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Mary & Martha — John 11:28-29

10 Apr

John 11:28-29 [NLT]
Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” So Mary immediately went to him.

Dear God, I’m reading A LOT into this story, and I might be way off base on some of it, but I’m trying to get a feel for why Martha went to see Jesus without Mary the first time. Martha was doing a lot of walking here, going back and forth. And why did Jesus stay where he was instead of going with Martha to the house? Was he trying to avoid all of the mourners as long as he could?

I have never had to face a significant loss like Martha and Mary did here. The closest I’ve come is a mother-in-law nine years ago and my grandparents in my 20s. I would imagine, however, that my response would be much like Martha’s. I would want to keep in motion. I would want to take charge and do the work that needs done. I’m not sure how I would process the mourning part of the experience.

Father, Mary has always been the one held up to us as an example and Martha the cautionary tale. I do think Martha has her good points, however. I just think she needed to be a little more well-rounded. Of course, Mary did too. But Mary allowed herself to grieve. She allowed herself to sit at Jesus’ feet. She allowed herself to give the perfume. Help me to reach that level of sensitivity, generosity, and peace.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 10, 2019 in John, Mary & Martha

 

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Mary & Martha — John 11:21-23, 29-35

09 Apr

John 11:21-23,29-35 [NLT]
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” So Mary immediately went to him. Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept.

Dear God, it is interesting that John records both Martha and Mary as having said the same thing to Jesus when they first saw him: “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” I would imagine they had been saying that to each other for the last four days. Were they angry with Jesus? Were they disappointed?

Martha adds something to hers. She adds a little expectation: “But even now I know God will give you whatever you ask.” (Hint, hint) And Jesus seems to take the bait and tells her that her brother will rise again.

But his response to Mary is different. Martha was seemingly a little bit more reserved emotionally than Mary. The way this story is told, her words to Jesus were from a place of sorrow, but she was also likely a little more stoic. Mary, on the other hand, was weeping. I imagine her sentence being said to Jesus between sobs. In fact, these are the only words Mary speaks in the whole story. And the people seem to be with Mary, comforting her, instead of with Martha. John’s telling doesn’t really mention anyone following Martha around, but Mary probably came across as being more in need. Certainly, watching Mary’s response evoked a surprising response in Jesus—weeping and anger.

Father, I’m not sure if there are too many applications in this story in my life except to appreciate how different we all are. Martha and Mary were very different people and had different needs. They also evoked different responses out of the people around them. And you loved them both. Thank you for loving me as well, even though I am sometimes a terrible mess. Your patience with me is extraordinary, and I am grateful for all that you do for me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 9, 2019 in John, Mary & Martha

 

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Mary & Martha — John 11:1-3,20

08 Apr

John 11:1-3,20 [NLT]
A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house.

Dear God, I want to do a little series on Martha and Mary. I’ve thought about them before as people who were described in a given situation, but I’ve never tried to get to know them a little better through the stories we get about them in scripture. In this case, Luke and John are the ones who tell us about them and only John tells us about Lazarus’s death and resurrection. I wonder why.

So in this story, Mary and Martha, right up front, have different responses to the loss of their brother. Mary stays home to just melt and mourn through her grief while Martha is motivated into action. I suppose she has to do something. That’s kind of her personality anyway. She has to be in motion. So they seemingly both get word that Jesus is coming and Martha doesn’t even wait. She goes immediately to meet Jesus on the way. Mary doesn’t. We don’t know why except that this tells us something about their personalities. It helps us get to know them as people. I think one thing I’m taking from this is that Mary is much more emotional than Martha. That has its strengths and its weaknesses.

As for me, in a day when there were no cars and I would have to wait on a walking Jesus to get to me, I probably would have walked out to him as well. I don’t sit still very well. I’m identifying much more with Martha as a personality type than I am Mary.

Father, I don’t think the lesson here is that either one is better than the other. But each woman had strengths and weaknesses. They were just different. Help me to look into my own life and identify the weaknesses you want me to address. Help me to find the things in Martha that are like me that I should embrace and help me see what Mary has that I should try to adopt. And help me, Father, to be your child in every situation. Forgive me of my sins. I’m really sorry for letting you down and for allowing my heart to turn selfish. Guide me into completeness in you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2019 in John, Mary & Martha

 

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John 12:1-8

06 Apr

John 12:1-8
Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Dear God, I have to admit that I never noticed this before, but I think it is interesting. Frankly, it makes me think that I should spend some more time with Mary and Martha and who they were as people. Who said what and when?

Mary and Martha appear to have definite personality types, and I am starting to get the picture that there was something about Mary that irritated left-brained, Type-A personalities, but Jesus liked. He saw a value in Mary’s seeming immaturity and irresponsibility. Martha got mad at her sister for not helping out and Jesus told her in Luke 10:41-42, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

In this story, when Judas gets mad at Mary for wasting the perfume, Jesus says, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

So as someone who is more like Martha and even Judas than I am like Mary, what does Jesus have to say to me? I think you probably need me to know that I worry about a lot of stuff and a lot of details, but I allow myself to take my eyes off what what I should be concerned about—you.

I was talking to my wife this morning about fundraising for the nonprofit where I work. Last night, I was at a very expensive private school, and a parent at the school was telling me how they do their fundraising gala every other year. I won’t go into the details, but it is basically evident that the strategy is to get as much money as they can from people by appealing to their egos. Whether it is putting a name on a building or even auctioning off good parking places for 5-figure amounts, people are encouraged to give as a way of increasing themselves. The value given in exchange for the donation focuses on building up the donor.

When I am planning an event for our nonprofit, it is tempting to sometimes fall into that trap. But that’s not what you have called us to do. If I am going to “treat fundraising as ministry” then the value exchange isn’t about appealing to and increasing the donor’s humanness. It is about helping them to decrease as you increase. It is about putting them in touch with a world that is beyond the one that they know. It is about loving them and caring about them. It is about glorifying you. It is about the peace and joy that you give to us when we give of ourselves sacrificially.

Father, all of that sounds very noble, but it is harder to put into practice. Even now, our nonprofit has an event coming up soon and I have a couple of things designed to give donors some recognition (putting their name on a table or listing them in a program). Some of that is necessary and I get that. But help me to focus on what’s important in this and the other areas of my life. When it comes to my children, help me to ignore the things that the world measures as success and to care about, pray for, and nurture the aspects of their lives that will impact their souls. Help me to learn the lesson you want to teach me through Mary’s life.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 6, 2019 in John

 

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2 Corinthians 5:14b-15

05 Apr

2 Corinthians 5:14b-15
Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

Dear God, I’ve always struggled, ever since I was little, with my lack of ability to die to my old life. Not understanding how hard that can be when I was a child, I just thought that I hadn’t done it correctly the last time I tried to die to myself and accept you as my God and savior, so I would “walk the aisle” and do it again. I got saved a lot as a kid.

I guess there’s an addiction aspect to it. I live with an addiction to my human self. It’s a disease, I suppose. I want to be selfish. I want to see the world from my own point of view. I want to judge others to make me feel better about myself. I want to indulge my own desires. Maybe churches should redesign themselves to look more like 12-Step meetings: “Hi, my name is John and I’m a human.” “Hi, John.” My first step is to admit that my life has become unmanageable, I am powerless against my human flesh, and I need a higher power to restore me to sanity.

I was watching a show last night that had a character lose eight years of sobriety. They showed the shame and despair of that moment. He was devastated by his failure and the idea of starting over. He knew he needed his sobriety to live and it really embarrassed him to have to admit his failure to the ones he loves.

Father, help me to be the new creation you want me to be. Help me to admit I am STILL powerless and that I need you to either restore me to sanity or keep me sane at any given moment. Help me to share this message with others who need it.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2019 in 1 Corinthians

 

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Ephesians 1:5-8

04 Apr

Ephesians 1:5-8
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

Dear God, I intentionally prayed yesterday morning that you make me aware of the divine appointments you might have been setting up for me because I had a day ahead of me during which I was going to run into people from all socioeconomic areas. My first appointment of the day was with a scared person who is completely broke and about to have surgery. When I asked them if they had a church home, they said that they did in the past, but had felt judged and rejected by that church so they left. After talking about their issue, I was able to recommend some churches in town that might be good communities for them and then we had a chance to pray together. We were also able to pray about the surgery and I think they were able to leave my office feeling a little more at peace.

I won’t go through every other encounter throughout the day, but I was definitely more mindful of who you needed me to be in any given moment. I’m grateful for that. I don’t feel like I missed a lot of opportunities that you put in front of me. But one thing I probably need to be sure I remember as I have future opportunities is the message of this verse above. I carry Good News with me. You adopted us into your family. You purchased our freedom. You shower us with kindness, wisdom and understanding.

Father, give me wisdom in this day. Help me to be so in tune with you that I will know how to be your representative in any given situation. Let your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 4, 2019 in Ephesians

 

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Hebrews 12:1-2

03 Apr

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Dear God, “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus…” How hard is that? Well, it turns out that it’s actually pretty hard.

I woke up this morning, and part of my habit is to look at my phone, check the time, and then open up my USA Today app to see what’s happening. They have a “Five Things You Should Know Today” article that I like to read. Today, however, I decided that I would start by looking a the http://www.biblegateway.com verse of the day. It turned out to be Hebrews 12:2. Since I felt like the verse needed the context of verse 1, I decided to combine the for the purposes of this prayer.

When I read the verse, I thought, yes, I need to keep my eyes focusing on Jesus and part of that is getting myself to read scripture first thing instead of the “Five Things [I] Should Know Today.” Really, what’s more important anyway. Will knowing that news change my actions today? Can I do anything to affect change on what is happening around the country or the world? No, probably not. There is a small chance that I can respond to something by financially supporting a cause around the country, or see something happening somewhere else and get involved in that cause locally, but 95% of the time the information is not something that I NEED for my day.

Scripture, however, is another story. YOU are another story. You should be my first read. You should be my first thoughts. You should be my all in all. I should keep my eyes on Jesus/You/Holy Spirit—my God. You are what I NEED for the day. You are what I SHOULD KNOW. That is how my life will make a difference.

Father, help me to be mindful of this lesson and to live in its importance today and every day. Show me how to keep my eyes on Jesus throughout the day, all day long. Give me wisdom tonight, especially, as I advocate for a cause with some people I’ve never met, but for whom this could be a divine appointment.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 3, 2019 in Hebrews

 

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Matthew 20:17-19

02 Apr

Matthew 20:17-19 [NLT]
17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. 18 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man[a] will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. 19 Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

Dear God, the biggest thing I think of when it comes to passages like this is that, on the rare occasions when you give us insights into the future (and they are very rare), they are more about comforting and reassuring us than they are about letting us in on the secret. In this case, the disciples didn’t have to know this information in order for it to all happen. In fact, their response to this knowledge might have gotten in the way. But the reason you NEEDED them to know was that you knew that they would need to be able to remember back to these moments and realize that this was part of the plan all along. Twenty or 30 years down the road, as Matthew thought back on this and put pen to paper, he could be assured that this was all okay.

I can’t say that I’ve gotten a lot of words of prophecy from you. One of my many one-liners is that you keep me on a need-to-know basis and I very rarely need to know. But I can almost always look back on events in my life and see your providence, even when, at the time, I felt like all was lost. I have had some trials (no worse than anyone else’s to be sure), but I can almost always look back on them after a good amount of time and see what you were doing for me, for those I love, or within me to grow me into a place where you need me to be.

Father, thank you for your patience with me. There’s a Keith and Melody Green song called “Make My Life A Prayer To You.” In it, there’s a line that says, “I want to thank you now for being patient with me. It’s so hard to see when my eyes are on me. So I guess I’ll have to trust and just believe what you say. Lord, you’re coming again. Coming to take me away.” So to finish this prayer with the chorus of that song, “Make my life a prayer to you. I want to do what you want me to . No empty words and no white lies. No token prayers. No compromise. I want to shine the light you gave through your son you sent to save us from our self and our despair. It comforts me to know you’re really there.”

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 2, 2019 in Hymns and Songs, Matthew

 

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Psalm 14

01 Apr

Psalm 14 [NLT]
Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!

The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.

But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!

Will those who do evil never learn? They eat up my people like bread and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.

Terror will grip them, for God is with those who obey him.

The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed, but the Lord will protect his people.

Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel? When the Lord restores his people, Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

Dear God, I wish there was a little key that would tell us what was going on in David’s life when he wrote this Psalm. Where was he in his ascendency to the throne? Was he being chased by Saul? Was he living in exile? Was he King, but it’s pre-Bathseba so things are good? Was it post-Bathsheba when things were bad?

Good poetry, I think, bring me into the author’s thoughts and emotions and connects to something similar that is within me. In this instance, I do get very frustrated with the evil I see around me. I get frustrated by the domestic violence, emotional abuse, drug use, sex trafficking, etc. How long, oh, Lord?

The end of this Psalm gives me a link to the hope that David felt. It is the same hope that I feel. You will restore your people. One day, your justice is coming. The question is, what will I be doing on that day? Will I be found faithful, working in your field, taking the talents you gave me and trying to return them to you with interest? Or will I be feeling sorry for myself, complaining about the evil, but doing nothing about it? Will I be about building my own cocoon that will protect me through my own efforts, or will I be out there, vulnerable, leaning on you?

Father, help me today. There are times when I pray great things in the morning, but then go right out and fail you. Help me to not fail you, but to be so in tune with you that I will see every moment through your eyes. Thank you for what you are doing. Thank you for what you have done. And that you for what you will do.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 1, 2019 in Psalms

 

“Asleep in the Light” by Keith Green

30 Mar

“Asleep in the Light” by Keith Green

Do you see?
Do you see?
All the people sinking down?
Don’t you care?
Don’t you care?
Are you gonna let them drown?
How can you be so numb?!
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes,
And pretend the job is done

“oh, bless me, lord!
Bless me, lord!”
You know, it’s all I ever hear!
No one aches,
No one hurts,
No one even sheds one tear
But, he cries,
He weeps,
He bleeds,
And he cares for your needs
And you just lay back,
And keep soaking it in

Oh, can’t you see such sin?!
’cause he brings people to your door,
And you turn them away
As you smile and say,
“god bless you!
Be at peace!”
And all heaven just weep,
’cause Jesus came to your door,
You left him out on the streets

Open up! open up!
And give yourself away
You see the need,
You hear the cries,
So how can you delay?!
God is calling,
And you are the one
But like Jonah, you run
He told you to speak,
But you keep holding it in

Oh, can’t you see such sin?!
The world is sleeping in the dark,
That the church just can’t fight,
’cause it’s asleep in the light!
How can you be so dead?!
When you’ve been so well famed
Jesus rose from the grave,
And you!
You can’t even get out of bed!

Oh, Jesus rose from the dead!
Come on, get out of your bed!
How can you be so numb?!
Not to care if they come
You close your eyes,
And pretend the job is done!
You close your eyes,
And pretend the job is done!
Don’t close your eyes,
Don’t pretend the job is done

Come away! come away!
Come away with me, my love!
Come away from this mess,
Come away with me, my love!
Come away from this mess!
Come away with me, my love!
Come away,
Come away with me my love!

Dear God, I have the honor and privilege of getting to preach tomorrow to a group of people who are very precious. So what is it that you need them to hear?

As I was working through the Presbyterian church’s prescribed liturgy for this Sunday, the Old Testament reading was out of Joshua 5, which I journaled about last Sunday to kick this week off. That’s kind of set the tone for the week. The Promised Land. They had arrived. The men got circumcised and they were expected to start supplying their own food from the land–you turned off the supply of manna. Now it was time to go and take the land.

When they first left Egypt, I would imagine that they didn’t necessarily think through what going back to the Promised Land about which Moses told them would cost them. They might have seen it as their reward for years of slavery. But that wasn’t it. This was just the next chapter for them as a people. It would be hard. They would have to devote themselves to you first. They would have to fight. They would have to struggle. That is how their people would survive and how you would eventually bless the world–through Israel as a nation. As much as their lives were not about “them” while they lived generation after generation in slavery in Egypt, their lives were still not about them. They were about you. They were about your plan.

As I sat down to pray to you this morning, I wanted to clear my head and get focused so I turned to the Christian music on my iPod. I wondered what I should listen to, and I heard a nudging for Keith Green. Eventually, I landed on this song. I think it’s perfect for what I’m talking about in the spirit of taking the Promised Land. “Asleep in the light.” Isn’t that what a lot of us are? Asleep in the light? Isn’t that what I am a lot of the time?

So what will I preach tomorrow? The message is going to be that it’s time to take the land. This particular church has been in limbo through various setbacks for too long. They are now muddled in fear and frustration. They are mired in lethargy. This might sound harsh, but it feels like it’s true. They are too concerned about what is happening within their doors and not concerned enough with what is happening in the neighborhood around them. The message will be, “God has supplied you with manna and he has given you talents, but now it is time to wean yourselves from the manna and start working for your community. It is time to start taking the land. And it starts with personal commitment (see the mass circumcision in Joshua 5:2-8). What will you do to bring commit yourselves to God and bring your talents to the table? What will you do to see that this church advances into the Promised Land and doesn’t flounder in the wilderness? When will you look around and see the world around you dying?

Father, help me to do this well.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2019 in Hymns and Songs, Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories, Uncategorized

 

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