A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Twenty-Eight

Today's Reading: Matthew 21:1-22 (NRSVUE)

Here we have Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.  He comes in humility at the mercy of his enemies - hardly the warrior king riding a war horse and leading an army!

Even as he is recognized as the Messiah by the crowds, he is redefining how he will fulfill the role.

Jesus is concerned with the buying and selling in the Temple.  These were likely Sadducees running the markets who interestingly enough, didn't believe in the resurrection in the life to come.  Maybe Jesus thought that any kind of threat of retribution in the afterlife wouldn't work on them, so he overturned their tables in this life!

I would guess that much like the prices of a captive audience at a movie theater or a sporting event or concert, a profit was being made on the pilgrims coming to worship God.

Perhaps, the most troubling part of today's reading is where Jesus curses and withers a fig tree.  This is likely a parable presented as history.  The fig tree was often used to represent Israel.  Matthew's Gospel was written after 70 CE when Jerusalem was besieged and recaptured.  The Temple was destroyed once more and many of the Jewish citizens were massacred by the invading Roman forces.

It may be that Matthew is making an editorial about the wrath of God coming upon Israel for their rejection of Jesus.  By ascribing these actions to Jesus, we can see they don't fit with the Beatitudes or the rest of the Sermon on the Mount.

Rather than see them as a metaphor for Israel, I would look at my life during Lent and ask, "What needs withering in me?"  Which of the traits that I display would be better off left for dead?

May we stand with our Messiah who came in humility and sought justice for those poor pilgrims coming to worship God.  May we allow that part of us which seeks to dominate others or profit from their faithfulness wither on the vine!

Prayer for the day:

O Lord Jesus, who came down from heaven to redeem us from all iniquity, we ask you to write your word in our hearts that we may know you, and the power of your resurrection, and express it in turning from our sins.  Rule in our hearts by faith, that being dead to sin and living in righteousness, we may have our fruit in holiness and grow in grace and in the practical knowledge of you.  Amen.

Prayer by Henry Hammond, Church of England, 17th Century

Photo by Attila Siha via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Twenty-Seven

Today's Reading: Matthew 20:20-34 (NRSVUE)

When we read this story today, Christians invariably think of James and John sitting on either side of Jesus in the heavenly kingdom in the life to come.  This is quite natural because we don't talk to Jesus in our lives in the same way that we have conversations with other people we know.  We tend to think of Jesus from a purely spiritual sense rather than how the disciples would have related to him.

When their mother came to Jesus and made the request, it was clearly about occupying the throne room in Jerusalem.  We've been seeing the building toward identifying Jesus as the Messiah.  While Jesus will redefine this role, others would have years of cultural expectation to overcome.

The other disciples are upset because they felt that James and John were politicking to be put over the rest of them.  Jesus tries to ease their anxieties while at the same time redefining how he will implement the role of Messiah.

Matthew then deftly places this miracle of the two blind men immediately following this conversation.  While it may have happened in this exact order, Matthew likely placed teachings, events and miracles specifically to drive the story.  It sets up nicely to show that James and John were blind to what Jesus was really trying to do. 

Sometimes we have trouble seeing

Notice that the blind men also call Jesus Son of David which was a Messianic title.  They need mercy just as the two brothers do.  The brothers don't want to be dismissed but want to continue to learn.  The blind men regain their sight, and they follow Jesus along with the others (more than just the twelve followed).  

This shows us that James and John are also forgiven and continue to follow Jesus even as they gain a new understanding of what Jesus is trying to accomplish.

It isn't unlikely that people have used Jesus through the years to get what they want. Today's Christian Nationalists use Jesus as a figure but don't actually follow much of the Sermon on the Mount.  One could argue that they actually behave in ways that Jesus teaches against.  

While I would much rather throw stones at them, which teachings of Jesus do I struggle with today?  In looking at these verses, it becomes clearer that we are often James and John in need of our sight.  

Prayer for today:

God, open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth you have for me; place in my hands the wonderful key, that shall unclasp and set me free.  Silently now I wait for You, ready, my God, Your will to see; open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine! Amen.

Prayer by Clara H. Scott, 19th Century

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A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Twenty-Six

Today's Reading: Matthew 20:1-19 ( NRSVUE)

I find it fascinating that Jesus makes his third prediction of his condemnation by the religious authorities from his own tradition after telling the parable of the laborers in the vineyard.  It is almost as if he recognizes how difficult this teaching is for people to accept.

I can imagine Jesus saying, "Well, if my teachings on divorce, children and wealth don't put them over the edge, this parable ought to do it."

As we think about this parable relationally, the workers in the vineyard are concerned about their own value.  Notice that those who worked all day complain that the owner has made the late arrivals equal to those that bore the heat of the day.  It is clear that we like our comparisons with other people when we imagine that we are on top.  If someone is just elevated to our status without merit, it can be rather offensive.

Now if we spiritualize this, it might be more acceptable because we can understand God loving us as parents loving their children.  And it may indeed be that God will love all humanity equally, but if we put that into practice on earth, what does that do to our social strata?

Can I learn to see people in a different light?

How do you feel about people
cutting lines?

In the parable, day laborers are being hired.  Most peasants needed to work each day to make enough money to survive.  Who would normally be selected first?  It would be the young, strong, able-bodied who would be perceived as being able to give you the most for what you are paying.  If you are older, or injured or weaker - if you had a deformity or disability, you might have trouble making enough to eat on each day.  You certainly would have difficulty if you had a family to feed.

What does the owner's charity look like at this point?

The first hired would be the ones that were always winning.  Maybe the followers of Jesus put the last first because the last never get put first.  If you had 5 children and 2 of them always got to go first in everything, would you put the others to the head of the line some of the time?

It may be that God's preference for the disadvantaged is simply a desire to even out the universe.

Our question may be will we allow ourselves to help this to happen here on earth or will we take offense for the occasions that it does?  At the very least, Jesus's prediction may make more sense to us.

Prayer for the day:

Eternal God, out of whose mind this great cosmic universe, we bless you. Help us to seek that which is high, noble and good. Help us in the moment of difficult decision. Help us to work with renewed vigor for a warless world, a better distribution of wealth, and a siblinghood that transcends race or color. Amen.

Prayer by Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights Leader, 20th Century

Photo by Todd Lappin via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Twenty-Five

Scripture Reading: Matthew 19:1-30 (NRSVUE)

We continue to refine what it means to be in relationship with others as a disciple of Jesus.  And we continue to challenge the notions of the day and turn upside down popular cultural norms.  

The prohibition of divorce was a leveling of power in a time when women were property.  For a woman to be divorced, she was left with even less power and dehumanizing options for her survival.  The disciples are shocked at this teaching and essentially declare that if they were to lose the threat of divorce over a woman, it would be better not to marry!  How would you possibly keep her in line?

Jesus would remind us of the Beatitudes such as humility, peacemaking, mercy and purity in heart.  We are to apply them in all our relationships.  We have just come off a chapter on forgiveness and Jesus expects us to apply it at home.  To be clear, we are not speaking of abusive relationships.

Children require a lot of grace.
We're all children.

We also see a nod toward chastity as a practice for life which also would have been the opposite of the norm for the day - people were to have as many children as possible!

Jesus then goes on to bless the children.  The disciples must have heard the previous lesson on children and greatness figuratively and sent people with children packing.  Jesus rebukes them and the disciples must have thought, "Now you're being literal?  We thought the lesson on the children was like the yeast of the Pharisees!"

Jesus seems to be literal when it comes to including the least among us.

Finally, Jesus dismisses the common thought that rich people were favored by God because they were rich!  He not only dismisses this but reverses it.  We return to blessed are the poor in spirit and it becomes literal too.  Jesus seems to be saying that if our relationship with our resources eclipses our relationship with our neighbors, we are already missing out on the kingdom of heaven.

How would you understand these teachings for the 21st century?  How does this represent a reversal of power dynamics in relationships that we should pay attention to for people we encounter?  It isn't easy to give away power that we've worked hard to attain.  But we can always start with our demeanor.

Prayer for the day:

Have mercy, O Lord, upon all those whom You have associated with us in the bonds of friendship and family, and grant that they, with us, may be so perfectly conformed to Your Holy Will, that being cleansed from all sin, we may be found worthy, by the inspiration of Your love, to be partakers together of the blessedness of Your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer from Old Gallican Sacramentary, France, 5th Century

Photo by Wagdy Fahmi via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

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.

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Twenty-Three

Scripture Reading: Matthew 17:1-27 (NRSVUE)

Some scholars have thought that the Transfiguration could have been a post-resurrection appearance that Mark (and then Matthew who used Mark as a template) misplaced prior to the crucifixion.  It has a lot of similarities to a resurrection appearance and seems to indicate a vision-type experience by the disciples.

Regardless, we now have it as a part of the journey to the cross.

Even after this experience, the disciples are "greatly distressed" when Jesus again foretells his suffering, death and resurrection.

It may be that sometimes we let death be more real to us than life.

When they come down from the mountain, the disciples seek to cure a boy with epilepsy but could not.  Jesus rebukes them for having little faith.  This may be similar to Peter's attempt to walk on water.  He wants to do the things that his rabbi does but the miraculous can be evasive.

For us, the miraculous may be that Jesus as the light of the world may shine through us.  

Could you possibly imagine yourself transfigured in Christ?  

There's plenty of darkness in the world today.  Which issue or problem troubles you the most?  What might you do to shine a bit of light to it?

Prayer for the day:

Lord, Lord, open unto me.
Open unto me, light for my darkness, Open unto me, courage for my fear.
Open unto me, hope for my despair, Open unto me, peace for my turmoil.
Open unto me, joy for my sorrow, Open unto me, strength for my weakness.
Open unto me, wisdom for my confusion, Open unto me, forgiveness for my sins.
Open unto me, tenderness for my toughness, Open unto me, love for my hates.
Open unto me, Thy Self for myself, 
Lord, Lord, open unto me!

Amen.

Prayer by Howard Thurman, Civil Rights leader, 20th Century    

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

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Twenty-Two

Scripture Reading: Matthew 16:1-28 (NRSVUE)

Sometimes it is hard to perceive the deeper spiritual meaning of life when we are worried about more basic things.  The disciples were thinking about their stomachs because they left the bread behind.  Jesus shifts into spiritual imagery and they are confused.

I think this has to do with our capacity for seeing.  When we are hungry, it may be harder to see further.  When we are anxious or stressed, this is the time we need God's reassuring presence.  And yet, it may be harder to perceive due to the increased pressure we're facing.

The district of Caesarea Phillipi was steeped in pagan worship - about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.  Some in that region believed that this was where you could find the gates of Hades.  Jesus asks the disciples, "Who do people say that I am" and follows it with who they think he is.  Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah.  This was a dangerous thing to say and to believe.  Their lives were on the line.

But in the moment, Peter was able to see further.

Danger!

We see Peter as the foundation and the beginning of the emergence of the church.  As we think about the church's first act of binding and loosening, Peter tries to bind Jesus!

Jesus has none of this and reveals that sacrificial love is what his ministry expects of his followers.

As we have moved forward by two millennia, I wonder what Jesus would think of the church's attempt to bind him today.  There are times when we would rather play it safe.  Better not to upset anyone.  Church has often preferenced tending to its members over tending to the world.  

However, the Church is an odd institution that exists for the sake of the people who don't claim any membership or allegiance.  

As we journey with Jesus to the cross, who does the world at large say that Jesus is today?  Who do you say that Jesus is?  

If the answer is not a little bit dangerous, we may need to read this chapter again so that we can see further.

Prayer for the day:

Give to your Church, O God, a bold vision and a daring charity, a refreshed wisdom and a courteous understanding, that the eternal message of your Son may be acclaimed as the good news of the age; through him who makes all things new, even Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer from The Daily Office, 20th Century

Photo by peter jenkins via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Twenty-One

Scripture Reading: Matthew 15:1-39 (NRSVUE)

We see the lack of compassion on display by the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem who would have been considered the religious leaders of Jesus' day.  They justify their lack of support for their aging parents by claiming that they already gave that support in offering to God.

As they continue to look at technicalities regarding hand washing (this was for ritual cleanliness, not sanitation as we know it today), we see the deeper concern of Jesus for the impurities of the heart.  A person could be ritually clean while harboring mal-intentioned thoughts against a neighbor.  Jesus asks people to be pure in heart (from the Beatitudes) which is more difficult - and more of a journey as we shall see.

In first century Judea, dogs looked 
more like this than like our pets

When Jesus then encounters the Canaanite woman, he engages in slander just after he spoke about the dangers of it, essentially calling the woman a dog.  Christians today struggle with this passage - especially given the theological branding of sinless that we place upon Jesus.  In going with sinless, we may have to do some interpretation on this text that is more speculation than interpretation.

Many Christians prefer to think of Jesus as being playful with her - <wink, wink> - as he uses language that would have been expected from Jews to Gentile women approaching unaccompanied by a husband, father or brother.  Could Jesus have been goading her into the answer and the faith he was looking for all along?

This is possible and would preserve the sinless state.  I think it depends on how you see Jesus - how much was he a product of his culture as a fully human being?  But also, how much range of knowledge do we afford Jesus given that he is also fully divine?  It can be complicated and there is no set computation that Christians must agree on when looking at what Jesus did or didn't know.

If we take the passage at face value, without any theological assumptions around Jesus, it appears that Jesus was able to learn from a Gentile woman rather than dismiss her haughtily, offended at her hubris.  This in itself may reflect purity in heart - it may be the most divine event in this chapter.  Can we receive something true from someone even of recognized lower status?  

We close with more healing and more feeding.  I've read that the earlier meal of the 5000 represents the tribes of Israel as twelve baskets were left over.  With seven baskets left over after this meal of 4000, I've read that this could represent the seven nations of the world - Gentiles.  Prior to this miracle, verse 31 mentions the healed praising "the God of Israel" which would be an odd designation for Jewish recipients to use.  

And so, we may see that Jesus is feeding Gentiles with the crumbs that have fallen from the master's table as we have more Jewish people fed (5000) than Gentiles (4000).  He is able to expand his reach and his love.  This would have been far edgier in the first century than we understand today.  It may just be that Jesus begins to see the Gentiles as his ancient ancestors and so does want to honor his father and mother as we saw at the beginning of this chapter.

What categories do you have for people that keep them at arm's length?  How does being in Christ help us to lower our arms?  Or maybe we could take it even farther and ask, how does being in Christ let us use our arms to embrace rather than push away?

Prayer for the day:

O Lord Jesus Christ, who did humble himself to become human, and to be born into the world for our salvation: teach us the grace of humility.  Root out of our hearts all pride and haughtiness, and so fashion us after your holy likeness in this world, that in the world to come we may be made like you in your eternal kingdom.  Amen.

  

Prayer by Willaim Walsham How, Church of England, 19th Century

Photo by Kim Bartlett - Animal People, Inc. via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Twenty

Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:1-36 (NRSVUE)

We have an interlude of the death of John the Baptist - an important figure in Jesus' life as the one who baptized him.  John also spoke to the world about righteousness in similar ways to Jesus.  

But John was an ascetic, fasting in the desert.  His disciples already asked in chapter nine of Jesus' disciples, why they didn't fast.  Jesus was known more for his feasting than his fasting.

And then he hears of John's death, and it must have been difficult because he goes away by himself.  The crowds follow and Jesus seems to emphasize the priority of feasting over fasting in that he tells his disciples, "You give them something to eat."

When we recognize abundance,
sharing is easier.

As the disciples later cross over the sea, people in that day would have had more of a natural fear of the isolated places - these were places of ghosts and evil spirits.  Maybe they still had some of the leftover belief that God was not really present there - like Jonah seeking to flee from God's presence.

They discover through their doubt that it isn't a ghost, but in fact it is God who walks with them even in the isolated places.  We see the disciples' movement toward Jesus as the Messiah.  And even though Peter wants to do what Jesus does, he reminds us that we still hold onto our fears.  

In naming Jesus as the Son of God, the disciples are recognizing him as the Messiah.

Even the crowds who are healed at touching the fringe of his cloak would make sense to a first century Jewish audience.  They would know the legend of the fringe of the prayer shawl of the Messiah providing healing for any who touched it.

And so, as we see the ministry of Jesus, we find that he first provides health and wholeness and the food of life before asking anything of people.  But whether this is done through teaching or miracles or healing, we may find that we are called to offer life as well.

And like Jesus, this may come on the heels of our losing someone close to us.  How might we honor the life of someone we love by making the world a better place for others?

Prayer for the day:

God of the present moment,

God who in Jesus stills the storm

and soothes the frantic heart;

bring hope and courage to each of us as we wait in uncertainty.

Bring hope that you will make us the equal of whatever lies ahead.

Bring us courage to endure what cannot be avoided,

for your will is health and wholeness;

you are God, and we need you.

Amen.

Prayer from the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia in A New Zealand Prayer Book.

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

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Nineteen

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:24-58 (NRSVUE)

Jesus continues to teach in parables, and we have the lengthier weeds and wheat followed by several shorter parables which each have a kind of twist to them.

Sometimes we can be pretty
vigorous in our weed pulling!

The weeds and the wheat remind us not to judge another's spiritual relationship with God, but rather to live side by side with people.  We also remember the previous parable of sowing the seed.  You never know when you might influence someone into becoming wheat!

The mustard seed and the yeast are a little surprising to a first century Jewish audience.  Mustard was considered a weed (rather than a tree) and could be seen as an invasive plant.  Jewish farmers would likely work to remove it as the Law required from Leviticus 19:19: "you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed".

Yeast was not exactly an unclean element, but it was forbidden leading up to Passover.

It seems as if the kingdom of heaven is something that isn't domesticated or under human control.  It provides benefit to people and others in surprising ways.

The final parables seem to be about prioritizing God in our lives above other mundane things.

And then after these teachings, we see Jesus rejected by his hometown of Nazareth.  

His designation as the carpenter's son really meant, "Isn't he just a carpenter?  Why should we listen to him?"

But Jesus might be more like the mustard seed or the leaven.  Unfortunately, the people of his town miss out on the miracles because of their lack of faith.  They are not willing to sell everything to buy the field or the pearl.  They are unwilling to see beyond what they think they know.

How often do we miss out on the miraculous because of our own limited sight?  Who might we be short-changing because of how we see them?  

It could be that we are pulling weeds and unwittingly pulling up wheat!

Prayer for the day:

God, help us to have clean hearts ready inside us for the Lord Jesus, so that he will be glad to come in, gratefully accepting the hospitality of those worlds, our hearts: he whose glory and power will endure throughout the ages.  Amen.

Prayer by Origen of Alexandria, 3rd Century

Photo by Jo Zimny Photos via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Eighteen

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:1-23 (NRSVUE)

Jesus was a teller of stories - he made points with parables.  The great thing about a parable is that it may have more than one point.  I've preached the parables through many years of ministry and often find new ways of seeing them as I come to them in different spaces and at different times.  

But they speak to the truth and Jesus continues to be relevant through each age.  I continue to return to the parables because you never know what new truth they will reveal until you read them again.

As we look at the parable of the Sower, this is one of the rare instances where Jesus provides an explanation.  We see that there are a variety of reasons why the seed may not take hold.  I like the fact that the Sower scatters the seed indiscriminately in the first place.  You would think that he could tell good soil from rocky soil or thorny soil or especially the path!

As we remember the Sermon on the Mount, we remember that Jesus told us not to judge.  Maybe we are not to judge who receives the seed.  Let it fall where it may.  

Who knows?  Maybe this is good soil too.

I've done a lot of weddings in my ministerial career.  Some couples seemed destined for a long and happy marriage but then for whatever reason, the marriage ended.  Others I doubted would last the year and yet they are still married and going strong.  The only judgment I try to make is whether I suspect obvious harm would be done were they to marry.  I also may make recommendations for what they might need to work on.  But for the most part, after the marriage counseling, I will officiate at their ceremony.  Because you never know what the soil really is.

This is similar to how we share the good news.  We are to proclaim the love of God to all people.  Everyone needs to hear it.  Not all will receive it.  

But you never know.

How might you express to people that they are deserving of love?  It's not something they have to earn.  In fact, there are some we would have great reservations about whether we actually believe they should receive it.  But we just scatter regardless.

Because you never know.

Maybe this says more about who we are than who they are.

Prayer for the day:

Grant me, I beseech you, my God, in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, the charity which never fails, that my light may shine, warming my own heart and enlightening others.  Amen.

Prayer by Columbanus, Italy, 7th Century  

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

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Seventeen

Scripture Reading: Matthew 12:22-50 (NRSVUE)

We start with another miracle of Jesus restoring sight and speaking to a man.  The crowds begin to question whether Jesus was the Messiah (Son of David).  The Pharisees (whom Jesus has tweaked with his teaching) want to see the opposite.  They claim that Jesus is working with the devil.  

Jesus questions this strategy basically saying that this is a ludicrous idea as it would be very nonproductive of Satan.  It goes to show how we can get our minds set against people.  They couldn't even acknowledge a miracle when they saw it.

When they ask for a sign and Jesus cites the sign of Jonah, we see a foreshadowing of Jesus' death and resurrection.  But the sign of Jonah may also refer to their inability to go to the Gentiles just as Jonah was.  Rather than be happy with fulfilling the mission of God to be a light to the nations, Jonah sits on the hill and sulks that his enemies weren't vanquished.  This could be a nod to how the Pharisees felt about the Romans.  Jesus is beginning to push the boundaries of how his people would define themselves as the people of God - who will be included?

Outside of one's culture, the main way that people would define themselves was by their family.  I once heard of a seminarian talk about preaching this text of Jesus questioning his own mother and siblings on Mother's Day.  I'm not sure the wisdom of that!  But Jesus does push the boundaries again of who will be included in the reign of God.  

As we think about today's reading, Jesus starts with a miracle and seems to be frustrated with the needless critique.  Sometimes, people have trouble with accepting a good thing.

Sometimes we might curse the umbrella
instead of being thankful we have one!

What gifts or blessings have you received lately that you have questioned?  Do we sometimes neglect to give thanks because we are waiting for the other shoe to drop?  How might we appreciate things as they come more often?  I'm sure I've been the one to frustrate Jesus at times, but I would rather not do that!

Prayer for the day:

Lord of all mercy and goodness, suffer us not by any ingratitude or hardness of heart to forget the wonderful benefits that you have bestowed upon us this and every day; but grant that we may be mindful all the days of our life of the incomparable gifts which you ever give us through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer is from an early Scottish source.

Photo by Ed Yourdon via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license. 

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Sixteen

Today's Reading: Matthew 12:1-21 (NRSVUE)

We see a difference in interpretation between Jesus and the Pharisees regarding the Sabbath.  As we remember, the Pharisees were trying to hold onto their identity as God's people by a strict adherence to the Law of Moses.  There was a lot of Gentile intrusion into their society with the Roman occupation but also with trade that accompanied it.  The Pharisees may have seen strict obeyance as a way to measure one's faithfulness to God.

Are you willing to follow the Law to the letter?

Unfortunately, this can create definitive winners and losers.  Human beings become the judges as they can observe who is loyal to the Law and who is willing to let some of it slide.

Jesus shows us that not all of the Law is equal.  If there is a chance to help someone on the Sabbath, Jesus indicates that God would be pleased with this action.  It would supersede even the rest we are commanded to keep.

Some rules are for our own protection.

This may have been why John Wesley's General Rules of Do No Harm and Do Good come before the third rule of attending to the spiritual disciplines.  Wesley was trying to follow the example of his Lord.

Notice that Jesus chooses to quote from a passage from Isaiah that promotes justice among the Gentiles.  This would not be what the Pharisees would want to hear.  They would much rather cite passages that consider Gentiles unclean.  In their interpretation, the unclean nature of the Gentiles superseded the mercy that Jesus was willing to extend.

But Jesus informs us of God's priority when he reminds us that God promotes mercy over sacrifice.

Rules are important for the social fabric of any culture.  At the same time, rules are made for a reason.  When we promote the blind following of rules without considering the rationale for why we have them in the first place, we are in danger of becoming pharisaical.  All of us fall into this trap from time to time.

How do we remember that our Lord commands us to love first of all?

Think of a time when the rules you followed prevented you from helping someone.  How would it challenge you if you thought about an alternative way to behave the next time?

Maybe this would be a way to show that in Jesus' name, people still hope.

Prayer for the Day:

O God, who has bound us together in the bundle of life, give us grace to understand how our lives depend on the industry, the honesty and integrity of our peers; that we may be mindful of their needs, grateful for their faithfulness, and faithful in our responsibilities to them; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr, Union Theological Seminary, 20th century

Photo by Dr. Zhivago via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license. 

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Fifteen

Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:1-30 (NRSVUE)

We see Jesus preaching in the places where his disciples were raised.  This would make sense in that traveling rabbis would need a place to stay on the road and the disciples would have families that would accommodate them.

But it seems that not even this familiarity helped these towns to turn toward greater faithfulness.  We are reminded of the human condition - that it is often hard to get us off dead center.  We may find ourselves attracted to the flashy - such as the miraculous things Jesus was doing - but when it comes to actual change, we have difficulty letting the impressions lead us toward any significant repentance.

Evidently, people did take offense at Jesus and his teaching along his preaching tour.  We see the difference between the ministries of John the Baptizer and Jesus.  John was an ascetic living out in the wilderness who fasted regularly.  Jesus feasted regularly in the cities he visited.  The accusation of being a glutton and a drunkard would be more serious than it sounds at first glance.  The fate of this kind of son in Deuteronomy 21:20 was death by stoning.  

But we see that the real punishment comes to those who do take offense at Jesus or at a minimum, refuse to repent of their behavior.

Dogs are good at repairing relationships!

Fortunately, as we continue to be in relationship with Jesus, we find that he is not a harsh teacher.  It may be that we find that when we do repent - when we do follow in faithfulness - the behavior Jesus calls us to emulate brings us into the light. In the long run, it is easier to be in relationship with others if we are gentle and humble rather than self-centered.  

Maybe a little more gentleness and humility will keep us from taking offense at Jesus. 

Prayer for the day:

O Savior, meek and lowly of heart, let not our pride refuse your bidding, to become as little children, in joy and simplicity, in trustfulness one toward another, in lowliness of heart; and by this your own glory, bring us unto ours; for your majesty and your mercy's sake.  Amen.

Prayer by Eric Milner-White, Church of England, 20th Century

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

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

Photo by Luca Perino via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

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

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

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

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

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

Photo from Tom Clifton via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.