Guide to Prayer and Study for July 10

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (NRSV)

Context

Chapter twelve in the Gospel of Matthew is given over to controversy and increasing conflict. The controversy has to do with violations of the sabbath, first the issue of picking grain on the sabbath (12:1-8) and then  healing a man with a withered hand on the sabbath(12:9-14).

Then comes an expansion of Jesus’ healing ministry, with the admonition to those healed “not to make him known”(12:15-16). A demoniac, who is also blind and mute, is then brought to him, as opponents more or less up the ante to see what happens.

To a mixture of amazement and dismay, Jesus meets the challenge, so that the individual is not only cured of possession but can then also see and hear.  This provokes messianic speculation among the crowds and resentment among the religious authorities, who allege that Jesus is essentially an instrument of the devil(12:22-24).

The remainder of chapter twelve is given over to Jesus’ response to this accusation (12:25-32), commentary about “a tree and its fruit,” conversation about “the sign of Jonah”(12:38-42), and concern about “this evil generation”(12:43-45). It closes with the poignant picture of Jesus’ mother and brothers, standing outside and waiting to speak with him. It is entirely possible that, as in the Gospel of Mark, they are afraid that he is out of his mind (3:20-21; see also Mark 3:31-35).

The thirteenth chapter is the beginning of Jesus’ third discourse (out of five altogether in the Gospel of Matthew). Unlike other occasions when he preaches or teaches, Jesus uses a boat to gain a little distance from the crowd and presumably be heard by more people. He is seated, which is the traditional posture for a teacher.

He uses the example of a farmer who went out to plant seed, using the method of sowing that would have been familiar to those in the crowd. At first hearing, it sounds like the sower wasn’t particularly proficient–sowing seed on the path, rocky ground, and among thorns as well as on good soil. But the point is not proficiency but in the extravagance of the sower, in spreading seed all possible sorts and kinds and varieties of soil!

And extravagance is also seen in the results–though not in three of the four instances. According to one knowledgeable authority (Joachim Jeremias in The Parables of Jesus), a first-century harvest would have been seven-fold to ten-fold. Thirty-fold would be bountiful, and a hundred-fold amazing!

Reflection Questions

• How has this parable been interpreted for us in the past? Has there been a temptation it to be moralistic, i.e., that we are responsible for “becoming good soil?”
• Do we ever think of ourselves as the ones “sowing the seeds,” or do we think it is only Jesus–or someone officially in charge of things?
• Do we realize the extravagance of God’s grace–and the promised results?

Prayer

Lord, we often want to limit the extravagance and generosity of your grace. We want to confine your grace to predictable areas. But your grace is such to be extended far beyond what we would have expected or imagined. Help us be open to your extravagant grace and to rejoice in the promised harvest. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for July 3

Scripture: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 NRSV

Context

This passage takes place after Jesus completes his directions to the disciples as he sends them forth on their mission(Matthew 10). Perhaps unexpectedly, he does not go with them or wait for them to return. Instead, he continues his own itinerant teaching mission, presumably in the cities of Galilee(11:1).

By this time, news of Jesus’ ministry has come to John, then in prison. John sends his disciples to ask Jesus a key question, “Are you the one who is to come, or are to wait for another?”(11:3). There is apparently some  doubt in John’s mind about Jesus’ status as messiah(cf. 3:13-17). So he dispatches emissaries to ask Jesus, essentially in code, his messianic status or identity.

Asked a question in code, Jesus responds in kind. He tells John’s disciples to go and tell what they see and hear(11:4-6), i.e., “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news preached to them.” This list dovetails clearly with the testimony of Isaiah (35:5-6) about what will characterize the “return of the redeemed to Zion.” The inference is that the evidence in plain sight should be convincing and compelling, but John will have to decide for himself–just as we do.

Jesus then begins to speak favorably about John, asserting that, for those “willing to accept it, he is Elijah” . . . that is, the forerunner of the messiah.  Neither Jesus nor John, however, has received the kind of welcome that should have been expected, at least from the religious authorities of the time. The complaint about John is that he is too strict. The complaint about Jesus is that he is too lenient.  People are upset with each of them, though for opposite reasons.

Jesus’ frustration is vented in the five verses not included in this week’s lesson (11:20-24). They are words of rebuke for towns in Galilee that should have responded to Jesus’ ministry with repentance and thanksgiving, but instead have gone their own self-absorbed way.

After these words of reproach, the focus of the passage changes dramatically. It moves from disgust with the proud and haughty  who reject Jesus to appreciation for the lowly and humble who accept him. It closes with a powerful invitation for all those who are “weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest”(11:28).

Rest, of course, is not a permanent condition. It is meant to be a time of refreshment and renewal. We are not exempt from carrying a burden; instead, we are called to share it with one who knows the situation best of all. We are not freed from the yoke of obedience; we are partnered with one who knows us and desires the best for us.

Reflection Questions

• When are we like the proud and haughty who live like they have no need of Jesus? When  are we like the humble and penitent who know clearly  their need of Jesus?
• What is most burdensome to us in the life of faith? What weighs us down? What wears us out?
• What would the rest promised by Jesus look like? What would it feel like? What would it sound like? What would it taste like?
• When are we at our best in meeting the opportunities and challenges of faith?

Prayer

Lord, help us not to live as though we have no need of you. Help us to live humbly. Help us to live wisely. Help us to hear your invitation to come to you and find rest. May we take your yoke upon us and learn from you. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for June 26

Scripture: Matthew 10:26-42 (NRSV)

Context

The Gospel of Matthew receives sustained attention in the “Season after Pentecost,” the longest season in the liturgical year. It begins with Trinity Sunday, the first Sunday after Pentecost, and continues through Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent.

The Gospel of Matthew represents a fusion or synthesis of different elements. It follows the geographical outline in the Gospel of Mark in which Jesus’ ministry moves from Galilee to Jerusalem.

The Gospel of Matthew has birth stories at the beginning and resurrection appearances at the end. It begins with the genealogy of Jesus, traced back to Abraham through David (1:1-17). It ends with the “Great Commission,” delivered on an unspecified mountain in Galilee (28:16-20).

The Gospel of Matthew contains five major “discourses,” each concluded in much the same way. [See 5:1-7,10:5-42, 13:1-52, 18:1-35, 24:3-25:46.] This may be a way of recalling the five books of the Torah, with Jesus understood “as a new Moses offering a new Torah that fulfills, yet supersedes, the old (13.52)”(The HarperCollins Study Bible, p. 1858).

In this passage, Jesus is addressing the disciples, named individually in 10:2. He gives them “authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness”(10:1).

Jesus specifies their mission (10:5-15), and he speaks of coming persecutions. He sends them out “like sheep into the midst of wolves,” so they are to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves”(10:16).

Despite the ordeal facing them, the disciples are to “have no fear” of those who so vigorously and violently oppose them”(10:26a). After dealing with the “cost of discipleship,” Jesus then turns to the issue of “the reward for hospitality.”

The reward is not given to the disciples–or to Jesus for that matter. The reward is for those who respond in welcome and hospitality for those coming among them in the name of Jesus.

The reward is not anything monetary or magical.  It is being acknowledged by Jesus before God in heaven (10:32-33). It is seeing and hearing what “many prophets and righteous people longed to see . . . but did not see it, and to hear . . . but did not hear it”(13:17). It is shining “like the sun in the kingdom of their Father”(13:43). It may even mean suffering–and dying–for the sake of being faithful(23:29-39).

Reflection Questions

• Do we expect to be exempt from suffering when we follow Jesus?
• What instructions or guidance does Jesus give us today?
• What is the reward that we expect for following Jesus? What’s in it for us? What’s in it for others?
• Is there any cost to the discipleship that we are called to practice?

Prayer

Lord, help us to follow the path that you set before us. Encourage us, guide us, bless us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for June 5

Scripture: Acts 1:1-11 (NRSV)

Context

This passage opens the Book of Acts, which is the companion volume to the Gospel of Luke. They are both apparently written by the same individually, traditionally Luke–a physician and associate of Paul (Col. 4:14, 2 Tim. 4:11, Philemon 24). However, neither book specifically attributes authorship to a particular individual.

The book is addressed to “Theophilus,” a name that means “lover of God.” This may have been an actual person–”perhaps a recent convert asking for instruction or a Roman official whose tolerance the church seeks”(The HarperCollins Study Bible, p. 2057). It is also possible that the book is intended for anyone who “loves God,” whoever that person may be.

The opening verses recount the ascension of Jesus into heaven, a reality also reported in the closing verses of the Gospel of Luke (24:50-53). The description in the Book of Acts is more extensive that what is found in the Gospel of Luke.

It specifies that Jesus appeared to the disciples (now called “apostles”) during a period of forty days. He instructed them to remain in Jerusalem for an indeterminate time, waiting “for the promise of the Father”(Acts 1:4). He alluded to the coming baptism of the Holy Spirit, “not many days from now,” but he did not specify what that meant.

Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom of God was clearly not something that the disciples understood.  They still thought that it meant some sort of earthly kingdom, and they wanted to know when it would occur.  Jesus told them–and us, if we listen!–that it is not for us to know. Instead, our task is to wait expectantly for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus did leave his disciples with specific promises. One, they would receive power, when the Holy Spirit came upon them. Two, they would be witnesses for Jesus “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”(1:8)

Reflection Questions

• Do we consider ourselves “those who love God?” How is that evidenced in our lives?
• What is it that we most want to know from Jesus? How do we handle the reality that there are some things that we will never know–at least not in this life?
• What would the power of the Holy Spirit look like in our lives? Where is God calling us to be witnesses?
• How is God calling us to live our lives “in the meantime,” that is, between where we are now and the promised coming of the spirit on–and in–our lives?

Prayer

Lord, help us to hear your words–again and again, if needed–about how we are called to live and what we are called to do. Keep us from being dissatisfied with not knowing all the details. Keep alive in us the promise of the power of the Holy Spirit, and empower us to be witnesses wherever you may send us. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for May 15

Scripture: John 10:1-10 (NRSV)

Context

This passage comes immediately after the healing of a man born blind(9:1-41) and just prior to the raising of Lazarus (11:1-45). These two “signs” of Jesus’ power are the last in a series that began with Jesus turning the water to wine at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee (2:1-11) Then came the healing of a royal official’s son (4:46-54), the healing on the Sabbath at the pool called Bethzatha (5:1-18), the feeding of the five thousand (6:1-14), and Jesus walking on the water (6:15-21).

Jesus’ words about shepherds and sheep are directed specifically to the Pharisees, who were upset at his healing the blind man on the Sabbath.  In these verses, Jesus does not explicitly identify himself as the “good shepherd.” That will come later–in verse 11.

Instead, Jesus outlines the qualities of a true shepherd, including entering by the gate, calling “his own sheep by name,” leading them out, and going ahead of them (10:3-5). The Pharisees, he infers, are shepherds without faithfulness or integrity, but “they did not understand what he was saying to them”(10:6).

Aware of the Pharisees’ cluelessness, Jesus goes on to make his point more specifically. He offers one of the “I am” sayings that are scattered throughout the Gospel of John, saying, “Very truly, I am the gate for the sheep”(10:7).  With verse 11, his claim will become even more specific, affirming “I am the good shepherd”(10:11). [See also John 6:35, 8:12, 11:25, 14:6, and 15:1 for the other "I am" sayings.]

In the closing verse of this passage, Jesus highlights one of the themes of the Gospel of John about the purpose of his life and work. “I came,” he says in verse 10, “that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” [See also 1:4, 3:16, 4:14, 5:26, 6:27, 6:40, 6:47, etc.]

These is an extraordinary claim, but its power can be diminished by familiarity. The translation by Eugene Person in  The Message makes it more compelling,  “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”

Reflection Questions

• How is Jesus the means by which we find shelter, strength, and safety?
• How do we hear Jesus calling our name?
• What happens when we put ourselves in charge of our journey and choice of destination?
• How do we experience Jesus’ gift of life, “more and better than we ever dreamed of?”

Prayer

Lord, thank you for caring for us. Forgive us for not recognizing your presence in our lives. Help us to hear your voice and follow you, without complaining about the journey or arguing about the destination. Help us to know your gift of life, “more and better than we ever dreamed!” Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for May 8

Text: Luke 24:13-35 (NRSV)

Context

May 8 is the third Sunday of Easter. The season of Easter lasts fifty days, from Easter Sunday until Pentecost. It encompasses the forty days that Jesus spent with his disciples until ascending into heaven and the ten days from the Ascension until Pentecost.

This Sunday’s reading continues the pattern of resurrection appearances, though now from the Gospel of Luke rather than from the Gospel of John. The story of the two disciples “on the road to Emmaus” is recounted only in the Gospel of Luke. The physical location of Emmaus is not known, although there are several possibilities.

This account tells the story of two disciples, one named Cleopas and the other unnamed, and their encounter with Jesus. The name, Cleopas, is not used anywhere else in the New Testament. It is an abbreviated form of “Cleopatros,” a common name of the time meaning “son of a renowned father.” The other disciple is never named, and his (or her) identity has never been decidedly determined.

These two disciples are traveling together, dejected and despairing over what had happened in Jerusalem that week. Jesus himself comes near, “but their eyes were kept from recognizing him”(Luke 24:16). They travel together, with Jesus admonishing them and then unfolding the message of scripture to them about the Messiah (24:25-27).

In a traditional gesture of hospitality, the two disciples insist that their still unknown companion stay with them, since the day was nearly done. At table with them, he takes bread, blesses and breaks it, and gives it to them.

These are almost exactly the same words used to describe Jesus’ actions at the Last Supper (22:19). They are the same actions used in the feeding of the five thousand (9:12-17). They are what the host at a meal would do in the home. In this ordinary act, “their eyes are opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight” (24:31).

After the fact, they realized that Jesus had been with them all along. Indeed, as they reflected on their experience, they recalled that their “hearts [were] burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us.” (24:32). Undeterred by their fatigue or the lateness of the hour, they return the seven miles to Jerusalem to share the remarkable news.

Reflection Questions

• What are the things that “keep our eyes” from seeing the presence of Jesus with us?
• How often do we not recognize Jesus’ presence with us until the moment is past?
• In what common, ordinary actions do we suddenly (and unexpectedly) experience the presence and power of Jesus?
• With whom have we shared the glorious good news of Jesus’ resurrected reality?

Prayer

Lord, forgive us when we do not recognize the reality of your presence, “walking and talking” with us. Help us to see you in the common, ordinary actions of life. Bless with a commitment to urgent hospitality, rather than letting convenience or custom get in the way. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for May 1

Scripture: John 20:19-31 (NRSV)

Context

The setting is the evening of the “first day of the week,” i.e., the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Peter and “the disciple whom Jesus loved” have seen the empty tomb, but it seems not to have made a difference. Mary Magdalene has told the disciples that she has “seen the Lord” and reported what he had told her, but again without apparent impact. Her words must have sounded delusional.

The disciples–ten of them, as it turns out–are huddled together behind locked doors. After all, one of them had betrayed Jesus, one had denied him, and virtually all had abandoned him. [In the Gospel of John, the "disciple whom Jesus loved"--presumably John--is noted to be "standing near the cross"(John 19:25) during the crucifixion.] For whatever reason, Thomas is not there.

The usual focus in this passage, at least for me, has been the absence of Thomas, his refusal to believe, and his confession the following week, “My Lord and my God!”(John 20:28).

Prior to these verses, however, comes what amounts to John’s Pentecost. The story of Pentecost, of course, comes from the second chapter of Acts–fifty days after the resurrection, when “they were all together in one place” and they experienced the particular power and presence of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).

For the Gospel of John, the gift of the Holy Spirit comes directly from the resurrected Christ, speaking with ten of  his disciples on the evening of the first day. After blessing them with peace, showing them his hands and side, and blessing them with peace again, Jesus gives the disciples their apostolic commission, i.e., their marching orders.

Jesus breathes on the disciples, reminiscent of the “breath of life” which God breathed into Adam (Genesis 2:7) or the passage in Ezekiel about breath coming into the dry bones (Ezekiel 37:9-10).

This is Jesus’ “gift of the Spirit,” and the sign of the spirit is not speaking in tongues as in the book of Acts. The sign of the spirit is the power of forgiveness, whether offered or withheld. It is a different kind of Pentecost, but one that is nonetheless compelling.

Reflection Questions

• What is the most persistent and powerful expression of God’s spirit in our lives?
• When and how have we been commissioned, i.e., sent forth to do the work of God?
• How is forgiveness a sign of God’s spirit?
• What happens with those who refuse to forgive? Or with those who never seek forgiveness?

Prayer

Lord, help us hear your blessing of peace, witness the reality of your resurrected presence, and hear your call and claim on our lives. Help us never to take forgiveness lightly. Help us to let go of hurts that have been done to us and to seek forgiveness for when we have hurt others. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for April 24

Scripture: John 20:1-18 (NRSV)

Context

This is one of the traditional stories of Jesus’ resurrection, typically read on Easter morning. The story in John differs in detail but not in substance from the accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

The setting is the garden where the body of Jesus had been laid to rest on Friday. (See John 19:38-42.) It is Sunday, described as “the first day of the week” and not as the “third day after Jesus’ death or burial.” It is “still dark,” i.e., before sunrise. This may be a reference to the continuing theme of light and darkness in the Gospel of John.

The story features Mary Magdalene, mentioned earlier in the Gospel of John as a witness to the crucifixion of Jesus (19:25) and described in Luke as a woman “from whom seven demons had gone out”(8:2).

Mary Magdalene has come to the tomb, presumably as an act of devotion or expression of grief. In the Gospel of John, the preparation of Jesus’ body for burial occurred on Friday, thanks to Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.

Mary Magdalene’s first encounter with the reality of the resurrection is the fact that “the stone had been removed,” presumably rolled back from the entrance (v. 1 c). All that she can assume is that some unknown perpetrators have taken Jesus’ body.

She herself does not apparently look in the tomb on her own but goes to tell the the disciples–or at least Simon Peter and the “beloved disciple”–of what must have seemed horrific news. They are the ones that are actually the first to witness the empty tomb, but by no means do they fully comprehend what has happened.

After the two disciples return to their homes, Mary remains standing outside the tomb, weeping. Actually, the Greek word used for “weeping” could more accurately be translated “sobbing.” There is no quiet, almost imperceptible grief here. Instead, there are loud, racking sobs.

Summoning a last measure of courage, devotion, or desperation, Mary Magdalene bends over to look into the tomb. She sees “two angels in white,” who ask her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” This is yet more stunning news, and her disbelief increases.

After she responds, Mary turns and sees one whom she supposes to be the gardener, who first asks her the same question as the angels, “Woman, why are you weeping?” This was exactly the same question asked by the angels in the tomb. But this unidentified individual then asks, “Whom are you looking for?”

Mary’s bewilderment and confusion continue to grow, until finally Jesus speaks her name. With that, Mary turns toward him and recognizes him for who he is. What had been confused is clear. What had been grief is now joy. What had been sorrow is now celebration.

For Mary Magdalene, resurrection is a reality!

Reflection Questions

• What causes us to weep (or sob) so that we do not see the reality of the resurrection? Pain? Loss? Disappointment? Defeat? Despair? Death?
• What other experiences in life keep us focused on ourselves, so much so that we do not notice Jesus alongside us? Anger? Emptiness? Fatigue? Frustration? Meaninglessness?
• What do we put first in our lives? What do we seek? And, more importantly, whom do we seek in life? Do we genuinely look for the living Lord, or do we settle for past evidence of a once vital faith?
• When and how does Jesus speak our name, making it possible for us to lift our eyes (spiritually speaking) and recognize his presence?

Prayer

Lord, thank you for your presence with us–even in ways that appear to us as absence. Thank you for helping us to see through our tears and recognize the reality of the resurrection. May resurrection be a reality for us! Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for February 13

Scripture: Matthew 5:21-37 (NRSV)

‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister,^* you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister^* has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister,^* and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court^* with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

‘It was also said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.” But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.” But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

Context

This is the portion of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus moves, as an old preacher once said, “from preachin’ to meddlin’.” That is, he is no longer dealing with the lofty words of blessedness nor the somewhat vague admonition to be “the salt of the earth” or “the light of the world.”

Instead, Jesus is putting in specific and unmistakable terms the high standards of authentic belief. He does not lessen the expectation, but instead he seems to go out of his way to make these expectations beyond any reasonable (or unreasonable!) hope of accomplishment!

It would be easy to be overcome by the impossibility of what is set before us. You can almost see the jaws drop when those gathered on the hillside first heard what Jesus said. Our jaws drop as well, though perhaps not literally. However, Dick Donovan, offers this viewpoint in his exegetical account of this passage in this week’s scriptural treatment available on SermonWriter.com

“As we read through these antitheses, we will become increasingly aware that we have failed miserably to meet Jesus’ standards. He has set the bar impossibly high, so that we must despair of ever reaching it. We could respond in one of two ways. One way would be to lapse into despair–to give up–to say that we can never meet these impossible standards. The other would be to allow ourselves to fall backwards into Jesus’ arms–to acknowledge our guilt, but also to trust in the work of Jesus and the grace of God  to bring us forgiveness and a clean slate.”

Reflection Questions

• Which of Jesus’ admonitions seems the most unrealistic to you? Which is the most realistic?
• Is it easier to give up in despair or to actively receive the gift of God’s grace?
• Who is called to take the initiative in reconciliation?
• How do you experience the power of words? How do they hurt? How do they heal?

Prayer

Lord, help us not to be overwhelmed by the expectations of Jesus. Help us learn to repent of our own sins and to acknowledge our own shortcomings, painful as this may be. Help us to rest  fully and completely “in the arms of Jesus.” Help us to find strength and courage to move beyond what is superficial to a real relationship with Jesus. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for January 30

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12 (NRSV)

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ¹

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Context

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus has just begun his ministry. It gets under way when Jesus hears the news of John the Baptist’s arrest [at the hands of Herod]. Or at least that is when Jesus relocates from Judea, where he has experienced baptism and temptation, to Galilee, where the bulk of his ministry will be carried out.

He makes his home at Capernaum, situated on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee, rather than at Nazareth where he grew up. He begins preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”(5:17b).

He calls two sets of brothers as his first disciples–Simon Peter and Andrew, and then James and John. He ministers to many, and his notoriety or fame becomes widely known almost immediately.If there had been You Tube at the time, video clips of his success would have “gone viral.”

Seeing the crowds, Jesus goes “up the mountain,” which is not so much an actual mountain as a symbolic one. The writer of Matthew makes a conscious effort to equate the experience of Jesus with that of Moses, who also went “up the mountain” at Sinai. Jesus then “sits down,” which is the traditional posture of a teacher. Again, the writer of Matthew has a continuing emphasis on Jesus as a teacher.

Then comes what is traditionally known as the “Sermon on the Mount.” [In the Gospel of Luke, it is the "sermon on the plain."] For Matthew, this is the first of five great discourses, again paralleling the life and times of Moses and the Torah.

The Sermon on the Mount begins with what we have come to call “The Beatitudes.” The Greek word for “blessed”  is makarios. It ordinarily means “good fortune” or “fulness of life.” It is the kind of blessedness that consists of “trust in God, forgiveness of sins, righteousness even in affliction, and final deliverance”(One Volume Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, p. 548). The word is sometimes translated “happy” of “joyful,” but neither of these words is adequate. In my judgment, contentment begins to get at the meaning, but it doesn’t get us all the way there. Perhaps “blessed” is still the best translation, even though we tent to think of blessedness in material rather than spiritual terms.

The list of beatitudes is fairly straightforward and appears reasonably manageable until the last one, dealing with being reviled, persecuted, or spoken of falsely. This is the kind of thing that we ourselves would scarcely consider any kind of blessing, yet Jesus pushes us to a new depth of understanding.

Reflection Questions

• How does Jesus make himself known in your life? How do you learn to listen to him and to learn from him?
• What is the difference for you between blessedness and happiness? Between blessedness and joy? Between blessedness and contentment?
• Are the beatitudes a “guide to life,” or are there simply left-over ideas from a long ago age?

Prayer

Lord, help us learn to listen as you teach. May we stop and take the time to hear what you have to say–not just with our ears but with our hearts and in our lives. Guide us toward you in all things. Give us a sense of blessedness that is far beyond any happiness or joy or contentment than we may have known. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for February 8

Scripture: Mark 1:29-39 (NRSV)

²⁹As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. ³¹He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

³²That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. ³³And the whole city was gathered around the door. ³⁴And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. ³⁵In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. ³⁶And Simon and his companions hunted for him. ³⁷When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” ³⁸He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” ³⁹And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Reflection Questions

• What is the significance of Jesus taking Simon’s mother-in-law by the hand and “lifting her up?”
• Why did Jesus refuse to permit the “demons” to speak?
• Why does Jesus leave a place where there is a crowd of people seeking him?
• What is Jesus doing in a “deserted place?” Where is your “deserted place?”
• What is the urgency for Jesus in proclaiming the message elsewhere? What brings urgency to your life in relationship to Jesus?

Prayer

Jesus, help us to follow you faithfully, even though you lead a different direction than we anticipated. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for February 15

Scripture: Mark 1:40-45 (NRSV)

A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” ⁴¹Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” ⁴²Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. ⁴³After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, ⁴⁴saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” ⁴⁵But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

Reflection Questions

• What is the significance of Jesus touching the leper who had come, begging to be made clean?
• Why did Jesus tell the healed leper not to say anything?
• What happened when the word about Jesus began to spread?
• How do we keep Jesus from being effective?
• How can we get out of the way and let Jesus work?

Prayer

Lord, help me to get out of the way, if I am compromising your effectiveness. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for February 22

Scripture: Mark 9:2-9 (NRSV)

²Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, ³and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. ⁴And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” ⁸Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

⁹As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Reflection Questions

• What is significant about this event taking place on a mountain?
• When had the voice of God spoken before (in the Gospel of Mark)?
• What is the significance of Moses and Elijah being seen with Jesus?
• What is Peter’s mistake? What is ours?
• Why did Jesus tell the disciples not to tell anyone about what they had seen and heard?

Prayer

Lord, help us even in the midst of fear to keep you always in sight. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for March 1

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NRSV)

¹¹For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. ¹²Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. ¹³When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, ¹⁴I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Reflection Questions

• What is the circumstance of the people being addressed in this passage?
• What kind of future is there for God’s people?
• What is expected of God’s people “in the meantime?”
• What does a “future with hope” look like for you?

Prayer

O God, help me to seek you with “all my heart” so that I might truly experience the “future with hope” that is in your plans. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for March 8

Scripture: Habakkuk 2:1-4 (NRSV)

I will stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint. ²Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. ³For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. ⁴Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.

Reflection Questions

• What vision does God still have in store for us as the people of God?
• What is our responsibility in God’s vision?
• Is there still time for God’s vision to be made plain?
• How are we then to live?

Prayer

Lord, help us to wait “on tip toe” for your vision to be made plain. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for March 15

Scripture: Isaiah 43:14-21 (NRSV)

¹⁴Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I will send to Babylon and break down all the bars, and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation. ¹⁵I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. ¹⁶Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, ¹⁷who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: ¹⁸Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. ¹⁹I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ²⁰The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, ²¹the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.

Reflection Questions

• What “new thing” is God doing in your life? Our life?
• What is God’s purpose in doing something new?
• For what do you most thirst in your spiritual life?

Prayer

O God, help me to perceive what “new thing” you are already doing and to open my heart and my mind more fully. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for March 22

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-29 (NRSV)

²⁴“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. ²⁵The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. ²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!” ²⁸Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, ²⁹for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Reflection Questions

• What does it mean to build our house “on a rock”?
• How can we do so?
• What are the consequences if we build our life as a church “on sand”?

Prayer

O God, help me not only to hear what Jesus says but to put his words into action. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for March 29

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8 (NRSV)

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. ²He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. ³In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ ⁴For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, ⁵yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” ⁶And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? ⁸I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Reflection Questions

• Who do we seek most of all?
• What are we willing to pray for with annoying persistence?
• How is God like . . . unlike . . . the “unjust judge?”

Prayer

Lord, help us not to lose heart in our prayers that justice might be done. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for March 29

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8 (NRSV)

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. ²He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. ³In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ ⁴For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, ⁵yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” ⁶And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? ⁸I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Word in Context

Jesus is continuing on his journey to Jerusalem, which had begun with the declaration in Luke 9:51: “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

Jesus has just cleansed ten lepers, only one of whom had returned to thank him (Luke 17:11-20), and that one was a Samaritan. Jesus had then  spoken of the coming of the Kingdom (Luke 17:20-37), though in ways that were scarcely reassuring.

The parable of the “persistent widow and the unjust judge” is intended to encourage (or remind or admonish) his followers “about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.”  It seems like a peculiar way to make a point, but the parable is intended to help people understand how ready God is to grant justice to those who truly seek it.

Reflection Questions

• What do we seek–or want–most of all from God?
• What are we willing to pray for with annoying persistence?
• Do we truly believe that God stands ready to grant justice to God’s chosen ones?

Prayer

O God, help us not to lose heart, when our prayers seem not to be answered. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for April 5

Scripture (Matthew 21:1-9, NRSV)

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ²saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” ⁴This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, ⁵“Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” ⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; ⁷they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. ⁸A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Scripture (Matthew 26:17-29, NRSV)

¹⁷On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” ¹⁸He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” ¹⁹So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal. ²⁰When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; ²¹and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” ²²And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” ²³He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.” ²⁵Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” He replied, “You have said so.”

²⁶While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” ²⁷Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; ²⁸for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Scripture (Matthew 26:36-44, NRSV)

³⁶Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. ³⁸Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” ³⁹And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” ⁴⁰Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? ⁴¹Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ⁴²Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” ⁴³Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.

Scripture (Matthew 27:1-2, 11-14, NRSV)

27When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. ²They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

¹¹Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” ¹²But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. ¹³Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” ¹⁴But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Scripture (Matthew 27:27-54, NRSV)

²⁷Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. ²⁸They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. ³¹After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. ³²As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.

³³And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), ³⁴they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. ³⁵And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; ³⁶then they sat down there and kept watch over him. ³⁷Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” ³⁸Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” ⁴¹In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, ⁴²“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. ⁴³He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’” ⁴⁴The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way. ⁴⁵From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ⁴⁶And about three o”clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ⁴⁷When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” ⁴⁸At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. ⁴⁹But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”

⁵⁰Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. ⁵¹At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. ⁵²The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. ⁵³After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. ⁵⁴Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

Word in Context

The sixth (or last) Sunday in Lent is traditionally celebrated as “Palm Sunday,”  commemorating Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. In recent years, it has also been celebrated–or at least observed–as “Passion Sunday,” commemorating Jesus’ suffering and death.

The events of Holy Week, Sunday through Friday, take up a significant portion of each of the Gospels. This is the encounter toward Jesus has been aiming. It means that he comes face to face with evil, indifference, and sabotage. It means that he has to deal with betrayal, denial, and abandonment by those whom he most closely associated. It means that he comes face to face with God, pleading that the cup he asked to drink might be taken from him. It means coming face to face with death and yielding up his spirit.

Reflection Questions

• What brings you joy in the observance of Holy Week?
• What brings you sorrow in the observance of Holy Week?
• Which part of the story would you prefer to leave out?
• How can Holy Week for you this year be a deeper encounter with Jesus?

Prayer

Lord, give us a deeper awareness of your suffering and death on our behalf. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for April 12 (Easter Sunday)

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (NRSV)

Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

The Word in Context

The Christian community at Corinth was a motley crew at best.  It is a congregation that Paul himself had founded, but that didn’t mean it was free from difficulty, challenge, or controversy. They were disorderly, divisive, and disagreeable. Paul wrote–as clearly and forcefully as he could–to promote among them unity, peace, and love.

In the fifteenth chapter, Paul rehearses the church’s tradition as it has come to him and then claims his own place as an “apostle”–one sent by God– in the sharing of the resurrection story.

Reflection Questions

• How would you summarize what is of “first importance” in your faith?
• How has–how does–the risen Christ make himself known to you?
• How have you experienced the grace of God in your life?
• How are you called to be an “apostle,” sent by God to share the good news with others?

Prayer

O God, we give you thanks for the reality of the risen Christ. May we experience anew the power of his resurrection and be empowered to share this news with others. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for April 19

Scripture: 1 John 1:1-2:20 (NRSV)

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ²this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— ³we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Word in Context

1 John is similar in many ways to the Gospel of John and was long  thought to be written by the same author, typically believed to be the Apostle John. It now appears that 1 John (as well as 2 John and 3 John) were written by the same person, but later in the history of the early church.

According to tradition, 1 John was written from the city of Ephesus. It is not really a letter so much as it is an essay or message written to deal with specific issues.

Reflection Questions

• How, when, and where have you seen, heard, and felt the “Word of life” for yourself?
• How are you called, encouraged, invited, or challenged to live so that your “joy may be complete?”How do you seek to “walk in the light” of God?
• What does forgiveness mean for you? How do you practice it in your life?

Prayer

Lord, help me to live in the light of God every day of our lives. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for April 26

Scripture: 1 John 3:1-3, 14-18 (NRSV)

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

Word in Context

1 John is similar in many ways to the Gospel of John and was long  thought to be written by the same author, typically believed to be the Apostle John. It now appears that 1 John (as well as 2 John and 3 John) were written by the same person, but later in the history of the early church.

According to tradition, 1 John was written from the city of Ephesus. It is not really a letter so much as it is an essay or message written to deal with specific issues.

Reflection Questions

• How do you experience being one of God’s children?
• How does God’s love “abide” in us?
• How do you experience God’s love for you?
• How do you express God’s love for others?

Prayer

Lord, help us to love in word and deed. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for May 3

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14 (NRSV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

Word in Context

This letter is attributed to Paul, “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,” and it is addressed “to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Jesus Christ.”  However, it may well have been written by a disciple of Paul, and it may have originally been intended as a “general letter intended for many churches” (HarperCollins Study Bible, p. 2192). The letter comes from the last third of the first century. It begins with “a vastly cosmic picture of God’s plan…”(HarperCollins Study Bible, p. 2193).

Reflection Questions

• How have you experienced being blessed in Christ?
• In what ways does God bless you? In what ways do you want God to bless you?
• How have you experienced the “lavish grace” of God?

Prayer

Lord, help us to know how blessed we are, and help us to be a blessing to others. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for May 10

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-13 (NRSV)

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

Word in Context

This letter is attributed to Paul, “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,” and it is addressed “to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Jesus Christ.”  However, it may well have been written by a disciple of Paul, and it may have originally been a “general letter intended for many churches” (HarperCollins Study Bible, p. 2192).

In the fourth chapter, the focus is on “unity in the body of Christ” and the  “leadership gifts” which God imparts “to equip the saints for the work of ministry.”

Reflection Questions

• How do we most effectively live  “a life worth of the calling to which [we] have been called?”
• How is “unity of the Spirit” expressed and experienced?
• What is the purpose of the gifts that God gives?
• What is God’s goal for all of us?

Prayer

O God, guide us and bless us as we seek to grow “to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for May 17

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20 (NRSV)

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. ¹¹Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. ¹⁵As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. ¹⁶With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

¹⁹Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

The Word in Context

This letter is attributed to Paul, “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,” and it is addressed “to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Jesus Christ.”  However, it may well have been written by a disciple of Paul, and it may have originally been a “general letter intended for many churches” (HarperCollins Study Bible, p. 2192).

The “whole armor of God” is primarily defensive in nature. Its purpose is to help believers withstand the assaults against them and “having done everything, to stand firm.”

Reflection Questions

• What are you doing to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power?”
• What is  the 21st century equivalent of the “whole armor of God?”
• What throws you off balance? How do you regain your balance?
• For whom do you pray regularly? Who prays regularly for you?

Prayer

Lord, help us to stand firm–especially in times of challenge. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for June 14

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15 (NRSV)

“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

The Word in Context

This teaching about prayer is taking from Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount.” His ministry had begun in Galilee, shortly after he had learned of the arrest of John the Baptist. Jesus made his home in Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee, and the presumed site of the “Sermon on the Mount”  next to–or at least near–the Sea of Galilee.

The “Sermon on the Mount” is the first of five great discourses. It begins with the beatitudes, and then follows Jesus’ teaching on salt and light, the law and the prophets, and teaching about the law. Jesus’ teaching on prayer is part of a section that the Harper Collins Study Bible calls “The Piety That God Rewards.”

We have come to call it the “Lord’s Prayer,” but it is really the “Disciples’ Prayer.” There is another version of this prayer in Luke 11:1-4.

Reflection Questions

• What is your discipline of prayer? Where is your “hidden place” for prayer?
• How do you avoid hypocrisy in your life of prayer and faith?
• What debts (or sins or trepasses) do you most need to have forgiven? What debts (or sins or trespasses) do you need to forgive others?

Prayer

Lord, teach us not to heap up empty phrases but genuinely to pray in a way that brings us closer to you. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for June 21

Text: 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 (NRSV)

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written, “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.

Context

The church at Corinth is one of the ones that Paul established, but hat doesn’t mean that things went well thereafter! Far from it! Paul had as much difficulty and challenge with this congregation as any.

This letter dates from the mid-50s of the first century. It is part of his extensive correspondence with the Corinthian church.

Paul’s experience with the church at Corinth is reflected in the tone of 2 Corinthians. According to the HarperCollins Study Bible, it varies widely from “joyful and conciliatory” (chapter 7) to “ironic and argumentative” (Chapters 10-13). Indeed, it may actually be a compilation of several fragments.

Reflection Questions

• How have you experienced the principle Paul enunciates that “the one who sows sparingly will reap sparingly and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully?”
• Do you give more out of cheerfulness or more out of compulsion?
• What are the blessings God has given you “in abundance?”
• How does God simply “supply” or “multiply” resources for you to invest in the work of God?

Prayer

Lord, move us toward genuine, joyful generosity in our giving. For Jesus’ sake and in his name we pray. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for July 5

Scripture: Exodus 3:1-8a, 9-12 (NRSV)

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey. . . The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”

Context:

Moses–who is the original “water baby”–had been raised in Egypt by the Pharaoh’s daughter. When he was forty years of age, he  fled to Midian after being seen killing an Egyptian. He  found a home there, marrying and having a son. He was tending the flock of his father-in-law in what must have seemed a dead-end job, when God moved surprising and unexpectedly in his life.

Reflection Questions:

• Have you ever felt yourself a failure and believed that God has no use for you?
• Do you believe that you are too old (or too young) to be useful in God’s purpose?
• Where, when, and how does God get your attention?
• How long does it take for God to wear down your defenses?
• What is the one thing that God is calling you to do in order to be a faithful servant?

Prayer:

Almighty God, help us to see, to hear, and to accept your call and claim upon our lives. Help us to move past our reluctance to respond in faithfulness. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for July 12

Scripture: Exodus 7:1-7 (NRSV)

The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. When Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring my people the Israelites, company by company, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.” Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Context

Moses has finally given in to God’s directive for him to bring God’s people out of Egypt. (Exodus 3:10). Moses had attempted every possible excuse, but God prevailed. His older brother, Aaron, has been designated spokesman, and the two of them make their way to the court of Pharaoh.

Their initial efforts to persuade Pharaoh to let the people go are notably unsuccessful, with the people being increasingly mistreated and the tension rising higher.

Beginning in the seventh chapter, the Lord is making ready to increase the pressure on Pharaoh through multiplied signs and wonders throughout Egypt. This will be expressed through the plagues, eventually culminating in the “death of the firstborn.”

Reflection Questions

• Why do our efforts to help others sometimes seem to result in things getting worse?
• How do we maintain our integrity and faithfulness when the pressure to give up and give in to circumstances becomes overwhelming?
• How do we interpret “signs and wonders” that adversely affect others?

Prayer

Lord, help us to remain faithful in our commitment to you, even when the pressures around us and within us seem more than we can bear. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for July 19

Scripture: Exodus 12:1-2, 8, 11-13 (NRSV)

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.

They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Context

This passages describes the institution of Passover, originally observed as a means of warding off the tenth plague–the death of the firstborn. This is the only plague visited upon the Egyptians for which the Israelites had to take preventive measures. In the preceding plagues, the Israelites had been maintained in safety even when destruction was brought upon Egypt.

The essential element of Passover is the sacrifice of an unblemished year-old male lamb, with blood from the sacrifice daubed on the doorposts and the lintels of the houses of the Israelite people.

Along with protecting the people from the final plague,  Passover is now to be celebrated as a permanent memorial.

Reflection Questions

• When is God’s love and power most apparent to you? When and how is it vivid?
• What are the foods that most remind you of God’s love and power?
• What are the meals that have meant the most to you over the years?
• When did you first hear the “old, old story” of Jesus and “his precious blood’s atoning?” (“Victory in Jesus”)

Prayer

O God, we give You thanks that you are faithful to Your promises, especially the promise to set Your people free. Help us to trust in the midst of life’s challenges and difficulties. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for August 16

Scripture: Acts 1:6-8 (NRSV)

“So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”

Context

The “Acts of the Apostles” is a companion volume to the Gospel of Luke. It is the “first book,” in which the author “wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven . . . “

The book of Acts  is typically thought of as a book of history, but it also contains other kinds of literature including biography and homily. The author of this book is not specifically named, but tradition ascribes it to a gentile Christian named “Luke.” According to the HarperCollins Study Bible, the author of Luke and Acts “has received a good education and has made careful study of Jewish scriptures”(p. 2056-57).

Both Luke and Acts are addressed to “Theophilus,” which may be a specific individual or may be anyone and everyone who can be sidered a “lover of God.”

Reflection Questions

• How often do we ask the wrong questions of Jesus?
• What kind of details do we want from Jesus?
• How hard is it for us to believe that we will receive power?
• What kind of power does Jesus promise?
• How is it that we are Jesus’ witnesses–even to the ends of the earth?

Prayer

O Lord, bless us with an unexpected capacity to wait until the coming of the power that you promise. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for August 23

Scripture: Acts 2:1-6 (NRSV)

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.

Context

The celebration of Pentecost was a Jewish festival. Its name comes from the fact that it took place the fiftieth day after Passover. It was a harvest festival, marking the end of the spring barley harvest and the beginnings of the summer wheat harvest. It included the bringing of crop offerings to Jerusalem.

This festival also commemorated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, “fifty days” after the Exodus.

The first believers–numbering about 120–were “all together in one place” when they experienced the power and presence of the Holy Spirits. It was ten days after Jesus had given them “waiting orders.”

Reflection Questions

• How long do we typically wait and hope and pray for something to happen that we believe God has promised?
• What is the significance of the believers being “all together in one place?’
• When and how does the Spirit of God come upon our lives?
• How have you heard others “speaking your language” about the power and presence of God?

Prayer

Lord, give us the courage and capacity to spend time together with other believers. Bless us with patience to wait expectantly for the coming of the Spirit’s power and presence. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for August 30

Scripture: Acts 2:43-47 (NRSV)

Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Context

These verses conclude the story of Pentecost, which was originally a Jewish harvest festival. It became the occasion for the coming of the Holy Spirit in a powerful way, and it marks the beginning of the life of the church.

The day began with 120 believers gathered “all together in one place.” The coming of God’s Spirit upon them resulted in their speaking–not in an unknown languages but in other known languages. This “holy commotion” resulted in persons being drawn to see what was happening and then hearing for themselves in their native languages.
Peter then gets up and addresses the crowd about what is happening, seeing it as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. As Peter concludes, people are “cut to the heart” and ask what they should do. The answer was to repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So, scripture says, about 3000 people were added that day, and they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers”(Acts 2:42).

Reflection Questions

• How do we experience being together with other believers? When, where, and how does that take place in meaningful and powerful ways?
• What “wonders and signs” do we seek taking place within–and beyond–our congregation?
• How do we respond to those who are in need?
• How do we experience “glad and generous hearts” for what God has done, is doing, and will yet do in us and through us?

Prayer

O God, thank you for the powerful blessings you bring to our lives. Give us “glad and generous hearts” and enable us to share more fully with our brothers and sisters in the fellowship of faith. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for September 6

Scripture: Acts 3:1-10 (NRSV)

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o”clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Context

The experience of Pentecost is just past, with about three thousand persons being added. The term, church, is not yet used. This will not occur until Acts 5:14. For now, they followers of Jesus are simply described as “those who believe.”

Awe inspiring “signs and wonders” were being done by the apostles. The believers were spending time together daily in the temple, and their faith was nurtured also at home (Acts 2:46).

The episode involving Peter and John at the temple is the first of the “signs and wonders” to be specifically named. As Peter had earlier  urged repentance and baptism “in the name of Jesus,” so now he again invokes the name of Jesus Christ in telling the man lame from birth to “stand up and walk”(Acts 3:6).

The lame and the blind were traditionally excluded from entering the temple itself, a practice dating from the time of David. (See 2 Samuel 5:8) The man “lame from birth” was essentially being excluded, or at least left on the margins.

Reflection Questions

• Whom do we exclude, leave on the margins, or have to make a special effort to notice?
• How often do we feel excluded, left on the margins, or unnoticed?
• How do we offer “what we have” to make a difference in other people’s lives?

Prayer

O God of the helpless and hopeless, strengthen us to offer what we have. Help us to extend a hand of help and hope to others. Help us to accept help and hope from others. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for September 13

Scripture: Acts 4:23-31 (NRSV)

After they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, it is you who said by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant:

‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers have gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’

For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.

Context

What began as an act of mercy–the healing of a crippled beggar–has now escalated into a major confrontation. Peter and John have been placed under arrest and then brought before an assembly of the rulers, elders, and scribes to answer charges brought against them. The reality of the healing was undeniable, since the man was standing next to Peter and John. The two apostles are ordered “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus”(Acts 4:18), but reply that they “cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard”(Acts 4:20). The two are then released, though not without an additional threat.

Reflection Questions

• Is boldness or timidity more characteristic of believers in today’s world?
• When and how are we emboldened to proclaim the truth of Christ?
• What is it on which we would stake our life and well being?
• Do we truly believe in the power of God to perform “signs and wonders?”

Prayer

Lord, grant that we might speak and live your word “with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for September 20

Scripture: Acts 5:12-16 (NRSV)

Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.

Context

This is now the third summary of the community life of the early church. The first was Acts 2:42-47. The second was Acts 4:32-37.

“Signs and wonders” continue to be characteristic of the community. They have a commitment to sharing all of their possessions in common, although there has been an episode in which two believers decided to hold back part of the proceeds from the sale of property.

This decision had mortal consequences for Ananias and Sapphira, for they were deemed to have lied not just to the apostles but to God. And great fear [or awe] seized the whole church and all who heard of these things”(Acts 5:11). [Incidentally, this is the first time that the word "church" is used in the book of Acts.]

In this Sunday’s passage, it is reported that “more than ever believers were added to the Lord . . .”(Acts 5:13).  The primary appeal seems the prospect of healing. People from the outlying areas are bringing the sick and the ill to be cured.

Reflection Questions

• What is it that brought you to Jesus in the first place?
• Who is it that brought you to Jesus in the first place?
• Whom are you bringing to Jesus now?
• For what reason would you want someone to experience the power and presence of Jesus?

Prayer

Lord, we thank you for the “signs and wonders” that are being done among us, even though we may not recognize them. We think that there is healing in your presence, and we ask that you might guide us in bringing others to share in that experience. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for September 27

Scripture: Acts 6:1-7 (NRSV)

Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Context

The early church continues to grow in numbers, not only in spite of persecution but in some ways because of it. Despite threats and warnings, the apostles “did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah”(Acts 5:42).

The early church is not without its internal tensions. As their numbers grew, there came to be an issue between the Greek-speaking believers and those who spoke Hebrew. There seemed to be favoritism, with the Greek speaking widows “being neglected in the daily distribution of food”(Acts 6:1) Widows were among the most socially and culturally disadvantaged,

The solution was not to assign blame or argue about whose fault this might have been. Nor did the twelve disciples decide to work harder or faster. Instead, they divided the work, so that it might be done more effectively and equitably.This particular issue does not arise again.

Reflection Questions

• When people have complaints, concerns, or questions about the life and work of the church, how do we respond?
• Are we willing to speak up for others in need, even though we may not personally be suffering?
• Are we more concerned with fixing the blame or resolving the problem?
• Do we take or share responsibility?

Prayer

Lord, help us remain level headed when tensions arise in the life of the church. Guide us to find solutions rather than to assign blame. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for October 4

Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:10-11 (NRSV)

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,

Context

The “Letter to the Hebrews” is never actually named by this title. According to the HarperCollins Study Bible (P. 2250), it is more of an “extended sermon,” although it does end like a letter and may well have been sent to a distant congrelation(13:22-25).

This “letter”  is sometimes attributed to Paul, but it is unlikely that he was the author. Other conjectures have been made, but none of them has  gained acceptance, and so its authorship remains unknown.

The “Letter to the Hebews” was probably written in the second generation of the early church. Its language is sophisticated, and it uses imagery from various fields of endeavor, including education, agriculture, seafaring, and athletics.

The most important source for the book is the Old Testament in its Greek form, the Septuagint, which is interpreted in the light of belief in Jesus.

Reflection Questions

• How did you come to know Jesus? Who is he for you?
• How can someone “be made perfect” through suffering (Hebrews 2:10).
• What does it mean for us to have the same Father as Jesus? How does this make us sisters and brothers?

Prayer

O God, we thank you for Jesus, who has opened the way to You and wants to bring us to glory. We are glad to be part of his everlasting family. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for October 11

Scripture: Mark 10:35-45 (NRSV)

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Context

Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem. At the beginning of the journey, Jesus cured a blind man, though it took him two tries to get it right (8:22-26). During the journey, the disciples are the ones who appear unable to see or understand anything clearly–despite Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi (8:27-30) and the Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-8).

Jesus spoke  clearly about  his impending death (and resurrection)–not just once or twice, but three times. However, the disciples managed only to argue about who among them was the greatest (Mark 9:33-37), complain about someone else casting out demons in Jesus’ name (9:38-42), and try to keep people from bringing little children to Jesus for his blessing (10:13-16).

In this passage, James and John try to work out a private deal with Jesus so that they can be assured places of prominence and prestige in the coming kingdom.   They clearly do not (yet) understand what Jesus is saying and are looking out primarily for themselves.

The two disciples claim naively that they can “drink the cup” that Jesus will drink and be “baptized with the baptism” with which he will be baptized. They have no idea what this commitment will really mean, but Jesus does not scold them or chastise them for their lack of understanding. Indeed, he tells them that they will, indeed, go through what he has gone through.

Reflection Questions

• What “special privileges” do we expect in being disciples of Jesus? Exemption from suffering? Healing from illness? Long life? Prosperity?
• As we grow in the faith, how does Jesus help us understand more fully what it really  means to walk with him?
• How do we find ways to serve others authentically?

Prayer

Lord, thank you for your patience and your guidance. Continue to walk with us in our journey of faith. Strengthen in us the commitment to “drink the cup” that you drink and be “baptized with the baptism” which you experienced. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for October 25

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52 (NRSV)

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Context

Jesus and his disciples continue on his journey to Jerusalem. He has told them of his coming death and resurrection three times (8:31-9:1, 9:30-31, 10:32-34), but they seem not to grasp what he is saying. The disciples quarrel along the way which of them was the greatest (9:33-37), and James and John try for special treatment (10:35-40).

As they come to Jericho, a large crowd has become part of Jesus’ entourage. The excitement–and apprehension–were mounting. Jerusalem–and the triumphal entry–is literally the next stop. Just as they are leaving Jericho, a blind man–without even his own name–calls repeatedly  for Jesus to have mercy on him.

“Bartimaeus” isn’t actually a name, even though that is how it appears to us. It simply identifies this man as the “Son of Timaeus.” Regardless of his namelessness, he knows precisely what he wants. He wants to see–not for the first time, but again. Without any further ado, Jesus announces the fact of his healing. And this unknown and unnamed man follows Jesus on the way to Jerusalem.

Reflection Questions

• Do you ever find yourself in spiritual darkness? What keeps you there? What brings you forth?
• Does Jesus’ healing of this blind man bring questions to your mind? If so, what are they? If not, why not?
• What is the “light at the end of the tunnel for you?”
• What does Jesus need to say or do for you to follow him on his way?

Prayer

Lord, give us the courage to call for help in the midst of our blindness. Give us the faith to believe in your power and purpose for our lives. And grant us the commitment to travel the path with you. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for November 1

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” ²⁹Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Context

Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem. According to the Gospel of Mark, he has entered the city in triumph-riding on a previously unridden colt (11:1-11), cursed a fig tree (11:12-14), cleansed the Temple (11:15-19), interpreted the withering of the fig tree (11:20-26), dealt with challenges to his authority (11:27-33), told the parable of the wicked tenants (12:1-12), handled the issue of paying taxes (12:13-17), and responded judiciously to a question about the resurrection (12:18-27).

Jesus’ time of testing continues with the arrival of a scribe who asks an apparently innocent question about the greatest of the commandments–a traditional point of conversation or debate.  Jesus responds by citing not one commandment but two, what we have come to call the “Great Commandments.” They come from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18.

Perhaps surprisingly, the scribe concurs with Jesus’ assessment. Jesus concludes with a word of affirmation that the scribe is “…not far from the kingdom of God”(12:34b).

Reflection Questions

• How do we deal with Jesus’ presence in the midst of our lives? Do we seek to argue him into submission, or do we listen to what he has to say?
• What are truly the “greatest commandments” for us?
• How do we love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength?
• Who are the neighbors whom God gives us?

Prayer

Lord, thank you for coming among us and responding to our questions. Help us to live by the great commandments, as we seek to grow in our love of God and love of neighbor. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for November 8

Scripture: Mark 12:38-44 (NRSV)

As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Context

Jesus continues teaching in the temple, challenging the scribes with questions they cannot answer and then denouncing them for their pretentious and self-serving ways.

Jesus is situated in the the “Court of the Women.” There would have been both men and women there. It was named in this manner because this was as far as women could go in the temple grounds.

In the latter portion of the scripture, Jesus is situated across from the temple treasury. From this vantage point, he could easily see people putting their money in the offering receptacles, which were metal and shaped like trumpets. There were thirteen of them, designated for a variety of purposes. It would have been easy to hear the sound of coins being dropped into them, with the size and kind of offering being readily obvious.

There were those who would have made a great show of how much they were giving. Their generosity would have been readily apparent. The “poor widow,” however, had only two small coins to offer. The more generous gifts are not condemned, but hers is clearly commended.

Reflection Questions

• What behavior of the scribes does Jesus condemn? Is it their wealth, or is it their pretension?
• Whom do we seek to impress with our giving?
• What do we seek to accomplish with our giving?
• How does this woman’s gift exemplify John Wesley’s teaching in his sermon, “The Use of Money,” that we are to “earn all we can, save all we can, [and] give all we can?”

Prayer

Lord, we are more wealthy than we realize. Help us to be generous, without having to have the attention of others. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for November 15

Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:1-10 (NRSV)

Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory. “There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world. “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail. The Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered; the Most High will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed.”

Context

The two books of Samuel cover the transition in the history of Israel from the time of the Judges to the inauguration of the kingship, with Saul and David being the first rulers. These books begin, appropriately enough,  with the story of their namesake.

Samuel’s birth comes about as a result of apparent divine intervention. His mother, Hannah, is one of the two wives of Elkanah. His father’s other wife, Penninah, has borne several children to her husband, and she mercifully makes fun of Hannah for her childlessness.

The rivalry, tension, and bitterness between the two women becomes nearly intolerable. Finally, after extensive and intensive prayer, Hannah is at last granted her desire and blessed with a son, whom she names Samuel. The name is a play on the Hebrew phrase, “I have asked him of the Lord.”

Hannah had made a vow to the Lord that her son would be dedicated to the service of the Lord. Once the child is weaned, she takes him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh and gives him over to the Lord “for as long as he lives.”

The song in the second chapter attributed to Hannah is one of exultation and celebration. It is a ringing affirmation of the power and the purposes of God.

Reflection Questions

• When you are disappointed with your life, does it lead you closer to God or farther away from God?
• What would bring you to such intensity of prayer that those who observe would think you were intoxicated?
• How do you give over your loves ones to the service of the Lord?
• How is God a “rock” in your life?

Prayer

Lord, help us to exult extravagantly in your power and presence in your lives. May we build our lives on the rock of your salvation, for there is truly no one like You! Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for November 22

Scripture: John 18:33-37 (NRSV)

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Context

This Sunday is the last one in the annual cycle of the Christian Year. The new year will begin, as it always does, with the First Sunday of Advent. On November 22, we celebrate the reality of “Christ the King.”

The asigned passage features the dialogue between Pontius Pilate and Jesus recounted in the Gospel of John. Jesus has been betrayed by Judas and arrested by a detachment of Roman soldiers in the garden(18:1-11). Jesus has been taken before the High Priest (18:12-14, 19-24). Peter has denied Jesus three times, as Jesus had foretold (13:36-38, 18:15-18, 18:25-27).  Jesus is handed over to Pilate, with the clear implication that he is to find Jesus to be deserving of the death penalty.

There had been speculation about Jesus as a possible king since early in his ministry (John 6:15). Now the issue is joined clearly.  But, even though Pilate and Jesus are talking to one another directly, they are communicating at different levels.

Reflection Questions

• What question would you ask of Jesus if he were standing in front of you?
• What is your greatest hope–and your greatest fear–about Jesus as King?
• How can Jesus rule over a kingdom “not from this world?”
• How are “listening to Jesus” and loyalty to Jesus related?

Prayer

Lord, help us learn to listen to you and hear your quiet voice of truth. Help us learn to live as faithful people in Your kingdom. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for November 29

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:14-16

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Context

The prophet Jeremiah came from Anathoth, a village in the tribal territory of Benjamin. This tribe was located to the north of Judah, the southern kingdom.

Jeremiah was a descendant of Abiathar, one of the chief priests of King David. Jeremiah was active as a prophet in the late seventh and early seventh centuries B.C.E. Before the Babylonian Exile of 587 B.C.E., Jeremiah typically spoke oracles of judgment. After the exile, he spoke of hope.

Jeremiah’s words of hope in 33:14-16 promise the restoration of the royal line of David and the priesthood. While they have specific historical application, they also offer hope to persons in all kinds of desperate situations.

Reflection Questions

• Is it harder to believe words of hope than words of judgment?
• How do we know whom to believe? whom to trust?
• Do we live more often by hope or by judgment?

Prayer

Lord, help us hear–and believe–your word of hope especially when our circumstances are anything but hopeful. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for December 6

Scripture: Luke 1:68-79 (NRSV)

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Context

These prophetic  words–traditionally called the Benedictus– come from Zechariah, who is the father of John the Baptist. They are the first words that he speaks after having been struck mute for expressing disbelief about the news from the angel, Gabriel, that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son (Luke 1:5-23).

Zechariah spoke not a single word from that moment until the time came for his son to be named. The neighbors and relatives thought that the child would be named after his father, but his mother said that his name was to be John. They then asked his father, and Zechariah wrote on a tablet “His name is John” (Luke 1:63), and immediately he was able again to speak.

Zechariah’s words begin with a word of blessing for the Lord God of Israel. They hearken back to the promise to Abraham, and they look forward to the child’s becoming “the prophet of the Most High…”(Luke 1:73-74).

Reflection Questions

• Have you ever been temporarily “unable to speak,” perhaps from stunningly bad news or, conversely, stunningly good news?
• Have you ever doubted or disbelieved the promises of God? What impact or effect has it had on you?
• What is hardest to believe about “good news,” however and whenever it comes? Do we really prefer “bad news,” since it is more likely to conform to what we view as reality?

Prayer

Lord, help us truly to prepare our hearts, our minds, and our lives for the stunningly good news of the coming Christ. In his name we pray. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for December 27

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17 (NRSV)

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Context

The letter to the church in Colossae is purportedly from the Apostle Paul, but  this is probably not the case. The letter is sent to a gentile congregation in western Asia Minor. It is fairly near Laodicea, slightly east and across the Lycus River to the south.

At the heart of this letter is a “Christ hymn,” found in Colossians 1:15-20, that focuses on the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. The author uses this passage to support claims about Christ’s identity and purpose.

The particular passage for Sunday, December 27, focuses on what it means for believers to live a “new life in Christ.” It is both a matter of getting rid of whatever is earthly and putting on the virtues and attributes of Christ.

Reflection Questions

• What do you need to “take off” to follow Christ more  faithfully?
• What do you need to “put on” to follow Christ more  faithfully?
• What holds you back?

Prayer

O God, we pray your blessing on us–and others–at this season of the year. Bless all of us, so that whatever we do might be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for January 10

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30 (NRSV)

For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Context

This is one of three major parables that come at the close of Jesus’ ministry, at least in the Gospel of Matthew. Each of them focuses on the coming of the Son of Man for final judgment. The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids (25:1-13) emphasizes the need for readiness. Even when the bridegroom is delayed, it is the responsibility of the bridesmaids to be ready “no matter what.”

In the Parable of the Talents (25:14-30), the one given five talents and the one given two talents are commended for their willingness (and success) in taking risks with what been entrusted to them. The one who “played it safe” is, unexpectedly enough by our standards, condemned. Those who made something of what was entrusted to them are given responsiblity for even more.

In the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (25:31-46), Jesus depicts the Son of Man honoring those who fed the hungry, refreshed the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, cared for the sick, and visited those who were in prison. As they had done it “to least of these,” they had done it unto him.

Reflection Questions

• Do you consider yourself a “five talent,” “two talent,” or “one talent” person?
• What makes it more likely for us to “play it safe” in our life of faith?
• What does (or would) it take for us to take risks for the sake of the kingdom?
• Do we understand fully that our actions (or lack of them) truly have consequences?

Prayer

O Lord, deliver us from the perpetual temptation to “play it safe.” Keep us from being paralyzed with fear at the possibility of failure, and give us the courage to use what you have entrusted to us for the sake of the kingdom. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for January 31

Scripture: Acts 16:6-10 (NRSV)

“They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.”

Context

The Book of Acts is the companion volume of the Gospel of Luke, even though the two books do not appear consecutively in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Luke, the author “wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven…”(Acts 1:1-2). The book of Acts outlines the development of the early church, following the gift of the spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-10). It ends with the Apostle Paul living in Rome, awaiting trial and “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance”(Acts 28:31).

The name of the book, “Acts of the Apostles,” does not appear anywhere in the earliest text. The title was actually first used by Irenaeus late in the second century. The name points to the reality that the focus in the book is on the work (acts) of those chosen or designated apostles, which simply means those sent out as messengers (on someone else’s authority).

The author of Luke and Acts is traditionally understood to be Luke, a physician and associate of Paul. However, such an identification is not made in either book. According to the HarperCollins Study Bible, the writer appears to be “a gentile Christian who has received a good education and has made careful study of Jewish scriptures”(pp. 2056-57).

In the sixteenth chapter, the Apostle Paul is on one of his missionary journeys. He has just parted company with his longtime friend and companion, Barnabas, with each of them going separate ways. He then gains another traveling companion, Timothy, and they are traveling through Asia Minor. One night, Paul has a vision of “a man of Macedonia,” who asks them to “‘Come over . . . and help us’”(Acts 16:9).

Reflection Questions

• Do we understand our journey in life to have a purpose?
• What kind of obstacles do we encounter in our journey? How do we respond?
• What dream or vision has God laid upon our hearts and lives?
• Who is inviting, exhorting, pleading, or asking us to “come . . . and help them?”

Prayer

O God, we trust that you are always at work in our lives, even in the obstacles and opposition that we encounter. Help us to have a new and fresh vision of your purpose and direction for our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for February 7

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (NRSV)

It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Context

2 Corinthians is one of the letters that is undoubtedly from the Apostle Paul himself. According to the HarperCollins Study Bible, it is “perhaps the most difficult to interpret”(p. 2164). The various sections of the letter differ significantly in content and tone. Scholars have put forth the idea that the letter is actually composed of several fragments. In any case, it contains a variety of styles and elements.

Paul established the church at Corinth and thereafter carried on an extensive correspondence with the Christians there. They wrote him at least once, and he wrote them four times. His relationship with the church at Corinth was complex, sometimes bringing him deep pain and grief.

In the twelfth chapter, Paul continues an extensive passage about his own life experience and his calling as an apostle. He highlights both the ecstasy and the agony of his experience of faith. He mentions the “thorn in his flesh,” that tormented him. He contrasts his weakness and the power of Christ, and concludes, “whenever I am weak, then I am strong”(12:10).

Reflection Questions

What is there about you that you wish were different? Have you taken it to the Lord in prayer? What has been the Lord’s response?

How has your life been touched and blessed by the transcendent joy of faith?

How do you understand those prayers that have seemingly not been answered?

How and when do you experience most deeply the power of Christ?

Prayer

O gracious and mighty God, help us to find the strength that we need in the midst of weakness. Help us to experience the power of Christ dwelling in us–not just for a moment or even for a season but our whole life long. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for February 21

Scripture: Mark 10:13-16 (from “The Message,” by Eugene Peterson)

The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

Context

This coming Sunday, February 21, is the first Sunday in Lent. It is a time of forty days, not counting Sundays, that stretch from Ash Wednesday (February 17) until Easter Sunday (April 4). It recalls the time of Jesus’ temptation or testing in the desert (see Luke 4:1-13).

Our scripture readings during Lent this year, however, will not follow the typical pattern. Instead, we are using materials that focus on “A Journey to Hope,” with scripture and suggestions provided by the  “Rethink Church” campaign of The United Methodist Church. The idea during Lent is to look at the various ways in which we are equipped to start–and continue–on “A Journey to Hope.”

This Sunday, the focus will be on “traveling companions.” The scripture reading is taken from the Gospel of Mark, coming at a time when he is coming closer to Jerusalem. It comes after Peter’s confession of him as “the Christ, the Messiah”(Mark 8:29) and the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-8). He has already spoken of the importance of honoring and valuing children. (Mark 9:36-37). He has gone to an area of Judea on the east side of the Jordan river, where he continues to teach to a large crowd.

People are bringing children to him, hoping that he might at least touch them. The disciples are shooing them away. But Jesus interrupts and makes sure to welcome and bless the children.

Reflection Questions

• Who brought us to Jesus? Who have been our “traveling companions” along our journey of faith?
• What is so important that we sometimes create impediments for others to come “face to face” with Jesus?
• What kind of “traveling companions” are we for Jesus? Do we bring people closer, or do we keep them away!

Prayer

Lord, help us to recognize the need for persons to come close to Jesus–and to bring others with them. Help us not to stand in the way but to invite and involve others in our journey to hope. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for February 28

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11 (The Message, by Eugene Peterson)

When they were nearing Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany on Mount Olives, he sent off two of the disciples with instructions: “Go to the village across from you. As soon as you enter, you’ll find a colt tethered, one that has never yet been ridden. Untie it and bring it.  If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ say, ‘The Master needs him, and will return him right away.’” They went and found a colt tied to a door at the street corner and untied it. Some of those standing there said, “What are you doing untying that colt?” The disciples replied exactly as Jesus had instructed them, and the people let them alone. They brought the colt to Jesus, spread their coats on it, and he mounted. The people gave him a wonderful welcome, some throwing their coats on the street, others spreading out rushes they had cut in the fields. Running ahead and following after, they were calling out, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in God’s name! Blessed the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in highest heaven! He entered Jerusalem, then entered the Temple. He looked around, taking it all in. But by now it was late, so he went back to Bethany with the Twelve.

Context

This coming Sunday, February 28, is the second Sunday of Lent. We continue together on “A Journey to Hope,” that began on Ash Wednesday and will conclude with Easter Sunday.

This Sunday’s reading is typically shared on Palm Sunday, the week prior to Easter. However, it comes early in our journey, as a precursor of what is to come.

People viewed Jesus in many different ways, depending on their particular point of view. For the disciples, he was their teacher and, according to this passage, their “Master.” As I understand it, this was a term of respect and relationship not of distance or difference. For the people, he was believed to be the long hoped for messiah, and his arrival in Jerusalem was greeted with exuberance and enthusiasm.

But Jesus is his own person, not dependent on the view of others for who he was or how he acted. He is more than capable of surprising–and disappointing–those who follow him and those who welcome him. Yet neither the surprise nor the disappointment keeps Jesus from moving forward according to God’s guidance.

Reflection Questions

• What description or title of Jesus is most meaningful–Master? Teacher? Savior? Lord? Son of God? Son of Man? Friend? Brother?
• What do we most hope that Jesus will do for us? in us? through us?
• How has Jesus surprised us–or disappointed us–in the past?

Prayer

Dear Jesus, help us to go where you say and do what you direct. Help us to welcome you into our hearts and lives, not just in the excitement of the moment but in the deep down difficulties that we sometimes experience. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for March 7

Scripture: Mark 10:35-44 (From The Message by Eugene Peterson)

James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to him. “Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us.” “What is it? I’ll see what I can do.” “Arrange it,” they said, “so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory – one of us at your right, the other at your left.” Jesus said, “You have no idea what you’re asking. Are you capable of drinking the cup I drink, of being baptized in the baptism I’m about to be plunged into?” “Sure,” they said. “Why not?” But as to awarding places of honor, that’s not my business. There are other arrangements for that.” When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.

Context

James and John, sons of Zebedee, were among the first to be called as disciples. (Mark 1:19-20). Jesus gave them the name “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). They had seen Jesus “up close and personal” from the very beginning, including the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:29-31), the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:35-43), and Jesus’ transfiguration (Mark 9:2-7).

Following behind Jesus, the disciples are coming closer to Jerusalem. Jesus had repeatedly told them that this is where he would suffer, die, and be resurrected. Like the others, James and John are completely oblivious about what is to come. It seems they can only think of visions of glory, when Jesus will come into his kingdom. They try to make a separate deal with Jesus, so that they will be at positions of power when he comes into his glory.

Amazingly, Jesus does not rebuke or chastise them for their failure to understand. Instead, he says that they will, indeed, drink the cup that he drinks and be baptized with the baptism with which he will be baptized. They undoubtedly continue to misunderstand what he means, and they may well think that their separate deal has been successfully concluded.

The other disciples are equally clueless, venting their anger at James and John–perhaps envious or resentful that they had beaten them to seek places of privilege. But privilege is the exact opposite of what Jesus sought–or that disciples are to seek.

Reflection Questions

• What expectations of reward do we have as followers of Jesus?
• What does it truly mean for us to serve the needs of others?
• How do we respond to those who “beat us to the punch” in seeking recognition or reward?

Prayer

Lord, help us to follow faithfully–hearing your word and following your way, even when that word is hard and the way is difficult. Amen.

James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to him. “Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us.” 36 “What is it? I’ll see what I can do.” 37 “Arrange it,” they said, “so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory – one of us at your right, the other at your left.” 38 Jesus said, “You have no idea what you’re asking. Are you capable of drinking the cup I drink, of being baptized in the baptism I’m about to be plunged into?” 39 “Sure,” they said. “Why not?” 40 But as to awarding places of honor, that’s not my business. There are other arrangements for that.” 41 When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. 42 Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. 43 It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. 44 Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.

Guide to Prayer and Study for March 14

Scripture: Mark 14:32-40 (From The Message, by Eugene Peterson)

They came to an area called Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him. He plunged into a sinkhole of dreadful agony. He told them, “I feel bad enough right now to die. Stay here and keep vigil with me.” Going a little ahead, he fell to the ground and prayed for a way out: “Papa, Father, you can – can’t you? – get me out of this. Take this cup away from me. But please, not what I want – what do you want?” He came back and found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, you went to sleep on me? Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert, be in prayer, so you don’t enter the danger zone without even knowing it. Don’t be naive. Part of you is eager, ready for anything in God; but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.” He then went back and prayed the same prayer. Returning, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn’t keep their eyes open, and they didn’t have a plausible excuse.

Context

This takes place on the Thursday evening of what we call “Holy Week.” Jesus shared Passover with his disciples (Mark 14:12-21), letting them know that one of them would betray him (Mark 14:12-21). He shares the bread and the cup with his disciples, thereby instituting what we have come to call the “Last Supper“  or the “Lord’s Supper” (Mark 14:22-25). After they sing a closing hymn, they leave for the Mount of Olives. To their probable bewilderment, Jesus tells the disciples that they will all desert him and that Peter will deny him (Mark 14:26-31).

They arrive at a “place called Gethsemane,” and Jesus asks all of his disciples to wait while he prays. The Garden of Gethsemane is located, according to tradition,  on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. It was familiar territory for Jesus and his disciples.

Jesus then takes Peter, James, and John with him for a time of anguished prayer, in which he asks God–whom he addresses as “Abba” or “Daddy”–to keep him from having to go through what lies in front of him. Despite Jesus’ request that they remain awake as he prays, the disciples just can’t keep their eyes open. It was a simple request, but they just could not do what he asked.

Reflection Questions

• Which is more to our liking–to do something great and heroic for Jesus or to do something ordinary and simple?
• Why is it difficult for us simply to “sit, wait, and watch?”
• What simple things has Jesus asked us to do that we seem unable to do?

Prayer

Lord, we mean well when we say that we always serve you faithfully. But our good intentions are not always matched by what we actually do. Help us to be more humble in the claims we make about serving you. Help us to be more aware of your presence near us. Help us to be more able to “sit, wait, and watch.” Help us do the simple things, aided by your presence and power. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for April 4

Scripture: Luke 24:1-12 (New Revised Standard Version)

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

Context

This is Luke’s version of events on the first day of the week. Like Matthew and Mark, the first to hear the news of Jesus’ resurrection are women. [In the Gospel of John, it is Mary Magdalene alone.] There is no  account in Luke of how the stone was rolled away from the entrance to the tomb.

As in the other gospels, the women have an encounter with angelic or heavenly beings that is bewildering, perplexing, or frightening. In Luke, they are asked what sounds, on the surface, like a ludicrous question: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”(24:7a)

The “two men in dazzling clothes” exhort the women to remember what Jesus had told them. Accordingly, the women “remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest”(24:8-9). The fact that the disciples disbelieved them must have been aggravating, but there was at least the satisfaction of knowing they had done what they could.

Unlike the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark, the women have no personal encounter with the risen Christ. The first reported meeting is with the two unnamed disciples on the road to Emmaus that afternoon (24:13-35) and with Simon (24:34). In the Gospel of Luke, the women are the first witnesses of the empty tomb but not of the risen Christ.

Reflection Questions

• What words of Jesus do you most clearly recall? What words about Jesus are etched into your memory? What song concerning Jesus most readily comes to mind?
• How, when, and why do we tend to “look for the living among the dead?”
• How do we deal with the reality that Jesus sometimes seems to show up in the lives of others more readily–or more quickly or more obviously–than in our own?

Prayer

Lord, we thank you for the reality of the risen Christ. Keep us from looking for “the living among the dead.” Help us to share the witness we have been given, even though others may not believe. And may we be blessed by how the risen Christ works in each of our lives. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for April 11

Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-13, 20-21 (New Living Translation)

I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ Jesus because of my preaching to you Gentiles. As you already know, God has given me this special ministry of announcing his favor to you Gentiles. As I briefly mentioned earlier in this letter, God himself revealed his secret plan to me. As you read what I have written, you will understand what I know about this plan regarding Christ. God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now he has revealed it by the Holy Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets. And this is the secret plan: The Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God’s children. Both groups have believed the Good News, and both are part of the same body and enjoy together the promise of blessings through Christ Jesus. By God’s special favor and mighty power, I have been given the wonderful privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. I was chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. God’s purpose was to show his wisdom in all its rich variety to all the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. They will see this when Jews and Gentiles are joined together in his church. This was his plan from all eternity, and it has now been carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome. So please don’t despair because of what they are doing to me here. It is for you that I am suffering, so you should feel honored and encouraged.

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.

Context

The author of this letter identifies himself as Paul (1:1, 3:1, etc.). It is sent to “the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus” (1:1b), but some early manuscripts do not have “in Ephesus.”

The letter may have been a “circular letter,” intended for several churches and not just one. It is not written in response to any particular problem or challenge. Instead, it seems to be written to help its readers understand more clearly and fully the purposes of God. It is apparently written while Paul was under house arrest, perhaps in Rome.

In the third chapter, the focus is on the “mystery” (NRSV) or “secret plan” (NLT) that God has made known to Paul. While the words sound egotistical, they are actually the opposite.

Paul (or whoever is writing in his name or spirit) is humbled and overwhelmed by what God has shared with him. What is now revealed for all to see, understand, and grasp is that the promise in of God in Jesus Christ is intended not only for the “old timers” in faith, i.e., the Jews, but also the “new comers” in faith, i.e., the Gentiles.

This is a remarkable thing, absolutely unprecedented in the history of God’s dealing with the chosen people. Because of what has been accomplished in Jesus Christ, “we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome”(3:12).

Reflection Questions

• In your faith journey, are you one of the “old timers” in faith or one of the “newcomers?”
• If you are an “old timer,” how does it feel for “newcomers” to have an equal share?
• If you are a “newcomer,” what is it like to be part of a fellowship that includes “old timers?”

Prayer

Lord, whether we are long experienced in the faith journey or just newly arrived, guide and bless us with understanding, compassion, and excitement as we continue our journey in Jesus Christ together! Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for May 2

Scripture: John 13:31-35 (NRSV)

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Context

These few verses occur in the extended account of the Passover meal that Jesus celebrates with his disciples (John 13:1 ff.). There is the account of Jesus’ washing the feet of the disciples (13:1-20) and then the foretelling of his betrayal (13:21-30). Immediately after Judas Iscariot leaves, Jesus begins the first of several “farewell discourses.”

In this passage, Jesus speaks of a “new commandment.” This is translated  as “mandatum novum” in the Latin version called known as the Vulgate. “Mandatum Novum” is the basis from which the name  “Maundy Thursday” is ultimately derived.

In John’s gospel, the command to “love one another” seems to be restricted to the disciples. In other Gospels (Mark 12:28-34, Matthew 5:43-48, and Luke 6:27-36), the appeal or command to love is not restricted or focused in this way. Perhaps Jesus is underscoring the importance for the disciples really to care for one another in the times of difficulty, despair, and devastation that will soon come upon them. It will be all too easy for them to turn on one another in blame and accusation.

Reflection Questions

• Is it easier to love someone far away or close at hand?
• Who is difficult to love among the band of believers where God has placed you?
• How do you love those whom you may not particularly like?
• What difference does it make that we are to love others just as Christ has loved us?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us enough to bring us to eternal life. Help us to love others–close at hand or far away–as you have loved us. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for May 23

Scripture: Acts 2:1-8, 12-21 (New Revised Standard Version)

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?

All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o”clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Context

Pentecost, in its original setting, was a Jewish festival. Also known as the “Feast of Weeks,” it is commonly understood as coming “fifty days” after the celebration of Passover. Pentecost is one of the three pilgrimage festivals that faithful Jews would have been expected to attend. There should thus be no surprise that Jews from a wide variety of places in the known world were found in Jerusalem when a “holy hulabaloo” broke out.

The disciples had been specifically instructed by Jesus, just before his Ascension,  “not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father”(Acts 1:4). No time frame was given, so the believers (numbering about 120 by then) returned to Jerusalem. They were “constantly devoting themselves to prayer . . . “(Acts :14). They decided to choose a replacement for Judas. The lot fell on Matthias, “and he was added to the eleven apostles”(Acts 1:26).

The believers were “all together in one place” when the Spirit of God came upon them–with sounds and sights unlike anything they had ever witnessed!

Reflection Questions

• How hard is it for you to “wait upon the Lord,” either individually or as part of a group of believers?
• What is the longest that you have ever “actively waited” on someone or something else?
• How long can you “wait upon the Lord” before giving up–or beginning to give up?

Prayer

Our gracious God, help us learn to “wait upon the Lord” with active anticipation. Help us not to get ahead of you but to wait faithfully for the power that you have promised in and through our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for June 6

Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-14 (NRSV)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

Context

The Letter to the Ephesians was not precipitated by any singe “event or crisis”(The HarperCollins Study Bible, p. 2192). It is sometimes regarded as a “general letter intended for many churches,” a view that is supported by the absence of a place name in 1.1 in some early manuscripts. It can be appropriately understood as addressed to us in the 21st century as well as to believers in the first century.

There is some question as to whether this letter was actually written by the Apostle Paul. Scholars generally believe that it was written by a disciple of Paul, but that it was in his name and his spirit. This possibility does not make the letter less valid in any way.

This letter deals with a remarkable array of subjects, including a “cosmic picture of God’s plan,” the place of believers in that plan, the role and mission of the church, relationships in the household, and each believer standing “battle-ready in God’s power”( The HarperCollins Study Bible, p. 2193).

Of particular importance in this week’s passage is the phrase, “in the fullness of time”(Ephesians 1:10). The word used for “time” is the Greek word, kairos,meaning “the right or opportune moment.” It has a qualitative rather than a quantitative nature, and it denotes significance and opportunity rather than just the passage of time.

Reflection Questions

• How do you understand this letter to be addressed, at least symbolically, to you (and others) as the “saints” and the “faithful in Christ Jesus?”
• What is the difference, if any, between God’s plan and God’s purpose? How specific is God’s plan? How general is God’s purpose?
• What moments in your life have been “kairos” moments?
• What is the promise of our “inheritance” as “God’s own people?”

Prayer

O God, thank you for including us among your “saints,” even though we seldom feel saintly. Give us a sense of the breadth and height and depth of your glorious blessing in Jesus Christ. Help us to let your plan come to fruition in our lives. May we recognize “kairos” moments when they come, and may we  lead lives blessed by your grace. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for July 4

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-4:6 (NRSV)

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Context

The letter to the Ephesians, which may have originally been a “general letter” to all the churches, did not originate out any specific issue, controversy, or problem. It is attributed to “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,” but it was likely written by a disciple writing on his behalf or in his name. The passage from 3:14 through the end of the chapter is a prayer and a doxology. It uses expansive imagery that is still applicable with a 21st century understanding of the universe. It speaks of strength and power in vigorous and striking ways.

In the first six verses of chapter four, believers are urged to lead lives “worthy of the calling” to which we have been called, and we are reminded of the importance of “making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”(4:3). This section concludes with a sevenfold recitation of unity–”one body and one Spirit . . . one hope . . . one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all . . . “

Questions

• Are our prayers characterized more by strength and power or by passivity and acquiescence?
• What are the disciplines or practices that help strengthen us in our “inner being?”
• How does God motivate us to lead lives “worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called?”
• What is the biggest challenge for us in maintaining “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?”

Prayer

Lord, help us to understand ourselves as more than meek and mild, more than compliant and cooperative, more than passive and acquiescent. Give us inward strength by the power of your Holy Spirit, and help us to live life fully as your disciples and not just as polite facsimiles. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for July 11

Scripture: Ephesians 4:7, 11-16

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. . . The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Context

The fourth chapter of the Letter to the Ephesians begins with a thoroughgoing emphasis on unity. It is a call for believers to lead genuinely worthy lives. We are called to make every effort “to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”(4:3).

An emphasis on grace and gifts begins with the seventh verse of the fourth chapter. This is often an area with which mainline (or oldline) church members may be uncomfortable. We were typically taught when growing up (or at least I was) not to identify ourselves as gifted–spiritually or otherwise. That was deemed presumptuous and egotistical.

However, the New Testament concept of gifts reflects a fundamentally different orientation. The gifts that are given (to “each of us” and “all of us”) are not for our benefit but for “building up the body of Christ.” If we choose to deny, subvert, or misuse those gifts, then we have done a disservice to ourselves, to the church, and ultimately to Christ himself.

There is an emphasis on the corporate reality of the church as the “body of Christ.” We are called to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ”(4:15). We are inextricably linked together–again not for our personal or individual benefit but for the good of the entire body.

Reflection Questions

• Which of the gifts that are listed (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher) are most clearly yours?
• What other spiritual gifts do you believe God has given you? (See Romans 124-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
• How are you using the gifts God has given you for building up the body of Christ?
• Where are you in the process of “growing up” into Christ–becoming closer to Jesus and more like Jesus?

Prayer

Lord, it is sometimes hard for us to believe that we are gifted. We do not always recognize the gifts you have given us, but we are keenly aware of the gifts you have given others. Help us in our continuing journey to grow more into the likeness of Christ. Help us to work together, as we seek to build up and encourage one another in love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for July 18

Scripture Ephesians 4:17, 22-5:2 (NRSV)

Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds.

For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Context

This passages follows the pivotal discussion of “spiritual gifts” that are intended to “equip the saints” and for “building up the body of Christ”(Ephesians 4:7-16). In the subsequent verses, attention is turned to the contrast between “the old life and the new” and then to “rules for the new life.”

The point is clearly made that the way in which the believers at Ephesus used to live is no longer acceptable. There is no softening of the expectations of a Christian way of life.  The way in which they formerly lived is clearly unacceptable. The believers at Ephesus have clearly been taught to live differently.

I am not so sure that we do nearly as well in our contemporary contest. Most of us–at least in The United Methodist Church in the United States–still view church and culture as vaguely supportive of one another. We do not always see a clear distinction between how we were raised in the culture and how we are to live in the church

Our culture is at least superficially churched, but more and more people are functionally unchurched. People may pay tribute to the trappings of the faith, but they do not often or always experience a living and vital faith.

Reflection Questions

• What difference is there in the way we lead our lives as believers, as compared with others around us in the culture?
• What is the greatest difficulty for us?…speaking the truth?…being angry but not sinning?…letting no evil talk come out of our mouths?…forgiving one another?
• What are the disciplines, practices, and habits that help us learn to “live in love”(Ephesians 5:2)?

Prayer

Lord, you call us to “live in love,” but so often we would rather just get even. Give us the grace, the courage, and the joy to live the life to which you called us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for July 25

Scripture: Ephesians 5:6-10, 15-20 (NRSV)

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be associated with them. For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Context

This portion of the Letter to the Ephesians continues to lay out the expected behavior of those who have decided to follow Jesus Christ. There is a contrast (5:88 ff.) between the darkness in which the Gentiles once lived and the light in which they now live. The “fruit of the light” is to be found “in all that is good and right and true”(5:10).

The contrast between darkness and light continues to be with us today. Sometimes spiritual darkness is an inner shadow that gradually grows deeper until it threatens to block out all evidence of the light. Sometimes it is an outward reality in a congregation that diminishes people’s capacity to experience the risen Christ.

In the midst of darkness, we continue to be called to “live as children of light.” One of the things that calls us back to the light is the gift of song, through what Ephesians calls  “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” [Cf.  Colossians 3:16.]

We are not sure exactly is meant by “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,” but they are clearly part of the worship life of the early church (and early Christians). We can be assured that not every believer was (or is) equally blessed in being able to carry a tune! However, all can be blessed by singing, for it is a way of “giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And, most importantly, bringing us back to the light.

Reflection  Questions

• What shadows come unbidden into your life that dim the light of the Lord? How do you recognize and respond to their presence?
• What are the songs that God has given you that bring you back to the light and help you give thanks to God?

Prayer

Lord, sometimes the shadows of life threaten to keep us from seeing the light of Christ in our lives. When that happens, bless us again with “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” that bring us back to you. And help us again to “live as children of light.” Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for August 1

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-17 (NRSV)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Context

The Letter to the Ephesians is drawing to a close. In these verses, the writer is admonishing the Christians at Ephesus (and everywhere, for that matter) to use all the resources at their disposal to stand firm in the face of evil. The writer uses imagery from the Roman military, which was then the most sophisticated fighting entity in the world.

We may think of the imagery of spiritual battle as being outdated, but it is real. For me, the spiritual forces often seem to come as “D-words,” e.g, difficulty, discouragement, disappointment, defeat, disaster, and death–to name a few! It is temptingly easy for me to think that I need to cope with these experiences out of my own resources. But we are called to “be strong in the Lord” and not rely on our own strength.

In facing our own spiritual battles, we need to seek the best available resources so that, after all is said and done, we might “stand firm.” These verses in Ephesians lift up the primary components of a Roman soldier’s equipment, including the “belt of truth,” the “breastplate of righteousness,” the “shield of faith,” and the “sword of the Spirit.” In today’s imagery, we might speak or write of force fields or light sabers or some other kinds of  remarkable weapons or armor.

There are two other aspects of this passage that I find striking. One is that the battle is essentially a defensive one. The purpose is not to defeat or destroy the “cosmic powers of this present darkness”(6:12). Rather, the goal is that we “may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm”(6:13). There is no shallow optimism that evil can be annhilated, at least not until the coming of God’s kingdom.

The other aspect is an unspoken (or unwritten) aspect of “put[ting] on the whole armor of God.”  That is, Roman soldiers never fought individually. They were not solitary warriors. They were highly organized, with the smallest unit being a squad of eight soldiers and perhaps two servants.  In simplest terms, they looked out for one another and made sure that every member of the unit had all that was needed or could be provided.

Reflection Questions

• What are the spiritual forces that threaten to undo your life or undermine your faith? Are they obvious, or are they subtle?
• What disciplines and practices make up the “whole armor of God” for you?
• Who are your “comrades in arms,” looking out for you as you look out for them?

Prayer

Lord, help us not to rely on our own strength but on yours. Deliver us from the pride that leads us to believe that we can handle whatever life brings our way. Help us to use all the resources at our disposal–including prayer–so that we might “stand firm” in faith. Guide us to look out for others, as they look out for us. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for August 8

Scripture: Ephesians 6:18-24 (NRSV)

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus will tell you everything. He is a dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, to let you know how we are, and to encourage your hearts. Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Context

These are the closing verses of the Letter to the Ephesians. The Apostle Paul–or whoever is writing in his name–first speaks of the need to pray (not once, not twice, but three times). The author describes himself as an “ambassador in chains,” which is consistent with Paul’s experience on more than one occasion. (See also Ephesians 3:1.)

After the admonition or appeal to prayer, the author writes of Tychicus–”a dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord”–who will tell the Ephesians “everything”(6:21). Tychicus is a little known name for most Christians, yet he is mentioned in five books of the New Testament (Acts, Ephesians, Colossians, II Timothy, Titus).

Tychicus is presumably from in or near Ephesus. He is described as a close friend and a  faithful companion of Paul, who is entrusted with important tasks and whose word is trustworthy. He is also one of those people blessed with the gift of encouragement.

The letter closes with the blessing of peace, which is the active presence of God, and grace.

Reflection Questions

Who are the persons that you ask to pray for you? What message does God give you that calls for more courage than you have?

Who is trusted friends on whom you depend? Have you told them how much you value them for their faithfulness?

Who encourages you? Whom do you encourage?

When leaving a situation, how do you do so with the blessing of peace and grace?

Prayer

Almighty God, we confess that we sometimes leave prayer to the very last thing. Help us to turn to you at the beginning as well at the end. Bless those who are trustworthy and faithful in their dealings with us and others. Thank you for those who encourage us, and help us to encourage others. May your peace and grace be at work in us–and through us. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for August 29

Scripture: Luke 14:1, 7-14 (NRSV)

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” ¹²He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Context

In this part of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. By this time, Jesus has already been involved in three conflicts over observing the sabbath (6:1-5, 6:6-11, 15:1-2). Though omitted in the selected text, this is the fourth conflict–as Jesus heals a mean of dropsy on the sabbath(14:2-6). That healing, however, is not specifically addressed.

The setting is a meal eaten at the house of a leader of the Pharisees. Jesus watches “party protocol” at work in how guests select their places–the more prestigious sitting closer to the host. Jesus then tells the parable about a wedding banquet, which is not just an incidental choice. It refers to the anticipated feast in the kingdom of God (See 13:28-29).

Jesus first calls attention to the importance of humility rather than the pretense of pride for those coming to the banquet. It is better to choose a lower station and then be asked to move up rather than the other way around.  “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled,” he reminds his audience–then and now, “and those who humble themselves will be exalted”(14:11).

But it is not just seating arrangements that concern Jesus. He meddles with the invitation list, making it expansive rather than restrictive, far reaching rather than narrowly focused. Those invited to the banquet are not just those who are supposed to be upright or righteous for but those whom society ordinarily considers unacceptable–”the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.”)

The kingdom of God is clearly more expansive and extensive than anything that anybody else had considered at the time. It is a view that deepened his difficulty with the conventionally religious of his time.

Reflection Questions

• How much attention do you pay to “who sits where?” Do you have a particular place at worship that you consider “yours?” What if someone else sits there?
• Are you more likely to humble yourself or exalt yourself? Are you “proud” of your humility?
• Whom do we tend to regard as “unacceptable” to be part of the church? What difference does it make when we realize that Jesus extends the invitation specifically to them?
• How expansive or extensive is your view of who is invited to be part of the kingdom?

Prayer

Lord, help us to hear your gracious call of invitation to “come to the table.” Give us strength to come in genuine humility. Enable us to welcome others whom we had not expected to see–and even to be welcomed by those who turn out to be closer to you in their journey of faith. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for September 5

Scripture: Luke 14:25-33 (NRSV)

Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. ³³So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

Context

Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem”(Luke 9:51), and he continues on the way. He has another conflict with the religious leaders about healing on the sabbath. He speaks of the importance of humility and widening the welcome to include “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind”(Luke 14:14). He reiterates this list when telling the “parable of the Great Dinner”(Luke 14:15-24).

In this Sunday’s passage, Jesus’ words are surprising, shocking, and even offensive. There is the appearance of popularity, as “large crowds were traveling with him”(Luke 14:25).  Undoubtedly, many of them anticipated his going to Jerusalem as a joyous thing to be anticipated–a moment to be savored and celebrated. They are not thinking of defining priorities or making hard choices. Pain and loss are the farthest things from their minds. They anticipate a crown, but Jesus points them to a cross.

Without warning, Jesus suddenly speaks harshly about what it takes to be his followers. He even uses the “h” word–”hate.” He insists that people must “hate” those closest to themselves–and even life itself–if they are to be his disciples.

These  are confusing and startling words. Aside from exaggeration, Jesus’ talk of “hate”  is not meant to be taken literally but to emphasize the radical priority that discipleship must have in people’s lives.

Jesus then speaks of carrying the cross (interestingly, not “a cross” but “the cross”) and following him.  This reiterates a message already given earlier in this gospel(Luke 9:23-27). It is a message that is intended to confront rather than comfort, to make clear instead of to soften the demands of the gospel.

And, in case people cannot figure out the blunt nature of these words, Jesus concludes with the necessity for persons to “give up all [their] possessions, if they are to become his disciples(Luke 14:33).

Such teachings are scarcely designed to “win friends and influence people!” Indeed, they are more likely to have the opposite effect. They are a sobering reality check for those who give in to the temptation to make this matter of discipleship palatable and popular.

Reflection Questions

• How do Jesus’ words strike you? Do they seem harsh? Are they more than people can “reasonably” be expected to bear?
• What have you given up in order to follow Jesus Christ?
• Do you hold your possessions tightly . . . or loosely? When and how are you “giving them up?”

Prayer

Lord, we are startled–and even discouraged–by the severity of your words about discipleship. We would so much rather settle for comfort and convenience. And yet, we know you are right. Help us to love you more than even life itself. Help us to “carry the cross,” and give us the courage to hold our possessions loosely. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for September 12

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10 (NRSV)

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Context

These are perhaps two of the most familiar parables of Jesus. They are linked with–and lead up to– a third, the parable of the prodigal son (or “waiting father.”).

The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin are essentially parallel. Each features a character who would have been readily family to those hearing the stories. Neither would be regarded as heroic or noble. Both were common and ordinary at best. Yet they each unexpectedly become the lead character in one of Jesus’ parables.

These stories are told in the context of the peculiar and unsavory company that Jesus chooses to keep, i.e., “tax collectors and sinners.” This led the traditionally righteous people–”the Pharisees and the scribes”–to grumble and complain. Their complaints, I suspect, were just loud enough to be overheard but not so loud as to be overly obvious.

The theme in each parable is the persistence of the lead character in seeking–and finding–that which had been lost. Conventional wisdom would expect the shepherd to continue with the remaining ninety-nine sheep, when it is discovered that one has wandered off. However, this is a kingdom story–where the rules are upside down.

The story of the woman seeking for the lost coin–perhaps part of her dowry–is less unconventional. But simply the fact of a woman being the main character in the parable may be the point that Jesus is making. The kingdom is equally open to all persons, regardless of their gender or social status.

In both instances, the recovery of that which was lost results in joy that cannot be contained but which must be shared. Friends and neighbors are invited, and a party breaks out! Just so, there will be joy in heaven when “even one sinner repents”(Luke 15:10).

Reflection Questions

• How are we like those who point out others’ faults, foibles, and failures?
• How are we like those who are lost and in need of repentance, redemption, and restoration?
• How are we like those who risk themselves to seek that which is lost?
• How do we share the joy of repentance–others’ or our own? Or do we?

Prayer

Lord, help us not simply stand by and point out the faults, foibles, and failures of others. Help us be among those who seek out those who have wandered away–or perhaps who never been part of a fellowship of faith. Give us the joy of celebrating repentance, redemption, and restoration. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for September 19

Scripture: Luke 16:1-13 (NRSV)

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.

“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Context

This is a challenging story–with perhaps multiple conclusions or applications. On the surface, Jesus seems to be commending fraudulent or dishonest behavior–scarcely attributes that are usually considered admirable. And yet the “shrewd [if not dishonest] manager” is commended. Perhaps he has only eliminated his commission from the transaction, but he still takes remarkable liberties with what doesn’t belong to him.

If nothing else, the manager is resourceful and creative. Jesus uses the parable to make the contrast with the humdrum and ordinary manner in which the “children of light” generally function–in the 1st or the 21st century. We are called–not to dishonesty in anything but to resourcefulness and creativity in advancing the kingdom!

Reflection Questions

• What startles us most about this parable?
• Do we settle for the ordinary, the routine, and the humdrum in our efforts for the Lord?
• Are we most creative and resourceful when serving our own interests or when focused on the things of God?
• What are the “true riches” promised by Jesus?

Prayer

Lord, help us not to settle merely for the ordinary and the routine in our efforts to be of service. Bless us with resourcefulness and creativity in our work for you. Help us to be faithful to what is entrusted to us, even though it may not seem like much. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for October 10

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19 (NRSV)

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

Context

Jesus continues on his way to Jerusalem, where he will encounter a cross instead of a crown. This is supposed to be the “third phase of the journey”(HarperCollins Study Bible, p. 1993). However, it does not appear that he is making much progress–geographically speaking. He is reportedly in what amounted to a “no man’s land” between Galilee and Samaria.

It is not surprising for a group of lepers to keep at a distance. That was  the prescribed practice (See Leviticus 13:46; Numbers 5:2-3). What is surprising is that one of them turns out to be a Samaritan. Ordinarily, Samaritans and Jews had nothing to do with one another (See, for example,  John 4:1-42). However, their common isolation and alienation seems to have brought them together.

It is also not surprising for the lepers to call out for mercy. What is surprising is that they recognize Jesus, call him by name, and use the  term “Master.” Significantly, the word used here  for “master” is otherwise only used by the disciples in reference to Jesus. The word can also be translated “rabbi,” which would be a clear term of respect.This group of lepers, living in “no man’s land,” felt  free to call Jesus “master” and to ask for mercy.

It is not specifically clear that the lepers are asking for healing. An appeal for mercy could have meant many things. Jesus took it, however, as an implicit request. Without providing any specific guidance or information, he simply directs them to “go and show yourselves to the priests”(17:14).

This is exactly the prescribed procedure to verify a cure of skin disease(See Leviticus 13:2-8 and 14:2-3). We are not told where the ten are headed to validate their cures, but only one turns back–and that one is described with derogatory affection as “this foreigner.”

Reflection Questions

• Do we ever spend any time with Jesus in the “no man’s land” between the conventional and unconventional, the religious and the irreligious, the acceptable and the unacceptable?
• Are we surprised, offended, disappointed, or gratified that people unknown–or perhaps even unacceptable–to us seem to know Jesus at least as well as we do?
• How often do we genuinely thank Jesus for what he has done for us, in us, and through us?

Prayer

Lord, you work in my mysterious ways–or at least ways that are a mystery to us. Thank you for your gift of healing and wholeness that comes to us unexpectedly in the midst of other activities. Remind us–powerfully and forcefully, if needed–to thank you. . . again and again and again. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for October 17

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8 (NRSV)

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Context

This passage comes in the Gospel of Luke after a discussion of “The Coming of the Kingdom.” (See Luke 17:20-37). With deliberate ambiguity, Jesus drops hints of what will come to pass in these days. For those looking for outward signs, he says that “the kingdom of God is among you.” This must have been confusing at best  to those who first heard his words. He warns his hearers (and readers) against quick or easy answers about what the coming of the kingdom, except to refer to the “days of Noah” and the “days of Lot.”

The parable of the “Widow and the Unjust Judge” is introduced by telling the hearers the point of the story, i.e., “about their need to pray always and not to lose heart”(Luke 18:1). It is almost as if the teaching is so important that he doesn’t want to run the risk of people not understanding its meaning. He has already taught about the importance of persistence in seeking what we genuinely need. (See Luke 11:5-13). Here, he makes the point even stronger.

The widow is in a vulnerable position–without much in the way of social, political, or economic resources.  She has no one to speak for her, and she has no one to go with her. She has no advocate, protector, or comforter. But she has the power of unparalleled persistence that even wears down a judge “who neither feared God nor had respect for the people”(Luke 11:2). She does not give up, give in, give out, or go away. Ultimately, she is granted her request.

However, the implication is clear that this kind of persistence is something rare. The passage closes with wondering, in terms of the coming of the Son of Man, whether there will be  “faith on earth.” Perhaps it will be as scarce and unusual as this widow.

Reflection Questions

• How easy is it for us to advocate our own cause? Is it easier to speak up for our wants or our needs?
• How do we determine determine what is truly justice?
• How persistent are we in prayer? How often do we give up, give out, and give in?

Prayer

Lord, help us to have the courage of our convictions. Let us be persistent in prayer. Help us not to give up, give out, and give in. Instead, lead us forward into your justice. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for November 28

Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5 (NRSV)

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Context

Isaiah is one of the great prophets of the Old Testament–or the First Testament, if you prefer. His ministry, according to the opening verse, is during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah as kings of Judah.This is in the latter part of the eighth century B.C.E. (Before the Common Era).

Isaiah’s ministry began as early as 738 B.C.E., the year of Uzziah’s death. It continued until as last as 701 B.C.E. And perhaps later.

The work of Isaiah is rooted in a tradition that “celebrated God as the great king of heaven and earth, Jerusalem (Zion) as the  city God chose to be his royal dwelling, and the kings of the Davidic line as God’s anointed vice-regents on earth”(HarperCollins Study Bible, pl. 1012). The opening verses of the second chapter highlight this understanding.

With the beginning of Advent, these verses point for the Christian not only to the coming of Christ but also to the return of Christ. They are words of prophecy, power, and promise–as yet not finally or completely fulfilled. In the meantime, we are called to walk together with others “in the light of the Lord”(Isaiah 2:5).

Reflection Questions

• Is there a place in your life where God seems to be most real? How often do you go there?
• As you anticipate the celebration of Christmas, what are your deepest hopes this year?
• How do you typically experience the “light of the Lord?” Brightly? Dimly? Intermittently?Who is it that walks with you “in the light of the Lord?”

Prayer

“When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way! While we do his good will, he abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

(United Methodist Hymnal, # 467)

Guide to Prayer and Study for December 12

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10 (NRSV)

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Context

The 35th chapter of Isaiah is a breath of fresh air in the midst of defeat, disaster, doom, and gloom. The 34th chapter speaks of a thoroughgoing judgment on the nations, which is characterized by devastation, destruction, and death. The 36th chapter speaks of the pending siege of Jerusalem by the forces of Assyria. Between them comes the ten verses comprising the 35th chapter.

The HarperCollins Study Bible interprets the 35th chapter as originally belonging to the body of literature in chapters 40-55, and that would certainly make sense. Like these chapters, it seems intended to “comfort the afflicted” rather than to “afflict the comfortable.” Whatever the reason for its placement, it is a resounding affirmation of the power and purpose of God, pointing to the coming reality of gladness, abundance, and joy where there has been wilderness, desolation, and despair.

There is a message of hope to those nearly overwhelmed by circumstances, those with “weak hands” and “feeble knees” and having “a fearful heart.” The promise is that, despite all appearances, God will “come and save you.”

Indeed, the way back to the land of promise is one that will prove to be a spacious and safe highway, right through the midst of the wilderness. It is where the “redeemed shall walk,” without fear and with everlasting joy.

This passage is a stunning witness to the power of hope in the midst of the most desperate circumstances imaginable.

Reflection Questions

• How hard is it to receive a word of hope in the midst of desperate circumstances?
• Where is the dry and weary land for you this Advent season? Do you find yourself tempted to give up, give in, and give out?
• What shakes you to the core of your being? How do you receive a word of promise and hope?
• Where does the highway lead for you? Back to where you have been, or forward to where you have never been?

Prayer

Lord, thank you for your powerful, even stunning word of hope in the midst of desperate and difficult circumstances. Strengthen us where we are weak, and give us the courage to see the path you set before us. Let it be for us a highway that we travel safely–not just back to where we have been but forward to where you already are. Amen.

Guide to Prayer and Study for January 2, 2011

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Context

The Gospel of Matthew, appearing first in the New Testament, has its own story of Jesus’ birth. Unlike the Gospel of Luke, there is no appearance of an angel to Zechariah to tell of the pregnancy of Elizabeth or the birth of John. There is no angel appearing to Mary, telling her that she had found favor with God. There are no shepherds to be found, nor is there any angel who spoke to them or the “host of angels” that joined in praising and glorifying God.

In fact, Matthew begins with a contrived genealogy, tracing Jesus’ ancestry back through David to Abraham. Any angelic communication in the opening chapters of this Gospel is directed to Joseph rather than to Mary.  Time and again, Joseph responds promptly and obediently, without comment or complaint. An angel, of course, is simply a “messenger from God,” not necessarily appearing in the winged form that we have come to expect.

We have a time frame for Jesus’ birth–”in the time of King Herod”–and a place, “Bethlehem of Judea.” King Herod is Herod I or the so-called “Herod the Great.”  His “most famous and ambitious project” was  expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. He also becomes famous, if that is the right word, for the “massacre of the innocents,” in the wake of being fooled by the wise men. Herod the Great died in 4 B.C. (or B.C.E.) at the age of seventy.

The place for Jesus’ birth, of course, is “Bethlehem of Judea.” This is the ancient home of David, onetime King of Israel. It is the location cited by Luke and Matthew as the birthplace of Jesus. It is the home of one of the oldest Christian communities in the world.

The “wise men,” as they are termed in the New Revised Standard Version, are most likely astrologers. They come from “the East,” meaning an area that we would now term Iran or Iraq.  There are at least two of them since they are referred to in the plural, but the exact number is unknown. We do know that they brought three gifts–each of which was portable and valuable. These gifts were presumably used on the Holy Family’s subsequent escape to Egypt. The names, the ages, and the origins of the “wise men”  all come from much later  tradition.

The coming of the “wise men” speaks of the importance of the birth of Jesus for all people, not just for a particular group. The Gospel of Matthew, which begins with the birth of Jesus being recognized by the world eventually ends with Jesus’ commandment to his disciples for them to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”(28:19a).

Reflection Questions

• Who has been “messengers from God” for you? How and when do they show up?
• Are we more likely to respond to messages from God with skepticism or with faith? With delay or with obedience?
• How hard is it for us to ask directions? When and how do we ever do so?
• When, where, and how are we ever “overwhelmed with joy?”

Prayer

Lord, in this new year, may we be blessed by unexpected moments when your messengers not only visit us but provide guidance. May we learn to follow, and may we discover joy in so doing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.