems like a…I almost said selfish, but it’s not selfish because they deny themselves a lot. I guess I’ll say it seems like a decision that does not accomplish as much in the world as you might otherwise through their lives. But again, I don’t understand it and I could be totally wrong about this. I guess I’m just acknowledging where my judgment of monks comes from and thinking through the idea that there is likely more to it than I understand because I haven’t take the time to learn more about it.

I was in our church group last week, and the women had just come back from an ACTS retreat the weekend before. One of them mentioned not wanting to lose the high of the experience of being there with you. It reminded me of a song by Charlie Peacock called “Monkeys at the Zoo.”

It’s about coming back from a mountaintop experience: “Will it be different now or the same? Will I have learned anything? Or was it just a way to spend a day or two set aside for thinking thoughts about you? If that’s all it was, I had a good time…”

I’ve been to several mountaintop experiences and I’ve had that experience of coming back motivated but then not doing the little things to discipline myself to carry you into the valley. I expect the work that others did to provide my mountaintop experience will be enough to sustain me. But that’s like going to a tennis camp, working with a coach to improve my game, and then returning home and not doing anything to sustain my level of tennis. But then when someone asks me to play on the weekend I’m terrible. Why? Because I didn’t put in the work on my own.

It was April 2000 when I returned from a mountaintop experience at Laity Lodge. You laid it on my heart to start taking scripture and journaling to you about it. Praying to you about it. Ironically, I started by taking the My Utmost for His Highest verse of the day and praying over it without looking at his commentary. That was over 22 years go. Now I’ve done thousands and thousands of these prayers through journaling. In the aggregate, I can certainly see that it has changed my life.

Father, help me to keep disciplining myself to spend this quality time with you. I was talking to someone yesterday about how much time my wife and I spend talking to each other. We spend over an hour every day catching up and talking. We also pray together nearly every day. Those are great things and they make all of the difference in the world in our relationship. I need to do the same with you. Not that I need to spend an hour praying every day (although it probably wouldn’t hurt), but I certainly need to spend an hour every day exposing myself to you in some way. Maybe not all at once, but cumulatively. Praying. Listening to Christian music. Listening to Christian podcasts or the Bible in a Year podcast. I need to make sure my mind is on the things of you every day. That’s the best way for me to hear your Holy Spirit talk to me. That’s the best way to feel you presence and follow the nudging of my heart. That’s the way to expose the soil of my heart to the seeds you might want to be planting that day. Really, God. Thank you for everything. I’m here to meet with you. Won’t you meet with me?

In Jesus’s name and through the grace you extend to me through his life, death and resurrection and I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 1, 2022 in Hymns and Songs, Mark, My Utmost for His Highest Scripture of the Day

 

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The Day Before Passion Week

09 Apr

Dear God, I decided to go through all four gospels this morning and see what they record Jesus as being up to the day before the Triumphant Entry and Passion Week. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday so it seemed fitting to try to spend some time with Jesus today–the day before. He’s been through a lot at this point, and he knows where he’s going. He has been through the Transfiguration and visited with Moses and Elijah, perhaps even receiving clarity and encouragement from them. He has rebuked James and John for wanting to kill a bunch of Samaritans for not letting him stay in his town. And now it’s all come down to this.

Matthew and Mark actually record Jesus’s activities fairly similarly. They talk about him healing some blind men. because “Jesus had compassion on them (Matthew 20:34).” Mark 10 is more specific and identifies him healing Bartimaeus. I suppose they wanted us to know that Jesus was still having compassion on people and healing them as he prepared for his Passion.

Luke actually gives us a the story of Zacchaeus as Jesus enters Jerusalem but leaves out the blind men (Luke 19). Luke wants us to know that Jesus was still in the mode of extending grace and forgiveness as he entered his last week.

Finally, and true to form, John gives us a whole different perspective. He tells us about a specific scene in Bethany when Mary (of Mary and Martha fame) showed extravagant love to Jesus by taking our some expensive perfume and pouring it on his feet. One last act of genuine worship before the week began. I wonder if John didn’t appreciate Mary’s gift more in retrospect as he told the story of the fair-weather fans who lined the streets with their palm branches. What Mary gave cost her a lot. What they gave cost them very little.

Father, do I give anything that costs me? How selfish am I? Am I willing to stop and extend your power in the midst of my own strife like Jesus did in Matthew and Mark? Am I willing love someone else through their immorality and show them your grace? Am I willing to give all that I have for all that you are? In all of these areas, am I willing to give you my utmost for your highest? As always, the answer is that I am not nearly the man I aspire to be in these areas. If you’re grading on a curve, then I compare pretty well with people around me, but that’s a steep curve. The truth is, my righteousness is rubbish. Please speak to me and give me ears to hear your voice, your direction, and your conviction.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 9, 2022 in John, Luke, Mark, Matthew

 

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