Stand

Luke 12:9-12 (The Message)

Stand up for me among the people you meet and the Son of Man will stand up for you before all God's angels.

But if you pretend you don't know me, do you think I'll defend you before God's angels?

If you bad-mouth the Son of Man out of misunderstanding or ignorance, that can be overlooked. But if you're knowingly attacking God himself, taking aim at the Holy Spirit, that won't be overlooked.

When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don't worry about defending yourselves—what you'll say or how you'll say it.

The right words will be there.

The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes.

Do you know how the word "evangelism" has gotten a bad name?

I think I do.

It's been commandeered by folks who need to feel good about themselves by showing God and the world how really useful they can be.

I'll always remember the gruff, shoe-polish haired, pastor who almost yelled at me during my ordination interviews: "How many people have you brought to Jesus!"

"None," I wanted to say. "I'm fairly sure it's the Holy Spirit who brings people to Jesus. Sometimes I get to be there for part of the trip."

Of course, that's not what he wanted to hear.

He had a good motivation...the care of people's souls.

But there's a problem in the presentation, and how we can be perceived.

Experiences of spiritual arrogance have driven people away from evangelistic faith sharing. And it's a shame.

The bigger shame is that scriptures like the one above have been used as the bludgeon of those who want to knock sinners in the head and drag them back to the church cave.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Tonight, a pretty wonderful thing is going to happen at SOTH.

We will send out visitation teams.

Regular, humble folks, in pairs or threes, will head out into the subdivisions that surround our church. They'll knock on doors, and meet the people.

What will we say? What is our goal? What will the response be?

Well...so far, the response has been wonderful.

Almost 50 visits have been made in our first two sessions. Our hearts are changing, and we're looking outward as a church.

Luke 12 is being fulfilled. When those doors open, the Holy Spirit provides the right words.

No pamphlets. No big Bibles to thump. Just presence and friendship in the name of Jesus Christ.

As we stand up together, through the power of the Spirit, he stands up beside us. What a wonderful thing to experience!

Prayer: God our Father, we pray that we would know the presence of Christ, standing beside us. We pray for the leading of the Spirit, and the right words at the right time. And we pray for our LRE Teams, going into the community tonight.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Worth

Luke 12:4-7 (The Message)

"I'm speaking to you as dear friends. Don't be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you, but then what can they do?

There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.

"What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right?

But God never overlooks a single one.

And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk.

You're worth more than a million canaries.

So, how much are you worth?

I've often heard a good old down-home phrase used by my grandparents for someone with an inflated ego:

"If you could buy him for what he's worth, but sell him for what he thinks he's worth...you'd make a million dollars."

I've also heard scientists say that the basic physical elements and chemicals in a human body can all be purchased easily for a few dollars. I don't know if that's true, but it certainly brings into clear focus what "value" is all about.

Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

We tend to worry a lot about whether our kids will have a positive self-image. We worry about whether they will be confident and sure of their talents and abilities.

What I've learned over the years is that a person's sense of self-worth is not nearly as important as an unshakable faith in their God-worth.

Our worth is assigned by the one who made us. God's love, which cannot be earned, and is absolutely infinite.

What would change in your life, if you truly, totally, believed that the maker of heaven and earth knows the very number of hairs on your head? (And mine changes from hour to hour!)

How much confidence would you have? How could you respond to adversity? What would be possible?

It's true.

Prayer: Help our unbelief. Teach us to trust you, to know you as Father, and to believe that you love us unconditionally. Give us a sense of God-confidence, God-worth.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Exposed

Luke 12:1-3 (The Message)

By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other's toes, numbered into the thousands.

But Jesus' primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, "Watch yourselves carefully so you don't get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness.

You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed.

You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.

You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.

Last week saw the demise of another famous politician.

The National Enquirer exposed former vice-presidential candidate John Edwards in an extra-marital affair.

In a fascinating moment of authenticity, he said that his "poor decision-making" was related to huge "narcissism and egoism." Basically, he started to believe his press.

He was insulated from reality, he stood in front of cheering crowds and saw his face all over TV, the internet and magazines. He thought he was untouchable, and that he would get away with it.

It wasn't so different with the Pharisees.

They were important. The people put them on pedestals. They were untouchable.

Jesus' disciples were starting to become susceptible to the very same problems. The crowds following them were huge. They were insiders with the celebrity.

Jesus wanted to burst his disciples' bubble...before it could ever form. "Don't get contaminated with Pharisee phoniness...you'll be exposed."

What about us?

Former Vice-Presidential candidates, ancient Pharisees, Jesus' disciples...you and me.

We all have a capacity to temporarily fool ourselves. We all have egos that are susceptible to praise and glory. We all have narcissistic streaks.

What can save us?

Perhaps a new identity...as redeemed Jesus followers. Followers of a man who loved us enough to lay his life down for us. Knowledge and memory of the great sacrifice made on our behalf...and relationship with the one who sacrificed, has the power to keep us humble in the best of ways.

Almost without exception, when I talk with church members who assist in serving communion...they come back to the same word over and over: "I was humbled."
May Jesus burst our bubbles every single day.

Prayer: Remind us of your love...sacrificial, and unconditional. Remove any pedestals and show us the path of Christ.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Insult

Luke 11:42-54 (The Message)

"I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you Pharisees! Frauds!

You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but manage to find loopholes for getting around basic matters of justice and God's love. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required.

"You're hopeless, you Pharisees! Frauds! You love sitting at the head table at church dinners, love preening yourselves in the radiance of public flattery. Frauds! You're just like unmarked graves: People walk over that nice, grassy surface, never suspecting the rot and corruption that is six feet under."

One of the religion scholars spoke up: "Teacher, do you realize that in saying these things you're insulting us?"

He said, "Yes, and I can be even more explicit. You're hopeless, you religion scholars! You load people down with rules and regulations, nearly breaking their backs, but never lift even a finger to help.

"You're hopeless! You build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed. The tombs you build are monuments to your murdering ancestors more than to the murdered prophets.

That accounts for God's Wisdom saying, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, but they'll kill them and run them off.'

What it means is that every drop of righteous blood ever spilled from the time earth began until now, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was struck down between altar and sanctuary, is on your heads. Yes, it's on the bill of this generation and this generation will pay.

"You're hopeless, you religion scholars! You took the key of knowledge, but instead of unlocking doors, you locked them. You won't go in yourself, and won't let anyone else in either."

As soon as Jesus left the table, the religion scholars and Pharisees went into a rage. They went over and over everything he said, plotting how they could trap him in something from his own mouth.

"Do you realize you're insulting us?"

That question hung heavy in the air.

The "gauntlet" had just been thrown down in a pretty violent way. There wouldn't be any turning back.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Jesus seems to say.

How do you take insult? Most of us don't take insults very well. We're taught not to take such things "lying down."

But I have a theory about insults. The ones that make us most angry are usually grounded, at least partially, in truth.

If someone insults me in a way that I know is absolutely false, I can usually shake it off.

But when someone starts "meddling," poking me in the tender spots of my pride...pushing me to come out of the deep woods of denial...well that can get my dander up.

Jesus pressed the disciples in all of their most vulnerable places. He challenged their self-deception, self-importance and self-righteousness.

They reacted with rage. What about us?

Which teachings of Jesus challenge you the most? When does he make you feel insulted?

We can remember that his love never changes. But sometimes he will say what we need to hear, whether we're ready or not.

Prayer: Father God, we pray that we will never lock the door so others can't go in...while also standing outside ourselves. If we need to hear corrective teaching, from you or from others, help us not to be insulted and defensive. Give us hearts that can learn.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Inside

Luke 11:37-41 (The Message)

When he finished that talk, a Pharisee asked him to dinner. He entered his house and sat right down at the table.

The Pharisee was shocked and somewhat offended when he saw that Jesus didn't wash up before the meal.

But the Master said to him, "I know you Pharisees burnish the surface of your cups and plates so they sparkle in the sun, but I also know your insides are maggoty with greed and secret evil.

Stupid Pharisees!

Didn't the One who made the outside also make the inside? Turn both your pockets and your hearts inside out and give generously to the poor; then your lives will be clean, not just your dishes and your hands.

What kind of dinner guest is this man Jesus?

Not a very good one, apparently.

He refuses to observe the custom, that he certainly was aware of, of ceremonial handwashing before the meal.

He walks right in and sits down at the table, in what would be a very highly offensive way.

When his host objects, Jesus calls him "stupid." He states pretty directly that his insides are "maggoty with greed."

Alright. Welcome to dinner.

Obviously, Jesus needed to make a point. And, as good readers of the Gospel, we have to realize that he might be talking down through the millenia to a wider audience than his dinner host.

We've got to listen as though he's sitting at our own tables.

The message? The inside matters much more than the outside. Cups and plates that sparkle in the sun can be beautiful...but the secrets of the heart are not hidden from God.

The great good news is that God stands ready to forgive, and to clean the inside when we can't do it by ourselves.

"Just a Vehicle" by David Wilcox

The warm water beads as it runs down the curves
Of the beautiful surface so tan
She's polishing the Jaguar again

Hasn't run in a year or two
Nice car but the wheels don't move, anymore
Maybe she remembers
Maybe something's got her scared
It's too precious to be careless
And it's finally been repaired

So you never see her drive it
She won't risk it any more
It's too easy to collide it
And it hurt so much before

Could it be
That it's really just a vehicle
Standing like a statue all this time
Could it be
Its just a vehicle
She shines

Looks good but she still feels blue
Great shape but she's not so new, anymore
She's always got her work out
Every day when she gets home
She can see her own reflection
In the mirror on the chrome

When she's feeling empty
Hollow at the core
She sees it's going nowhere
And she knows there must be more

The warm water beads as it runs down the curves
Of the beautiful surface so tan
She's polishing the Jaguar again

Prayer: Give us the courage to show you the inside that you already know. May we learn to spend time in the right places today.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Proof

Luke 11:29-31 (The Message)

As the crowd swelled, he took a fresh tack:

"The mood of this age is all wrong. Everybody's looking for proof, but you're looking for the wrong kind. All you're looking for is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles.

But the only proof you're going to get is the Jonah-proof given to the Ninevites, which looks like no proof at all. What Jonah was to Nineveh, the Son of Man is to this age.

"On Judgment Day the Ninevites will stand up and give evidence that will condemn this generation, because when Jonah preached to them they changed their lives. A far greater preacher than Jonah is here, and you squabble about 'proofs.'

On Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba will come forward and bring evidence that condemns this generation, because she traveled from a far corner of the earth to listen to wise Solomon.

Wisdom far greater than Solomon's is right in front of you, and you quibble over 'evidence.'

What miracles do we demand from God, as "proof" that He is real?

I can remember with total clarity an evening from my childhood that I spent lying in the front porch swing at the house my family lived in at that time.

I lay there, as the summer sun set in the background, looking up at the bare lightbulb that hung from the porch's ceiling.

"If you're real, God..." I thought to myself, and Him, "...make that lightbulb come on right now."

It didn't come on.

What did I learn from that little "miracle proof" experiement? I certainly didn't come away thinking that God isn't real. I came away smiling, knowing that God wasn't interested in doing my tricks, like a well-trained dog.

But still, it would be nice to have "proof" sometimes, wouldn't it?

We have it.

Jesus told the crowd that they (and we) have all the proof we need, but that we look for the wrong kind, to "satisfy our lust for miracles."

The "lust for miracles" is played out every night on religious tv broadcasts. It's played out in every movie and show that we watch, the books and magazines that we consume, the marketing and advertising that shapes our choices.

What Jesus offers is different, and more lasting, and much more real.

And he says that it's right in front of us.

The Ninevites saw that proof through Jonah and believed. The Queen of Sheba even believed, through the teachings and wisdom of Solomon.

Now, Jesus says, there is a greater teacher than these.

We have his words in scripture, and we can experience his truth in our lives.

Do you need proof of God? Walk outside. Right now...or at your very first opportunity. Look up. Blue sky and amazing clouds. Look down. Blades of grass, each intricately and beautifully formed. Insects, roaming and working. Air, breathed by us all. A star blazing in the sky, keeping us warmed at exactly the right temperature. A season of growth, just beginning to pass its apex, into harvest and decline.

Not three weeks ago, my middle son and I dug a deep new flower bed in our backyard. We ammended the soil with earthy additions. We gently planted seeds and watered them in faith.

Today, sunflowers and a mixture of all kinds of beautiful plants, are already higher than his head.

We've had very little to do with that. The God of the Harvest has done it all.

Look around.

Love. Grace. Friendship. Courage to go forward. Smiling faces. Laughter. Grass. Bugs. Clouds.

It's all there. "And you squabble about 'proofs.'"

Prayer: May we see signs of your grace all around us today, with new eyes to see what you are doing in this world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Vacant

Luke 11:23-28 (The Message)

"This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you're not on my side, you're the enemy; if you're not helping, you're making things worse.

"When a corrupting spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil.

When it doesn't find anyone, it says, 'I'll go back to my old haunt.'

On return, it finds the person swept and dusted, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits dirtier than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse than if he'd never gotten cleaned up in the first place."

While he was saying these things, some woman lifted her voice above the murmur of the crowd: "Blessed the womb that carried you, and the breasts at which you nursed!"

Jesus commented, "Even more blessed are those who hear God's Word and guard it with their lives!"

On the surface, and at first reading, this passage of scripture is fairly shocking.

How can this be right?

Jesus says that a person, newly freed from an evil spirit, can be "re-haunted," only this time, with seven other, dirtier friends along for the ride.

What?

How does this work, and what can it mean? Maybe it's not so complicated after all.

Watching the news recently, I saw a segment about crime in empty, foreclosed houses.

In some Atlanta neighborhoods, police departments have developed entire new details that just patrol foreclosures and empty houses within subdivisions.

It seems that thieves have been coming in at night, and stealing everything that could be of any value. Wiring, appliances, lighting fixtures, sometimes even the kitchen cabinetry.

See...those houses were probably "swept and clean," but they were still empty. They were very vulnerable to those who wanted to invade them and do bad things.

Maybe we people work the same way.

I've known people...and can remember experiences from my own youth...when I know that God has swept the house, but nothing then came to fill it.

What I mean is, prayer-rail conversions at the close of worship services...mountain top spiritual experiences of all kinds...they're to be celebrated...but they can't be the total story.

What happens when the "amen" is said, and life must be lived?

What we need is to be filled. What we need is a path of discipleship, and trusted guides who will show us the way.

Jesus said that the "truly blessed" are those who hear God's word and then "guard it with their lives." We can't do that alone. And that's my vision of "church."

A place where you won't be left vacant and vulnerable...a place where there are pastors, disciples, teachers, mentors, friends, helpers, support...and a place where you can meet the Holy Spirit.

A place where you can be filled.

Prayer: Teach us the message of this difficult scripture. If our hearts are swept clean by forgiveness, but left vacant and vulnerable...we pray that you would fill them by the power of your Spirit, and the witness of the friends with whom you surround us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

War

Luke 11:14-23 (The Message)

Jesus delivered a man from a demon that had kept him speechless.

The demon gone, the man started talking a blue streak, taking the crowd by complete surprise.

But some from the crowd were cynical. "Black magic," they said. "Some devil trick he's pulled from his sleeve." Others were skeptical, waiting around for him to prove himself with a spectacular miracle.

Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, "Any country in civil war for very long is wasted. A constantly squabbling family falls to pieces.

If Satan cancels Satan, is there any Satan left? You accuse me of ganging up with the Devil, the prince of demons, to cast out demons, but if you're slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil who kicks out devils, doesn't the same mud stick to your own exorcists?

But if it's God's finger I'm pointing that sends the demons on their way, then God's kingdom is here for sure.

"When a strong man, armed to the teeth, stands guard in his front yard, his property is safe and sound. But what if a stronger man comes along with superior weapons? Then he's beaten at his own game, the arsenal that gave him such confidence hauled off, and his precious possessions plundered.

"This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you're not on my side, you're the enemy; if you're not helping, you're making things worse.

It's amazing to me what Christian people can find to squabble about. Absolutely amazing.

I've been to too many church meetings where the topic was how to best arrange the chairs on the deck of the Titanic. Nobody seemed to notice that the water level was quickly rising and the ship was on the way to the bottom of the ocean.

Imagine soldiers engaged in mortal combat. As one strikes a massive blow to the enemy that could save both of their lives...would the other begin complaining about whether that act of heroism had been committed at the right time, in the right style, or at the right cost?

Of course not.

If it's war, you work together, at all costs, to defeat the enemy.

Hushed whispers behind the backs of fellow Christians...daggers pulled...'round the clock politics so that someone's own "side" can "win." These are not the actions of folks who realize that they're in a war with evil.

"Black magic," someone in the crowd murmured against Jesus.

Jesus response could not have been more clear.

This is war. There is no room for "neutral" fence sitters who plan simply to sit back, grumble and criticize both sides.

If you're not for us, you're the enemy.

The interesting thing about Jesus, of course, is that he loves even his enemies.

But "enemy of Jesus" just isn't the camp in which I want to find myself. I'd much rather be on his side.

Prayer: God, we ask that you would give us eyes to truly see. Help us to lay down our borders, to quit protecting our pride and egos, and to simply embrace your work, wherever we may find it. Show us your way.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Ask

Luke 11:5-13 (The Message) Then he said,

"Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don't have a thing on hand.'

The friend answers from his bed, 'Don't bother me. The door's locked; my children are all down for the night; I can't get up to give you anything.'

"But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he's a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need.

"Here's what I'm saying: Ask and you'll get; Seek and you'll find; Knock and the door will open.

"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in.

If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider?

As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing—you're at least decent to your own children. And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?"

Each morning, when I look in the rear-view mirror of my car, I see a tiny white slip of paper.

It's from a Chinese restaurant fortune cookie.

"Those who seek will find." I kept it because it's a great reminder about life, and it's not original to that fortune cookie. These are the words of Jesus. And they are so powerful. Ask. Seek. Knock. With persistence.

Other scripture tells us that "we don't have because we don't ask." Why don't we ask?

I know that I grew up in a culture where you never were supposed to ask for anything. It's an embarrassment to admit a need. The ego flinches at the thought. And, what if the person you ask can't meet your request? Then you've caused embarrassment for them as well. Keep to yourself. Make your own way. Don't be "beholden" to anybody.

Asking still is not easy for me at all.

What a recipe for scarcity and unhappiness.

Now, of course, this same culture taught me to give to anyone, anytime, without reservation and as much as possible. That's generosity. But don't ever ask for anything. Ever.

But if everyone subscribed to that idea, if no one will ever ask, how can anybody else ever have the chance to give?

And what about God?

God wants to give, but most of all, God wants communication, connection and relationship. He loves us like a loving parent.

As "bad as we are," we would give our children what they need, and most of what they ask for...simply because we love them.

So let's practice it today: Let's ask God to give us what we need.

God will give. And we will learn about our real needs. We will learn gratitude and peace.

And most of all, we might learn the truths of a trusting, patient, persistence.

Prayer: Father God, we ask directly today...give us what we need.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Simple

Luke 11:1-4 (The Message)

One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, "Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."

So he said, "When you pray, say,

Father,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil."

Maybe life really is simple.

When Jesus' disciples asked him to pray, this was his simple answer.

I know that "The Message" version of the Lord's Prayer isn't the version we're most familiar with. It's certainly not the version that we are used to reciting on Sunday morning.

But maybe that's why it's especially good for us to read right now. It's different. And truly striking in its simplicity.

Somehow this prayer reminds me of a child.

When we ask our older boys to pray before a meal, they often say, "Thank You for our friends, our family, our food, our house, our church and our school. Amen."

What a wonderful prayer.

"Father, reveal who you are."

"Set the world right."

"Keep us alive."

"Keep us forgiven and forgiving."

"Keep us safe."

Simplicity is beautiful. To think that God among us, Emmanuel, chose to pray in this simple way may be one of the greatest spiritual lessons which we could ever learn.

Henry David Thoreau said that, "a man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone" ("Where I Lived and What I Lived For," Walden).

May we all inherit this sort of affluence from Our Father.

Prayer: Our Father, we pray for hearts that can revel in the beauty of simplicity. Reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Torn

Luke 10:38-42 (The Message)

As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village.

A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home.

She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen.

Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."

The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing.

One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her."

Much has been made over the many centuries of Christianity about the contrast between Mary and Martha.

Generally, most folks seem to want us to identify with either one character or the other.

Are you more contemplative, or more action-oriented?

Clearly, Jesus seems to pick the side of contemplation in this passage.

And so, those "Marthas" among us are left to feel bad about their instinct for getting-it-done, more than sitting still and being quiet.

I don't think there's anything for Mary or Martha to feel bad about, nearly so much as there's just something here for all of us to learn.

The truth is that when I read this story, I feel torn. I imagine most of us do.

It seems, often, that my life runs in cycles of heavy work, followed by periods of focus on my family and personal, spiritual needs.

The result is that I can pretty much find something to feel guilty about all of the time. What about you?

When we work too much, we're not tending enough to the contemplative. Eventually, our souls and relationships will dry up and wither.

When we sit quietly at Jesus' feet and let the world go by, there are so many other things going undone. There's always much to be guilty about, you see.

Martha can't be wrong for working hard at the task of being a gracious host.

But Mary certainly is right to focus on the presence of Jesus in her home and sit in contemplation at his feet.

Would there ever again come a time for Mary to get up and work? Of course.

But work without spiritual connection to God in Christ is just draining. Contemplation gives work meaning. There can be no doubt...connection through prayer is the "one thing that's essential" in the whole human experience.

Then, everything else can matter too.

So maybe the lesson of this wonderful little story is that we should be more willing to let ourselves off the hook. Perhaps the only useful guilt (read, conscience) is that which keeps us in balance. It could be there to tell us that work alone...is not purely the "main course."

If you immerse yourself in work mostly to hide from the real need for God and relationships...then that "guilt" could be God, reminding you to come out and connect.

But there is another wonderful reminder from scripture:

To everything there is a time, and a season, and a purpose under heaven. We have that on good authority.

So make a place for the main course of prayer and reflection today...and remember that focused, meaningful work is also one of God's great gifts.

There's room in the house, and within each of us, for both Mary and Martha to live side by side.

With the right priorities, and the leading of the Holy Spirit, we don't have to be torn.

Prayer: God our Father, we need to sit at your feet, quietly listening for your voice, and knowing your presence in this world. We need to work hard, at a meaningful task, and know that you are present in moments of activity, as well as contemplation. May we be grounded in the example of Mary, and inspired to the work of Martha. And may you teach us to be at peace in all of your times and seasons.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Same

Luke 10:29-37 (The Message)

Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define 'neighbor'?"

Jesus answered by telling a story.

"There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead.

Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side.

Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.

"A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man's condition, his heart went out to him.

He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds.

Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I'll pay you on my way back.'

"What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?"

"The one who treated him kindly," the religion scholar responded.

Jesus said, "Go and do the same."

A good, fair question...isn't it? Just how do you define neighbor?

Well, it's the person who lives nearest to your property. You know, the one with the loud dog.

Or maybe it's the person in the row behind you in worship on Sunday morning. You know, the one with the loud baby.

Maybe our neighbors are people that we've chosen to have positive relationships with.

Maybe they're our friends...the people we like. Or maybe, they're the people we respect and don't mind "dealing with."

Or maybe, our neighbor is the very last person with whom we'd ever be willing to associate.

Jesus' story is amazing. The "religious" pass by the one who hurts and is in need. A priest. A Levite.

Who has compassion? Who stops their schedule dead in its tracks? Who picks up the tab, leaving their mastercard on file at the hotel?

The Samaritan.

This is not really a parable about "being neighborly," nearly so much as it is about who can be a neighbor.

A Samaritan.

It's a long story. But Old Testament history and generations of bitterness, racism and segregation separated this "religion scholar" from Samaritans.

I'm not sure that our modern society even has a corollary for the kind of outright resentment, hostility, and enmity the Jews felt for the Samaritans. Peace has been a long time coming in the Middle East.

But that Samaritan had a heart that was moved. He was a human being who saw another human being in pain, and acted.

He was a neighbor.

The illegal immigrant. The muslim. The frightening. The addicted. The abandoned. The Samaritan.

"Go be like the Samaritan," Jesus says.

We're all neighbors, one and the same.

Prayer: We are afraid of each other. We are busy. We have limited resources. We have so many reasons not to risk ourselves as neighbors to one another. Father, we pray that today you would begin to take away our prejudices and show us your way.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Loophole

Luke 10:25-29 (The Message)

Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. "Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?"

He answered, "What's written in God's Law? How do you interpret it?"

He said, "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself."

"Good answer!" said Jesus. "Do it and you'll live."

Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define 'neighbor'?"

I can remember with a smile, the question that used to drive teachers the craziest when I was in school...especially English teachers who had just assigned an essay:

"How long does it have to be?"

At first, I never understood why that question bothered my teachers. I really didn't.

It seemed like a very legitimate thing to ask. How much do I have to write to make you satisfied with my performance on this assignment?

Of course, as time went by, and as I actually trained to become a teacher myself, I understood their frustration.

"How long does this have to be?" is a way for students to search out the bare minimum requirements necessary for completion.

A teacher hopes for more from his or her students.

I remember how my best teacher used to answer that lazy-student question: "as long as it needs to be for you to do your best work. And that depends on how well you want to do and how much you have to say."

A "religion scholar" stood up to question Jesus.

"What must I do to get eternal life?"

"How long does this thing have to be, anyway?"

Like the very best teachers, Jesus turns the question back upon the one who asked it.

Even when he proves that he knows the answer, he can't seem to accept that truth and move on.
Sound familiar? I know I see a lot of myself in this "scholar," sometimes. There's a natural tendency within the human heart to look for a loophole.

The easy way. The shortcut. The way through that no one else has thought of, or been smart enough to exploit. This man even seems to think that he can outsmart God.

But there is a beauty to the story.

While this man may think he caught Jesus by asking him to "define neighbor," the fun was really just beginning. May we learn to trust the truth that we know to be true, and may God give us the strength to take the long way home.

Prayer: Eternal Father, we ask you for forgiveness when we seek loopholes to the faith, and patience to sit with your truth. We need to take the long way, and stop making end-runs around your grace and goodness. Prepare our hearts to learn how you define "neighbor."

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.

Innocent

Luke 10:21-24 (The Message)

At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit.

"I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.

"I've been given it all by my Father! Only the Father knows who the Son is and only the Son knows who the Father is. The Son can introduce the Father to anyone he wants to."

He then turned in a private aside to his disciples.

"Fortunate the eyes that see what you're seeing! There are plenty of prophets and kings who would have given their right arm to see what you are seeing but never got so much as a glimpse, to hear what you are hearing but never got so much as a whisper."

What did Jesus see?

What makes him rejoice?

What are we missing?

These seem like valid questions as we work our way through this mystifying, magnetic...and confusing...passage of Luke.

We know from yesterday that Jesus rejoiced at the disciples' reports of ministry success.

He rejoiced at this sign of God at work among the people.

But I'm still not convinced that the disciples really even knew what they were seeing. And that "innocence," seems to be at least part of what makes Jesus' heart so happy and full.

Look...nobody likes a know-it-all. Even when that person has success, it's tough to rejoice with them, because their attitude seems to say, "yeah, I knew I could do it all along."

I think that Jesus revels in the genuine surprise that the disciples have when they experience the power and movement of God in their lives. They don't expect it. They enjoy it, as the gift that it is.

It seems that God's presence and grace almost have the quality of a secret joke...between God and those humble enough to hear him.

Perhaps the lesson is this: to wait expectantly for God's presence and power... and then remember to delight in it wherever it's found...like "innocent newcomers," like children who are discovering the world for the very first time.

Prayer: May we walk through the world today with child-like wonder, innocent, and amazed at your presence and power. May we know the laughing, joyous heart of Christ in our lives.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Sent

Luke 10:1-20 (The Message)

Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge:

"What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.

"On your way! But be careful—this is hazardous work. You're like lambs in a wolf pack.

"Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage.

"Don't loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way.

"When you enter a home, greet the family, 'Peace.' If your greeting is received, then it's a good place to stay. But if it's not received, take it back and get out. Don't impose yourself.

"Stay at one home, taking your meals there, for a worker deserves three square meals. Don't move from house to house, looking for the best cook in town.

"When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, 'God's kingdom is right on your doorstep!'

"When you enter a town and are not received, go out in the street and say, 'The only thing we got from you is the dirt on our feet, and we're giving it back. Did you have any idea that God's kingdom was right on your doorstep?' Sodom will have it better on Judgment Day than the town that rejects you.

"Doom, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had been given half the chances given you, they'd have been on their knees long ago, repenting and crying for mercy. Tyre and Sidon will have it easy on Judgment Day compared to you.

"And you, Capernaum! Do you think you're about to be promoted to heaven? Think again. You're on a mudslide to hell.

"The one who listens to you, listens to me. The one who rejects you, rejects me. And rejecting me is the same as rejecting God, who sent me."

The seventy came back triumphant. "Master, even the demons danced to your tune!"

Jesus said, "I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I've given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God's authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that's the agenda for rejoicing."

In this passage of scripture, Jesus sends 70 faithful disciples out to do his work of spreading the message.

And what he gives them is a mighty tall order.

Go --- don't worry about taking care of yourself. Depend on the hospitality of others. Proclaim the message, even if it means telling people things they don't want to hear.

You'll be exposed, perhaps rejected, ridiculed and vulnerable.

But go -- the kingdom depends on disciples like you who proclaim the message.

And so...they went. For "Chorazin...and...Bethsaida...and...Capernaum." And because Jesus told them to go.

What happened?

Success!

They seem astounded that the message was received.

Amazing things do happen when we go...faithfully...wherever we've been sent.

Jesus is not surprised. He's seen it all before, and knows what's possible when disciples choose to trust God.

And, these amazing kinds of unexpected miracles, the ones that happen right in the midst of everyday business....the ones that happen when we show up: they're the real reason for joy.

Not what we do for God, but what God does for us. That's the agenda for rejoicing.

Prayer: Father God, may we experience your grace in our "showing up" today. We hope to answer your call, whatever it might be...and that in going, we would experience your power and protection.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Jerusalem

Luke 9:51-62 (The Message)

When it came close to the time for his Ascension, he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem.

He sent messengers on ahead.

They came to a Samaritan village to make arrangements for his hospitality. But when the Samaritans learned that his destination was Jerusalem, they refused hospitality.

When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, "Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?"

Jesus turned on them: "Of course not!" And they traveled on to another village.

On the road someone asked if he could go along. "I'll go with you, wherever," he said.

Jesus was curt: "Are you ready to rough it? We're not staying in the best inns, you know."

Jesus said to another, "Follow me."

He said, "Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father's funeral."

Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God's kingdom!"

Then another said, "I'm ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home."

Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day."

What's it like at your house when the family is ready to begin a journey?

We have three little boys at our place, and so usually once the vehicle is loaded, shoes have been found, teeth have been brushed, juice cups have been filled and all seat belts buckled, we're ready to be back home...before we've even left.

Getting ready can be tiring work. Most folks when they're ready to go, they're really ready.

They don't want to wait and wait. Certainly Jesus seems the same.

He knew what lay ahead in Jerusalem. He "gathers his courage," and "steels himself" for what lies ahead.

Most biblical scholars think that these concluding verses of Luke 9 mark a significant change in the movement of this book.

From here on, though much will happen through the next several chapters, we're always "on the way to Jerusalem." It looms large on the horizon.

What does that mean for us?

Well, there will be moments when we'll want to stop (like James and John) and "incinerate" those who won't go our way (wow!).

We'll have very legitimate excuses for delay.

And we'll always be reminded that "now" is the time.

The best time to begin the journey is today. Now is the only moment we have.

No procrastination. No backward looks. Seize the day.

Prayer: We are people prone to delay and backward glances. Show us your future, opened wide around us. May we begin taking steps, today.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Stopped

Luke 9:49-50 (The Message)

John spoke up, "Master, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn't of our group."

Jesus said, "Don't stop him. If he's not an enemy, he's an ally."

Now remember everybody...we've just heard Jesus become frustrated with the disciples because they couldn't cast out demons and heal the sick. We've seen him teach a difficult lesson about humility and pride.

And this is their response...

Whining.

It's hard for me to think of a Saint and Apostle like John using a whiny, little-kid-not-getting-his-way kind of voice, but that's all I can hear in this passage.

It's as though he's saying, "Jesus! They put up a starbucks sign on their coffee shop but they haven't paid their franchise fees!!!"

"So, we burned down their store."

That makes sense, right? Not quite.

This demon-expelling man, whoever he was, was doing things in Jesus' name that the disciples could not. Who was he? Who did he think he was? How could he be allowed to get away with this?

John goes to Jesus for a ruling. And the ruling is, "If he's not an enemy, he's an ally."

Real tolerance is not an easily acquired character trait.

There are folks out there who believe things and do things in Jesus' name that I don't understand or even agree with. There are crying TV preachers, and self-proclaimed Bishops.

But my role is not to be their judge.

My role is to be a faithful ally of the Kingdom. And that's really my only job.

Just yesterday we heard Jesus say it: "acceptance" rules over "assertion."

Prayer: Jealousies can erupt within our hearts. Others may have gifts that we wish we had for ourselves. Our need for acclaim and acceptance can lead us into judgment of other people. Teach us to see allies, not enemies, wherever and whenever we can.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Famous

Luke 9:43-48 (The Message)

While they continued to stand around exclaiming over all the things he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples,

"Treasure and ponder each of these next words: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into human hands."

They didn't get what he was saying. It was like he was speaking a foreign language and they couldn't make heads or tails of it. But they were embarrassed to ask him what he meant.

They started arguing over which of them would be most famous. When Jesus realized how much this mattered to them, he brought a child to his side.

"Whoever accepts this child as if the child were me, accepts me," he said.

"And whoever accepts me, accepts the One who sent me. You become great by accepting, not asserting. Your spirit, not your size, makes the difference."

The disciples were embarrassed. They didn't understand.

Embarrassment is connected to pride. And pride...well, let's just say that it "goes before a fall."

The disciples had been with Jesus long enough by now in this story to recognize that this man could really be their ticket to personal greatness.

He was attracting huge crowds. There was fame to be had. Perhaps there was power to be seized and money to be made. The opportunities were not lost on them.

Finally, someone in their number dared to talk about these things out loud. And a huge fight broke out.

Jesus has a wonderful way of settling fights...if we'll listen to him.

A child. This is the example of real discipleship that Jesus gives us.

"Accept, don't assert," Jesus says. Accept the child. Accept "like" a child, too. It's not about wrestling this world...or God...into submission.

Life is about accepting. What a lesson. Difficult to learn, but beautiful when lived.

Prayer: God our Father, we strain to accept this life, and those around us, whom you have made. Forgive us when we work so much harder at asserting than accepting.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Focus

Luke 9:37-43 (The Message)

When they came down off the mountain the next day, a big crowd was there to meet them.

A man called from out of the crowd, "Please, please, Teacher, take a look at my son. He's my only child. Often a spirit seizes him. Suddenly he's screaming, thrown into convulsions, his mouth foaming. And then it beats him black-and-blue before it leaves.

I asked your disciples to deliver him but they couldn't."

Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives!

How many times do I have to go over these things?

How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring your son here."

While he was coming, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into convulsions.

Jesus stepped in, ordered the vile spirit gone, healed the boy, and handed him back to his father.

They all shook their heads in wonder, astonished at God's greatness, God's majestic greatness.

Why is Jesus frustrated in this passage?

I'll be the first to admit, it's a bit disconcerting.

Is he really frustrated with his disciples because they couldn't cast out a demon? That's not something that anyone has ever asked me to do during my ministry career, and I'm not sure what I'd do if they did.

I don't want Jesus to be frustrated if I can't cast out demons. After all, isn't that asking an awful lot?

But his reaction to this failure truly is fascinating.

Somehow, it reminds me of my own when I've asked my child to put his shoes on for the third time, only to walk into a room and find him still sock-footed.

Frustration.

Frustration at the lack of focus that his disciples bring to their lives.

Sounding like every parent of every generation throughout time and place, Jesus says, "you have no focus to your lives!"

So, what would life look like if we did?

I'm not altogether sure...but I think it would have something to do with actually seeing God's power at work in miraculous ways.

It would look like health, and victory, love and abundance.

So today, let's "focus," on...focus.

Prayer: God our Father, we ask that you would turn the lens of our spirits until your presence and power come into sharp resolution. Teach us to see, and when you allow, to participate in your actions of healing and grace in this world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

For further reading, check out a great article on focus, here.

Speechless

Luke 9:28-36 (The Message)

About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along.

While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white.

At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep.

When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him.

When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, this is a great moment! Let's build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

He blurted this out without thinking.

While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them.

As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God.

Then there was a voice out of the cloud: "This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him."

When the sound of the voice died away, they saw Jesus there alone.

They were speechless.

And they continued speechless, said not one thing to anyone during those days of what they had seen.

How often have you been left truly speechless?

There's one thing, for sure, that can do it. "As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God."

And in a moment like that, there's really nothing to be said. Speechless.

What a wonderful place to be in our spiritual journey.

A trusted pastoral counselor once told me of a near-death experience. What results was an inability to speak words of prayer to God.

"I was speechless," he said, "because I had been sure that I was about to see God face to face. Adam, when it says that He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, it's not kidding."

In this passage, Peter gives us hope. We're just like him, believing that we should say words that tell God what to do.

We should be speechless more often.

Prayer is not nearly so much about talking...as it is about a "deep awareness of God."

May those experiences leave us growing deeper in our God relationship...and speechless, most of all.

Prayer: Teach us to listen...to use few words...to grow in deep awareness.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Dependence

Luke 9:18-27 (The Message)

One time when Jesus was off praying by himself, his disciples nearby, he asked them, "What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?"

They said, "John the Baptizer. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets from long ago has come back."

He then asked, "And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?"

Peter answered, "The Messiah of God." Jesus then warned them to keep it quiet. They were to tell no one what Peter had said.

He went on, "It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the religious leaders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and on the third day be raised up alive."

Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat—I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it.

Follow me and I'll show you how.

Self-help is no help at all.

Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self.

What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I'm leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his splendor in company with the Father and the holy angels.

This isn't, you realize, pie in the sky by and by.

Some who have taken their stand right here are going to see it happen, see with their own eyes the kingdom of God."

So...self-help or self-sacrifice?

This, it seems, is the question of the moment that Jesus has for his disciples.

After all, he knows where this story is heading. And, he even goes so far as to tell those who are following him. He isn't planning any surprises. He's upfront and tells them exactly what they should expect.

But, of course, they don't really understand...because this lesson is a hard one.

Self-help seems so much better (or at least easier) than self-sacrifice.

"The problem is your thinking," the world often seems to teach us.

Grab a bootstrap and start pulling. Do better. Self-help teaches us that everything can be within our grasp, if we just learn to really tap into our own resources.

Jesus teaches something radically different.

Through self-sacrifice, discipline and humility, we learn to depend on God.

Sacrifice and self-emptying would be Jesus' way in the world. And we are to walk in his steps.

This doesn't mean that we carry a martyrdom complex. It doesn't mean that Christians lack confidence or believe that they serve God only when they become doormats for the feet of "stronger" individuals.

It does mean that we can become free. We can be freed of the need to justify ourselves before God and one another. It means that we can let down our guard. We can become vulnerable. We can be tender toward one another. We can truly love and be loved.

We can embrace self-sacrifice because it reveals God's strength and life within us.

What a wonderful way to walk through this world. It is the lesson of true discipleship and a lifetime in the making. But Jesus says that it is possible.

"This isn't, you realize, pie in the sky by and by." It's real. And it's today. The 4th of July is a wonderful time to celebrate American independence, and personal de-pendence on God.

Prayer: Father, we thank you for the freedom that this day represents. May we celebrate with family and friends, filled with gratitude and peace. Teach us the ways of personal dependence and self-sacrifice, as we know that these things form the path of life.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Possible

Luke 9:12-17 (The Message)

As the day declined, the Twelve said, "Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the farms or villages around here and get a room for the night and a bite to eat. We're out in the middle of nowhere."

"You feed them," Jesus said.

They said, "We couldn't scrape up more than five loaves of bread and a couple of fish—unless, of course, you want us to go to town ourselves and buy food for everybody."

(There were more than five thousand people in the crowd.)

But he went ahead and directed his disciples, "Sit them down in groups of about fifty."

They did what he said, and soon had everyone seated.

He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread and fish to the disciples to hand out to the crowd.

After the people had all eaten their fill, twelve baskets of leftovers were gathered up.

"You feed them," Jesus said.

Wow.

Imagine him saying such a thing to us.

He does.

And our reaction is an awful lot like that of his disciples 2000 years ago...

"What? Us? We can't. Have you seen the need? Us? We can't do it."

And, of course, there's a sense in which that's absolutely true. We can't do the miraculous things that Jesus can, right? And so, the responsibility must fall to him, not us.

Except for scriptures like this:

"The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I'll do." John 14:12-14 (The Message)

"You feed them," Jesus says.

Somehow, this process of learning and then doing reminds me of what it's like to teach a child.

First, you show them, then you do it with them, then they do it and you help...and eventually they can do it themselves.

We will never do "greater things" apart from Jesus.

But he does invite us to do them with him, and through his power. Perhaps that is one of the greatest lessons of discipleship.

God really does believe in us. And even when we don't believe in ourselves, his grace still abounds...with baskets full leftover.

What a privilege --- to participate in God's work of abundance!

Prayer: We imagine ourselves in the disciples' shoes: hearing Jesus words that call us to feed the people. The need seems overwhelming and the resources too few. We know that we do not have the power within us to meet the needs, and yet you have told us that we will do "even greater things than these" in Jesus' name. Teach us to learn to trust you, to be led by the Spirit, and to believe that all things are truly possible in you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Power

Luke 9:6-22 (The Message)

Commissioned, they left.

They traveled from town to town telling the latest news of God, the Message, and curing people everywhere they went.

Herod, the ruler, heard of these goings on and didn't know what to think.

There were people saying John had come back from the dead, others that Elijah had appeared, still others that some prophet of long ago had shown up. Herod said, "But I killed John—took off his head. So who is this that I keep hearing about?"

Curious, he looked for a chance to see him in action.

The apostles returned and reported on what they had done.

Jesus took them away, off by themselves, near the town called Bethsaida.

But the crowds got wind of it and followed. Jesus graciously welcomed them and talked to them about the kingdom of God. Those who needed healing, he healed.

Today's passage from Luke moves the "plot" of the Gospel story forward.

We begin to glimpse a window into Jesus' interaction with the ruling authority. He is drawing Herod's attention. As an aside, we also learn that John the Baptist has now lost his head for "The Message."

A quiet, gentle, powerful revolution is taking root. "The Kingdom" is proclaimed, the sick are healed, the poor are empowered...and authority is threatened.

Revolution was never Jesus' intention. He is not threatened by civil authority and its "power." At the same time, he does not set out to be a threat, either.

He simply loves God's people, and carries out his mission to the lost and broken.

Maybe we're learning that love is a pretty radical act. It is a magnetic force.

It is the opposite of fear.

Even as he withdrew for meditation and spiritual sustenance, the crowds were drawn to him. He struggled to balance a time for quiet reflection and a time for powerful action, but he never failed to love.

May our way in the world be exactly the same.

Prayer: Teach us your ways and heart, our God. May we learn the confidence that allows true love to flourish. May we learn to withdraw into your presence, and also engage fully in the world. May we be conduits of your love, unafraid of any consequence.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Acceptance

Luke 9:1-5 (The Message)

Jesus now called the Twelve and gave them authority and power to deal with all the demons and cure diseases.

He commissioned them to preach the news of God's kingdom and heal the sick.

He said, "Don't load yourselves up with equipment.

Keep it simple; you are the equipment.

And no luxury inns—get a modest place and be content there until you leave.

If you're not welcomed, leave town. Don't make a scene.

Shrug your shoulders and move on."

I think that this passage has often been a tough one to understand for many people.

Jesus commissions his disciples, giving them power to preach and heal.

Surely, "success" would be assured with such power and authority, right? Apparently not.

Even with Jesus seal of approval and commissioning, the disciples themselves will meet whole towns of people who are not ready to receive the good news.

The difficult-to-understand part?

In essence, Jesus says, "leave them alone and keep moving."

I know that there's some part of me that wishes Jesus would say something different. Something like, "keep preaching to them no matter what, and eventually they will respond." Or, "put them in your tickler file, and keep coming back every two months."

But that's not what he says.

We have far more discomfort over this than Jesus does.

And I think that's because he doesn't need the world's approval to validate his own worth.

Sometimes, we do.

It's easy for us to believe that the end-all goal of life is to be liked and admired by everyone. We can too easily come to think that our "success" and worth is tied to the affirmation we receive from others.

Jesus wants to be clear that this kind of thinking could not be more wrong.

What's the job of the disciple? To be faithful to the teacher. We are to carry forward, with love, grace and humility...but not with an unyielding need for acceptance.

"Keep it simple," Jesus says. And perhaps that's the greatest advice of all.

Prayer: Father, may you teach us the lessons of simplicity and confidence in you. We seek to live as disciples, inviting others to new life in your name. Keep us humble, keep us simple, and teach us to seek only your approval in this life.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.