Gospel of Luke
Preparing for Advent: Hope and Expectations
November 30, 2012 | 
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Preparing for Advent: Hope and Expectations (A Pre-Advent Meditation #3) [30NOV12]
Reading: Luke 19:41-44
These may be among the saddest words in Scripture…
Jesus began to weep.
42 How I wish today you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. (Your enemies will overcome you and crush you…) 44 Because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation
I don’t want to judge or criticize the people about whom Jesus speaks of and cries over. I think we become them all too easily on any given day in any given crisis with any given selfish, blind ambition. I think we can too easily lose our hope or have our hope replaced by something else and something less.
We have a hope, an invitation to peace and salvation. We cannot afford to take it for granted or lose that hope.
My soul magnifies the Lord; my spirit exults in God my Savior.
I wait for you, Lord, my soul waits, and in your word I hope.
In this season of Advent, we look forward with hope; to the kingdom, which has come within and amongst us. We have hope, looking forward, to the kingdom of eternal promise when Christ our King returns and establishes His Kingdom forever.
“Advent is the season built around the petition ‘Your Kingdom come;’” says John Witvliet. And Dallas Willard writes; “God’s Kingdom is wherever God reigns.” May we call out with earnest hearts for God’s kingdom to come! All the while, we establish God’s kingdom now, in our midst, because He reigns complete in each of our hearts.
We hope with open hearts. Whenever our hearts are open to Him He enters. We hope for His coming; open and expectant. Maranatha; Even so, Come , Lord Jesus, and let our hearts be open to recive the life that you alone can give. Amen.
Posted in Advent, Advent 2012, Gospel of Luke, Liturgical Year, Meditations, Spiritual Formation, The Liturgical Year | 
Tags: Advent, Hope, Jesus, Jesus Wept, Kingdom, Luke 19, Preparing, The Christian Calendar, The Liturgical Year | 
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Reading Scripture: Jeff’s Journal 13Nov2012
Reading Scripture: Jeff’s Journal 13Nov2012
Sharing a couple pages from my journal after reading the selections from the Daily Office Year Two (Book of Common Prayer). I started the book of the Prophet Joel and continue reading from the Gospel of Luke. My reflections follow:
“Cleansing the Temple”
A terrible thing has happened… the people of God have failed to live in right relationship with him. We know this because Joel calls the people to repentance; “Turn back to God…” (see Joel 2:12-14). What I read that is most tragic to me is the curse and devastation is so massive and far-reaching that it completely prevents the people from worshiping God in the way they have previously known and the way worship has been prescribed for centuries. There was a certain protocol for worship; there were certain sacrificial offerings for the remittance of sin requiring grain, oil, wine, and specific animals. Because of the devastation that had befallen the people, this form of worship and sin offering was not an option.
8 Weep like a bride dressed in black, mourning the death of her husband. 9 For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of the LORD… 10 The fields are ruined, the land is stripped bare. The grain is destroyed, the grapes have shriveled, and the olive oil is gone. 13 …For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God. (Joel 1:8-10, 13)
I am familiar with the Book of Joel, so I know the people are called to repent and turn back to God…and the LORD makes provision to do this despite the people’s inability to follow Temple protocol. The heart-breaking observation here is the realization of how disorienting and disheartening this loss of identity…this stripping away of self must be to the Hebrew people. Not only are their lives disrupted to the point of famine and ruin, but the thing they “know” to do (go to the Temple and offer sacrifices in a show of repentance), they cannot do.
I wonder if this is an example of and call to “die to self?” Is this God helping his people to strip away and remove a false identity? I think it is possible.
The people of God had relied upon their Temple worship as a means of supporting their relationship with God for generations. It seems the relationship that came with sharing the Dwelling Place of God had been taken for granted and was being used as a means to an end. When the people were backed into a corner or they felt “God was angry,” the thing to do was find a priest, offer sacrifices, appease the “angry god,” and move on. It is true that God had been the originator of the rules for Temple worship, but it was the people who had subverted what God had intended for good. In the process of subversion, the people had lost the thing that set them apart from the surrounding nations; they had lost their relationship with God.
I wonder if this might be a foreshadowing of Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple.
…For there is no grain or wine to offer at the Temple of your God.
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
“Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Exclaims a man who is listening to the teaching of Jesus (Luke 14:15).
Jesus taught his disciples to pray; “Lord give us this day our daily bread…” It seems to me, that one of God’s greatest delights is the communion of fellowship. The unity and fellowship of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is (I think) the greatest example of this perfect unity and communion, but God also reveals His passion for relationship and desire for communion with humanity in number of ways. The Bible teaches us about the joy God derives from walking with man as His friend (think Enoch, Abraham, and Moses as a few examples). We are taught about God “dwelling” in the tents of men (Moses and the Tabernacle in the wilderness). God enjoying sharing meals (with Abraham, providing manna for the Israelites for 40 years, Jesus’ delight in sharing food and wine…). Clearly, ours is a God of relationship, One who enjoys creating memories, traditions, a living history and shared heritage—feasts, festivals, dancing and singing with His cherished Creation. There really seems nothing that gives God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit greater joy than to “hang out” with His children… and it seems He also likes to provide “fresh bread” for the most of these gatherings.
“Give us this day our daily bread, we pray”
In the reading of Luke 14:15-24, I see a tragic parallel to our contemporary world. I hear a man exclaim how great it is to “eat and fellowship with God.” This doesn’t seem too far removed from conversations and the words of Christians in our world today. We might find ourselves in a Christian gathering or a church potluck and proclaim how wonderful it is to be in the presence of God, eating and sharing our blessings together, but Jesus offers a raw look into what is all-too-often our real world.
Jesus tells the people at his table about a man (God) who has prepared an elaborate banquet—a great feast—for which he has sent out many invitations. When the time draws near for the date of the banquet, many RSVPs are returned with excuses and reasons for people unable to attend; “They all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’” (Luke 14:18-20).
This parable is some two-thousand years old, but it seems that not much has changed. When I have the opportunity to spend devoted time with God, how often have sent him my RSVP with words like, “I’d love to go to church or read my Bible, but I have to work; I have chores at home; it’s my only day off; I have family obligations…”?
“Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
God has provided us with a banquet of fellowship fit for a king and unrivaled by anything imagined in the history of humankind. We have unparalleled access to God through the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit and His written Word to us. How can we justify not taking the time or making the time to fellowship with the Creator of All Things?
I think an even greater tragedy is how easy it becomes for us to take for granted this access to God and the “daily bread” He has prepared for us. As the people in the time of Joel took for granted their access to, and relationship with, God, He took that access away from them.
“…For there is no grain or wine to worship in the Temple of God.” Joel 1:13
In Jesus’ parable, so it happens also. If we fail to enter his fellowship… our fellowship, our access to the banquet and Bread of God may result with us being denied entry.
“For none of these I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.” Luke 14:24
May we never take for granted the gift of daily bread from our Heavenly Father. Blessed are those who eat bread in the Kingdom of God. Amen.
Jesus for President? Probably not…
Jesus for President? Probably not…
Political Post Warning…
I’m feeling frisky, so I thought I’d share some musings on this day, our presidential election, in our United States of America. Since I am unashamedly a follower of Messiah Jesus, I thought I’d post a few thoughts from a Christian perspective.
I’ve seen quite a few thoughts around the web that invoke the idea of “vote for Jesus” or “Jesus for president” and other similar inferences like making the most “informed Christian” vote (that is assuming your or my vote would be most closely aligned with who Jesus would vote for. And this assumes He would vote at all—but that is another conversation).
First, let me say that I voted and I believe in the process, even as flawed as it might be; I’m glad I get to vote on the leadership in this nation.
Now, onto the idea of Jesus for president…
Really? I wonder how long Jesus would last if he were really voted in. Let’s hypothetically assume the United States is a Christian nation, and let’s take it one step further and assume that every United States citizen professes themselves aligned with Christianity as their faith affiliation.
First, it is my opinion that Jesus would not be voted in at all if the things he taught and the things he did were reported through the media as are most other presidential candidates.
If good communication skills are a prerequisite and being able to clearly dictate a position are necessary to win over voters, I don’t think Jesus would have scored very high even though we call him a great orator. He said that he chose to deliberately speak in parables so some people would hear him clearly and others would not (see Luke 8).
According to the gospels, Jesus doesn’t seem to be very keen on capitalism, free market systems, amassing fortunes, or retirement plans. In fact, he once told a story about a man who had raised a bumper crop of wheat. The man figured he’d done well and could retire on his efforts and earnings only to be called a “fool” and have his life taken by God that very night (Luke 12:13-21). Additionally, the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and elsewhere in the gospels seem to favor Socialism over the Free Market system that fuels most of the American Dream.
Many people like to believe that Jesus is “fair” and universal in his approach toward helping humanity, but the gospels teach differently about this perception as well. Jesus was often in the midst of great crowds, but we’re only told of two accounts where he fed the masses. I’m reasonably sure there were more than three people that he was aware of who died in the places he traveled, but we’re only told of three that he raised from the dead. In the early pages of Mark’s Gospel we read that Jesus healed all that were brought to him in one day, yet on the morning of the next day, he left people who wanted and needed healing with their disease and sickness telling his disciples he had to go to the next city… “this is not the reason I have come” (Mark 1:29-39). Then there was the scene at the pool of Bethseda; where John recounts there were “many invalids there,” yet Jesus chose to heal only one… (John 5:1-13) and this does not even take into account that Jesus broke the law of the land to heal this man by healing him on the Sabbath.
Certainly my words sound somewhat facetious; it is a literary tool to help us consider our own motives and political positions, but in reality Jesus was a radical that not too many people would be happy with as a president. What if he came to you and demanded you sell all your possessions to give to the poor? What if he advised you the only way you could be part of his country/kingdom was to give up all your status and become a servant to all? What if he announced the only way you could keep your life was to sacrifice it for someone who despised you? I think most people would say; “Jesus, you’re out of your flipping mind…” kinda the same way people thought when he told them his body and blood were real food and drink (John 6:22-59).
He tells us if someone asks for our tunic, give it to them and your shirt too. He says if someone asks you to carry their load a mile, carry it two. If someone cracks you on the jaw, turn your cheek and offer it to them so your bruising will be symmetrical. People say Jesus never wants anyone to be a doormat for others, but this is exactly what he made of himself….and still does today. He is the gate and the doormat to the kingdom of God and He invites us to follow Him.
I think it sounds nice and spiritually self-righteous to say “Jesus for President!” I don’t think it is very heartfelt or realistic, unless of course it is some other Jesus that we are talking about that isn’t the Jesus mentioned in the Holy Scriptures.
Oh, and don’t think for a minute, that I’m not talking about myself here too. I’m as guilty as the next person who wants their proverbial “cake and to eat it too.” I want to follow the Jesus in the Scriptures, and I call myself trying, but I also see the enormous chasm between his teachings and my reality. If Jesus were on the ballot, I’m not sure I would be prepared to vote for him…especially after reading his campaign promises in the gospels.
Jesus for president? Let me think on that awhile.
Posted in A Deeper Walk, Becoming the Word, Bible Speak, Disciple, Gospel of John, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Mark, Jesus, Shaping Me | Tags: Believer, Christianity, disciple, Election, Jesus, Jesus for President, President, United States | No Comments »
Surrender: “Let’s Go Die with Jesus”
Surrender: “Let’s Go Die with Jesus”
Reading: John 11:9-16, 25-26 <> Psalm 31 <> Luke 9, 14, 22
The past few days I’ve been thinking about what it means to “surrender” to Jesus. I wonder about how surrender might be defined. It seems, in our society, there is a desire 
for this word to have cultural impositions placed upon it. Sometimes I get the impression from the words of others that “surrender” is similar to tolerance. Other times I get the impression that surrender is conditional and given only until it reaches a certain point of a person’s predetermined limitations; “I surrender this amount of me or I surrender only certain of my rights.” It seems rare that I encounter the idea of surrender being full and unconditional.
I wonder how Jesus interpreted and defined surrender.
We have the Bible to provide us with what Jesus said and while his words seem indisputable, they must be… disputable, because there are so many variations and degrees to how people interpret them. We have interpreted “Carry your cross…” from the wearing of a tiny charm/pendant to literally nailing ourselves to wooden crosses and everything in between those extremes. We’ve interpreted “Deny yourselves” from not eating chocolate to punishing, deathly ascetic lifestyles and every point in between those extremes. I’m reasonably sure other instructive commentary from Jesus; “You must lose your life to save it” and “Follow me…” have equally colorful interpretations as well. So, the question remains; “What does Jesus require with regard to a surrendered lifestyle?”
Over and over again, I am reminded of how Jesus emptied himself and provided us with the ultimate explanation and visible expression of surrender. I find these defining moments in many places throughout Scripture, but I think a few of the primary passages that bring substance to “surrender” can be found in the following:
All of the above verses represent a very radical commitment to the way of following Jesus, and in many cases, can be very different from what is taught to people attending Christian churches in North America. It is not my intent to slam or criticize anyone or any organization, but the message of radical surrender to the person and mission of Jesus Christ as Jesus described, taught, and modeled is a rare message in our churches today… even more rare in our society at large.
I don’t know what “surrender” means to other people, but when I read the call of Jesus from the Gospels, I cannot come to any other definition or meaning other than total and complete loss of and abandonment of self. Not only do I find his words crystal clear, but the example shared by the apostle Paul (Phil. 2:5-8) is difficult to argue against; “Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” (The MSG Bible)
Surrender is what I encounter when I look upon the night of Jesus’ arrest as he prayed earnestly to his heavenly Father; “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want… Again, he went away for the second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.’” (Matthew 26:36-46 NRSV).
“Those who in fact risk all for God will find that they have both lost all and gained all… Everything other than pleasing God is nothing” -St Teresa of Avila
I think when it has all been considered… maybe Thomas had it pretty well defined. Jesus had announced to his disciples that he was heading back to Judea (where he had been threatened by stoning)and his disciples tried to change his mind, fearing for Jesus’ life and their own… I’m sure. After a few more words, Jesus is undaunted and begins to head back to Bethany… and Thomas adds; “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.” (John 11:16) NLT. Surrender. I think this captures the definition as well as can be described. Surrender is to “go too—and die with Jesus.”
I suppose the question we live and die with is whether or not we are truly willing to surrender according to Jesus’ definition and terms or do we constantly excuse ourselves from surrender with efforts to redefine what it really means?
It’s a tough call…but in the end, these are His words; “Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me…” (John 12:24-26 NRSV). Maybe even more specifically, I should ask what losing my life looks like as I live my life for Christ day to day.
[28APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[28APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Renewal: Week 3 | Day 7
Scripture Reading: Mark 6:30-32; Matthew 6:6; Luke 5:16; Mark 1:35
Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”
There is no substitute for “alone time” with God. I think most Christians might agree with this statement, although how we interpret that “time alone” with God might be up for discussion. It might be argued that time alone with God could look very different from person to person, but I’m not convinced that argument is true.
It used to be that I considered my devotion to God as time that I spent doing things for Him. My participation in and with ministry activities accounted for the majority of my time spent with God. Considering there are only so many hours in a day, I wasn’t left with much time remaining after I devoted time to ministry “doing,” employment, daily chores, family time, eating, and sleeping. It was easy for me to justify my acts of ministry, church attendance, and small group as my time with God. If I am honest with myself though, I realize as profitable and God-glorifying as those activities may be, they are still not a substitute for time spent alone with God. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes; “We are so afraid of silence that we chase ourselves from one event to the next in order not to have to spend a moment alone with ourselves, in order not to have to look at ourselves in the mirror.” There simply is no substitute for devoted, intentional, silent time, alone with God. It is in this space, alone with Him, where we learn to hear the intimately personal Voice of God. Oh yeah, and as much as I wanted for it to count…my daily commute to work didn’t really qualify as the alone quiet time my soul needed with God; not that I couldn’t pray and/or worship on a work commute or long drive alone, but the distraction of attentive driving precluded devoted attentive listening to God.
Following a number of years of this faithful devotion, I realized the passion and fire of my faith was lacking. I was pretty much on autopilot and going through the motions of religion without much of a relationship with the God of my religion. Oh, I was a good person who was doing good things and I was surrounded by other good people who were doing good things. I’m relatively certain my salvation was secure during this season of life, but there really wasn’t much life in this season, at least not the abundant life that Jesus promises us. I was busy all the time, tired most of the time, and always feeling as if the rest and peace of God were always just out of reach. It pains me to admit this, but I would often claim to be living and experiencing the peace and joy of God, but more often than not, my words were empty faith claims. Around the year 2005-06 I started making silence and solitude with God a top priority in my life. As this has become a faithfully practiced discipline over my past six plus years, I now realize and live in the place of God’s rest, peace, and joy. The times when I fall short in my devotion of solitude with God, I quickly begin to unravel and resort to my old practices of hurried and harried living.
Reflect on and examine the schedule of your life; do you have margin for spending extended quiet time alone with God? When was the last time you spent extended and regular time alone in His presence?
Our Prayer: Father God, I miss You. I know that I could be more devoted in the time I set aside to sit at Your feet and enjoy Your presence. I’m sorry for making excuses and justifying my busy-ness as a reason for not getting alone with You. I pray that You would guide me and help me to reevaluate and reorganize my schedule, so I can make “alone time” with You my most valuable priority. Amen.
Posted in A Deeper Walk, Becoming the Word, Bible Speak, Eastertide, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Matthew, Liturgical Year, Meditations, Spiritual Formation, The Liturgical Year | Tags: Discipleship, Eastertide, Jesus, Spiritual Formation, The Gospels, The Liturgical Year | No Comments »
[26APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[26APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Renewal: Week 3 | Day 5
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29:10-14; Luke 8:9-18
“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity…”
I’ve known about Jesus all my life, at least for as long as I can remember. My religious life and my ability to “walk with Jesus” for much of the first thirty-seven years of that time (I am now forty-eight) was start and stop, filled with highs and lows, and more often than not—filled with deception, incongruity, and frustration. And then, all that changed; instead of knowing about Jesus, I actually got to know him.
There is something about the dynamic with which God desires his people to relate with him. Early in the unfolding revelation of the God and man relationship, one of the most important instructions is received with the following words; “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5). Our falling short of this mandate has proved to be the weak link in our ability to walk in fullness of experiencing and reflecting God’s kingdom on earth. I know it was the reason for my thirty-seven years of weak representation of Christian living. What changed for me was the sum of what many of these collective devotional writings of the past couple weeks represent—total devotion and desire to seek God wholeheartedly with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I don’t profess to have the Christian walk mastered, not by a long shot, but mastering the Christian walk is not the command…seeking God and loving God wholeheartedly, whole-mindedly, whole-strengthedly, and whole-souled is. True spiritual renewal requires wholehearted participation, surrender and obedience.
Jesus speaks some very challenging and difficult words to his disciples when they ask him about why he speaks in parables. In Luke’s Gospel account, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower. After sharing the Parable, Jesus tells them the following:
His disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’” (Luke 8:9-10 – compare Matthew 13:13-15)
Jesus actually says he uses parables so that those who aren’t really searching won’t find him. He makes it more clear following his explanation of the parable when he very specifically warns his disciples; “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them” (Luke 8:18). Making our search for God and relationship with God a part-time affair or compartmentalized hobby is simply unacceptable to God. He tells us his very Name is Jealous (Exodus 34:14). Halfhearted searching for God usually results in a god of our own making; however, seeking wholeheartedly will be met with fulfillment of God’s promise to find him and finding the one True God makes all the difference in the world in the life of a Christian…I know it has for me.
Our Prayer: O Gracious and Mighty God, help us to desire you more than anything else. We are so easily distracted, but you call us to seek you and love you wholeheartedly. You tell us this is the only acceptable way to find you and love you. Our spirit wants you, but our flesh is often weak, so we pray for strength to follow our spirit as we strive to crucify our flesh daily in our effort to seek and follow you.
Posted in A Deeper Walk, Bible Speak, Eastertide, Gospel of Luke, Liturgical Year, Meditations, Old Testament, Shaping Me, Spiritual Formation, The Liturgical Year | Tags: Devotions, Discipleship, Eastertide, Gospel of Luke, Jeremiah, Old Testament, Spiritual Formation, The Liturgical Year | No Comments »
[21APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[21APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Repentance: Week 2 | Day 7
Scripture Reading: Luke 14:25-35 (see also: Matthew 10:16-40, Luke 9:57-62, John 15:18-25)
“If you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple…But don’t begin until you count the cost”
I included a few bonus passages of Scripture this morning because I think that sometimes we overlook a critical aspect of the process that is repentance. I know I did and Jesus’ words to us reveal a seemingly inarguable position that he also believed this point was critical… so much so that he told would-be followers, “don’t begin until you count the cost.” The very idea of what may be implied in these words puts a lump in my throat.
As we have examined some of the elements rolled into this word “repentance,” we’ve realized that it doesn’t just mean “feeling bad about the things I do.” Repentance means to change your mind about your life’s direction, making a turn toward that new and better destination, and then moving continually along the path always moving closer to the ultimate destination with eyes, heart, and hope fixed on arriving at the goal. But Jesus also says; “Don’t begin until you count the cost.” Why does he say this?
The reason Jesus makes this point is that staying the course of repentance and remaining a faithful disciple of Jesus is not easy. The path of repentance will take us on a journey through trials and temptations, desolations and consolations of the soul, extreme mountain-top experiences with the presence of God and tearfully lonely times when it seems as though God is far from us… We will lose things and people we love, ideas and beliefs will be broken, and our false idols crushed… And, this might just be the beginning of what lies along the road of repentance. Yes, there are glorious days that await us and we will experience some of them along the way, but the point is this: “Don’t begin until you count the cost.” Jesus desires disciples that are all in and willing to complete the journey.
The result of a disciple who has fully counted the cost and then decided to trust and follow Jesus is this: confidence in the face of adversity, joy even in seasons of grief, gentle calmness of soul even when chaos surrounds, discernment, knowledge, and wisdom…yes, the very mind of Christ in a world that reeks of uncertainty. He has given us everything we need to live a godly life; even to sharing in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:2-4). How do we do this; what is our part? Our part is to trust, obey, die to self and follow. It isn’t easy, but it is simple…and it will always, always begins with a repentant heart.
Have you ever really counted the cost of your journey with Jesus? Do you have unrealized expectations about your Christian journey? Are your expectations unrealistic? Are your expectations consistent with the teachings of Jesus? Have you considered giving up on your faith because it was harder than you realized? How do you feel or what do you think about the current state of your relationship with God?
Our Prayer: O Holy and Eternal Father, I admit that I might have unreal expectations sometimes with the dailyness of my faith. While I know there will be trials, sometimes they seem harder than I can bear and other times they simply do not make sense to me what their purpose may be. I know You said, “Take comfort” and “rejoice in times of suffering…” but I find it hard to do this. I pray You to help me in my growing pains; help me to overcome as you overcome. Help me to confidently put on your cloak of righteousness and walk with the heart of a submissive servant, anxious to do Your will and grow in Your grace. May it be so in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
[12APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
[12APRIL2012] Eastertide Devotional Series
I will be posting this devotional series as part of my Eastertide reflections for the next three weeks (see this link for other installments in the series). Each week of this devotional series focuses on a specific theme (week one: brokenness, week two: repentance, and week three: renewal). I hope you’ll enjoy the series and I invite you to comment here on the blog or email me direct; I would love to hear your thoughts.
Brokenness: Week 1 | Day 4
Scripture Reading: Matthew 26:14-16, Luke 22:3-6, John 6:70-71
There is not a great detail of information about Judas Iscariot and the betrayal of Jesus. The accounts we are given from Scripture are all brief and very “matter of fact.” I think it is for this reason that we might not give the brokenness of Judas much thought as it regards the parallels that might exist in our own lives. It is far easier to consider Judas a bad man from the outset…a traitor… something you or I would never be.
As I’ve given the involvement of Judas consideration, I’ve had to admit to myself that I probably have as much or more in common with him than I do any of the other disciples. It is believed that Judas was a zealot, possibly a freedom fighter, who was involved in guerilla warfare against the Romans. In this case, he would have been a patriot, not necessarily a bad thing. He was a man who believed in the Law and the prophecies concerning the Messiah. He was also hand-picked by Jesus, and he had hope for the fulfillment of God’s promises, culminating with the eternal reign of God among men on earth. This sounds like someone you’d like to have on your church leadership team.
I think the problem arises when our expectations, similar to the case of Judas, are unrealized. Judas thought Jesus was going to overthrow the Roman government possibly with the use of force (thoughts of Joshua, Saul, and David may have come to his memory). Jesus’ teaching had been more pacifistic in nature and he was now speaking about dying by crucifixion (the most humiliating of deaths). In all likelihood, it was Judas who was feeling betrayed.
Similar to Judas, our brokenness leads us to have ideas that aren’t always equal to the plans of God. When the sovereign plans of God begin to cause friction with our plans and ideas, we often will feel betrayed or misled by the God we profess our love to. He doesn’t make sense and won’t listen to our best laid plans. While we might not confess our displeasure aloud, inside we might be angry or seething with feelings of betrayal. We might even feel that given the opportunity we could do something radical to force God’s hand into seeing our way of thinking… maybe like Judas was thinking.
Are there times that you have prayed, talked to God, and explained how your plan was so much better than His yet God was not convinced to see your plan as an option? Have you ever been angry with God’s choices? Have you ever given God “the silent treatment” or acted out in some other way to show your displeasure with Him?
Our Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am a broken person. Sometimes I act out in ways that show me as traitorous as was Judas. I honestly do not think I intentionally act out against you, but I know when I think about myself above you and others this is generally what happens. Help me, O Lord, to think first of Your kingdom before I think of myself. Help me to see a big picture that includes Your eternal reign. Help me, Lord Jesus, to understand that suffering in the short-term is sometimes necessary for long-term gain.
Lent 2012: Day 34—Reflection
[26MAR2012] Lent 2012: Day 34—Reflection and Meditation
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
♦ Psalms 118
“On this day the LORD has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
He looks on his servant in her lowliness; henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy his name!
His mercy is from age to age, on those who fear him.
He puts forth his arm in strength and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things, sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, his servant, remembering his mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his sons for ever.
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Lent 2012: Day 22—Reflection
[14MAR2012] Lent 2012: Day 22—Reflection and Meditation
Father, you have given us the freedom to come before you in prayer through your Son, Jesus Christ. Hear us as we say: Lord, give us hope.
♦ Psalms 119:97:120
♦ Readings – Zechariah 11:15-17 ♦ Ephesians 5:1-17
♦ Gospel - Matthew 5:17-20 ♦ Luke 9:57-62
“Let us not receive the grace of God in vain, for this is the acceptable time, this is the day of salvation.“
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do…
“Awake, O sleeper,
Rise up from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
Ephesians 5:1, 14
I shudder at the urgency and the somberness of Christ’ words as he warns his listeners in the account from Matthew’s Gospel (Matt. 5:17-20). Jesus says, “Not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until it purpose is achieved. But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” And, we hear the Apostle exhorting his audience to “Imitate God!” Later, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus again warns his “would be” followers not to hesitate in following him…don’t even bother to look back…or you will be unfit for the Kingdom of Heaven. Do we sense this urgency? Do we follow with this sense of earnestness? How much of our devotion have we personally determined is optional? I think we might need to rethink what we consider the meaning of wholehearted disciple and “following” Jesus really is.
Posted in Becoming the Word, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Matthew, Lent, Lent 2012, Liturgical Year, Meditations, Psalms, Shaping Me, Spirituality, The Liturgical Year | Tags: disciple, Gospel, Jesus, Lent, Lent 2012, Spiritual Formation, Spirituality | No Comments »
