A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Fourteen

Scripture Reading: Matthew 10:1-42 (NRSVUE)

Jesus appears to be talking directly to the disciples of his day as his ministry and message were not without controversy.  But he also appears to be talking to future disciples through Matthew's voice.  In Jesus' time, his followers didn't go before governors and kings, but they would by the time Matthew put pen to paper.

When Jesus tells them not to go to gentiles, we may be taken aback.  We do see that their testimony will come later in verse 18.  Of course, the Jewish disciples of Jesus go to Jewish towns because these places should know the example of Abraham's hospitality.  The story of Sodom and Gomorrah occurs just following Abraham and Sarah hosting the three strangers.

What is Jesus really about?

We are to bring peace to a household when we enter it.

But Jesus also tells them that he isn't about peace but the sword.

This is a rather dramatic way of reminding the disciples that we must stay in our lane.  There will be those who seek to sway you from your course - to stay in unhealthy patterns of behavior.  We must remember what we are about and who Jesus is for us.  

Not everyone will agree with you
when you seek to bless with peace.

We return to righteousness and we remember that Jesus is talking about being as a parent or advocate for those who are outsiders in society.

As we continue our journey, who do you know who might need a cup of cold water?  How might you provide it?  Further, how do we bring peace upon the places we enter?  Do we wait until we have this peace in our own lives?  Sometimes, it is easier to model peace than to feel it.  Maybe the feeling comes after we model it on a regular basis.

Prayer for today:

O God, grant calmness and control of thought to those who are facing uncertainty and anxiety: let their hearts stand fast, believing in the Lord.  God, be all things to all people, knowing each one and each petition, each house and its need, for the sake of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Prayer from 6th Century Russian Liturgy

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A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Thirteen

Scripture Reading: Matthew 9:1-38 (NRSVUE)

We've got a whole lot of healing going on here.

Earlier Jesus had told a man to pay what was appropriate to the Temple for his healing.  Now he forgives sins outside the authority of the Temple.  It was thought that one could only heal through God and if the man was healed, God must be blessing Jesus and approving of his teaching.

Jesus' open table fellowship would have been a real head-scratcher to the Pharisees whose very name comes from the word meaning "separate."  To eat with the unclean was to do more than associate with sinners - they saw it as a lowering of one's status to theirs.  And so, a Pharisee would avoid eating with tax collectors and sinners like the plague.

Jesus sees it as elevating them - the righteous need no elevation.  And Jesus doesn't see them as lowering his status no matter what polite society would say.

I bet Jesus would eat at the kid's table

The disciples of John the Baptizer were evidently ascetics - fasting in order to gain clarity.  The disciples of Jesus seem to prefer feasting to fasting - can the joy of fellowship with other people be a spiritual discipline?  Only, it seems, if you continue to widen your circle.

Jesus continues his mastery over the unclean - a woman who was bleeding should have separated herself from any type of crowds.  In her desperation, she touches Jesus.  It was thought that if one touched the fringe of the prayer shawl of the Messiah, one would be healed.  He applauds her faith rather than chastising her.  And to touch the dead was to make oneself unclean.  Jesus not only touches the dead girl but life flows into her from the touch.

The healing of the blind and the mute as we move into the need for laborers is a movement for Matthew as he places these stories in a certain sequence.  How often are we blind to the greater spiritual realities that God is trying to show us?  The blind could easily represent the Pharisees earlier in the chapter.  But then, how often are we witnesses to miraculous things that we refuse to speak of?

The harvest is plentiful, but it may be that we need to be willing to share life as we recognize that we've received it.  We may just find healing along the way.

Prayer for the day:

Lord, still me.
Let my mind be inquiring, searching.
Let my heart be open.
Save me from mental rust.
Deliver me from spiritual decay.
Keep me alive and alert.
Teach me, that I may teach them.  Amen.

Prayer by Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury, 20th Century

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A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Twelve

Today's Reading: Matthew 8:1-34 (NRSVUE)

As Jesus returns to society after teaching, we see him put his sermon into action in chapter eight!

With the first person that Jesus encounters, his righteousness is put to the test.  Is Jesus willing to heal this man with the skin disease?  The disease would have made him unclean.  Technically, the diseased man should have kept his distance and cried out "Unclean, unclean" as a warning for people not to come near.  Contact with him would make others unclean.

Leviticus 5:3 clearly states, "Or when you touch human uncleanness—any uncleanness by which one can become unclean—and are unaware of it, when you come to know it, you shall be guilty."

The Law gives Jesus an out.  He doesn't have to deal with this man if he doesn't want to.

But Jesus is merciful - and blessed.

He stretches out his hand to touch the diseased man and heals him.  All the crowd would have seen it.

We may also remember that Jesus just lifted up the Golden Rule in this sermon and declared that giving ourselves the perspective of others is the Law and the Prophets.

When he tells the man to offer the gift to the priests that Moses proscribed in the Law, we see that Jesus is not coming to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.

We remember Jesus telling us to love our enemies when he's confronted by an occupying foreign officer who needs his help.  He could have easily told the Centurian that he had no power to help him.  But Jesus is willing to metaphorically carry his pack the extra mile.  When Jesus lives this out, he finds faith abounding in unlikely places which indicates to us how blessing works.

Sometimes we get stuck

When the winds and waves come to the disciples - just as they do to all of us, we remember the one who built his house on the rock.  The winds and waves did not wash it away.  

We recall the words of Jesus not to worry.  We trust that Jesus is there for us to calm the storms.

How does this work practically?

We do know that sometimes the storm takes lives.  And what if Jesus isn't in the bottom of our boat in the moment it does come?  We must remember the faith of the Centurion that reminds us that Jesus doesn't have to be physically present to instill life.  

How do we develop this kind of faith and trust as the rains beat down upon us?

Rather than look for these virtues to come to us immediately, they may come over time - maintaining our spiritual disciplines may give us strength in the long run that we may not recognize until after we have it.  Like a runner training for endurance, you may not find you have it until you need it.

Prayer for the day:

O Lord Jesus, who can love as you do?
Through your deeds and labor I have become as ripened fruit.
How blessed it is to share in your glory - eternally in your providence.
I am your treasure, product of your arduous labor.
Amen.

Prayer by Canon James Wong, Singapore, 20th Century

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A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Eleven

Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:13-29 (NRSVUE)

As we finish the Sermon on the Mount, I harken back for the words of Jesus when he tells us not to worry!  I recognize that on some days, my fruit tastes better than others.  The nervousness comes when we wonder, "What if I get judged when I'm having a bad day?"

Will I be the one crying out, "Lord, Lord!" only to have Jesus tell me, "I never knew you!"

So, we have to remember how this sermon starts - with the extolling of mercy and peacemaking.  It begins with righteousness or having higher regard for the outsider. 

May our life in Christ give us confidence
no matter what comes!

Jesus seems to be saying that if we don't develop these things for our lives, we may be washed away when the storms come.  Notice that he indicates that just because someone is faithful, doesn't mean the storm won't come for them as well.  It just means that they will be better prepared for it.

It could be that if I have made a practice of extending mercy to others, I might be better equipped to receive it when I need it.  And it may be that I need it when I'm having a bad fruit day!

The theology of Jesus in this sermon is a practical one.  It is not esoteric or abstract.  He lays out the life and expects his disciples to follow.  As we continue in the season of Lent, we seek to walk with Jesus.  These teachings may remind us that Jesus is seeking to walk with us.  When we can put them into practice or at least practice putting them into practice, we may find a greater depth to this practical theology.

As you think over these three chapters, which fruit will you commit to exhibiting today?  Jesus is telling us, "Be a doer, not just a hearer (or reader)."

Prayer for the day:

Inspire our actions, Lord, and accompany them with your help, so that our every word and action may always begin and end in you.  Amen.

Prayer from Roman Catholic tradition within the Liturgy of the Hours

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A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Ten

Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:1-12 (NRSVUE)

This portion of the sermon is very popular for people seeking to justify or excuse their behavior.  "Doesn't the Bible tell you not to judge?"

These verses can be difficult to understand.  Right after we hear the admonition not to judge, we hear Jesus tell us not to give what is holy to the dogs and not to throw our pearls before swine.

That sounds like we would need to judge people (and not in a flattering way) to determine if they are dogs or pigs!

We also have judgments later in Matthew for people depending on what kind of fruit they bear.

Ever feel that this is your life?

It may be that we need to be careful how we judge people.  We must do so in a humble way (blessed are the meek) that views people out of the lens of our own misdeeds.  Most people know the difference between judging and being judgmental.

It may be that when Jesus refers to the dogs and swine, he is referring to the hypercritical.  If you offer wisdom to the hypercritical, they may tear holes in it due to shallow reasons rather than engaging with it.

When we follow this with asking God for things, it may be that we need to ask for a little humility or some patience or mercy as we deal with other people.  We must put the request in context of the whole sermon.  It isn't the First Bank of God that we are holding up, rather as we are in tune with God, the Holy Spirit strengthens us in the ways we need.  We may think of praying the Beatitudes here.

And then, we come upon the Golden Rule in verse twelve.  This reiterates our rationale when seeking to offer judgment upon others.  How would we want someone to deal with us?  Crashing in like a wild bull or offering a little finesse?  

And so, as we reflect spiritually on this passage, we may ask ourselves, "Who is it that I have judged harshly in the last week?"  Have I been a dog or a swine to someone else?  

I find that harsh judgment doesn't often change the behavior as much as it builds up walls and sometimes even reinforces the behavior we dislike!  How might we reengage with the people we have in mind with a recommitment to today's passage?

Prayer for the day:

Bestow on me, O Lord, a genial spirit and unwearied forbearance; a mild, loving, patient heart; kindly looks, pleasant, cordial speech and manners in the exchanges of daily life; that I may give offence to none, but as much as resides within me, live in charity with all.  Amen.

Prayer by Johann Arndt, German Lutheran theologian, 17th century

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A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Nine

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:19-34 (NRSVUE)

As we move into money and worry in the Sermon on the Mount, it is important to remember that anxiety is on the rise in the United States.  Personal finances seem to be leading the list for Americans.  

When Jesus tells us not to store up treasures, does he look with a critical eye at our pension accounts?

I don't think that Jesus is against planning for our futures. But I do think he wants us to help our neighbors and so our planning should include charitable giving.  And when we do plan, Jesus seems to be counseling against high anxiety around our accounts.

Worry has always been a problem for human beings.  Parents worry about their ability to provide.  They worry about their children - even when the children become adults.  Parents worry about their parents as they age.  There is plenty to stress about.

In today's society, we have headlines designed to instill worry so that you'll click on the news link.  If
you scroll past several articles - all written to target your fear, nervousness or outrage - how do you think your anxiety level rises or lowers after reading through these headlines?

I do think it is important to be well-informed.  But I also acknowledge that the way we consume news has changed.  Because news is largely a for-profit enterprise, we have all kinds of news sources from the far left to the far right and everything in between vying for our attention (and advertising dollars which is tied to eyeballs or how many clicks a source may receive).  As you read headlines today, I would invite you to look at the tone and ask, "Is this prompting me to feel a certain way?"

What if as a Lenten discipline for today - to combat worry, you pledged to read a positive story for every negative one you consumed?  I'll even let you count this one as positive.  Just don't scroll through the headlines to find the good news!

Prayer for the day:

The right hand of the Lord preserve me always to old age!  The grace of Christ perpetually defend me from the enemy!  Direct, Lord, my heart into the way of peace.  Lord God, hasten to deliver me, make haste to help me, O Lord.  Amen.

Prayer by Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester, 10th Century

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A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Eight

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:1-18 (NRSVUE)

Alms, prayers and fasting were three spiritual disciplines common to religious practitioners in first century Judea.  Note that Jesus begins with a warning about our righteousness and then goes on to speak of giving alms (money to those in need).  We see righteousness defined again as how we care for those who may need help with some of the basic needs in life.

Giving charity in private not only takes away the puffing up of those doing the giving, but it also has the added benefit of providing dignity to the ones receiving it.

One in that day might argue that the trumpet is sounded so that all may come and receive.  But it also alerts everyone to your good deeds!  Instead of the ice cream man driving around in a tinkling truck, you've got the alms-giving man who is only out to help (as long as you see me do it)!

The prohibition on public prayer is not looking at corporate prayer in worship but rather more private devotional prayers.  The Lord's Prayer given as a format for Jesus' disciples begins with adoration before moving on to supplication.

Notice that the emphasis on daily bread harkens back to when God's people were wandering in the desert and fed by manna.  They were not to gather more than their needs for the day, trusting that God would supply them manna again tomorrow.  We'll see this emphasis on trust again later in the sermon.

We also see the emphasis on forgiveness being something we receive to the measure we give it.  Forgiveness becomes much more than vertical (me and you, God!) as it expands to the horizontal (me and you, neighbor!). 

The discipline of fasting is not to bloat a spiritual resumé for the community.

As we go through the Lenten season, this reading explores our motivation for pursuing spiritual disciplines.  It may be helpful for us to examine how much of our behavior is determined by a high moral or ethical standard and how much is influenced by how we will be perceived by our peers.  Of course, this is impossible to measure but maybe rich to consider.

It is good to recognize at least that most people want to be liked and well-thought-of!  But at the end of the day, according to Jesus, the driver for our action should be oriented more toward God than what we might get out of it.

Prayer for the day:

God, of your goodness, give me yourself,
for you are sufficient for me.
I may not ask for anything less
than what befits my full worship of you.
If I were to ask anything less, I should always be in want,
for in you alone do I have all.
Amen.

Prayer by Julian of Norwich, 14th century

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