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Matthew 17:1-13

13 Dec

17 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. 2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.

9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

10 Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”

11 Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.” 13 Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.

Matthew 17:1-13

Dear God, the reading today focuses on verse 10-13, but I felt like they needed context so I went back and included the whole scene of the transfiguration. The disciples ask this question having just seen Elijah. Let me say that again in a more appropriate way: “THEY HAD JUST SEEN ELIJAH AND MOSES!” That must have been just surreal. Amazing.

The other interesting part is they seemed to miss the third sentence of verse 12. The part about Jesus being abused like John the Baptist was. They were so focused on the Elijah/John the Baptist part they overlooked those words until they remembered them later.

What is it about us that conveniently looks past things we don’t want to hear or think about and focus on the sensational instead. Or focus on the things that fit into our own narrative of how things should be? In that case, the disciples were focused on the wonder having just seen Elijah and Moses and then the glory of what must be to come next. They weren’t thinking about the negative. The parts they didn’t want to know.

Of course, we do the same thing. The dangerous part about us doing it now is that the computers we hold in our hands continuously throughout the day are designed to only give us what we want to see or know. And we can read over or ignore what we don’t want to see as well. This is taking this negative part of the human sinful nature that is evident even in the disciples in this story and putting it on steroids. It’s cancerous for our society and for us as individuals.

Father, I don’t know how to break out of this unhealthy pattern for myself, but I know I need to fight against it. I need to see what you want me to see. I’m about to go and deliver toys for Toys for Tots. Be with me as I do this. Give me eyes to see. Give me ears to hear. Give me a mind to see and hear these things with your heart and then the courage and insight to act in the appropriate way. Be glorified, sweet Jesus. Be glorified in me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 13, 2025 in Matthew

 

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Malachi 4 (The Birth of John Foretold)

22 Nov

The above image is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups compiled by Ned Bustard. The Image is called “Intertestamental Angel” and was created by Matthew Clark.

4 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all.

2 “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. 3 On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

4 “Remember to obey the Law of Moses, my servant—all the decrees and regulations that I gave him on Mount Sinai for all Israel.

5 “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. 6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

Dear God, I was wanting to tap into something more artsy this morning as I prayed to you. I was listening to some secular country music as I showered, and sometimes something in those songs will touch me, but nothing was hitting. Just a lot of sad people in broken relationships. Why do I like those songs so much when I am in a joyous marriage? I don’t know. Perhaps they tap into that insecure boy who grew up listening to them all those years ago. My wife and I have a joke that I like drinking songs, but I don’t drink. It’s a hazy mystery that a therapist could probably help me unlock.

Anyway, I sat down at this desk this morning, and I saw one of my favorite artistic scriptural resources. I found this book years ago at a retreat at Laity Lodge. I have found a lot of value in looking at an artist’s rendition of a Bible story and then looking to see what she or he displayed in their art that I might have missed in my own reading.

So this morning, as I prepare for Advent, I was drawn to this passage and art from Malachi. It’s the last communication the Protestant Bible gives us before John and Jesus will be born 400 years later. First, let me stop and think about that. It was 404 years ago the Puritans landed at Plymouth Rock. So it’s easy to look back over 2,000 to 2,500 years and put 400 years into perspective, but when I zoom in and think of our own time, 400 years ago is 1624 A.D. Four hundred years from now is 2424 A.D. That’s a lot of time to pass between messages from you. I measure time in days, weeks, and months. You measure it in years, decades, and centuries. A thousand years truly is as a day to you! It’s amazing this book from Malachi was even kept and remembered that long.

With all that said, I want to spend a little time preparing for Jesus. Preparing for this Christmas season. The Lent I spent with you in the spring was a special time. Advent should probably be the same.

Matthew Clark’s image of the “Intertestamental Angel” is seemingly pretty simple. Let me see if there is anything remarkable I can pull from his rendition of this story:

  • Angels. I forget about angels all of the time. One of the country songs I did hear this morning that made me think about you was “Broken Halos” by Chris Stapleton. He mentioned angels coming down “to help us on our way.” It made me think of the Nancy French book Ghosted: An American Story when she described her in-laws praying for her infant son in the NICU, and asking for an angel to guard him. Later, when he was about three years old, before they had told him about his time in the NICU as an infant, he told her over breakfast about a dream he had of himself in a bubble, alone and reaching for a pacifier that was just out of reach. He was describing her memory of his NICU incubator. But then he said he wasn’t alone. Buzz Lightyear was there…well, not Buzz, but he was big like Buzz. And he was comforting him and telling him he wasn’t alone. The angel was, indeed, there. I just got chills even typing this again. Oh, Father, how I humbly worship you.
  • Wings.
  • The halo around the angel that a lot of Catholic art uses to represent someone is at least a saint.
  • The angel has his arm extended, but we cannot tell if he is pointing, directly, calming.
  • Clark has represented the fire of judgment behind the wings. Is the angel’s arm dividing those who go there and those who don’t?

Bustard’s description of the image:

The fires of judgment are burning hotter than in Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace, but the healing wings of the angel are extended to offer protection for those who fear the Lord. This print is one half of a diptych, and with its other half form one work of art to help convey the idea that the Old and New Testaments form one story.

As I read back over the passage, verse 6 is interesting, and I wonder what it really means:

6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

This could be as simple as familial parents and children, but this feels more generational to me in this context. Respecting the faith and life of those who came before me in the faith. Living my life so that I might use it for what you need the future generations to have from it.

Father, Advent is coming. Jesus is coming. Prepare my heart for it this season. Fill me with love. Fill me with joy. Fill me with celebration. There is so much to do over the next six weeks. It is my busiest season at work. But it is also my biggest opportunity to love others well. To let your love flow through me. Help me to do that, oh, Lord! Help me to love you well.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 22, 2024 in Malachi

 

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1 Kings 17:1-16

10 Nov

17 Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

2 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 3 “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. 4 Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

5 So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.

8 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 9 “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”

10 So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”

12 But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”

15 So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. 16 There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

1 Kings 17:1-16

Dear God, my first thought when I read today’s Old Testament reading for the Catholic church was, “What must it have been like for the widow and her son to hang out with Elijah for a year. And I’ll come back to that. But when I went back to set up the context of today’s reading (which starts in verse 10), I saw that the preceding verses talked about the prophecy that there would be no rain and you telling Elijah that he should go hide near a brook and that you had “commanded” the ravens to bring you food. Then you used the same type of word–“ordered”–to describe what you had done to the widow. I looked at different translations and they mostly used these two words interchangeably between verse 4 and 9.

But had you? Had you ordered/commanded her or did you prepare her heart for an opportunity to serve and obey? Was it just that she was at a point where she had nothing left to lose, and she was ready to be melded into whatever you wanted for a chance for her son to survive?

Now, back to my first thought when I read this. What was it like to live with Elijah for a long time? Reading ahead to chapter 18, we find out that it was over two years from the time the draught started until Elijah returned to Ahab. Well, it was in the third year. I read that as 2+ years, but the way they say things in that culture could mean something else. Regardless, they lived with Elijah for a while. He lived in an upper room in their home. I wonder what kind of roommate he was. Did he pray a lot? Did he laugh? Was he joyful or stoic? Her family got to see him for a long time. I don’t know that there are any deep spiritual truths from this part of the story, but the idea that he was literally living with them for so long and what that must have been like has always kind of slipped by me until now.

Father, back to the part about you preparing this woman’s heart to obey your commands, my prayer is that my heart might be easily malleable for your will. Selfishly, I hope you don’t have to bring me to the brink before you can teach me what you have for me to learn, although I do still have a great sorrow that is forming me, even to this day. But my life could be so much worse. There is so much good around me. But it’s not about me. It’s not about my good. It’s simply about how I will use these 54-100 years (somewhere between my current age and the chance I might live to 100) you’ve given me to bring you glory and be part of your Church. To be part of bringing your kingdom and your will into earth as it is in heaven. To worship you with everything I have and then love my neighbor deeply and completely. To define my neighbor broadly, including those I don’t like or those with whom I am at cross purposes. Make me an instrument of your peace. When people look at me I want them to see you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on November 10, 2024 in 1 Kings

 

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The Mockery of Baal – 1 Kings 18:25-40

28 Dec
The above image is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups written and compiled by Ned Bustard. The image is called “Prophets of Baal” and was created by Diego Jourdan Pereira.

25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.”

26 So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.

27 About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”

28 So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. 29 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.

30 Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. 31 He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, 32 and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. 33 He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood.

Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.”

34 After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, 35 and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench.

36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

40 Then Elijah commanded, “Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!” So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.

1 Kings 18:25-40

Dear God, I whenever I use these images from Ned Bustard’s book Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-ups, I start with the image, but today I want to start with Elijah’s prayer to you. Why did he do all of this? He did it for your glory. “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”

I wonder how much more I should be calling on you to prove your existence to those who do not believe. How much more should I be taking you to them and letting them know about the God who loves them and wants the best for them? I should probably be more mindful of doing this.

Now, as for the image, this is a difficult one for me to see what’s going on. I seethe bull in the bottom right. I see the sun overhead. I see bearded faces in the background. And I see a man in the foreground, but, honestly, I can’t tell if he is Elijah or one of the prophets of Baal working in vain. I haven’t read the description of the image until now, but I’ll go ahead and read it. Okay, so Bustard didn’t interpret the image, but instead talked more about the story in his description. But in the description, he quotes D.A. Carson: People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith…we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, this is a reminder to me to not drift, but to be bold. As I experience vacation this week, there is certainly a tendency to “drift” towards lethargy. But there is so much to do in your name. Whether it is ensuring my heart is pursuing you and loving you with everything it has or loving on others in your name, there is work to be done. So help me to do this work today. Help me to do it in great faith. Be glorified through my little life.

I pray all of this in the joy of my reconciliation to you through Jesus,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 28, 2023 in 1 Kings, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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Elijah Stands Before the Lord – 1 Kings 19:11-18

11 May


The above image is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups by Ned Bustard. The image is called “A Gentle Whisper” and was created by Justin Sorensen.

1 Kings 19:11-18

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

Dear God, Bustard didn’t include verse 10 in this lesson, but I think it’s important because it starts with you asking Elijah a question and then Elijah answers. It is after this exchange that you decide to “pass by.”

There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

Elijah passively accuses you of the same thing I have accused you of. He feels like you have let him down. You have disappointed him. I have felt disappointed by you too. For Elijah, I think he felt like he “zealously served” you and you still didn’t come through with the people falling into line. After he did such a great job, why should his life be on the line?

Then you told him to get ready because you were going to come by. And you did some things that would physically scare him. A huge wind that crumbled rocks. An earthquake. Fire. Were you showing him that you could take his life in a minute? Were you making that point to him?

What I’ve always liked about this story is that when you showed up you were gentle. A gentle whisper is what you used to once again ask your question of Elijah: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” His answer didn’t change, but I wonder if his tone of voice did. Was there anger in his first answer? Were there tears in the second?

My wife and I were talking this morning about the fine line we often cross between feeling close to you and living in the Spirit and being completely fallen. Thank you that you give us people like Elijah who experienced the same thing.

Now, regarding this image, here we have Elijah with the cloak he put over his own eyes, and I assume that is your presence approaching his face. Is that a knife? A claw? A feather? I don’t know. Here is what the artist, Justin Sorensen, says about this story:

I’ve always been interested in how the specs tackle of the fire or earthquake didn’t touch Elijah at his core the way the gentleness of a whisper did. The ordinariness of the whisper really strikes me. My tendency is always to look for God in the places I expect to find him. The whisper seems always to suggest that God can’t be controlled, and that he can manifest himself however he likes. I think the whisper is God’s way of saying to Elijah that he is everywhere, and that he is moving in ways we can’t see. It’s not that God wasn’t whispering up until that point, it’s that Elijah then became aware of it.

Father, help me to consider my life worth nothing to me. Help me to simply finish the race and complete the task you have given me–the task of testifying to your grace.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 11, 2019 in 1 Kings, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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The Mockery of Baal — 1 Kings 18:25-29, 36-39

27 Apr


The image above is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups by Ned Bustard. The image is called “Prophets of Baal” as was created by Diego Jourdan Pereira.

1 Kings 18:25-29,36-39
Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.” So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response. At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord , are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord —he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

Dear God, before I get into the image the Pereira created to go with this story, I want to focus for a minute on something that struck me while I was reading it. The prophets of Baal went to the links of cutting “themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.” The thought that I had that I don’t think I have had before is, how many times have I sacrificed myself waiting for an idol to pay off? Yes, looking back it seems like their custom was ridiculous, but is it any different than what I do when I expect my money, my job, my marriage, or my kids to do something for me. When I give and give and give to them not out of love but out of expectation of them, isn’t that just as foolish?

Now, back to this image, I’ll be rank and SA that I cannot make heads or tails of it. Is the large man in the picture Elijah? Are those images of Baal or the prophets of Baal under his arms? I see the bull’s horns on the bottom right. I see the Sun. But I’m not sure what else it is I’m seeing.

Father, at the end of the day, I just need to be reminded that It is easy for me to make idols–even an idol of you. Not the real you, of course, but of the you that my mind wants to create. The you that I expect to give me what I want and do what I want you to do. Making an idol of that image of you is as bad as making an idol out of anything else. I want to worship the real you. The powerful you. Not the you that does what I want you to do. I certainly need a God whom I serve, not one that serves me.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 27, 2019 in 1 Kings, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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Peter & John — Luke 9:28-36

31 Oct

Luke 9:28-36 NASB
[28] Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. [29] And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. [30] And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, [31] who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. [32] Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. [33] And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”-not realizing what he was saying. [34] While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. [35] Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” [36] And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

Dear God, it seems like this telling of the transfiguration is a little more detailed than the others. I’d need to go back and check to see if the others do this, but I don’t remember the little details like eight days later and being afraid walking into the fog. I don’t even remember the part where they fell asleep and woke up to see everything happening.

It says that “they were afraid” about the cloud. Did that include Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, or was it Just Peter, James, and John? I would imagine at that point that Jesus, Moses and Elijah knew what was happening and were at peace.

I wonder if this felt like a dream to the three disciples. To wake up and see such an extraordinary sight. I’ve talked about Peter’s response before so I don’t know that I need to cover it again. It’s just an amazing thing that I’m convinced was meant to strengthen Jesus for the home stretch leading up to the crucifixion.

Father, give me what I need so that I can be strengthened to do your will. Give me courage. Give me strength. Give me love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, and self control. Let your fruit come to bear in my life.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 31, 2018 in Luke, Peter and John

 

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Peter & John — Mark 9:2-8

30 Sep

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus. Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials —one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them.

Mark 9:2-8

Dear God, as I try to compare the differences between Peter and John, as I can discern them from the New Testament, I notice in this passage that “they were all terrified,” and yet Peter was the one to speak. In this case, we aren’t told if they were part of the conversation or were observing them from a distance, but in the moment Peter broke and just could sit with his fear.

I’m a subscriber to the Mark Twain saying, “Better to remain silent and appear foolish than to open your mouth and remove all doubt,” but I can still tend to talk too much in a group setting. I can also talk too much in a one-on-one conversation. My listening skills can be very poor. I really admire my wife’s listening skills. People feel comfortable with her and they are able to open up to her. She will allow for silent moments. She will ask a question and wait for the answer. She will draw people out and make them feel heard. Had she been there with Jesus that day, I am sure she would have been terrified, but also taking it all in, learning, and trying to figure out what it means.

Father, I give you my thanks for giving me such a great friend in my wife. I worship you in this silent moment. Help me to hear you today. Help me to be a great listener for those we will see today. Make me better than I am for the sake of your kingdom and others.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 30, 2018 in Mark, Peter and John

 

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Peter and John — Matthew 17:1-13

03 Sep

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

Matthew 17:1-13

Dear God, in my series on Peter and John, here’s a story that specifically contains both of them (plus James).

I love that Peter can’t stand an awkward moment without just saying something. Previously, we saw Jesus walking to them on water, but instead of just watching everything play out he decided he needed to get out there too. In this case, he couldn’t just sit there and wait until he was needed. He couldn’t imagine that he was there to just take it in and use the knowledge and experience later. He figured he and the other two must be there for physically utilitarian purposes. He didn’t understand and couldn’t imagine that you were using this as a moment to be leaned upon later in his life.

Of course, I’ve always thought that the main reason for the transfiguration experience was to encourage Jesus as he continued his road to Jerusalem. I would love to have heard that conversation. I’m sure it focused around Jesus hearing affirmation and encouragement from them. I wonder if Peter, James and John were truly able to keep it a secret until after the crucifixion.

Then there is John in this story. We aren’t told that he says anything while Moses and Elijah are there. He was probably in awe. Maybe he was talking with Peter and James. Maybe that’s where the shelter idea came from, but Peter was the one who said it. Either way, he was certainly more reserved in his response than was Peter.

Finally, in the trip down the mountain they asked about Elijah. It doesn’t tell us who actually asked it. It probably wasn’t Peter since Matthew seems to like to tell us when it’s Peter talking. Presumably it was either James or John who asked it. But this shows thought of trying to make sense of all of this, connect the dots, cross the t’s, and dot the i’s. While Peter is seemingly completely in the moment, the asker of this question is trying to step out of the moment and look at things from a big-picture point of view.

Father, I am interested to see how all of this plays out. What is it about Peter that I need to look at adding to my life? What is it about him that I already have that I need to discard? The same for John. What can you teach me about my place in the body of Christ by studying these two men and contrasting them against each other? Teach me through this process so that I might become the man you need and want me to be.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 3, 2018 in Matthew, Peter and John

 

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Funeral Songs (Part 1) – “Elijah” by Rich Mullins

11 Aug

Dear God, I was talking with a friend recently about the songs I would want played at my funeral. I have a couple in mind, but as I woke up this morning and thought about praying to you in this journal, I got to wondering about those songs and what they say both about my relationship with you and what they reveal about what I want to say to others in one last message to them.

So, first, I need to look at the songs. Here is what I have:

If I can’t speak at my funeral, and I won’t get to write the eulogy, these will be my words to the people there. What am I trying to say with each one?

“Elijah“

The Jordan is waiting for me to cross through
My heart is aging, I can tell
So, Lord, I’m begging for one last favor from you
Here’s my heart, take it where you will
This life has shown me how we’re mended and how we’re torn
How it’s okay to be lonely as long as we’re free
Sometimes my ground was stony, and sometimes covered up with thorns
And only you could make it what it had to be
And not that it’s done, Well, if they dressed me like a pauper
Or if they dined me like a prince
If they lay me with my fathers
Or if my ashes scatter on the wind I don’t care!

When I leave I want to go out like Elijah
With a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire
And when I look back on the starts
Well it’ll be like a candlelight in Central Park
And it won’t break my heart to say goodbye

There’s people been friendly, but they’d never be your friend
Sometimes this has bent me to the ground
Now that this is all ending, I want to hear some music once again
‘Cause it’s the finest thing I have ever found
But the Jordan is waiting, Though I ain’t never seen the other side
They say you can’t take in the things you have here
So on the road to salvation, I stick out my thumb and He gives me a ride
And His music is already falling on my ears

There’s people been talking, They say they’re worried about my sould
Well, I’m here to tell you I’ll keep rocking, ’til I’m sure it’s my time to roll
And when I do

When I leave I wan to go out like Elijah,
With a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire
And when I look back on the stars
Well, it’ll be like a candlelight in Central Park
And it won’t break my heart to say goodbye

I think I want this song to kick off the slideshow (is this prayer too morbid?), but I think I’ll need to make sure the lyrics for all of these songs are provided for people to at least look at later.

Rich died in a dramatic car accident about one month shy of his 42nd birthday, but then I guess you know that. But I think he wrote this song in his 20s. I try to imagine him reading the story of Elijah and putting himself in Elijah’s position, but I’ve always found it interesting that someone so young could write the lyrics, “my heart is aging, I can tell.” I think there are moments, no matter how young we are, when we feel beaten down and our hearts feel old. Even a 15-year-old can experience an old-feeling heart. But there is something about this song that just feels hopeful. It speaks a message to me that says, “Yes, you can get tired on this journey, but there will be some goodness and some respite on the way–and believe me, there’s something amazing to come.

I really like the second verse when it talks about the music: “Now that this is all ending, I want to hear some music once again/’Cause it’s the finest thing I have ever found…So on the road to salvation, I stick out my thumb and He gives me a ride/And His music is already falling on my ears.” Obviously as a musician, Rich loved music. But I think most of us do. You built us to love music in a special way for some reason. Words put to a tune are even easier to remember than words without a tune. I like how he mentions here that he can imagine something that he loves this side of the Jordan is provided for, and even more so, on the other side of the Jordan.

Father, I think I’m going to spend the next few days going through these songs and thinking about why they touch me and what I hope they say about me and about you to those who are gathered to look back on my life. If nothing else, my desire is that they will see someone with flaws–many, many flaws–but who earnestly loved you and did his best to get over himself and point others to you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 11, 2018 in Funeral Songs, Hymns and Songs

 

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