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Mark 3:13-19

23 Jan

13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. 14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons. 16 These are the twelve he chose:

Simon (whom he named Peter),
17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”),
18 Andrew,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,
Simon (the zealot),
19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

Mark 3:13-19

Dear God, I’ve never watched The Chosen, but I come across clips and I saw that interview between Jonathan Roumie and Fr. Mike Schmitz a couple of weeks ago and now some clips are showing up on my YouTube feed. I saw this one yesterday, and I found it interesting. I thought of it again as I saw the New Testament reading for today.

This exchange between Judas and Jesus is fascinating. Here’s the part that grabbed me:

Judas: I trust you. Do you trust me?

Jesus: I do.

Judas: Then why won’t you take my advice and let me help you?

Jesus: I never asked for your advice.

Judas: Then what am I here for?!?

That last question. And I know that is historical fiction. I know this is a writer’s imagination of what Judas might have said. So I’m not confused on that. But I can imagine Judas saying it. More importantly, I can imagine myself saying it. I’m not Disney Princess. I see myself in the bad guys in the Bible. I see myself in the sin of the good guys. And I can see myself expressing to Jesus that I think I know how things should be done. The question is, when I do that, what itch of sin am I scratching?

For Judas, he wanted to lead a revolution. He wanted Jesus to be large and in charge and then, for himself, he wanted the power and glory that would come from being one of the twelve. I love that the screenwriter had Jesus say, “I never asked for your advice.” That’s great. No, you didn’t. You never asked for mine either. You don’t need it.

For me, I can see where you might be calling me to step out of my comfort zone and do something that might cost me time, money, career, security, or even just embarrassment, and I “advise” you against that. Maybe it’s me thinking the church should or shouldn’t do something. Even now, I have a thing I’ve been a part of at church for over 13 years, and it might be coming to an end. Is it your desire that it come to an end, or am I advising you that it should come to an end? I am one of the people who has some influence on what happens next. What do you want to happen next?

Father, you never asked for my advice and you never will. You know…well, everything. Help me to worship and love you in everything I do. I know that answer to the question Judas shouts at Jesus at the end of my quote: “Then what am I here for?!?” It’s in verse 14 and 15: They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons. I don’t know how much authority you’ve given to me, and I don’t quite understand all of that, but I know you called me to be your ambassador to the world and to everyone around me. So here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, here I am to say that you’re my God. I have no advice. Only my life, my love, and my service to offer you. Please forgive me for being like Judas sometimes.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on January 23, 2026 in Mark

 

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Parable of the Speck and the Log (Matthew 7:1-5)

03 Sep

 1“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 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.

Matthew 7:1-5

Dear God, this is part of Matthew’s recording of the “Sermon on the Mount.” First, I’ll say that it hurts to be called a hypocrite by Jesus, but it fits. Sure I’m a hypocrite. Of course I am. I’m sorry that I am. I recognize that I am.

In the TV show Ted Lasso, one of the favorite quotes people will say from the show (which is actually attributed to Walt Whitman in the show, but is apparently not really from Whitman) is, “Be curious, not judgmental.” Here’s the scene:

It’s a different take on what Jesus taught here, and it doesn’t involve the self reflection that Jesus encourages in his statement, but it still makes me think of it. There are two parts of judging someone, I suppose. There’s the empathy and hypocritical nature of it that Jesus is pointing out, and then there is the lack of compassion that “Ted” points out in this scene.

There are some people who are really frustrating me right now. Some of them make me angry. And I’ve certainly judged some of them. But you are calling me to use that as an opportunity for self-reflection. When I see the speck in their eye, what is the log in my own? And then maybe when I identify my log I can turn around and figure out why it is I do what I do in that area? What is motivating me? And finally, I can maybe then take that knowledge and apply it to the person I’m judging. Did they wake up that morning wanting to do harm, or do they think they are doing the right thing based on their experience, hurts, and wounds?

Father, we can read over this little parable so quickly and easily. We can even watch this scene from Ted Lasso, enjoy Rupert getting beat at his own game, and then not stop to wonder if we aren’t more often the “Rupert” of the story than we are the “Ted” (see Disney Princess Theology by Erna Kim Hackett). I admit that I’m guilty of it. I probably watched that scene from Ted Lasso four or five times before I stopped to wonder about the real meaning of that quote, or if I am Rupert. So help me today, Holy Spirit. Help me to embrace you and hear you. Help me to listen to you and your still, small voice. Help me to turn loose of the ways I judge others to prop myself up, and to instead find ways in which I might impact your world through prayer, service, persuasion, and suffering.

I offer all of this to you through the gift of mercy you gave me through Jesus, my Lord,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 3, 2023 in Jesus's Parables, Matthew, Parables of the Bible

 

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Disney Princess Theology

21 Jul

Dear God, I was listening to a podcast tonight and they discussed this quote from Erna Kim Hackett. It’s from a blog post she wrote in August 2017. Yeah, I guess I’m guilty of this for sure. I especially like the analogy she made of our country seeing ourselves as Israel when it is likely we have more Egypt in us that we think.

But I’m not going to cast stones at my fellow Americans right now. I want to look at myself first and see how I might have missed this simple truth in all of these prayer journals I’ve done with you. When I did David and Goliath, did I ever consider that I am Goliath in the story? That any part of me is Goliath? How about the New Testament Saul before he became Paul? The Pharisees? Am I a Pharisee? Is there any part of me that is the men Sodom? But have I ever looked in my heart to see if I’m Judas?

I can say that when I did the parents of the Bible series, I found myself sympathizing with Hagar and Peninnah in ways I hadn’t before. But that wasn’t me identifying with them as much as me maybe cutting them a break. But am I willing to ask myself if there is a part of me that is Pharaoh when he is stubborn and refuses to let the Israelites go because it will cost him and his dominant class too much? If I had been born to slave owners 200 years ago, would I have been willing to part with a good portion of my inherited wealth and free my slaves? What do I not do now because I am afraid it will impact my income?

Oh, Father, these questions are almost too painful to consider. I know there is so much sin in my life of which I am not aware. Thank you for loving me anyway. Thank you for not expecting me to get all of this figured out and resolved before I am able to come and commune with you. Thank you that there is grace for me to be who I am, but also a Holy Spirit to guide me into who you are calling me to be. Even on a night like this, I am humbled, repentant, but also at peace before you. Teach me to be better.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 21, 2020 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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