ISAIAH 58:1-9a

THE BACKGROUND

This section from the writings of Isaiah was written around the time of the Israelites return from exile. The people of God are struggling to establish a better relationship with God in the hopes that they will never again need to return to a state of exile.  One of the practices they engaged in was fasting.  While some modern Christian groups still practice this, many do not.  Allow me to explain fasting, at least from my perspective.

Fasting is the practice of restricting one’s diet in order to sharpen spiritual focus.  By fasting, many seek to improve their relationship with God.  Some believe that the simple act of fasting wins them favor with their Lord.  Others, like me, don’t believe that I can win “Divine Brownie Points” by fasting; I fast to remind myself of God’s grace and His sacrifice of His son for my sins.  Every time I desire whatever I have chosen for my fast, it is a call to prayer.  In my church, we often fast during the upcoming season of Lent.  For the people of Isaiah, according to verse 3, they were trying to get God’s attention.

THE DETAIL

• God is speaking in the first paragraph.  He tells his prophet to shout out and proclaim the message which follows.  Proclaim this message to His people, because it is clear that they want to have a better relationship with Him.  (vv. 1-2)
• Now, Isaiah quotes the people.  They question God about why he appears to be unresponsive to their fasting and other religious actions.  (v. 3a)
• God’s response is swift and to the point.  Their religious fervor does not carry over into their everyday lives.  They claim to love the Lord, but then they act with injustice to their neighbor.  (vv. 3a-4)
• In verse 5, God is almost mocking them.  He seems to say “You call THIS a fast???” (v. 5)
• Now, God tells them what a good fast really is.  (vv. 6-7)
• The rest of the passage, and even beyond the verses listed, are a series of “if-then clauses”.  Remember that they  conditional clauses—“if you do this, I will do that”.  For example, a parent might say to a child “If you clean your room, I’ll take you to get an ice cream cone.”  God is telling his people that if they focus on sincere fasting, especially the type that God has listed here, that they will truly win God’s favor.  They will be acting like His people, and they will be blessed. 

THE TAKEAWAY

In the past, I have given up drinking wine, my favorite beverage, for Lent.  This does help me to keep in sharper spiritual focus—not because I’m sober.  I don’t drink that much.  But, what God is telling me in this passage is that a better fast is doing more for others. That is more difficult, isn’t it? 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

If you were to fast, to sharpen your spiritual focus, what would you chose for a fast?

1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-12

THE BACKGROUND

In last week’s second lesson, we learned that Paul was criticizing the eloquent preachers who had been working the crowd in Corinth.  They were filling their minds with fancy thoughts, giving them many false pearls of wisdom.  These preachers were also putting down Paul’s preaching, and placing themselves above him. In today’s passage, Paul challenges their eloquently concocted teachings.  He tells the reader to keep it simple.   

THE DETAIL

• In the first paragraph, Paul tells the reader that he intentionally kept his preaching simple.  He did not need to make it complicated, because the truth is very simple-- Jesus died on the cross for us. Paul let the power of the Holy Spirit be the main preacher, not eloquent speeches steeped in wisdom. He finalizes this paragraph, by contrasting human wisdom with the power of God. (vv. 1-5)
• Paul tells us that for Christians, the only wisdom that counts is God’s wisdom, not human wisdom. The only one who truly knows God’s wisdom is the Holy Spirit. (vv. 6-11)
• Paul concludes it nicely here.  We have received God’s wisdom through the Holy Spirit. (v.12)
• In verse 14, which follows this passage, Paul says They, “the unspiritual” do not receive the Holy Spirit, and are not able to understand.

THE TAKEAWAY

We know from Paul’s other writings that he is capable of complex, theological thought. In fact, sometimes it is so complex that it will make your head spin.  But here, he gets to the heart of the matter—it is not about us. It is about Christ crucified. (v.2b)

It is human nature to overanalyze everything.  Because our religious convictions are so strong, our conclusions often separate us from other believers.  Often, we become like these divisive preachers in Corinth. It is good to remember that it is simply Christ crucified.                                                                       

MATTHEW 5:13-20

THE BACKGROUND

This passage is the continuation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  This follows the Beatitudes we studied last week.

THE DETAIL

• In this first paragraph, Jesus encourages his listeners to not let their spirituality fade. He likens it to seasonings for food. We all know that herbs and spices in our pantry lose their kick over time, and need to be replaced.  And we now have a fun little song about not keeping our little gospel light under a basket.  Jesus is encouraging us to keep our faith sharp and active.  (vv. 13-16)
• In the second paragraph, Jesus talks about keeping the law.  What he says is a little puzzling, given his subsequent actions. We’ll discuss that in the takeaway. But here, Jesus states that he did not come to eliminate any of the many Laws of Moses; he came to fulfill them. Many use this statement to defend the need for Christians to comply with (most of) the laws of Old Testament. (vv. 17-20)

THE TAKEAWAY

Many of the older members of the churches I have attended have an attitude.  When asked to help with a church project, they have told me that they “used to do” this and that, but now they don’t.  They think that they can retire from serving God.  Here, Jesus tells us to never retire from doing the Lord’s work. 

It is interesting that Jesus says that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.  If I look at Jesus’ actions, I see many cases where he directly violated the Law of Moses, especially the one about working on the Sabbath.  But we must remember that the Number One Law is the Law of Love.  Loving God and one another overrides the rest.  In  every case where Jesus breaks a Law of Moses, it is done for the love of others. 

MICAH 6:1-8

THE BACKGROUND

The kings of Judah had a team of court prophets.  Often, were yes-men, telling the king what he wanted to hear.  As a prophet, Micah was an outsider.  If there had been a private club in Jerusalem for prophets, Micah would not be allowed to be a member.  What set Micah apart from the rest was that like Isaiah and Hosea, he spoke for God’s Will. This was contrary to what the king and God’s people wanted to hear.  Today’s first lesson is the essence of his message to God’s people, both then and now.

THE DETAIL

• Micah presents his message in the form of a courtroom scene.  God has a complaint against His people.  He is calling the mountains and hills to be the jury.  God is going to present his case to His people. (vv. 1-2)
• God is obviously not happy with His people.  Have you ever had a parent complain to you, saying “What have I done, that I deserve this sort of behavior from you?”  (v. 3)
• God answers his own question, laying a little guilt trip on them.  He reminds them of the good things He has done for them, starting with rescuing them from slavery in Egypt.  (v. 4)
• He adds a log to the fire.  He reminds them of how their enemy King Balak called on the diviner Balaam to curse Israel, but Balaam blessed them instead.  [Numbers 2] God further reminds them of how H                e led and protected them as they left their encampment in Shittim, crossed the Jordan River, and defeated the Canaanites at the city of Gilgal.  This would be the first city to fall to the Israelites as they take possession of the Promised Land.  [Joshua 3-4]  (v. 6)
• God’s people plead guilty to the charges.  They ask what their sentence should be.  They suggest a fancier, more intense form of worship.  (vv. 6-7)
• The people are reminded that God has already told them what to do.  It is not about quality of worship, but quality of life-actions.  It’s simple (but not easy)-- 
  • Do justice
  • Love kindness
  • Walk humbly

THE TAKEAWAY

It is easy to say “I love the Lord!”  But it is much more difficult to walk the walk in our daily actions.  This is not to say that God doesn’t appreciate quality worship.  But if the worship isn’t backed up by a humble heart and righteous acts of faith, then our worship becomes a hollow, hypocritical act.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

THE BACKGROUND

This is a continuation of last week’s second lesson.  You may recall that Paul contrasted the eloquence of certain preachers who had come after him with the “foolishness of the cross”. 

THE DETAIL

• The cross on which Jesus was crucified was the worst form of a death sentence.  Romans had several other ways of doing this, but this was the slowest, most painful, and publicly humiliating.  To a non-believer, worshipping the cross seemed like a foolish activity.  (v. 18)
• Paul takes a pot-shot at wisdom and eloquence in the following verses.  He contrasts God’s wisdom with mankind’s wisdom.    (vv. 19-25)
• He then turns to the reader, holding up a mirror.  He reminds them that God has called them to be the wise, even though they were ordinary people.  This is the wisdom of God in action.  (vv. 26-27)
• Why would God do this?  For one reason, God likes to turn things upside down, as we will see in the gospel lesson.  He loves to challenge our thinking.  He does this so we will have no bragging rights; God gets all the credit, not us. (vv. 28-29)
• Last week, Paul told us to forget about all our divisions.  Forget about aligning yourself with Cephas, Apollo; or being Lutheran, Baptist, or Methodist.  It is all about God— we should boast only in the Lord, and what the Lord has done for us.  (vv. 30-31)

THE TAKEAWAY

These are powerful words, both then and now.  How easy it is to ignore these words.  God wants us to focus on our commonality, rather than our differences. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Back then, worshipping someone who was executed by crucifixion might seem to be foolish to many. What other aspects of Jesus’ life point to the foolishness of human wisdom, as compared to God’s?  Consider these.  1.  God’s very son was born to the household of a small-town carpenter, rather than somebody important.  2. God chose to have His son born in a stable rather than a palace.  Were these accidental occurrences, or part of God’s plan?  Why?
 

MATTHEW 5:1-12

THE BACKGROUND

I view today’s gospel lesson as the sort of kick-off or inaugural address of Jesus’ ministry. Chapters one through four give us the background to the life of Jesus.  Chapter three concludes with the baptism of Jesus.  Chapter four transitions from the work of John the Baptist to the work of Jesus.  The first of Jesus’ disciples are called.  Now, it’s time to get down to the business of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. In the verses just before today’s reading, we find Jesus teaching in the synagogues around the region of Galilee, proclaiming the good news, and healing the sick.  He is starting to draw a crowd.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus takes his disciples up a mountainside to teach them.  He is laying the foundation of what he intends to be an do in the years ahead.  Was he speaking these words to the crowd or just the disciples?  It is not clear.  (vv. 1-2)
• He teaches them what we now call The Beatitudes.  According to Webster, beatitude is “a state of utmost bliss”. Older translations use the word “blessed”, while newer ones use “happy”.  Both are an accurate translation of the word used in the original Greek.  Jesus tells us that we are blessed-happy when we are:
  • Poor in spirit
  • Mournful
  • Meek
  • Hunger and thirst
  • Need mercy
  • Pure in heart
  • Making peace
  • Being persecuted
  • Are being reviled
• Jesus tells us that if we are these, we should rejoice and be glad!  (I’m not so sure about that…)  The reason for our rejoicing is that God’s holy prophets also experienced these things, so we are in good company.  (v. 12)

THE TAKEAWAY

I don’t know about you, but this does not look like a “Happy List” to me!  In my life, I have come to learn that the list above are not the things that make me happy—quite the opposite. I am not alone.  I have had good Christians try to explain to me that “meekness is not weakness”.  I’m sorry, but I believe it is exactly that—meekness is weakness, and God’s heart goes out to the meek.  So, what is God’s point?  I believe that one reason He sent His son to us was to tell us what matters most to Him; what His priorities are.  This list from Jesus and his Father tells me that His way is not our way.  As adopted children of God, and heirs to the Kingdom, it is our duty to ascribe to God’s priorities rather than our own.  If we are experiencing any of these things, we can rest in the comfort that God loves us, and has blessed us.  If we those around us are experiencing these things, we should love and comfort them as a reflection of God’s love.  It is what God’s children do. 

ISAIAH 9:1-4

THE BACKGROUND

The Old Testament lesson for this Sunday is again from Isaiah.  This passage is quoted in today’s Gospel reading.  But this prophecy had a very poignant meaning for the time at which it was given; God’s people needed to hear what God’s expectations were of them. Interestingly, God’s expectations are the same for us.  The nations to the north of Judah were conspiring against it.  In chapter 7, God promises a king who would be “Emmanuel”, or “God with us”.  Today’s lesson talks about the time when this promised king will rule. 

THE DETAIL

• God promises that the gloomy days will be gone, and glorious times are coming.  Their relationships with the nations to the north (Naphtali and Zebulun) will be restored. There will be a time of peace and cooperation.  (v. 1)
• The people of the north (just mentioned) are not Jewish—they’re Gentiles.  They walk in darkness, because they do not know the Lord.  But in this new glorious time being foretold, the light of God will also shine on them.  (v. 2)
• This verse is addressed to the people of Judah. God is telling them that they will be the ones to bring this light to the people of darkness, the Gentiles. (v. 3)
• Finally, God reminds them that the people who lived in darkness are under a great burden.  God’s people will relieve them of this burden.  That’s a good thing!  (v. 4)
   

THE TAKEAWAY

The king of Judah ignored God’s advice and prophecy, and messed things up.  But those are just the details of the story.  God’s message to His people was that He wants His people to share His love with “the nations” (everybody).  In this time and place, we are God’s people.  We are the ones who share the Good News with those around us.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:10-18

THE BACKGROUND

We’re still in chapter one of Paul’s first letter to the church of Corinth, but look at this—he has already jumped into one of the big problems with that church.  What might that problem be?

THE DETAIL

• Paul pleads with this church to get rid of the divisions that exist between them.  They are quarreling amongst themselves.  (vv. 10-11)
• At the heart of the problem is that they have grouped up into factions.  It appears that the division might be over who baptized each member.  (v. 12)
• Here’s a starter hint at where Paul’s coming from—it’s about Jesus.  More to follow.  (v. 13)
• As an aside, Paul tries to isolate himself from the foray.  He’s not sure, but he doesn’t think he baptized many in Corinth.  He seems to say “Don’t blame me!”  (vv. 14-16)
• Here’s another aside.  Apparently some preachers were more polished or eloquent speakers than Paul.  People must have been aligning with these fancy preachers.  (v. 17)
• Here’s the heart of the matter.  Paul’s message was and always will be about Christ crucified. Revering the cross might seem foolish to some.  After all, it was the equivalent of a hangman’s noose or the electric chair. It was a means of executing criminals. But to people of faith, the cross represents the power of God.  (v. 18)

THE TAKEAWAY

We are all guilty of this problem.  We like to think that our denomination is far superior to all those other ones.  Paul grabs us by the shoulders and says “Stop it!!!”  We are all washed in the Blood of the Lamb.  All our divisions are nonsense.  We need to love one another.
 

MATTHEW 4:12-23

THE BACKGROUND

This scene from the Gospel of Matthew is about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  He has just recently been baptized by John, and has called his first disciples.

THE DETAIL

• News comes to him that John the Baptist has been arrested by Herod.  Essentially, this signals the end of John’s ministry, and the beginning of Jesus’ mission. Jesus heads back to his home country, the northern region of Judea called Galilee.  (v. 12)
• He moves from his home town, and settles in Capernaum. It is about 30 miles to the northeast of Nazareth.  Capernaum is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  It is also the northern edge of the country of Judea. Immediately to the north are the Gentile lands of Zebulun and Naphtali.  (v. 13)
• Matthew quotes Isaiah 9.  He reminds his Jewish readers of the prophecy of Isaiah.  (vv. 14-16)
• Thus begins the work of Jesus.  The message is clear.  Scripture has now been fulfilled.  Jesus is the light that has dawned.  Jesus is here to preach not only to the people of Judea, but to those nasty foreigners to the north, too.  The light is for “the nations”.  The light is for the whole world.

THE TAKEAWAY

Matthew was quick to recognize that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy.  Jesus is the Light of the World!  We are Jesus’ servants in this time and place.  We, too, must shine the Gospel Light.  Jesus came for everyone, just as God told his people through Isaiah. 

ISAIAH 49:1-7

THE BACKGROUND

In the central portion of the book of Isaiah are found four “Servant Songs”.  Last week’s first lesson was the first of the four.  This week’s first lesson is the second of these songs.  The third and fourth are found in Is. 50:4-9 and 52:13-53:1-12, if you are interested in looking them up.  In between the first and second song, a lot happens.  In chapter 45, God announces that he has appointed the Persian king Cyrus as the liberator of His People.  In chapter 47, Babylon is defeated and humiliated.  In 48:20, captive Israel is told to flee Babylon, and go home.  The songs describe a person who will lead them on the way of rebuilding.  The big question is who this servant might be.  I will provide three answers in the takeaway, all of which are valid.

THE DETAIL

• The Servant calls for our attention.  The Servant claims that he was called to be God’s servant, even before he was born. (v. 1)
• The Lord gave him the skills needed to do the job.  God names him “Israel”, or His chosen people.  (vv. 2-4)
• But The Servant is frustrated.  Things do not go smoothly.  He is frustrated.  (v. 4)
• God gives The Servant a pep talk, reminding him that God chose him for this task even before he was even born.  (v. 5)
• Then, God ups the ante.  The Servant is not to save only Israel, but the whole world!  (Remember the meaning of “the nations” from last week?)  (v. 6)
• God concludes the pep talk by telling The Servant that kings and princes will bow before him, because God has chosen him. (v. 7)
   

THE TAKEAWAY

So, who was this Servant? We never get his name.  Maybe that was intentional.  I see three possible answers.

1. To the liberated people of Israel, this Servant represented the one who would lead them home and guide them in the rebuilding of their homeland.  I believe that no one was named to this role because the role needed to be filled by many people.  It could be a standard by which all leaders would be compared.  This standard could be applied to anybody who did the Lord’s work.
2. To Christians, going all the way back to the very early days, these Servant Songs were applied to the life of Jesus. Jesus, being God’s son on earth, would most certainly aim to live up to these standards set by His Father.  It was his nature and mission to present us all with a perfect model of these attributes. 
3. These standards can also apply to us today.  We are God’s Servants in this time and place. These are God’s expectations of our behavior, as we serve Him where we live.  We are called by Him to do this work.  When we do so, we shall be “honored in the sight of the Lord, and God will become our strength”.  (Verse 5, slightly paraphrased.)

1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-9

THE BACKGROUND

This is the introduction section of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth.  It is chock full of God actions.  Keep in mind that God’s grace is “God’s love, freely given”.  The word “called” appears repeatedly.  The calling in all cases is done by God.

THE DETAIL

• This letter follows the classic form of Paul’s letters.  Paul and Sosthenes are the authors of this letter.  Paul reminds them that God has called him to be an apostle of Christ.  (v. 1)
• They are sending this letter to the church in Corinth, who are also called to be saints* by God. This is a remarkable statement. The church in Corinth was not comprised of fulfilled Jews.  They were outsiders—Gentiles.  Paul, who is a fulfilled Jew, states that God calls everyone.  God’s love is for the whole world.  (v. 2a)
• This letter is also intended for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord”, namely you and me.     (v. 2b) 
• Next comes the customary greeting from God through Paul.  (v. 3)
• Paul also thanks God for bestowing His grace on this church.  (v. 4)
• God’s grace has been lavished on them (and us) in many ways—through speech, knowledge and “spiritual gifts”.  (vv. 5-7)
• He assures us that Jesus will strengthen us to the end, and that [because of Jesus dying on the cross] we will be held blameless on Judgement Day.  We are finally reminded that we have all been called into fellowship with Jesus, so God will be faithful to us.  (vv. 8-9)

* When Paus uses the word “saints”, he is referring to all those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. The practice of canonizing saints did not begin until several centuries later. 

THE TAKEAWAY

This passage is rich in God-actions!  As we will see in the weeks ahead, the church in Corinth was far from perfect.  Yet, God lavishly blesses them with His love. This is good for us to understand, since we, too, are not perfect.  But God blesses us, warts and all!  We must always remind ourselves that we are all called to be God’s saints.  As saints, we are in fellowship with Jesus, and God will be faithful to us. Thanks be to God!

JOHN 1:29-43

THE BACKGROUND

The gospel of John begins with a very short introduction to John the Baptist’s mission.  The scene shifts quickly to John being questioned by the religious authorities.  John makes it clear that he is merely the one announcing the coming of someone greater than he.  Then, Jesus comes on the scene.  It should be noted that John also had disciples—people who followed him to learn his teachings.

THE DETAIL

• When John sees Jesus approaching, he tells his disciples “Here is the Lamb of God…”! (v. 29)
• John gives them his testimony, including the telling of Jesus’ baptism.  (vv. 30-34)
• The next day, Jesus walked by John and two of John’s disciples.  John again calls Jesus the Lamb of God.  (vv. 35-36)
• Those two disciples of John left John, and followed Jesus.  (v. 37)
• Jesus asked them what they wanted.  Oddly, they answer by asking where he was staying.  Jesus invites them to tag along, and see for themselves.  (vv. 38-39)
• One of the two was named Andrew.  Andrew went & got his brother Simon, saying “We have found the Messiah!”. When Andrew presented his brother Simon to Jesus, Jesus gave Simon a new name, straightaway.  He called him Rock.  (Aramaic: Cephas;  Greek: Petra; English: Peter, or Rock)  I like to say that Jesus called him “Rocky”.  Am I wrong???  (vv. 40-42)

THE TAKEAWAY

It’s good to know why Jesus renamed Simon.   In Holy Scripture where people or animals are named or renamed, it indicates a bond; it is the start of a new relationship.  When Adam names the creatures in the Garden of Eden, it indicates that they are under his care.  We do this, too.  We always name a pet as soon as we bring it home, even if it had a different name before. Sometimes, we give nicknames to our friends, children or grandchildren.  These indicate that there is a special relationship between them and us. This is what Jesus is doing with Simon Peter.

Jesus gets many titles in this passage.

• John the Baptist calls him the Lamb of God, as in the lamb sacrificed for the Passover act. The blood of the lamb saves the lives of the believers who have the blood smeared across their doorways.
• John the Baptist also clearly calls Jesus the Son of God (v. 34)
• The two disciples of John the Baptist address him as “Rabbi”.  Yes Jesus came to teach us many things.
• Finally, Andrew calls Jesus the Messiah.  God’s anointed one.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Jesus is, of course, all these titles and more.  What do you call him?

ISAIAH 42:1-9

THE BACKGROUND

These words of Isaiah were written during exile. They present an unnamed servant of God. The attributes are given to this servant that are unusual for a prophet or king.  Over the centuries, Christians have felt that this passage points to God’s #1 servant, Jesus.  While this certainly is a valid argument, it does not explain what it meant to people for the 500 years between the writing of these words and Jesus.  Let’s look at what the passage says.

THE DETAIL

• Right off the bat, the first verse sounds a lot like verse 17 in today’s gospel lesson.  God is delighted with this servant of His.  God’s Spirit will rest on him, and he will serve the nations.  More on “the nations” in The Takeaway.  (v. 1)
• This servant is not your ordinary leader. This servant is soft-spoken; he is gentle.  Yet, his influence reverberates far and wide.  People will listen to him, even way out there on the coast.  (vv. 2-4)
• Now, God gives His servant his marching orders. He is to be a covenant or promise to the people.  He is to free people from their chains, and open their eyes.  (vv. 5-8)
• God says all this will happen exclusively to His chosen servant.   (v. 9)

THE TAKEAWAY

God presents us with a role model; with the type of behavior that He would value in someone who is His servant.  Jesus, being God’s son, came to earth to give us an example of this behavior.  But we, too, are God’s servants in this time and place.  As such, we should also strive to emulate these traits.  We should act with gentle authority.  We should work to free the unfortunate from their burdens, and open their eyes to the love of God through our actions. 

When “the nations” appears in the bible, it is a reference to the rest of the world.  It means “out there”, those “other people”.  He is talking not just about the Hebrews, but about us Gentiles, too.  God is telling His people through Isaiah that His vision is for all peoples to know and love Him.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How well do verses 1-4 describe Jesus?  How well do they describe you?

ACTS 10:34-43

THE BACKGROUND

During Jesus’ time, the People of God were a closed society.  The Hebrew people kept to themselves, except for whatever they were forced to do by the occupying Romans.  Jesus’ ministry, with a few exceptions, was focused primarily on the Jewish community. In the early years of the church, all of the believers were Jewish Christians.  This is about to change.  In the first part of chapter 10 (not included in today’s reading), God sends Peter a dream, sanctifying all food, even non-Kosher foods. 

God also sends a messenger to Peter.  The messenger is from the household of Cornelius, an officer in the Roman army.  Cornelius is a “God-lover”—a Gentile who loves Yahweh, but has not converted to Judaism. God prompts Cornelius to have a messenger go and fetch Peter. 

As soon as Peter finishes the dream, there’s a knock on the door.  It is Cornelius’ messenger.  Peter follows, and meets Cornelius.  It is clear to Peter that he has been called to preach the gospel to this Roman Gentile soldier!

THE DETAIL

• Peter’s first words are loaded with meaning—“I truly understand that God shows not partiality…”  It is clear to Peter that the Good News of Jesus is not just for His Chosen People, but for “…every nation…” (vv. 34-35)
• Peter goes on to explain the life and ministry of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection.  (vv. 36-41)
• He tells them that their mission is to “tell the people… that Jesus is the one…”, and that “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins…”  Everyone. Even an officer in the Roman army. (vv. 42-43)

THE TAKEAWAY

The season of Epiphany began on January 6th. Epiphany marks the coming of the wise men “from the East” to worship Jesus.  These men, as well as Cornelius, are not Hebrews.  They signal the coming of a new age; God sent his son for all nations, including Gentiles like you and me.  In the words of Isaiah, “… the former things have come to pass, and new things I [God] now declare..”  (Is. 42:9)

MATTHEW 3:13-17

THE BACKGROUND

After the story of the visiting of the wise men, and the aftermath of their visit, the gospel of Matthew fast-forwards to John the Baptist’s work.  We join this scene, to find that Jesus has come to seek John out.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus comes to John to be baptized.  John tells Jesus that Jesus should be baptizing him! He’s right, you know.  (vv. 13-14)
• But Jesus wants to do this “to fulfill all righteousness”.  This is a confusing phrase.  Apparently, John got it, but I didn’t at first.  I had to think about the words.
  • To “fulfill” indicates the completion of something that was planned or foretold. 
  • “Righteousness” can mean two things.  It can mean adherence to the law, but it can also mean a right action.

“Fulfilling all righteousness” now means to me that Jesus had planned to do this.  It also means that Jesus felt that baptism was a “right action”, or a good thing for people to do.  He wanted baptism to be part of what it is to be a disciple of Jesus.  (vv. 15-16a)

• So Jesus was baptized by John.  Then things got wild.  God, Father and Spirit, appeared to bless the event.  The words spoken by God are very close to the first verse in today’s passage from Isaiah.  Yes, Jesus’ baptism most certainly was part of God’s plan.  (vv. 16b-17)

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus’ life was one big example of living a godly life.  I believe that he was leading by example when he was baptized by John.  Did Jesus need to repent?  Of course not!  But I believe that he wanted to make it known that repentance and baptism are good and righteous actions for us all. 

Since I am going to be away for several weeks, I have prepared reflections for all the Sundays from January 11 - February 15.  Please scroll down to find the appropriate entry.

DEUTERONOMY 30:15-20

THE BACKGROUND

The book of Deuteronomy is a combination of narrative and law-giving.  The narrative chapters cover the last part of Israel’s wilderness wanderings, up to the time that they will enter the Promised Land.  In other chapters of this book, Moses restates the Ten Commandments, and proceeds to give them many detailed laws.  These laws will become the framework around which the Jews will live their lives.  These laws define and set them apart from their neighbors.  

In today’s reading, Moses is calling for the people to choose.  He is telling them to choose the Lord God Yahweh by abiding by these laws, or suffer the consequences.

THE DETAIL

• Moses lays down a simple choice- follow God or don’t. One way is life and blessings, the other way is death.  (vv. 15-18)
• Now, the choice is cranked up a notch.  This choice will become a covenant between God and His people.  The heaven and earth are called to be witnesses to this covenant act.  (v. 19a)
• Moses urges them to choose God, reminding them of God’s promise to Abraham and Isaac of the Promised Land.  (vv. 19b-20)

THE TAKEAWAY

With Jesus’ dying on the cross and the coming of the Holy Spirit, I know that God chose me long before I was aware of it.  But I also believe that we need to make a commitment to serve the Lord.  It is a life and death decision.  Following Jesus by obeying his commandments doesn’t win me any heavenly brownie points.  Through Jesus, God’s loving grace is free.  

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In our everyday lives, we have plenty of opportunities to choose “God or something else”, maybe a couple of dozen times each day.  While Jesus’s death on the cross has erased the threat of death, we still have choices to make.  Let’s be more aware of these little choices we make each day, to ensure that they always reflect our faith-walk.

1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-9

THE BACKGROUND

Today’s second reading is a continuation of last week’s reading. 

Oh, those Corinthians!  Three or four years have passed since Paul first brought the Good News to this city.  By now, they should be mature Christians.  But they are still focusing on petty things that divide them.  They are still behaving like babies.  In Corinth, there appears to be a competition going on between the “Church of Paul” and the “Church of Apollos”.  If you want to learn a little more about Apollos, turn to Acts 18:24-28.  He wasn’t a bad guy.

THE DETAIL

• Paul states that when he was there three or four years ago, they were Christian “newborns”.  He preached to them in simple terms.  Now, it appears that they have still not matured enough to be spoken to any other way.  This is obvious, because of the way they’re behaving.  (vv. 1-4)
• He tells them that both he and Apollos are God’s servants.  That their spiritual growth comes from God (the Holy Spirit), not this preacher or that preacher.  They are both God’s servants.  (vv. 5-9a)
• The important thing is that we are God’s creation, not the product of one particular preacher.  (v. 9b)

THE TAKEAWAY

I have been blessed by having been taught by many good preachers.  Each one has “watered” and “sown” in their own unique way.  I feel sorry for people who jump from one church to the next, trying to find the right preacher who will preach to them the message they want to hear.  It is important for us to remember that it is about God, not the preacher.  Ultimately, it is the Holy Spirit who does the work, and nobody else.

MATTHEW 5:21-37

THE BACKGROUND

Today’s gospel lesson is a continuation of the Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  If today’s lesson makes you a little uneasy, that’s OK.  I think Jesus intended for people to become a little uncomfortable at this teaching.  He is preaching on the Law of Moses, but he cranks everything up in intensity.

THE DETAIL

• He starts with the commandment “Thou shalt not murder”.  (We translate it “kill”, but it really says murder.) Jesus states that even if you insult someone, it’s the same as murder!  We should settle our differences, and love one another.  (vv. 21-26)
• Then, he shifts to adultery, saying that even looking at someone lustfully is adultery!  Furthermore, we should take drastic measures such as amputation, to avoid sinning.  This is getting harder.  (vv. 27-30)
• He then shifts to divorce.  There were two schools of thought on this in Jesus’s time.  One school went so far as to say that if a man’s wife was a lousy cook, he could send her back to her father!  Jesus takes the strict road, only allowing for divorce in the case of infidelity.   (vv. 31-32)
• Finally, he talks about oaths.  It is good to know here that back then, written contracts were unheard of.  Contractual agreements were all verbal.  In order to emphasize the sincerity of commitment to the agreement, it was common to amplify the oath, by swearing on the heavens, or relatives, or whatever.  Jesus says don’t do this.  We should all be so trustworthy that if you agree to something, a simple yes should suffice.  (Vv. 33-37)

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus makes it clear that the Ten Commandments and other Laws of Moses are far more complicated and difficult than they appear.  It really boils down to love and trust.  We should love one another and trust one another so well, that these sins all disappear.  

Jesus’ teachings accomplish two things.

         1.   They explain to us God’s true intent of the Law for us.  This is how He would like us to live our lives.

         2.   It shows me just how sinful I really am, and how hopelessly lost and unable to save myself without God’s help.

It is impossible for us to save ourselves.  The Good News is that’s why God sent His son.  

God saves us!  Thanks be to God!