ISAIAH 43:16-21

THE BACKGROUND

This passage from Isaiah was written during Babylonian exile.  God’s people had been displaced from their homes in the Promised Land, and were living hundreds of miles away.  The outlook was hopeless.  There seemed to be no chance of ever returning home.  But then, God spoke these words to Isaiah.

THE DETAIL

• “Thus says the Lord” is a cue from Isaiah that these words are not his, but God’s. Isaiah is merely the messenger. (v. 16a)
• God reminds His people of a former time.  It was another hopeless time, when the Israelites were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. Conventional thinking would place the Israelites there forever.  But God rescued his people, exterminating the Egyptian army in the process.  (vv. 16b-17)
• As soon as God recalls this saving act, He tells them to forget about it.  Why? Because He’s going to do it again!  He says “What’s the matter?  Can’t you see it happening before your eyes?”  (vv. 18-19)
• And God will provide water for the journey, just like He did on the journey from Egypt. He is so worthy of praise that even the wild animals honor him!  (v. 20)
• Why is He doing this?  Because He loves His own, so that they might praise him.  (v. 21)

THE TAKEAWAY

God is capable of doing the impossible.  He reminded those hopeless souls in Babylon that he loves them, and will save them.  He reminds you and me of this still today. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

When our lives seem hopeless, we need to remember that God is in control.  We need to keep the faith—God’s got this!

PHILIPPIANS 3:4b-14

THE BACKGROUND

The church in Caesarea Philippi had been established by Paul. As with most of the early churches, the members of this church were either Jews who had accepted Jesus as the Messiah or pagan Greeks who had converted to Christianity.   Later on, after Paul left, the Jewish Christians insisted that the Gentile Christians must be circumcised in accordance with Old Testament law.  Paul addresses this question in today’s passage.  He talks about what is important; what is it that “saves” us.  Is it our ritual traditions or something else?   

THE DETAIL

• Paul starts out by stating that if anybody has “Jewish bragging rights”, it should be him. He makes it very clear that he is/was very Jewish.  (v. 4b) 
• He rattles of his list of qualifications for these “rights”  (vv. 5-6)
• Then, Paul states that these qualifications are worthless.  I love The Message’s translation:  “…I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash… all the things that I thought were important are gone from my life.”  (v. 7)
• He says that compared to the value of knowing Jesus, everything else is rubbish.  (v. 8)
• How, then, do we live lives of righteousness?  Paul is saying that he no longer lives his life trying to obey the Law of Moses. Instead, he lives his life based on faith in Jesus.  He shows God’s mercy and justice through the way he lives in the world around him.  He shows God’s righteousness by living a righteous (right-acting) life.  (v. 9)
• The next verses are interesting.  Paul finds his faith journey continuous.  His faith journey is not complete once he is saved.  He is ever struggling, ever striving, ever improving in faith and hope. Verses 13b-14a are a beautiful summary of this struggle: “…forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on…”  (vv. 10-14) 

THE TAKEAWAY

I’ve heard people brag about their denominations.  Some brag about being Lutheran their whole lives, or being “Baptist to the bone”.  Paul is talking to them.  What truly matters is having a sincere faith; a faith that recognizes that there is no end to the improvement that we can make.  We must be like Paul, straining forward in faith to the heavenly call of God. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Each denomination has unique ways of expressing their faith and ways of praising God.  Each is precious to those of that denomination. But we must remember that what is most important in our relationship with God is our faith.  All the detailed practices of our particular denomination aren’t exactly “rubbish”, as Paul calls it, but they are not as important as faith.
 

JOHN 12:1-8

THE BACKGROUND

Jesus is preparing for his entry into Jerusalem.  He stops in the nearby town of Bethany, where his dear friends Lazarus, Mary, and Martha live.  They have prepared a banquet for him.  Remember that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead earlier in the story.

THE DETAIL

• The clock is ticking.  Jesus has less than one week to live.  What lies before him is clear.  The mention of Lazarus prepares us for the subject at hand—death.  (v. 1)
• They are going to have a nice dinner.  (v. 2)
• Mary does something astonishing.  She tenderly anoints Jesus’ feet with nard, an extremely expensive perfume.  More on nard in the takeaway.  (v. 3)
• Judas is present, and objects to the extravagance.  He claims that the money should be spent on the poor.  We know what Judas is up to.  He is greedy, and wants some of this money for himself.  (vv. 4-6)
• Jesus tells Judas to leave Mary alone, that she is preparing him for his burial. (v.  7)   
• The last verse is sometimes quoted by rich people today to justify not giving to others in need.  But Jesus’ words reflect Deuteronomy 15:11—“Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land’.”  All of chapter 15 instructs God’s People on how they should care for the poor by sharing from their abundance.

THE TAKEAWAY

This entire passage foretells of Jesus’ impending death.  Lazarus looming presence is one indication.  The nard is another.  Nard is expensive oil which is made from the root of a plant that grows at high elevation in the Himalayas.  That’s a long way from Palestine, which accounts for its high cost.  In Jesus day a jar of nard cost over a year’s wages. It was used to anoint kings at their coronation and to prepare bodies for burial.  

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Isn’t it ironic that some use Jesus’ words to justify not caring for the needy?  Yet, Jesus’ quote of Deuteronomy 15:11 indicates that he was saying the exact opposite. 

JOSHUA 5:9-12

THE BACKGROUND

Moses led God’s people out of Egypt, across the desert wilderness, and to the Promised Land. But Moses did not cross the Jordan. He died in Moab near Mt. Pisgah, and was buried in a valley there.  Joshua was commissioned by God to take Moses’ place.  Although he was Moses’ successor, Joshua’s task was different.  Joshua was in charge of the conquest of Canaan, to claim the Promised Land for God’s chosen.  He sent spies to check out Jericho, the first city the planned to conquer. Then, they crossed the Jordan, officially entering the Promised Land, and set up camp.  The Israelite men, all of whom had been born along the journey, had not yet been circumcised.  This was a Jewish tradition since it was established by God during Abraham’s time. So the men were circumcised.  (This is from verses 2-8, which come before our reading.)

THE DETAIL

• With the renewing of the covenant through circumcision, God makes a proclamation that He has removed (“rolled away”) the disgrace of their slavery in Egypt.  God, with Moses’ leadership, has delivered his people to the Promised Land.  Gilgal means “rolled” in Hebrew.  (v. 9)
• They then celebrated the Passover, using the produce of the land they have just entered.  (vv. 10-11)
• Since they were now “home”, and eating food from the Promised Land, the manna stopped coming. They no longer had need of it. (v. 12)

THE TAKEAWAY

The Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness has always been considered by them to be the honeymoon period in their relationship with God.  He rescued them from slavery, and provided for their needs every day along the way.  God continues to care for us, His people.  He feeds us along our life-journey, and guides us along the pathway of our lives. All he asks in return is for our love.
 

2 CORINTHIANS 5:16-21

THE BACKGROUND

After Paul’s traditional opening lines, and mentioning a few details in chapters one and two, Paul lays out several chapters of rich thought on our lives as Christians. 

THE DETAIL

• This passage starts out by stating that “from now on” (now that we believe in Jesus), we must no longer look at life and at Jesus from a human point of view.  Paul’s going to tell us about the new perspective in verses 18-21.  (v. 16)
• We get this new perspective, because once we are “in Christ”, we become a new creation. Jesus’ presence in our lives changes everything.  (v. 17)
• The first words of this verse are key, so I will make them bold:  “All this is from God”…  What we’re about to study in great detail are God’s loving actions on us.  There is no mention of what we have done to earn this, because it is all a one-way gift. It is all from God.  (v. 18a)
• The key word in the next verse and a half is reconciliation.  This word is mentioned four times in that short space!  I’ll explain that word in the takeaway below.  But the point here is that God the Father reconciled us to Himself using the gift of His son Jesus on the cross.  (vv. 18b-19)
• Paul states that he is God’s ambassador, and urges us to become reconciled to God.  (There is that word again!)  (v. 20)
• The final verse is a little convoluted.  It is difficult to understand, if you haven’t heard it before.  Allow me to paraphrase. 
  • For our sake (God did this for us!)
  • God had Jesus (“who knew no sin”) bear our sins (“He made him be sin”)
  • God did this for us so that we might be free of the burden of our sins, so that we can focus on doing those things that God wants us to do (“we might become the righteousness of God”)

THE TAKEAWAY

Reconciliation is a gigantic word, but I think you’ll quickly realize that you already know the meaning. If you have ever had a checking account, you know that you write checks and get bank statements.  Sometimes people haven’t cashed check that you’ve written when you receive your bank statement.  Other times, if you’re recording your checks and watching your balance, you might make an error in your arithmetic.  Either way, the bank statement rarely matches what you think is still in your checking account.  You go through a process of reconciling the bank statement.  You try to understand and justify the difference between their balance and what you think your balance is.

God has expectations of our behavior, but we rarely measure up to them.  Even though those expectations are achievable by us, we always seem to fall short.  How can we ever reconcile this shortfall between God’s expectations and our actions? 

WE CAN’T!!!

But the good news in today’s reading is that God has done it for us.  By the gift of His son on the cross, our sins are forgiven.  Our “account” is reconciled—not through our own actions, but solely by what God has done.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Verse 20 urges us to “be reconciled to God”.  How can we do something that God has already done?  We simply believe in Jesus, putting all our sins at the foot of his cross. Then, we strive to “become the righteousness of God” not to earn forgiveness, but to show our gratitude for what God has already done for us.
 

LUKE 15:1-3, 11b-32

THE BACKGROUND

This week’s Gospel lesson is one of Jesus’ most famous parables.  I learned long ago that all of Jesus’ parables were taught to prove one point. When we read a parable from Jesus, we should look for only one point.  Anything more is just a bunch of hot air.  That said, this extra-long parable may actually contain two points!  

THE DETAIL, Part One

• The first paragraph explains the motivation for Jesus’ telling of this parable.  The pious Pharisees and scribes (role models of faith to all around them) are criticizing Jesus for rubbing elbows with riff-raff, rather that hob-knobbing with the religious and social elite.  (vv. 1-3)
• The story goes that the younger of two sons asks his father for his share of his inheritance. The father complies, and the son promptly goes off and squanders it.  (vv. 11b-14)
• The son hires himself out to a farmer.  The farmer sends the son out to feed the pigs.  Pigs are unclean animals to a Jew, so this is about as low as this man could go. (v. 15)
• The wayward son comes to his senses, and decides to go home.  He is hoping to find better employment working for his father.  (vv. 16-20)
• Dad is sitting on the porch. (OK, it doesn’t really say this, but that’s how I picture the scene.) In the distance, he sees his younger son walking back home.  He is so overjoyed at the son’s repentance, he runs to greet him.  The father is thrilled.  He calls for a joyous celebration.  (vv. 21-24)

THE DETAIL, Part Two

• Enter, the elder son. He comes in from the field, hears the music and dancing.  He probably caught a whiff or two of the calf being grilled, too.  “What’s going on”, he asks?  He is told that the party is for his brother, who has returned home. He is not happy about this, and refuses to go in and celebrate.  (vv. 25-28a)
• The elder son points out all those years of faithful service, and the father never threw a party for him.  Yet, “this son of yours” comes home and gets the fatted calf, a ring, music, and a big party.  The elder son obviously has a bad attitude!  (vv. 28b-30)
• The father’s next words explain everything.  “But we had to celebrate…  This brother of yours... was lost and has been found.”   (vv. 31-32)

THE TAKEAWAY

Given the situation explained in verses 1-3, Jesus’ telling of this parable is to challenge the attitude of the Pharisees and scribes about Jesus’ actions.  He compares their attitude to that of the elder son. His point is clear:  Those of us who have been working for our Lord for many years should rejoice at the repentance of those who have fallen away. 

But the joy and forgiveness of the father in Part One is remarkable.  If there is a second point to this parable, it would be to show us the love and delight that God has for those who return to him.  If God is this happy over one who “was lost and has been found”, then so should we.  The past is forgiven!  Let’s celebrate!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

What would happen at your church if a shaggy homeless person turned up on Sunday?  Do you think most would behave like the father in this parable or the elder son?

ISAIAH 55:1-9

BACKGROUND

This section of the book of Isaiah was written during Babylonian exile.  The people of God were feeling abandoned by God.  They questioned his power, and maybe even his existence.  They were tempted to worship the gods of their captors.  After all, they thought, the Babylonians won, and they lost.  Many thought that maybe the Babylonian god was more powerful.  Who knows?

DETAIL                                                

• The opening word is “Ho”, which I understand to be a call to listen to what is going to be said.  Maybe it is like our “hey!” or “listen up”.
• The beginning of verse 2 gets to the heart of the problem.  The people have directed their attention elsewhere.  They no longer put their trust in the Lord God Yahweh.
• Verses 1-3 are an interesting invitation.  God is hosting a banquet, and it is free!  This banquet idea is a metaphor for our relationship with God.  This is his way of saying “Come to me.  Forget about those other ‘gods’.  Worship me.”  The words are sweet.  I especially love verse 3:  “Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.”  Can you feel how strongly our God wants to be in relationship with us?
• Verse 4 reminds Israel that their king (not that Babylonian king) will be a “leader and a commander for the peoples”. 
• Verse 5 proudly claims that a time is coming when nations and peoples will come to you, not you to them.  Your kingdom will be restored to its former glory. 
• Verse 6 is an invitation to return to the Lord, while we still have the opportunity.
• Verse 7 is a reminder that our God is merciful and forgiving.
• To me, verses 8 & 9 call to mind Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  In that sermon, he tells us God sees things differently—the meek, poor in spirit, and those who mourn are blessed, rather than the rich, the powerful, and those living life with gusto.  The “higher” thoughts are those that care for the disadvantaged.

THE TAKEAWAY

God still yearns for us to be in a relationship with Him.  But we still “spend our money… and labor for that which does not satisfy.”  It’s not like there’s an admission price.  God’s grace is a free gift; there for the taking. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Lent is a good time to re-evaluate where we focus our energy and direct our attention.  Where does God fit into our lives?  How is our relationship with Him?  How can this relationship be strengthened?

1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13

THE BACKGROUND

Paul wrote this letter to the church in Corinth because they were experiencing numerous problems.  Paul had taught them sound Christian principles.  But after he left, things started going haywire.  These problems needed to be addressed. 

One of these problems was that they misunderstood one of Paul’s teachings.  Paul taught that with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are no longer in bondage to sin; we are free from the Law of Moses to live our lives in the Spirit. Some in this Corinthian church took this as permission to embrace an “anything goes” lifestyle.  In today’s passage, Paul teaches that responsibilities and consequences are still part of a Christian life.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

THE DETAIL

• In the first paragraph, Paul reminds the reader that all their ancestors came with Moses from Egypt, and all experienced the same things.  Then, he throws in the clincher—God was not pleased with most of them, and many of them died [as a result].  We get details in the next paragraph.  (vv. 1-5)
• He next prefaces the detail with the intent—that all this happened for our benefit. It was a sort of warning-lesson, so that we don’t do what they did.  (v. 6)
• He refers to Exodus 32:1-25, when he speaks of idolatry in verse 7.
• And he’s talking about Numbers 25:1-9, when he talks of sexual immorality.  (v. 8)
• And even though he talks of putting “Christ” to the test, he means Jesus-God.  The reference story here is Numbers 21:4-9. (v. 9)
• Finally, complaining is about the story told in Numbers 16:41-50.  (v. 10)
• He reiterates his earlier thought that these stories were given to us to instruct us. “Don’t be like this!” he seems to say. We shouldn’t be arrogant about our spiritual freedom, lest we fall.  (vv. 11-12)
• Next, is the oft-quoted verse that God doesn’t test us beyond what we can handle. Or, at least that’s how we often understand this.  We often forget the second part of that verse—he will provide a way out.  More on that below.  (v. 13) 

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus made it very clear that the Law of Love far outweighs strict compliance to the Law of Moses.  But these rules govern our living, including (most of) the laws of Moses.  They provide us with a framework for righteous living. Are we allowed to mow our lawns on Sunday?  Of course we are, even though the Law of Moses forbids it.  But we are also expected to honor the intent of the law, and set aside a day for rest and spiritual rejuvenation.  If we don’t comply with those laws, should we expect to be immediately struck down, like those in those Old Testament stories?  Thankfully not!  But these stores are there to guide us in the way that God would like us to live our lives.

If I were the victim of a hate crime, spousal abuse, or drug addiction, I would have a lot of difficulty swallowing the first part of verse 13.  It says that God would not have allowed me to be a victim, if He didn’t think I couldn’t handle it in the first place.  Fortunately, the second sentence helps to clear the air—part of the “way out” is the loving support of friends and family, shelters for the abused, rehab centers for addiction, and (hopefully) justice for the perpetrators. 

In the gospel lesson, Jesus provides another perspective on this topic.

LUKE 13:1-9

THE BACKGROUND

Jesus has been on a roll.  He has been preaching, teaching, and healing.  In this last chapter especially, he focuses on keeping our priorities straight, and making sure that our actions are God-oriented.

THE DETAIL

• While Jesus is teaching, he is reminded him about some people from his home area that were slaughtered by Herod while they were making a spiritual sacrifice to God. Worse yet, Herod’s people co-mingled their blood with the sacrificial blood, which desecrated their sacrifice and death.  This was, of course, an atrocity.  Perhaps the people reporting this to Jesus were suggesting that these Galileans might have deserved this fate; that they were sinful, and were being punished by God.  Jesus’ response is that those Galileans weren’t any worse sinners than anybody, including the ones who reported it to Jesus. He told them to repent, because the same could happen to them. (vv. 1-3)
• Next, Jesus brings up another incident to make the same point.  “Remember when that tower in Siloam fell, and crushed 18 people? They weren’t worse sinners than you, so you’d better repent!”  (vv. 4-5)
• Jesus then follows up with a story about a fig tree that does not bear fruit.  The owner wants to cut it down, but the gardener wants to give it another year.  Will that tree be cut down next year?  Nobody knows, and that’s the point.  We should all start bearing fruit, while we have a chance!  (vv. 6-9)

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus makes it clear that not all disasters are the Hand of God in action—some things just happen. The main thing is that we have a good relationship with God.  That’s what Jesus means when he tells us to repent.  If we have a strong relationship with God, we will have the strength to endure these hardships.

In all cases, Jesus points to the sinfulness of everyone around him.  He reminds them that they are all sinners, and all need to repent. We, too, are all sinners.  Especially during this time of Lent, we need to remind ourselves of this.  We should examine our lives, and make a new beginning—we must repent!

This is an excerpt from Pastor’s sermon last Sunday.  It is so beautiful, I just had to share it with you. 

 Gregory of Nazianzus, in 381 A.D. was asked, “Who is Jesus?” He answered with these words:

He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.

Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.

Jesus was weary, yet he said, “Come and I will give you rest.”

Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.

Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.

Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.

Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.

Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.

GENESIS 15:1-12, 17-18

THE BACKGROUND

This is the story of Abram and his wife Sarai.  Later on, God will rename him Abraham and his wife Sarah.  Abram had it good, back in the land named Aram.  But the Lord called him to leave his homeland, and travel to a distant land.  God made promises to Abram (Genesis 12:1-3), and Abram obeyed the Lord.  He packed up everything, and left home.  In the previous chapter, there was a battle between some kings.  Abram gathered some of his men, and did a good deed.  Afterward, he presented an offering to Melchizedek, a priest-king.

THE DETAIL

• The “after these things” refers to the battles and offerings depicted in the previous chapter. Then, God reminds him of the promises that He made earlier (Genesis 12:1-3).  (v. 1)
• But Abram has issues. God promised him to be the father of a great nation, but he has no heir.  His wife is barren, and Abram is 80 years old.  “What gives, God???”  Furthermore, according to custom, if a successful man has no heir, his senior slave inherits his wealth.  Abram can’t stomach this, apparently.  God promised him an heir, and it looks like this slave from Damascus is going to get all his stuff.  (vv. 2-3)
• God answers that Eliezer will not be the heir; Abram’s own issue will be the heir.  He shows Abram the stars, and promises that he will have that many descendants.  Abram believes God.  (vv. 4-6)
• Next, God reminds Abram that the land he’s standing on is (or is going to be) his.  But Abram’s not sure about that.  He says “how am I to know [this]?”  (vv. 7-8)
• What happens next seems weird to us, but was a common custom of the day.  God instructs Abram to do what is called “cutting a covenant”. It goes like this:  you take some big animals, and slaughter them.  You cut them in half, and place the halves in two rows, with a pathway in between.  Then, you pass through the severed carcasses.  Sounds gross, eh?  But by doing this, you are saying that if you break the covenant, then you deserve to be cut in two like the carcasses you’ve just passed through.  It's a little like   becoming blood brothers.  (vv. 9-11)
• Then, Abram falls asleep, and has a dream.  A smoking fire pot and flaming torch (which represent God) pass through the carcasses. By doing this, God states that if he breaks this covenant promise, He deserves to die.  He will definitely keep His promise to Abram.  (vv. 12, 17-18)

THE TAKEAWAY

This story is full of Abram’s faith and God’s grace.  Abram puts his trust in God, even when the details seem impossible.  God stands firm in His promises.  He is patient and caring, when Abram expresses doubt, or presses God for a commitment.  All of this applies equally to us, in our relationship with the Lord.
 

PHILIPPIANS 3:17-4:1

THE BACKGROUND

This is an excerpt of a letter that Paul wrote to the tiny church in the city of Philippi.  Paul was writing from a prison cell.  The letter is nevertheless very upbeat, full of hope and promise. 

THE DETAIL

• Paul is offering himself up as a role model to this little church.  While that might appear to us as conceited, we must remember that he is writing from prison.  He is in jail because of his faith.  And, as we will see, this little church needs a role model.  (v. 17)
• We hear of other options for role models.  It is not a pretty sight.  Having one’s belly as their god indicates to me that they were selfish and perhaps gluttonous.  Their minds are set on “earthly things”.  These are the “enemies of Christ”.  We should not be like them!  (vv. 18-19)
• Instead, we should remember that we are citizens of heaven.  Paul does not say that we will become citizens; he says that we already are citizens of heaven.  We are expecting Jesus’ return.  Then, our humiliation will be transformed into glory.  (vv. 20-21)
• Therefore, we must stand firm in the faith, carefully selecting our role models.  (v. 4:1)

THE TAKEAWAY

These days, we are bombarded with many role models.  Some are successful sports figures, some are movie or TV stars.  We are also bombarded with commercials which show us all the good things to buy things that will buy us happiness.  It is clear to me that we must very, very careful where we put our trust and faith.  We need to carefully find a path through all this “stuff”, and find a way that is worthy of a citizen of heaven.
 

LUKE 13:31-35

THE BACKGROUND

This week, we return to the middle part of Luke.  We will be reading mostly from the gospel of Luke for the rest of the year.  At this point in the story, Jesus has been healing and teaching.  He has also begun to attract the attention of some of the high religious leaders.  The plot is beginning to thicken.

THE DETAIL

• Some Pharisees come to Jesus, and tell him that he should go away, because “Herod wants to kill you.”  Apparently, not all the Pharisees were as bad as the bible makes them out to be.  In fact, Jesus dines with them on at least one occasion.  So, maybe these were some of the good ones, looking to protect Jesus from Herod.    (v. 31)
• Jesus’ answer is interesting on two counts.  First, he calls Herod a fox.  Back then, this was not a compliment.  Foxes were considered cunning and sinister.  Then, Jesus says that he still has work to do;  he says “on the third day I will finish my work.”  I think we all know what he was really talking about when he said this!  (v. 32)
• Jesus then indicates that he knows that he must go there, and that he knows that he’ll probably be killed there.  He knows what lies ahead, and he is planning to go anyway.  (v. 33)
• In a sad lament, Jesus declares that he wishes to gather us up like a mother hen.  Instead, he knows, he’s headed for trouble.  (v. 34)
• Finally, there’s a little hint of his “Palm Sunday” entrance into Jerusalem, where the people cheer blessings and praises to him.    (v. 35)

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus is on the road that eventually leads to Jerusalem and his death on the cross.  He will go willingly.  He will go for us.  But he still has work to do.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Does God still have work for you to do? 

DEUTERONOMY 26:1-11

THE BACKGROUND

The entire book of Deuteronomy is given as Moses’ final address to God’s people the Israelites. They are about to enter the Promised Land, and he will stay behind.  The final chapter of the book gives the details of his final days and his successor. This book has a little history in the first two chapters.  But it is mainly a book of law and of instruction.  Today’s passage is a series of instructions for the people on how to prepare a thank-offering at harvest time.

THE DETAIL

• Remember that Moses is not going into the Promised Land with the people.  So, he’s telling them what to do, once they are settled in the land. (v. 1)
• Once they have harvested their crops, the Lord instructs the people to bring the first pick of the harvest to Him as an offering.  They are to bring it to His house, give it to the priest, and declare it to be their offering.  (vv. 2-4)
• They are to recite these sentences, which recall their slavery, and God’s act of saving grace. (vv. 5-10a)
• Then, once the offering has been placed on the altar and the speech spoken, it is party time! The person presenting the offering is to host a harvest celebration, inviting the clergy (Levites) and everybody including the foreigners in their midst (aliens).  ( vv. 10b-11)

THE TAKEAWAY

Remember how sweet those first peaches and strawberries are, each year?  These are the first-fruits of the harvest.  The Lord tells Moses to have the people to bring these first-fruits to Him as a thank-offering for all the blessings that He has provided them. 

Verses 5-10a are a sort of creed.  It is a statement recalling the history and suffering of the Israelites.  It also recognizes God as the source of their salvation and prosperity.  Perhaps we should write a similar creed, based upon our own lives.  A creed that recalls our “wanderings” and God’s saving hand. How would yours read?
 

ROMANS 10:8-13

THE BACKGROUND

In this passage, Paul is discussing salvation.  Specifically, what it is that saves us.  He’s examining scripture to find hints of the new law that is contained there.  This is the new l that is coming with the Messiah. He is compares “the Law of Moses” with other parts of Holy Scripture.  (Keep in mind that for Paul, Holy Scripture was what we call the Old Testament.)  Before our passage, in verse 5, Paul quotes Leviticus 18:5.  Moses states that if a person lives righteously, as prescribed by the Law, they shall live.  Then, Paul offers a rebuttal, by quoting three Old Testament passages.

THE DETAIL

• The first quote is from Deuteronomy 30:14.  The word is on our lips and in our hearts.  (v. 8b)
• He goes on to explain that by confessing our faith with our lips, and believing in our heart in Jesus’ resurrection, we are saved—we have life.  (vv. 9-10)
• Verse 11 is a variation of Isaiah 28:16.  We are reassured that we will not be put to shame because of our belief.
• Finally, Paul reminds us that absolutely everybody who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.  It doesn’t matter if you are Jew or Gentile [black or white, American or foreign, etc.], we are all the same in God’s eyes.  He quotes Joel 2:32 as Old Testament support.  (vv. 12-13)

THE TAKEAWAY

While the Law of Moses, such as the Ten Commandments, aid us in knowing God’s prescription for righteous living, it is not our means of salvation.  The only thing that can save us is to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Our salvation is a free gift from Jesus; all we need to do to claim this gift is to have faith in him.

LUKE 4:1-13

THE BACKGROUND

In recent weeks, we have been reading the gospel of Luke, and are already up to chapter nine.  But we have been saving one story for the beginning of Lent.  Now that Ash Wednesday is behind us, we will backtrack and look at the story called The Temptation of Jesus.  Luke 3 is the story of John the Baptist.  Verses 21 & 22 are about the baptism of Jesus.  The remainder of the chapter is Jesus’ family tree. 

THE DETAIL

• Immediately following Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit leads him into the desert wilderness, where he will be “tempted by the devil”.  I’ll call them “trials” here.  We’ll discuss this at length in the takeaway.  (vv. 1-2a)
• He is fasting, which indicates to me that this is partly a spiritual retreat.  Jesus will eat nothing for 40 days.  He was famished by the end of this time.  That’s when the devil shows up.  (v. 2b)
• The first trial is related to Jesus’ physical needs.  He is famished.  But he has divine power.  Remember the story of the loaves and the fishes?  Surely he can make bread to eat.  But he declines, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3b.  (vv. 3-4)
• The second trial is about the abuse of power.  Jesus has divine power.  If he wanted to, he could topple Caesar, eliminate the Roman Empire, and establish his own peaceable kingdom.  Surely, this would accomplish the will of God, wouldn’t it?  All Jesus has to do to accomplish this is abandon God’s plan, and follow this worldly plan.  Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13, stating that only God [and God’s plans] must be honored. (vv. 5-8)
• Jesus’ final trial is the suggestion to test God’s protection of Jesus.  “Surely if you jumped off a high building, God would send angels to soften the impact.”  Jesus again responds by quoting scripture; in this case Deuteronomy 6:16. “Don’t put God to the test.”  The trial is over, and the devil departs… for now. (vv. 9-13)

THE TAKEAWAY

It is interesting that Luke calls the tempter “the devil” here.  Later, Judas is tempted to take the thirty silver coins it is Satan who plants the tempting seed. (Lk. 26:2-4)  They are different words.  Plus, one is capitalized, and the other is not. 

This story has always been entitled “The Temptation of Jesus”.  I have learned that the word is Greek that we’ve always translated as “tempted” is better translated as “tested”.  After his baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested.  This makes more sense than having the Holy Spirit lead Jesus to Satan, and say “Here you go, Satan, our only Son.” 

Perhaps this devil was more like the devil of Job.  In the beginning of that story, he sat with God and talked about the strength of Job’s faith.  That devil suggested that they needed to test the strength of Job’s faith.  This devil is a sort of tester.  In our Gospel lesson, the freshly baptized Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tested.  We know the hardships and suffering that Jesus is going to face. Perhaps God is having him tested, like he had Job tested.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Can you name a time when your faith was tested?  How did you overcome the test?  Did you use Holy Scripture or prayer?  It is comforting for me to know that even Jesus experienced times when the strength of his faith was tested.  He is like us.  He knows our temptations and struggles. 

GENESIS 45:3-11, 15

THE BACKGROUND

The story of Joseph and his coat of many colors is loved and known by all. There’s even a hit play about it. The whole story takes up the last thirteen chapters of the book of Genesis.  Our passage intercepts the story right at the climax.  Joseph has become Pharaoh’s right-hand man. Joseph’s brothers are seeking food, since there’s a famine in the land.  Joseph reveals his identity.  They can’t believe that the brother they despised and sold into slavery is sitting on the throne before them.

THE DETAIL

• Joseph reveals his identity to them, and asks about his beloved father.  His brothers are struggling with a wild array of emotions, and cannot answer.  (v. 3)
• Joseph draws them nearer, so that they might recognize him.  He identifies himself again, and adds “…Joseph, who you sold into Egypt.”  (v. 4)
• He goes on to explain that they should not be distressed that they almost killed him and sold him into slavery, because it was part of God’s plan.  (vv. 5-8)
• He sends them to get their father, and bring everybody back to Goshen in Egypt.  The famine is going to rage on for five more years, but they will be protected, fed, and prosper there.  (vv. 9-14)
• Then, he kissed all his brothers, and cried tears of joy.  They were reunited, and forgiven.  They sat and talked with each other.  (v. 15)

THE TAKEAWAY

I could talk about the recurring stories in Genesis about sibling rivalry, beginning with Cain and Able. But I won’t.

There are two things that I draw from this story.  First, that God has a plan to save a “remnant” of the house of Abraham.  His plan was announced to Joseph many years earlier in a dream.  Sharing that plan was one of the things that got him sold off to Egypt by his brothers in the first place.  But God’s plan was not to take away the famine, but to save his chosen ones.  We will read about God saving a remnant of His beloved people time and time again.

Mainly, though, this story is about reconciliation.  Joseph had every right to hold a grudge against his brothers.  After all, they almost killed him, and even sold him off as a slave.  But Joseph recognized God’s plan.  He forgave his brothers, and wept tears of joy at their reunion.  We should be so loving and forgiving!

1 CORINTHIANS 15:35-38, 42-50

THE BACKGROUND

As you may recall, last week we studied the first half of chapter 15.  The subject was the resurrection of the body—our resurrection. This week Paul gives us some detail. 

THE DETAIL

• Finally, someone asks the question that has been on my mind all along—“How does the resurrection happen?”  They want details, and so do I.  (v. 35)
• Paul calls me a fool for even asking the question!  But then he goes on to explain it.  He uses the analogy of a seed.  The seed is the product of a plant, often of a flower.  The flower must die and the seed buried in the ground for new life to begin.  (vv. 36-38)
• Paul says that it’s just like this with our resurrection.  (vv. 42-43)
• Now, we get a glimmer of knowledge or truth—There is a distinction between our physical body and our spiritual bodies.  The physical body dies, but our spiritual bodies live on.  (v. 44)
• In this next section, Paul uses an interesting concept.  He calls the Adam of Genesis 1&2 “the first Adam”.  Then, he calls Jesus “the second Adam”.  Jesus is the first of a new “race” of resurrected humans. So, in these verses, Paul contrasts the first Adam with the second Adam, Jesus.  We, like the first Adam are of the earth; we are from dust, and will return to dust.  But the second Adam, Jesus, is from heaven, and will return to heaven.  (vv. 45-48)
• Since we are now Jesus’ brothers and sisters, we are both “dusty” and heavenly.  (v. 49)
• Then, we are encouraged not to focus on the perishable, “dusty” aspect of our bodies, because they are temporary.  It is the spiritual body that will inherit the kingdom.
• The last verse of this chapter is not in today’s passage.  But verse 58 is worth adding to our thoughts and meditation.  It is a beautiful conclusion to this whole discussion:

“Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Paul offers some insight into the mysteries of the resurrection.  In last week’s reading, he made it clear that the resurrection is an essential part of our faith.  In this week’s reading we receive the seed analogy, and the idea that our physical bodies are not part of this process, only our spiritual bodies.  This is the Good News that I wish I had shared with one of my nursing home friends years ago.  She had serious concerns about the resurrection, since her body was in pretty bad shape.  She didn’t want it back!  I could have shared this with her, to assure her that the body she no longer appreciated would be returning to dust.  But the parts that were talking to me would live on.  Now, she is with the Lord, and is at peace.  We live on, and are told to “be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord”.  Our labor will not be in vain!

LUKE 6:27-38

THE BACKGROUND

This is the second half of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain.  Jesus is teaching us about what matters most to God—our thoughts and actions.  God sent Jesus to earth to instruct us on how to live, think, and act.  Today’s reading is a prime example of how God wants to behave.

THE DETAIL

Rather than do the usual bullet points, I’m going to make a list of Jesus’ main points.  I’ll reserve my comments for the takeaway.

1. Love your enemies. (v. 27)
2. Do good to those who hate you. (v. 27)
3. Bless those who curse you. (v. 28)
4. Pray for those who abuse you. (v. 28)
5. Turn the other cheek. (v. 29
6. If someone steals your coat, give them your shirt, too. (v. 29)
7. If someone steals your belongings, don’t try to get them back, let it go. (v. 30)
8. Do to others as you would have them do to you. (v. 31)
9. Lend like you’re never going to get it back. (v. 34, 35)
10. Be merciful. (v. 36)
11. Do not judge. (v. 37)
12. Do not condemn. (v. 37)
13. Forgive. (v. 37)
14. Give. (v. 38)

THE TAKEAWAY

This is a tough list!!! Why is it that we take only one of these, number 8, put it in a picture frame, and call it the Golden Rule?  It’s the easiest of the whole lot!  Are we saying that we’ll work on the easy one for now, and maybe the tough ones later? Some of these are downright impossible. 

BUT

This is God’s way, God’s plan for us.  This is how God would like us to behave with one another.  This is what God’s World should be like.  This is part of the reason He went to the trouble to send His only son to earth.  He wants us to reorder our thinking and priorities to be like his.  He wants us to become His World.  But He has set the bar high.  We have a long way to go, don’t we?

THE GOOD NEWS

God is all of the things on this list.  He is loving, giving, merciful, and forgiving.  He expects us to be like him.  He also forgives us when we fall short of His expectations.

EXODUS 34:29-35

THE BACKGROUND

Way back in Exodus 19, the wandering People of God arrive at Mt. Sinai.  They set up camp at the foot of this holy mountain.  Moses goes up the mountain, and receives the Ten Commandments. The two stone tablets were written “by the finger of God” on the front and back.  Meanwhile, down in the camp, the “people of God” have other ideas. They pool their gold, and cast a golden calf idol.  When Moses returns to camp, he is so angry that he throws down and breaks the stone tablets.  Bad things happen.  People died.

In Exodus 34, God tells Moses to cut two more tablets, and he’ll write it down for him again.  Our reading begins with Moses descending the mountain from this meeting.

THE DETAIL

• Moses is coming down the mountain with the stone tablets.  What he doesn’t realize is that his face is shining because he has been in conversation with God.  (v. 29)
• What we do know is that for those back at camp, Moses’ shining face was too much to take.  They were afraid to come near him.  (v. 30)
• But they got over it, to a degree.  Once Moses read the law written on the tablets, he covered his face with a veil. When talking with God, he’d remove the veil.  But when talking with the people, he’d wear that veil.  (vv. 31-35)

THE TAKEAWAY

What was this face-shining thing???  Was it shiny, or emitting light?  We don’t get any details.  Sometimes, heavenly apparitions are just too hard to describe in human terms.  But it was weird enough that it made the people “afraid to come near Moses”.  Keep in mind that 1) the people had recently made a golden calf idol to worship.  And 2) Moses had just come back looking all holy and shiny and all.  So, maybe their fear was because of their feelings of guilt.  The consequences of the golden calf incident were dire. Maybe they feared another round of reprisals. 

 But the grace in this story comes with the veil.  Rather than Moses saying something like “just deal with it”, he puts a veil on his face to calm them down.  
 

2 CORINTHIANS 3:7-4:2

THE BACKGROUND

Paul had established the Christian church in Corinth.  After things were going well, he moved on to share the good news with others.  During his absence, a group of evangelists come to Corinth.  They are more eloquent in their preaching than Paul.  They are clever.  They think nothing of putting Paul down just to raise themselves up.  They seem to lack true Christian values.  Much of this letter is Paul’s answer to these accusations. We won’t talk too much about his defense in this study, but you may sense the tension.  At one point, which I will note, he takes a little “dig” at these evangelists.  But Paul defend himself by attacking his opponents.  Instead, he teaches us the simplistic beauty of the Gospel. 

Two things to note

1. The passage to be read in church begins with verse 12.  To help with our full understanding, I’ve begun this study with verse 7. 
2. I found the New Revised Standard made it difficult to understand what Paul was saying.  I’ve used The Message in today’s handout.

THE DETAIL

• In verses 7 & 8, Paul is contrasting the old way (law/sin/death) with the new way (sin/faith/forgiveness/life).  He uses an odd expression.  In the NRSV and the King James, the word “ministry” or “ministration” of Death is used. The Message uses “government”.  Using the word “government” helps explain Paul’s intent, but it is still seems a little odd.  If I were to try to boil this paragraph down, it would be something like this:  “Do you think the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai was a dazzling experience?  The forgiving way of the Holy Spirit is far more dazzling!”  Also, the comment about it “fading soon” was Paul’s way of saying that the Law was temporary, and would fade away once the way of the Spirit takes over.  He mentions this again in verse 13.
• Verses 9-11 express the same thoughts in different words.  The “Government of Affirmation (or Spirit)” is way better than that old law that only condemns.
• The little word to circle in this next paragraph occurs just a few words in—hope.  This hope of forgiveness and life is exciting!  We don’t need a silly veil—we have nothing to hide!  Then, referring to those Jews who have not accepted Jesus as their Messiah, he says that their understanding of God is “veiled”.  It takes Jesus and only Jesus to lift that veil! (vv. 12-15)
  Verses 16-18 are just dripping-rich with Good News!  No longer is God present in chiseled stone laws.  No!  He’s a living Spirit!  Those old laws are obsolete!  Yes, that’s what it says.  They are obsolete, and we are free of them.  We now live in the Spirit.  No wonder our faces should be shining.  The ending phrase is so sweet that I need to repeat it here:  “And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.” 
• Verses 1 & 2 are the words of encouragement to us who now have seen God’s salvation plan which Jesus has brought us.  It is not a time for wearing masks and playing games.  We don’t twist God’s words to suit ourselves.  (This is a little slam on those other evangelists.) What we are to do is put the whole gospel truth on display for the whole world to see.

THE TAKEAWAY

Now that I understand this passage (thank you for requiring me to do the work), I see the difficulties in living under the strain of the Law of Moses, and the hopelessness & death that results.  I also more fully appreciate the blessed freedom we have, living our lives in the Spirit.  I am thankful and praise God that he has seen fit to send his only son to live, teach, die, and be resurrected for our salvation.

LUKE 9:28-36

THE BACKGROUND

On the last Sunday of the season of Epiphany, we look at the story of the transfiguration of Jesus. Since we’re working our way through Luke this year, we’ll look at Luke’s description of the event.  To fully understand what was going on, I looked up the word “transfigure” in the dictionary.  It means “to give a new appearance to something, usually for the better”.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus has been teaching and healing.  After eight days, he takes three of the apostles up a mountain to pray.  (v. 28)
• While Jesus was praying, his face and clothes change.  (v. 29)
• Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appear.  These are God’s all-star prophets, by the way.  They talk to Jesus.  (v. 30)
• They are talking with Jesus about his “departure”.  The other word that can be used here is “exodus”.  They are talking about what is about to happen, once he gets to Jerusalem.  (v. 31)
• If that wasn’t weird enough, Peter says something strange.  The three apostles were tired, maybe even sleeping.  But in his sleepy stupor, he offers to make some tents, so they could all spend a little more time together!  (vv. 32-33) 
• The prophets disappear into a cloud.  Then, in another cloud, “a voice” declares Jesus to be His Son, his Chosen.  They are told to listen to Jesus.  (vv. 34-35)
• Once God has spoken, it was all over.  Jesus is alone.  Presumably, his appearance reverted to its original condition.  The interesting thing is that they kept all this to themselves, at least until after the resurrection.  (v. 36)

THE TAKEAWAY

It is interesting that Moses and Elijah are discussing Jesus’ “exodus” or “departure” with him. Are they filling him in on the details? Or are they offering words of encouragement to him for what lies ahead is God’s plan?  We don’t know.  In fact, Luke’s gospel is the only one that tells us what they were talking about. 

But the main point is that here on this mountain, not only is Jesus’ appearance glorified by transfiguration, but he receives an encounter with these two prophets.  And if that isn’t enough, God himself speaks, telling us who Jesus truly is, and that we need to heed his words.