A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Twenty-Four

Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:1-35 (NRSVUE)

In this chapter, Jesus asks us to reevaluate our relationships and how we value people.  Children were not valued in the first century - it could be that due to the high infant mortality rates, people were afraid to invest in them until they made it to a certain birthday.  For Jesus to place this kind of importance on children would have been out-of-the-ordinary to say the least.

If God would value little children, who wouldn't God value?  Well, it seems that God isn't impressed with the behavior that would lead little children astray.

For a culture that might often think that the death of an infant or child might be God's punishment toward the parents for some sin they have committed, Jesus plainly states that it is not God's will "that one of these little ones should be lost."  This gives them worth in their own right.

This entire chapter is a movement toward a world that we now take for granted as normative.

But if we do have an offender, we also remember that Jesus has cautioned us against judgment.  Rather, we remember that blessed are the merciful.  Notice that we do not confront our antagonist in public so as to shame them.  This might result in shame but it likely wouldn't result in reconciliation which is the greater outcome.  

If the person refuses to listen to the body, let that one be treated as a gentile or a tax collector.  The gospel is named for a tax collector, so we return to blessed are the merciful.  Jesus tells Peter that we should forgive until we forget the count.

Just in case we are feeling really thick-headed or focused on retribution, Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant.  We can see our own debt that God wipes away is massive compared to what our neighbor owes us.  This chapter is about perspective.

In today's society, we might value children higher than first century culture, but we have plenty of people that we would rank lower than ourselves.  The shame and honor system is still alive and well so that when someone offends us, we have a hard time letting it go.  Our honor is at stake!

What if Jesus is really just showing us that this is an illusion?  If we have God's value, can we really be harmed by people?  The answer is yes, but maybe it doesn't have to weigh as much as we let it.

Children seem to be able to let things go more easily.  Maybe this is what Jesus means by becoming humble like a child.

Prayer for the day:

God, give me the strength that waits upon you in silence and peace. Give me humility in which alone is rest, and deliver me from pride which is the heaviest of burdens. And possess my whole heart and soul with the simplicity of love. Occupy my whole life with the one thought and the one desire of love, that I may love not for the sake of merit, not for the sake of perfection, not for the sake of virtue, not for the sake of sanctity, but for you alone.  Amen.

Prayer by Thomas Merton, Trappist Monk, 20th Century

Photo by Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

Daily Devotion for Lent 2025, Day 11

Today's Reading: Job, Chapter Eleven

It is almost comical that Zophar is listed as a Naamathite which is someone from Naamah.  The Hebrew meaning of this word is pleasant! 

Zophar is less than pleasant in his initial advice to Job.  He's someone that needs a lot more training before we would send him around for hospital visits.

He starts off by telling Job that you're better off than you deserve!  If someone has just lost all of their children, this is pretty harsh to say the least.

Zophar also adopts the understanding of the justice of God is being meted out in this lifetime.  And so, since Job has suffered all these calamities, Zophar would be wondering what Job did to deserve all of this.  It must be something pretty bad!

Verse twelve is downright insulting.  We're not sure exactly how this ancient Hebrew phrase should go but the Common English Bible translates it as "A stupid person becomes intelligent when a wild ass of a person is born tame."

Job, are you feeling better yet?

Zophar then goes on to share how much better it will be once Job fesses up.  This is condescending to say the least.

Today's passage is helpful for us to examine ourselves for when we have been sure that we were in the right.  Have we ever adopted a style similar to Zophar's and rubbed someone's nose in it?  This reminds us that humility may be more helpful in persuasion than arrogance.

Prayer for the Day:

God, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its need, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke.  Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to condemn, to encourage rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst.  This we ask for your name's sake.  Amen.

Prayer by William Barclay, Church of Scotland, 20th Century

Photo by studio tdes via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

Scripture reference Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible

Daily Devotion for Lent 2024, Day 3

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

                                                Matthew 5:5 (NRSVue) 

This is obviously another reversal by Jesus because the meek were usually ignored (at best) in the ancient world and I'm not sure this is much different today.

The NRSV doesn't change much from the King James Version besides using "will" instead of "shall".  I prefer the Common English Bible's use of "humble" rather than "meek" in that humble is more widely used today.

In the common vernacular, meek may imply doormat which would really be a reversal.  Of course, this could have been the image that Jesus was going for.  It is difficult for us to get a handle on.

Oh, the irony of this graffiti!

I'm reminded of the Sermon on the Mount scene in Monty Python's Life of Brian where those on the fringes can't hear very well.  They start arguing with one another and almost get into a fist fight which is the perfect juxtaposition to Jesus stating "blessed are the meek..."

Those arguing and fighting are not only missing the point but they are angry with one another and definitely not blessed.  This scene could be a referendum on American society as a whole today.

It seems that we reward aggressiveness today much more quickly than humility.  But I've discovered that those with true power and authority who aren't self-centered or insecure don't need to demean or step on others through life.  

I'm reminded of the story of Chuck Norris who was bullied into moving seats at a local dive.  He left without a word and when the bully realized that he was messing with a martial arts expert, he apologized to Chuck.  He asked Chuck why he didn't beat him up and Chuck responded with, "What would that prove?"

Maybe this beatitude shows me that I should think and take a breath before I get upset.  This morning on my drive to work, I was trying to let a car onto the highway and he was trying to let me go ahead of him.  We both kept going slower and slower.  Then we each became frustrated and made a face toward the other because we each wanted to be the polite one!

He sped away through traffic and I just laughed at the the ridiculousness of the situation!

This beatitude is going to take some more reflection...

Prayer for the day: Loving God, we give thanks that you provide for us.  Help us to trust in you and look inwardly before we turn up the heat with others.  Let us see more things as small or even insignificant rather than getting upset or offended.  And may we share this inheritance rather than hoard it.  In Christ's name we pray, Amen.

 

Photo by David Seibold via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.