Preceding Grace

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Daily Devotion for Lent 2024, Day 22

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:19-21 (NRSVue)

Valuing wisdom over money is not original with the Sermon on the Mount. It is very prominent in Proverbs 2, which indicates that wisdom and faithfulness will be a better preservation for a person than wealth.

Within the Apocrypha, we see this in Sirach 29 where the passage ties back to alms giving which was the subject at the beginning of this chapter. Specifically, Sirach 29:8-13 states,

Nevertheless, be patient with someone in humble circumstances, and do not keep him waiting for your alms. Help the poor for the commandment’s sake, and in their need do not send them away empty-handed. Lose your silver for the sake of a brother or a friend, and do not let it rust under a stone and be lost. Lay up your treasure according to the commandments of the Most High, and it will profit you more than gold. Store up alms giving in your treasury, and it will rescue you from every disaster; better than a stout shield and a sturdy spear, it will fight for you against the enemy.

This could also give hip problems!

Really, this allows us to consider in whom we place our trust. If we are too obsessed with our savings or pensions or the things they can purchase, we may find ourselves always in need, no matter how much we accumulate. I've heard that people of every income level believe that if they had just 10% more, they would be okay. The fact that it doesn't matter if you earn $50K or $500K makes us realize that our wants may often be confused as needs.

What does it mean to store up treasure in heaven?

This has to do with following the practices outlined up to this point in the Sermon on the Mount. And as we begin to practice these more regularly, it may be that our desires or obsessions begin to wane.

Prayer for the day: Ever-generous God, give us this day our daily bread. May it be enough for us in a way that is fundamental to our lives. Let us be secure in you so that we don't feel the need to overcompensate through the things we purchase and collect. And as we recognize the gifts you share with us, may we also be generous toward the rest of your children. We pray this as Jesus lived. Amen.

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

Friday, March 8, 2024

Daily Devotion for Lent 2024, Day 21

“And whenever you fast, do not look somber, like the hypocrites, for they mark their faces to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Matthew 6:16-18 (NRSVue)

The practice of fasting is not one that is common for United Methodists. In fact, I would guess that the use of fasting has waned across religious groups in the United States. Most people may practice a fast from something specific during Lent such as sweets, chocolate, ice cream, red meat, etc.

One year for Lent, I did fast on Fridays which made for seven fasts during that season. It was not easy but I believe it was beneficial. There are some studies which seem to favor intermittent fasting as favorable to one's health. Much of the time, when we fast (especially during Lent) from things that aren't good for our diet, I hear people talking about needing to lose weight anyway.

We've all failed at mastery over food before

A physical need (weight loss) can actually become the impetus for a spiritual discipline. Does this approximate the hypocrisy that Jesus warns us against?

What would be the spiritual benefit of a fast?

So much of our lives are ruled by our bodies - you can only go so long without sleep before it will drop you in your tracks. If you're not breathing, you won't have more than a few minutes of life. Hunger and thirst will slowly weaken us - even effecting our moods and responses. To have a fast from food is a way to remind ourselves that we are more than our bodies. We can recognize that while we do have needs, we can practice self-control over them. Is there something to be gained by this?

I believe that times of recognition regarding the self in relation to the larger world are helpful. We can see where we may be selfish. We can more clearly determine between needs and wants. We can remind ourselves that many people in the world today don't have a choice to end their hunger.

The statement of Jesus regarding hypocrisy seems to tell us that if we choose this spiritual discipline of fasting, we should not brag about it or use it for some other means (reward). This is a reminder that spiritual disciplines are not primarily about us but rather they are about God. If there is a benefit that comes with it (outside of growing closer to God, gaining wisdom or perspective, or having a greater mastery over the self), such as accolades or perceived humility, Jesus seems to be saying that this may be a temptation to make the discipline more about our own praise rather than the gains to our relationship with God.

I do think it's okay to share with others about your fast - what you are giving up for Lent. But this would be more from a normative practice - that our community of faith traditionally engages in spiritual disciplines. It is helpful for our neighbors when they hear about it to possibly adopt a fast of their own. But it does have some temptations of which we should be aware.

It is important to continue your own spiritual disciplines such as prayer, scripture reading, or daily devotions. It is okay to talk about them with others. Just make sure you are doing this out of a sense of helping them rather than putting yourself forward as a spiritual guru.

Prayer for the day: God, help us to know ourselves better. Forgive us our insecurities that may lead us to seek accolades from our neighbors regarding how we relate to you, O God. Rather, as we take on spiritual disciplines, may they give us greater insight to who you have created us to be. And as we determine our own natures, may we find that this allow us to see our neighbors in a more gracious light. We pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Photo by Jamasca66 via Flickr.com. Used under the Creative Commons license.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Daily Devotion for Lent 2024, Day 20

“Pray, then, in this way:

Our Father in heaven,
    may your name be revered as holy.
May your kingdom come.
    May your will be done
        on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today 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."

Matthew 6:9-15 (NRSVue)

This translation is a bit different from what we say in church if you worship at a United Methodist congregation. If anyone from a non-liturgical tradition ever gets on to you for saying a prayer that is written out (rather than off-the-cuff), just point out that you're only following what Jesus told you to do!

What things is Jesus emphasizing in this prayer?

We start out with praise - this is an ordering where we remind ourselves that God is God and we are not. It is good to remember that we are not the center of the universe. All our requests move from here.

What does it look like in heaven to you?

We are praying for God's reign not only in heaven but on earth. This is a subtle way of putting ourselves in the mix. We know that God uses people to accomplish things on earth. How am I going to be a part of this in my corner of the world today?

We're reminded of the Jewish people wandering in the desert who received manna - bread from heaven each day. If they tried to store up enough for the next day, it would rot and smell and everyone would know what you did! How do I put limits on my own need? How does asking for daily bread keep me from greater entitlement?

Forgiveness is important in many ways. We want to receive forgiveness but we also need to grant it. This is the point Jesus follows up the prayer with so it must be important. It may be that we will not understand the depth of being forgiven by God until we learn to forgive others.

No one wants to come to the time of trial. After being in court last year, I can tell you this is absolutely true! And there are times we need to be rescued. Sometimes when my intentions go bad, I recognize that the evil one is me!

At this point, I need forgiveness so I must start the prayer all over again. Who's in charge? Oh, yes, God is holy and I am honoring God rather than the other way around.

I include the Lord's Prayer in my daily prayers to start each morning. It's not a bad discipline for you to pick up during Lent!

Prayer for the day (as a comparison for the changes):

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

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

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Daily Devotion for Lent 2024, Day 19

“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."

Matthew 6:5-8 (NRSVue)

Prayer is a time when we can communicate with God and bare our souls. It is also a time when we can listen for God's direction, comfort or admonition. In such a private space, should prayer ever be public?

Within the United Methodist tradition, we do offer public corporate prayers in worship. Sometimes these are ancient (such as praying the Lord's Prayer together) and sometimes they are new - something the pastor wrote or discovered in research for the theme of the day. We utilize litanies that are call and response such as a call to worship. Sometimes the pastor prays publicly in worship and the congregation listens and prays along silently - often called a pastoral prayer.

These traditions are different from what Jesus is talking about in today's reading. They are a form of our worship and often bring phrases to our attention that speak to our spirits. They are liturgical - liturgy meaning work of the people - poetic forms of expression to God.

What Jesus is talking about here are public prayers outside of worship and private prayers that we share with God alone. The empty phrases to which Jesus refers reminds us that we do not have to approach our prayer time with any pomp and circumstance. Rather, we can confess what we need to get off our chest. We can ask for aid for loved ones who are suffering. We can seek solutions to problems we are facing. We can ask for direction when we don't know which avenue to pursue. We can simply be grateful for the many blessings we have received.

In order to hear God, we must know what God would want in the first place. This requires us to continue to study the scriptures so that we can shape ourselves in the right direction. Along with a continual movement through the Bible, passages that I always include in my daily reading and prayer time include Mark 12:28-31 (greatest commandment), 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (marks of love), Galatians 5:22-23 (Fruit of the Spirit). These help direct my prayer and allow me to listen for God's direction. The Fruit of the Spirit are also positive words that help me prime my countenance for the day!

By doing this, I believe that I am less likely to ask for things or move in a direction that would be counter to God's will.

As we move through Lent, this is the time when we examine our basic spiritual practices and see what we may need to adjust.

Prayer for the day:

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen.

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

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Daily Devotion for Lent 2024, Day 18

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Matthew 6:1-4 (NRSVue)

This passage really gets to the philosophical question of altruism. Can a person be really selfless in their giving or actions? We do receive something from giving or doing for others. It can give us a sense of pride or satisfaction when we help with someone's need.

Jesus wants us to be aware that his disciples should not be doing something solely for self-promotion.

This may go along with the idea of padding your resume' with philanthropic activities for college or another job.

When we do these kinds of things or when we are involved or give for the accolades we receive, we are not living up to a very high standard with regard to ethics or morality. If you look at Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of morality, giving for praise is fairly low as far as the stages. I would say it is either stage 2 (Self-interest) or stage 3 (Conformity). In using the imagery of not letting your left hand know what your right hand is doing, Jesus seems to be urging us on to higher moral behavior. In other words, we don't do something for accolades but rather because it becomes inherent in us to do the right thing.

Jesus seemed to think that giving to others should absolutely be done. But if we are able to do this in secret, it may also allow the receiver of the gifts to retain their dignity. If we make a public showing, this could also further delineate social standings between individuals. This may keep a person from rising past the limitations society has blatantly or inadvertently placed upon them.

During Lent, we can do a healthy self-examination of our intentions when we give. It may be that there are multiple reasons when we are honest with ourselves. But as we seek to find our primary rationale, Jesus is asking us to give more out of being the hands and feet of God. We love (give) because God loves (gives).

Prayer for the day: Bountiful God, we are thankful for all that we have received in life. Within our gratitude, we also confess that we may often believe that we have earned most of it. We may choose not to pay attention to the little things that have gone our way because we like to think that we are worthy of the resources under our sway. Help us to understand that grace in our lives goes very far indeed. May we look for ways that we can be the little thing in someone's life that could make a difference. And may we do it because it is what you have already done for us. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Photo by *Hajee via Flickr.com. Used under the Creative Commons License.

Monday, March 4, 2024

Daily Devotion for Lent 2024, Day 17

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Matthew 5:43-48 (NRSVue)

This passage is a great example of why we need to take specific verses in context with the whole. If you were just to take the last verse on being perfect like God as a stand-alone admonition, it becomes a ridiculous and unattainable statement.

Within the context of the whole, we can see that the perfection has to do with love. For most of us, this still sounds like an impossible task!

Within Wesleyan theology, we have long held the idea of Sanctifying grace - this is the grace that God gives to make us holy or more Christ-like. Within the Christian life, this would include a partnership with the Holy Spirit to make progress in our discipleship. United Methodists try to do this through the first two General Rules - do no harm and do good which supports the commandment of loving our neighbor. We also seek to perfect our love of God through the third General Rule which is strengthening our relationship with God through regular worship, prayer, Bible study, etc.

As we partner with the Holy Spirit, this means that we open ourselves up to God working with us and through us. As we engage in this work, we would find that we are exhibiting the Fruit of the Spirit as shared by Paul through Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When these become more normative for us, we are perfecting our love to look more like God's love.

It's hard not to respond in kind.

The key for today would be how we show love to those who may seek to do us harm. For followers of Jesus, love in this sense is less an emotion that we feel and more an action in which we engage. While we may not always be able to love everyone in a heartfelt way, we are able to respond to others with our own ethic rather than being reactionary to the latest stimuli.

This piece of the Sermon on the Mount may be important for 2024 for our churches to embrace as we seek to lead our country through another election cycle!

Prayer for the day is a prayer of Sanctifying grace from St Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

The text of the Prayer of St. Francis (Assisi, Italy, 13th Century) is in the public domain.

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

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Daily Devotion for Lent 2024, Day 16

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you: Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also, and if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, give your coat as well, and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you."

Matthew 5:38-42 (NRSVue)

This passage is contextual to a people who live in a country occupied by a foreign power. If you were struck on your right cheek, you have likely been backhanded which is how a person would treat a slave. By turning your cheek to the left, you would force the person to strike you as an equal. You may be bruised but you retain more of your dignity.

In giving a shirt and cloak, this may refer to Exodus 22:26-27 which states:

If you take your neighbor’s cloak as guarantee, you shall restore it before the sun goes down, for it may be your neighbor’s only clothing to use as a cover. In what else shall that person sleep? And when your neighbor cries out to me, I will listen, for I am compassionate.

So if a person was extracting your shirt from you to pay a debt, and you began to strip off your cloak as well, this was supposed to be returned to them by sundown. If you started removing your clothes in public, this could actually be humiliating to the person seeking your shirt. They would be seen as merciless.

And finally, a Roman soldier could force a Jewish person to carry their pack for a mile. By going the extra mile, one could reassert their power in the relationship.

These kinds of tactics were acts of nonviolent resistance and utilized by peaceful movements like that of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. King once stated, "If we do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we will be a blind and toothless nation.”

Gandhi has often been credited with saying, "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind."

If we employ nonviolent resistance, this allows for the retention of our self-respect where there is a power differential. When we can show the enemy that they have no power over us, this may also help remove any resentment we may feel toward that person.

As we move through Lent, where do you find resentment toward others in your life? How can you employ tactics that will restore your relationship to a more even footing? How can you remove the resentment you may feel?

Prayer for the day: Benevolent God, there are times when we do feel that others are taking advantage of us. To be honest, this gets under our skin and doesn't help us to feel kindly toward them. Help us to retain our dignity without retaliating. May we see that retaliation lowers us to a level that you would have us avoid. Grant us the sense that you continue to walk with us even in our trials. Amen.

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