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Genesis 12:10-16

26 Sep

10 At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. 11 As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ 13 So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”

14 And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty. 15 When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. 16 Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

Genesis 12:10-16

Dear God, this is such a hard story if we stop and spend time with it. It’s easy to kind of read past, but it’s a hard story. First, you have Sarai being offered as a sacrifice by Abram so that his life might be saved. In a relationship where Abram should be her protector, he made her his protector. I cannot imagine what this must have been like for her from a trauma standpoint. It’s tragic.

Then there are the male and female servants that had no agency in the situation. They were given in exchange for this one woman to go to Pharoah. Later we will learn about an Egyptian servant of Abram’s named Hagar. Could this be how she came to be in their possession? All of this so that a man could save his own life at the expense of others.

So instead of me sitting here wondering about how Abram could possibly do this and judging him for it, I need to ask myself if I do this with my wife and children in any way. Have I put my own selfishness above them? I think at least one of my children would accuse me of putting my marriage to their mother before them. I’ve thought about it a lot, and I don’t think I agree, but it’s certainly how they feel. Is there any truth to it? Do I do anything to leave my wife vulnerable and at-risk? Am I the husband you need me to be for her? That she feels like is there to meet the needs she has for love, security, and encouragement?

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I really want to carry you into this day with me. Walk with me with my staff. Walk with me with our volunteer. Walk with me with our donors. Walk with me with our patients. Walk with me with my wife. Oh, Lord, walk with me today. Make me the man you need me to be.

I pray this through Jesus’s name, life, death, and resurrection,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 26, 2023 in Genesis, Uncategorized

 

Parable of the Heart of Man (Matthew 15:1-20, Mark 7:1-23)

24 Sep

15 Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, 2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
9 Their worship is a farce,
    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”

13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, 14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

15 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”

16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

Matthew 15:1-20

7 One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. 2 They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3 (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands,[a] as required by their ancient traditions. 4 Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.)

5 So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.”

6 Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
7 Their worship is a farce,
    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’

8 For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”

9 Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. 10 For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 11 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 12 In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. 13 And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”

14 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 15 It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.”

17 Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. 18 “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? 19 Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)

20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

Mark 7:1-23

Dear God, I was talking yesterday with an old friend and his wife (a very Godly couple who loves you so much, and whom I admire!) about the mistakes in our theology and biblical knowledge. In what we think we know about you. Our hearts justify errant thinking because we are often selfish and hypocritical. And sometimes we are just the victims of bad teaching that has been handed down generation to generation. There are just so many things about you that I do not know, and so many more that I think I know that are wrong. The example I used yesterday in our discussion was where Jesus was born. I don’t know when this tradition started to be taught, but I have always been taught he was born in a stable/barn/cave where they kept animals–some sort of a livestock area. I’ve also always been given the impression that Mary had Jesus as they rode into town (with her riding a donkey) and they couldn’t find a hotel room (this mistake is probably the reason it was so easy to come up with the “barn” part of the story. So why am I saying this is incorrect? Because in Luke 2:4-8 (NASB 1995 translation) it says, “4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she“ wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a [d]manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” [the footnote before “manger” says, “or feeding trough”] So it occurred to me one day that it doesn’t describe Mary riding a donkey or her coming into town fresh off the long journey and needing a quick hotel room to give birth. No, what it says is, “While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.” So how long had they been there? A week? A month? Three months? Did they get there, do their registration duty, and then decide they needed to stay because she was too far along to travel? The text doesn’t say, but what it does indicate is that they had been there for more than just a night or two. So if they were there for a certain period of time, where were they staying? In a tent in a field? Were there camps that had been set up for people like them? If so, maybe, just maybe, she had the baby in the tent, and then when they needed a makeshift crib, Joseph was able to go get a food trough from a local stable/barn/cave and use it for Jesus.

I really got off on a tangent there, but it goes with these passages from Matthew and Mark about the “heart of man” because everyone involved was a victim of errant teaching. And I don’t necessarily blame the Pharisees who were hassling Jesus. I honestly can’t say that I would have done any differently if I were them. They were taught how to be Pharisees by those that came before them, and they were passing it down. I’m sure I’ve done the same thing in my life. I’m sure I do it every day. There might even be part of what I’m doing right now that is doing the same thing.

As I try to take the lesson from the passage, I think the core of it is the reference Jesus gave from Isaiah 29:13, which both Matthew and Mark (Peter?) recorded:

‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
7 Their worship is a farce,
    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I really do not want my heart to be far from you. That’s what this is about. I don’t want my worship to be a farce. I don’t want to just teach man-made ideas as commands from you. No, I want to be completely yours. I want to be able to hear your still small voice speak to me. I want to learn what you want me to learn, and then pass on what you are teaching me to others so that they might be drawn closer to you. make me your vessel, oh Lord. Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me, and then disperse me to your people.

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

Amen

P.S. I couldn’t help but notice that both of these versions end with Jesus describing what Paul describe in Galatians 5 and what I referenced yesterday as the deeds of the heart/desires of sinful nature. And again, Jesus’s lead-off hitter is sexual immorality. Hmm. I probably should look into this more.

 
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Posted by on September 24, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Mark, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-52)

23 Sep

47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. 48 When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. 49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, 50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 Do you understand all these things?”

“Yes,” they said, “we do.”

52 Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”

Matthew 13:47-52

Dear God, this is such a hard word. Where is the line? What is the line? Is there an exact line? The line I’m referring to is the opportunity to be with you vs. apart from you in anguish.

Right now, there is this earthly world where your presence moves simultaneously with Satan. You are here moving among your people. Your Holy Spirit is here. But Satan roams this world too. He and his demons have one job–to hurt your beloved creation. To hurt you by hurting us. To separate us from you.

But then one day there will be a great divide. At the harvest, we will all go to places that you will not share with Satan, either he in your realm or you in his. His realm will be all evil. It will be all the opposite of the fruits of the Spirit Paul describes in Galatians 5:22-23. It will be Galatians 5:19-21

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

I was telling someone just this week that it’s interesting that just about any time Paul has a list of things people are doing wrong, his leadoff hitter is “sexual immorality.” We like to think that this is a new phenomenon that has come upon us in the last 60 years (since the sexual revolution in the 1960s in the U.S.), but this is as old as Genesis. But that’s not the point.

The point is that it disturbs me that there will be this chunk of people separated from you–some of whom I know well and love very much. I honestly don’t know which ones they are. I don’t know if you make allowances for life circumstances and trauma experienced. I don’t know just how far Jesus’s blood extends to the world. Even the worst person I can think of and that all of us use as our example as the ultimate bad person, Adolf Hitler. Was there some trauma in his childhood that pushed him onto that trajectory? Is there any mercy from you for him?

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, as Abraham asked you to save as many as you could by pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah, asking if there were just a few faithful to you would you save the cities, I am asking that, on an individual level, if there is good in their hearts, even thought they might now call you God, if there is any good in their hearts, will you count it as righteousness to them. And show me explicitly how you would have me reach out and love those who need you in their lives.

I pray all of this completely submitted to your authority and love,

Amen

P.S. I kept verse 52 with this because I really liked how Jesus described the teacher of the religious law who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven. I like the adding new gems of truth to the old. You have given us beautiful gems to live out. Help us to live it for you.

 
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Posted by on September 23, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

1 Corinthians 10:1-15

22 Sep

10 I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2 In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7 or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” 8 And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.

9 Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

14 So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. 15 You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true.

1 Corinthians 10:1-15

Dear God, I am teaching a Sunday school class this week and I want to pass one something that you have been teaching me over the last three years: identifying and getting rid of my idols.

In modern America, I don’t have little statues I worship. We’ve reasoned ourselves beyond that. Some people have even “reasoned” themselves beyond you. But what even those people don’t realize is that they have reasoned themselves into something that they will look to for their fruits of the Spirit. Especially for their peace.

Maybe I should start there. Maybe I should start with what it is that makes worshipping you and loving you, even in the midst of trials, so amazing. When I go to Galatians 5:22 and consider the fruits of the Spirit, I think that peace is that special thing we are looking for in our lives. Peace within ourselves. A stillness in our souls.

I think the heart of the message is in verses 7-10:

“Do not be idolaters, as some of [the Israelites who left Egypt in Exodus] were; as it is written: ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.’ We should not commit sexual immortality, as some of them did–and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did–and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did–and were killed by the destroying angel,”

This paragraph makes me wonder why I do this. What is it that drives me to idols? What is they offer me that I should only and can only find from you? I think the answer is peace. Yes, by worshipping you the fruits of the Spirit will naturally grow in me and out of me: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Those are amazing things for anyone to exhibit and give to others, but all but two of them are outward-focused. Joy and peace are part of my internal make-up. They are the well that is in me. And when I am truly in relationship with you, your joy and a peace that passes all understanding is what grows in me.

So what if all temptation is designed by Satan to pull me into seeking joy and peace apart from you? Could this possibly be the center of any sin that tempts me? If I want to steal something or take something that isn’t mine, do I think the having of that thing will bring me some level of peace or joy? If I am tempted to kill someone, do I think the elimination of that person will bring me peace or joy? If I commit adultery or even look at pornography, is there something in my brain telling me to find joy there? The same goes for just about any other sin. Slander/gossiping. Lying. Unforgiveness. Even skipping the Sabbath.

When I was growing up in Baptist and Fellowship of Christian Athletes circles, one thing they used to tell us about was our “God hole.” I would hear people say that we all have a “God hole” in our hearts that nothing else can fill. And our temptation is to look at the world and try to find things in the world to fill that “God hole,” but nothing ever fills it. Only you do. As I sit here and think about this now, and as I’ve thought about this topic all week, I wonder if that God hole isn’t simply the joy and peace that only comes from you because you are the only thing in all of the universe that is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Making you my God and rejecting these temptations fills my “God hole” (i.e., gives me peace and joy) completely and can keep it filled regardless of my life circumstances.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, as I pray this morning, it feels like you are teaching me that temptation is all about directing me to one idol or another and leading me away from you and looking for alternative things to put in my “God hole.” It’s amazing how effective the temptation is. I wonder why that is. But let me just start my repenting for my idolatrous heart. I am sorry I look to anything else at any time of day or day of the week that will give me something only you can give. I am sorry I try to make myself and my pleasure my god. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your presence.

I pray all of this in the name of the one true God, my Father, my Jesus, and my Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 22, 2023 in 1 Corinthians

 

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Parable of the Hidden Treasure & Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:44-46)

19 Sep

44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

Matthew 13:44-46

Dear God, I think one question to ask myself that I don’t think I’ve ever asked before is, “What have I not sold that is keeping me from having all of you?” What are the things in my life that I hold on to?

  • Possessions
  • Relationships
  • Grudges
  • Fears
  • Idols
  • Selfishness

All of those things, and more, come between you and me. I have a comfortable life. Is my protection of any of it coming between me and you? I have relationships that I hold on to tighter than I should. Do those keep me from knowing you? Grudges and unforgiveness. Fears. Selfishness. And all of the idols I look to to help assuage my discomfort. All of these things come between you and me. They keep me from owning the amazing treasure you offer me.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, if I am here to know you, then one thing to know about you is that you are not to be mocked. You are my God. Help me to gradually figure out what it means to turn loose of each of these things so that I am completely yours and will know you better and better. I love you, Lord. And I life my voice to worship you. Oh, my soul, rejoice! Take joy my King in what you hear. Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.

I pray this through Jesus’s name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 19, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)

17 Sep

3 “God blesses those who are poor [in spirit] and realize their need for him,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
    for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice [righteousness],
    for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
    for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
    for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

Matthew 5:3-12

Dear God, I’ve been doing this series on the parables Jesus told because a lot of them describe you and your character. They are your autobiography. But I was just at a meeting with other couples from our church group, and one of the women made this beautiful description of how the beatitudes from the “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5 take everything we would strive for and turns them on their head. For example, she talked about someone she loves who is mourning the loss of her mother. My friend was thinking that she really should be over this by now. But then she said someone mentioned this concept of the beatitudes to her and she thought, “Yeah. It doesn’t say, ‘Blessed are those who grieve quickly and efficiently.'” She went on to describe other things and I was completely taken aback by it. So I decided to spend a little time with these things this afternoon and see if you have anything for me.

Here is the list of the things Jesus said you are wanting to help me with:

  • Being poor in spirit
  • Mourning
  • Hungering for justice/righteousness
  • Mercy
  • Pure heart
  • Working for peace
  • Experiencing persecution for doing what is right
  • Suffering for your sake

So what is the opposite of these things? If I am the opposite of these things, does it bring out your indifference towards me? If I am the opposite, can you not help me because I don’t have an opening in my heart for you? Here is a list of things that I think will put a barrier between you and me.

  • Having a spirit of completion in myself. I have it all together. I’ve got this.
  • Making myself numb to mourning because I don’t have time for something that will bring me down, and I don’t want to expose myself to pain.
  • Being arrogant about who I am and what the world and those around me owe me. I am never wrong. I’ve never found a need to ask you or anyone else for forgiveness.
  • Hiding injustice and unrighteousness for the times when it suits my agenda. If there is an injustice that will benefit me, then I will look the other way.
  • Withholding mercy because I have been wronged and that wrong must be punished.
  • Keeping parts of my heart away from you and just for me. Just to satisfy my selfishness.
  • Working to create disturbance between people so that I can have power in those relationships and manipulate them for my purposes.
  • Bowing to the path of least resistance, even if it compromises your values living through me in order to avoid persecution.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I do NOT want to be that second person. I don’t want to be any of those things, but I know my heart will sink into that very quickly if I allow it. I’ve done it before. I’ve done it today. But now, as I sit here, there is a song in my heart from Psalm 103: “Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Bless His holy name, all the earth. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. You are worthy, you are worthy.” So bless my heart, soul, mind, and body. Help me to be the type of person you are anxious to bless, comfort, strengthen, and hold close. Help me to absorb you so that the fruits of your Spirit might grow in my heart.

I pray all of this through the amazing mercy given to me through your son, my God, Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 17, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Yeast (Matthew 13:33)

15 Sep

33 Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

Matthew 13:33

Dear God, this is one of those things that can be interpreted through multiple lenses. For example, I could read this and say, “Jesus is saying that the natural aspect of the yeast living out its life does amazing things, and the same is true for us. If we commit ourselves to discipleship, prayer, study, and worship then the fruit that grows out of us will do amazing things throughout the world.” Or I could say, “If we take our message of Jesus and God’s authority to the world then we can do great things.”

I was listening to a song this morning that I’ve journaled on before: “The Unmaking” by Nichole Nordeman. I think it’s worthwhile to put the lyrics here:

The Unmaking by Nichole Nordeman

This is where the walls gave way
This is demolition day
All the debris and all this dust
What is left of what once was
Sorting through what goes and what should stay
Every stone I laid for you
As if you had asked me to
Monument to holy things
Empty talk and circling
Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?
What happens now?
When all I’ve made is torn down
What happens next?
When all of you is all thats left

This is the unmaking
Beauty and the breaking
Had to lose myself to find out who you are
Before each beginning
There must be an ending
Sitting in the rubble
I can see the stars
This is the unmaking
This is the unmaking

The longer and the tighter that we move
Only makes it harder to let go
Love will not stay locked inside
A steeple or a tower high
Only when we’re broken are we whole
What happens now?
When all I’ve made is torn down
What happens next?
When all of you is all thats left

This is the unmaking
Beauty and the breaking
Had to lose myself to find out who you are
Before each beginning
There must be an ending
Sitting in the rubble
I can see the stars
This is the unmaking
This is the unmaking

I’ll gather the same stones where
Everything came crashing down
I’ll build you an altar there
On the same ground
Because what stood before
Was never yours

This is the unmaking
Beauty and the breaking
Had to lose myself to find out who you are
Before each beginning
There must be an ending
Sitting in the rubble
I can see the stars
This is the unmaking
This is the unmaking
Oh this is the unmaking
Had to lose myself
To find out who you are

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: David Hodges / Nichole Nordeman

This song is all about doing whatever I want to do in your name. Yes, I am guilty of this sometimes. Even now, I have some things happening that are really frustrating me. My temptation is to take control, go monster mode, and force some solutions. But that would be a huge mistake. I want to do it because I’ve made some things idols. Whether it’s relationships with coworkers or family, accomplishments, or whatever, I think my temptation is to try to get some of my security/peace needs met by trying to please people as opposed to just letting your Spirit work and leaning into your Spirit for my peace.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, help me to be yeasty today. Help me to lean into you for my peace. Help me to let go of the idols that I accidentally establish to make me feel better about myself. I’m sorry for all of it. I really am. Right now, in this moment, I just want to be with you.

I pray all of this submitted to your authority,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 15, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32)

13 Sep

31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”

Matthew 13:31-32

Dear God, I’ve never thought of this before, but what if it were the opposite? What if the Kingdom of Heaven is like an elephant. It is the largest of the animals and it sits wherever it wants? Sometimes it feels like that’s what the American church today wants. And you’re God. You could make it work that way. You could be the 800-lb. gorilla that sits wherever you want to sit. You could subdue us and make us do whatever you want. You could override our free will. In fact, I wonder how much the Israelites listening the Jesus at the time were disappointed by this parable.

But if I’m doing this series to get a feel for who you are then I need to really think about this. You work in such a loving, growing, organic way. A gentle way. You start with something small and infuse it with your presence. From there is grows from the bottom up until it grows into something that is a blessing to others.

I work in a place like that. You took a woman 31 years ago and inspired her to do one thing: start a one-night-a-week free clinic. She knew people needed help and you planted the seed of an idea within her and it found fertile soil. It grew. Now, 31 years later, we are a medical home for thousands. The come to us from miles around to find hope and help. Volunteers come to us to find a source of joy and serving. Donors join us to be part of your community. What a joy!

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I pray that I will be mindful of how you work. I pray that I will be patient as I see things that I want done, but want to take the elephant approach and not the mustard seed approach. You work through mustard seeds, not elephants. You work organically, not autocratically. Help me to remember that. Help me to remember the joy you have for all of us as we worship you and then till the soils in our own hearts so that the seeds you plant in them will have space to grow.

I pray all of this by your Holy Name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 13, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)

11 Sep

24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

…

36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Dear God, I have a couple of thoughts about this morning I don’t think I’ve ever had before. First, I think a lot of people who do not understand why there is suffering in the world would question why you let the devil plant the weeds in the first place. Is there a bigger purpose in that? Do we need this struggle between you and him to develop into your children? Would it be possible to be your child without this struggle?

Second, I wondered if I am here this morning because you didn’t pull out the weeds with the wheat generations before. My entire existence (birth) is dependent upon a very specific set of events happening. Essentially the right people had to conceive at the precisely the right time for me to be here. For any of us to be here. How much do I really owe my own life to your mercy?

So as I sit here this morning, I think about my life. Am I wheat or am I a weed? Does the way you see my life change at any given moment? And, for the sake of argument, let’s say I’m a wheat. How would you have me to live among the weeds? It feels like you want me, within my sphere of influence, to love on the weeds as much as possible to see if I can get them to be wheat. You also want me to do everything I can to support the other wheat around me. And finally, you want me to stay wheat and grow strong by tapping my roots into you. Into your living water. Into your Holy Spirit.

Father, I give all of this to you. I don’t understand your ways. I don’t understand why you have given Satan the leeway you’ve given him, but mine is not to ask why. I think of Job 38 when you ask him, “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?” (Job 38:2) I don’t dare question you. So my other choice is to simply submit to you. So Holy Spirit, Jesus, Father, “break me, melt me, mold me, fill me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.”

I pray this in your Holy Name,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 11, 2023 in Matthew

 

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Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)

10 Sep

26 Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. 28 The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. 29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.”

Dear God, but what if I want to force the seed to grow? What if I’m not patient enough for your timing and miraculous work? What if I see the ways to grow your kingdom and then just go out and get ‘er done? Of course, I’m being sarcastic, but it feels like the way some people are currently interpreting the Great Commissions – to make disciples of all nations.

As I put this parable in context and think about the next several hundred years of Christianity’s development, it does make me think about how painstakingly slow it was to develop. No one hearing Jesus’s words that day lived to see it. Thankfully Mark (from Peter?) recorded it for us, but Peter didn’t live to see it happen. Paul didn’t. Yes, they saw little “leave blade[s]” push through here and there, but they didn’t get to see the ripened grain. Nor did the next generation. In fact, nearly all of this first generation was martyred.

The reason I started doing this series on the parables is because of the book I heard about by Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Autobiography of God. He wrote a book looking into who you are by looking at the parables Jesus told about you. I don’t know each parable he used, but this feels like one that will give me an insight into who you are and how you work. What it tells me is that your timeline and the way you see humankind in the grand scheme of things is much different than how I see it. I see it from the perspective of one blade of grass in the forest. You have the unique ability to see everything from as high as the 30,000-ft view of the forest and then get down at the blade of grass level with me. It’s amazing, really. Well, of course it’s amazing. You’re amazing because you are God.

With all of this said, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, help me to trust in the process that I will never live to see. Help me to be at peace with serving you and then taking your presence into my little sphere of influence, ignoring the results, but simply keeping my eyes focused on you. That also goes for my relationships with family and seeing how they develop. It goes for my hopes and dreams for my children. My community. My work. I measure time in days, months, and years, but you measure it in decades, centuries, and millennia. So help me, Holy Spirit, to take my eyes off of the idols I’ve created that I think will give me the fruits of your Spirit that only you can give. I consider my life worth nothing to me. Help me to mean those words.

I pray all of this completely submitted to you through the blood of Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 10, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Mark, Parables of the Bible

 

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