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Tag Archives: Matthew

Emails to God – Too Much Vulnerability? (Matthew 6:5-8)

23 Aug

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Dear God, I think one of the areas where I get myself into difficulty is that I don’t like to put a gloss on how things are going. When people ask me how things are going at work, I never want to just give a nice, “Oh, just great,” unless things are going great. Same thing for my personal life. My experience is that people get more out of my vulnerability and confessions of weakness as opposed to me trying to make everything look perfect.

So why does that get me into difficulty? Well, there are times when I think I might make things sound worse than they really are. There are also times when the people around me are expecting me to lead them through a difficult time and they need me to display confidence and a positive attitude. I know there have been times when I shared too much of my fears with my children—such as when I was unemployed back in 2003 and 2005. They needed to feel a little more security through those times than I gave them. In an effort to be vulnerable and transparent, I think I shared too much.

How does that fit with this passage? Because the way I can justify praying to you through this blog and sharing it with the readers even though this verse discourages it is because I am not trying to impress anyone with what a grand prayer or Christian I am. I try to mention my faults in here. I try to mention my fears and vulnerabilities. But then I think people sometimes read it and start to get worried about me. I had a friend one time stop and ask me if I was okay. I said, “Yes. I’m really doing well. It is actually very therapeutic to journal prayers this way.” I then said, “You should try it some time. You’d be surprised by what comes out.”

Father, I don’t want to be a babbling pagan. I just want to have a life that is open to you in prayer. I want to find time in my day to stop and listen to your still small voice. I want you to use this blog to let others know that they are not alone. There is a fellow sojourner who struggles, questions, cries out, overcomes, and lives in victory with you. I want people to see something in Scripture that they might not have seen before. And I want others to have a look inside me and see beneath any veneer that I might intentionally or unintentionally put up around me. Be glorified through me in this process. Help me to decrease as you increase.

 
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Posted by on August 23, 2012 in Matthew, My Utmost for His Highest Scripture of the Day

 

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Emails to God – Matthew’s Wrap-Up (Matthew 28:16-20)

25 May

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Dear God, this ending seems so abrupt, especially considering some of the details we get in the other Gospels. Was Matthew just trying to get this story wrapped up? Also, it is interesting that in verse 17 it says that “some doubted.” What did they doubt? What did they see while they were there? For such a long book that gives us such great details (including all of the genealogy stuff at the beginning) it seems that this ending just doesn’t make sense.

Of course, the big thing that all evangelicals quote from this is verse 19. It’s an important thing for all of us to remember that we are to be about making disciples of Jesus. For all that Matthew lacks in his wrap up, he and Mark are the only ones who talk about the disciples being charged with preaching the Gospel. In fact, it is interesting to go and look at each Gospel to see how they end. Each one is certainly unique.

Father, help me to be a person who is about, above all else, making disciples. I feel like I fail often in that way. In fact, now that I think about it, I had an opportunity yesterday with a friend that I missed. He is suffering a bit, and we had lunch together. Hmm. Somehow, I didn’t even think to bring you up. How awful is that? Please forgive me and make me more sensitive to the still, small voice that you are speaking to me at any given time.

 
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Posted by on May 25, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Hard Hearts (Matthew 28:11-15)

24 May

11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Dear God, the idea of one person’s word against the other is interesting here. Assuming that verses 12 and 13 are true (and I do), then at what point did the chief priests not stop in their tracks and ask, “Oh my. Did we kill the Messiah?”

I think a hard heart is one of the hardest things to avoid for any human. We get so wrapped up in our agenda and in self-preservation that we can miss the basic facts. I can see instances in my work where I continually have to remind myself to step back and look at the facts rather than try to make the facts fit my own agenda (like the chief priests did here).

I am a Rotarian, and every week we recite the “Four-Way Test”:

  1. Is it the truth?
  2. Is it fair to all concerned?
  3. Will it bring good will and better friendships?
  4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Father, there is a particular conflict in my life right now, and I end up asking these questions of myself a lot as I go through this process. I don’t want to lose sight of truth in the midst of the struggle. I don’t want to be so bent on my own agenda that I can’t live within the confines of these four questions. So far, I am at peace that I’ve been able to do this. I pray that you will help me and all who are involved in this struggle with me to be able to do the same.

 
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Posted by on May 24, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10)

22 May

1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Dear God, there are different tellings of this story in the Gospels, and it is interesting to see the different details that each write shares. Matthew seems to be more nuts and bolts about the story. Perhaps it’s the accountant in him. He doesn’t tell us the story about Jesus appearing as a gardener. He doesn’t tell us about Peter and John running to the tomb to check it out for themselves. But I just looked at the other four stories and I think this is the only one that mentions the earthquake.

In times like this I always try to take the story’s details and try to figure out what the author’s message to me is. What is it that Matthew wants me to take away from this? In this case, I think he wants me to know that:

  1. It was the women who were out working to ensure Jesus was buried correctly. In fact, the disciples didn’t do anything to take care of Jesus’ body after the crucifixion (that was left to a couple of Jewish church leaders) and they were apparently not going to do anything to ensure his body was buried correctly (perhaps this was considered “women’s work” at that time, but it’s still interesting).
  2. The women felt God move supernaturally. They felt the earthquake. They saw the angel. They saw the stone had been moved. They saw the guards “like dead men.”
  3. The angel told them that Jesus was alive, “just as he said,” he was going to Galilee, and that they needed to tell the disciples to meet him there.
  4. The women actually saw Jesus himself, and He also told them to tell the disciples about meeting Him in Galilee.

Father, I guess my overall take away from this story is that this wasn’t a vague, mysterious resurrection. You demonstrated your power. You communicated with the women who were trying to care for Jesus. You reminded them that this had all been predicted before. Then Jesus actually appeared to them. There was no room left for interpretation. Thank you for this story. Thank you for the resurrection. There is a gentleness about this story that is sweet. It seems to be about reassurance (to the women) and forgiveness (of the disciples). There is no vengeance here for the terrible death of Jesus. There is only a continued execution of the plan. How great is that?

 
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Posted by on May 22, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Overwhelming Situations (Matthew 27:62-66)

21 May

62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Dear God, I have two things here. First, the Pharisees seem to remember Jesus’ words about rising from the dead better than the disciples. Perhaps the disciples were just distraught out of grief and just couldn’t must the faith. It’s not like the Pharisees had faith. They just didn’t want the disciples to deceive people.

Second, I notice here that Pilate was willing to play along with the Pharisees and indulge them. Perhaps he was afraid of Jesus’ disciples deceiving people. Or maybe he just wanted to get rid of the Pharisees and giving them a couple of guards and a seal was a small price to pay for that.

I guess there’s a third thing I am noticing now that I think about it. I’m not sure if this is right, but the Pharisees were doing all of this on the Sabbath. That sure seems like a lot of work and effort for them to be doing on the Sabbath.

This must have been an overwhelming and confusing time for all of them, including the disciples. Events were happening so fast and they were trying to do as much damage control as possible. I’m sure it was something that everyone involved was only able to sort out after it was all over and they could look back on it.

Father, I have things going on in my life that are confusing to me. From things and situations at work to things and situations at home. My first inclination is to ask you to help me figure all of these things out, but my real request is that you will help me to respond to each thing that comes in front of me today with your power. Help me to hear your still small voice at each moment. Help me to “see the whole board” as much as possible. Even when I don’t realize you are doing it, guide me in each decision I make and save me from bad decisions that might negatively impact me later in life.

 
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Posted by on May 21, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – My Favorite Bible Story (Matthew 27:57-61)

17 May

57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

Dear God, I think it is interesting that Matthew doesn’t tell us a little detail that John tells us: that Nicodemus, the Pharisee who came to Jesus and asked about being born again, was there too, helping Joseph care for Jesus’ body. Mark tells us that Joseph was “prominent member of the council.” So I have to say that this is my favorite Bible story, and Joseph and Nicodemus are two of my favorite Bible characters. Why? Because they showed their face in the midst of despair and defeat. They showed a love for Jesus that went beyond his divinity and what they owed him as their God. And they did it at their own peril and risk of their own reputation.

I wonder how this story made Matthew, John, and the rest of the apostles feel when they heard it later. I wonder if they castigated themselves for not being there to do this. I wonder if they ever went out of their way to thank Joseph and Nicodemus for what they did. I wonder how Joseph and Nicodemus were treated by the church leaders after this.

Father, these men truly offered their reputations and careers up for you. I hope that, if it came down to it, I would be willing to do the same.

 
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Posted by on May 17, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – The Most Important Moment in History (Matthew 27:45-56)

15 May

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Dear God, there is a lot in this passage. I wonder why they brought up Elijah in verses 47& 49. What did he have to do with this? Was there a prophecy about Elijah saving someone.

There’s so much here, I almost feel like I need to bullet-point everything that happened:

  • Jesus felt abandoned by you.
  • Someone offered him a drink (though I’m not sure whether that was merciful or cruel since it was wine vinegar).
  • There are the comments about Elijah and watching what happens next.
  • Jesus gave up his spirit and died.
  • The curtain of the temple split.
  • There was an earthquake.
  • Tombs opened and some of the deceased resurrected at the time and appeared to people after the resurrection (it’s unclear if they stuck around).
  • The women watched.

I think the importance of this passage is simple—it is simply the most critical moment in the history of the earth. You abandoned your son for my sake, and in that moment there was separation in the Trinity. You let a piece of yourself die for me.

Father, I’ve never really thought about the fact that, since you, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one, a piece of you died that day. I’ve always separated it in my head somehow. But you did more than give up your son. You gave up yourself. Greater love has no one than this… I know that I take this for granted. I try not to, but I do. Perhaps that is my greatest sin of all.

 
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Posted by on May 15, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Two Sides to Every Story (Matthew 27:32-44)

14 May

32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

Dear God, I wonder if Matthew was there, hiding in the wings, or is this what was told to him? We know that John followed Jesus all of the way through the trial and to the cross, so he has much better details for us than Matthew does. I guess what I notice here is how we revisit some of the things Jesus had been saying all week to gall the chief priests and Pharisees. But are they the things he actually said, or things they heard that he said? Did he ever call himself the King of the Jews or the King of Israel during that week, or did other people call him that? We know that he incited them to action during the week, but did he actually say what they think he said?

 

One thing I continue to learn with each passing year is that there are two sides to every story. It is rare that someone is just inherently evil or mean. Usually, if they do something that one would perceive to be mean It is because they are trying to simply do something to either protect their interest or trying to respond to a tricky situation. For example, I am working through a conflict right now between our organization and one of our support organizations. I think they have been frustrated with us and have ascribed negative intent to our actions. I think that they think we were being intentionally negligent when the truth is that we thought we were following the correct protocols and no one told us that something we were doing was a problem.

 

Father, I offer you my day. As I work through this issue with the other agency, I ask that you help me to not ascribe negative motives to them, but instead realize that there is a side to their story as well, and it is probably not nearly as sinister as I might think. Help me to lead my staff through this conflict as well. So far, a lot of the blame has fallen on them, and I want to somehow protect them while simultaneously ensuring that we all emerge from this process in a better place than we have ever been before.

 
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Posted by on May 14, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Thoughts on Gay Marriage (Matthew 27:27-31)

12 May

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Dear God, I wonder why these soldiers had so much venom for Jesus. Were they annoyed by all of the Jews in town for the Passover? Were they simply bigoted against the Jews? Was this just how they normally acted in similar situations?

This makes me think of the issue of gay marriage a little. The topic has come up for me a couple of times this week since North Carolina just had their vote about not legalizing it. As a conservative Christian who has a gay relative (whom I love dearly), I confess that I am often conflicted on this issue. I know what the Bible says about it. I know the Old and New Testament verses. I also know that there are some things in the Bible that are simply no longer good theology (selling your children into slavery, allowing for multiple wives, etc.), so there might be a part of it that is out of step. At the same time, I do think that you feel strongly about our sexual lives. You feel strongly about us avoiding debauchery in all forms.

I talked with a friend this week and asked him what would be worse in your (God’s) eyes: His son goes out on a homosexual date that night and nothing physical happened, or his son goes out on a heterosexual date and has sex with the girl? Frankly, the heterosexual son seems to be much more offensive to you and your desires for us.

But coming back to my point, on the issue of gay marriage, I feel like, as a conservative Christian, I am supposed to oppose it with all of my heart, soul, and strength. But when I look at the issue I wonder what exactly I am opposing. The biggest thing I hear is that it will break down the fabric of the institutional family. Well, frankly, heterosexuals have been doing that for years. Straight families have been undermining the idea of monogamy, commitment, and faithfulness more and more each year. And gay couples can already raise children, so they are already functioning as families. So why is it important that we keep them from sharing health benefits and having hospital visitation rights?

Father, I don’t know the answers to these questions, but I know a few things. I don’t want to be a lemming who, like these soldiers who were torturing Jesus, just accepts the group’s norms as my own. I want my theology and philosophy to come from you. I also know that I don’t understand your ways. I don’t understand your plan. I don’t understand homosexuality and the idea of nature vs. nurture. Even if it comes about from nurture, wasn’t it you that allowed the person to be nurtured in that way? I do know that I have no stones to throw at anyone because I am certainly not without sin. I do know that I love my  gay relative and my gay friends, and I really don’t care that they are. I know that I want all of my friends and relatives, gay or straight, to love you and simply be open to whatever the Holy Spirit chooses to convict them of—just like I want that for myself. And I know that I love you. I am sorry for where I fail you and fall short of your standards. I pray that you will use me in whatever way you will to accomplish your purposes in the lives of those around me.

 
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Posted by on May 12, 2012 in Matthew

 

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Emails to God – Pilate’s Diplomatic Efforts (Matthew 27:11-26)

10 May

11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no reply,  not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner   chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat,  his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent  man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream  because of him.”

20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar  was starting, he took water and washed his hands  in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”he said. “It is your responsibility!”

25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,  and handed him over to be crucified.

Dear God, I can relate (in only a small way) to what Pilate was experiencing here. He was trying to play diplomat when there was no diplomacy that would work. He was trying to finesse a situation instead of taking it on and just doing what needed to be done.

There is probably at least one time every week when I find myself trying to mediate a problem between two parties (with me representing one of the parties). Just yesterday, I had a situation where another organization in town that supports us was really angry with us and how we had been doing something. They were even threatening to cut us off and not work with us anymore. The surprising thing was that I had no idea there were resentments festering on their end. It all blew up in one moment. I spent a lot of the rest of the day trying to put the relationship back together. They are good people on their end, and it was about miscommunication and some procedures we use, so I think we can fix these things. My point is, I think that is what Pilate was trying to do here. He was trying to diffuse the situation and find a graceful way out for the church leadership, the people, and Jesus. Unfortunately for him, there was a much larger plan at work here and nothing he did would have stopped the train that was going down the track.

Father, there are times when you would have me make peace, and then there are times when your plan does not call for peace. I think the latter times are VERY few and far between, but they do exist. So help me to be an instrument of your peace. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

 

 
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Posted by on May 10, 2012 in Matthew

 

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