“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’” - Matthew 6:9-13

When Jesus taught his disciples in the Lord’s prayer to ask for their daily supply of bread, he didn’t mean the kind you spread with butter and jam. Jesus keeps talking to the crowds who flock to hear him about the deeper realities at work behind our ordinary experiences. In John 6, after he feeds a gathering of thousands from a few leftover dinner rolls, he says they are in danger of confusing a miraculous lunch for the real grace in their midst - that he is the bread sent from heaven to fill them. Likewise in Matthew 6, Jesus tells his audience not to worry so much about their earthly assets and investment portfolios, that they’d be better off making deposits in heavenly bank accounts instead, where markets don’t lose value and thieves can’t steal away with your retirement savings and crooked investment managers can’t defraud you. And to an audience of one hauling up a bucket from a well at the end of a rope, Jesus said he was the water that would never leave her thirsty again. Hunger satisfied, treasure secured and compounding, thirst slaked - Jesus continues to proclaim that he is all we need to fill our deepest aches and soothe our steepest fears, if we have the ears to hear it and the eyes to behold it.

So, given this penchant of Jesus to talk about himself as our best food and drink and treasure, isn’t it also possible that in the Lord’s Prayer, he is teaching us to pray, “And Jesus give me my needed portion of your grace and love and character today”? Give me this day the very measure I need of your strength and glory and renewal. It certainly fits with the pattern that when Jesus says bread, he is again speaking of himself. It also fits the flow of the prayer better.

Consider the prayer as we are accustomed to it:
...thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and give us today enough bread made from yeast and flour and water baked in a clay oven until done to chase away the physical ache of hunger, and forgive our failures and frauds and defaults and make us more forgiving to boot, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil…

A physical request wedged into a list of spiritual concerns. Clunky. Disjointed.

Now consider the prayer if Jesus means to refer to himself as the true bread again:
...thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and give us today more of your life and grace and presence and power to silence with holy joy every gnawing spiritual hunger that devours our hearts and souls, and forgive our failures and frauds and defaults and make us more forgiving to boot, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil…

A spiritual plea for supply in order that the spiritual requests on either side of it might also be fulfilled to the glory of God. That seems to flow with continuity.

If this interpretation is right, it might change our usual insincere mutterings of the Lord’s prayer to a high voltage conduit for divine power and assistance. If this interpretation is wrong, at worst we are asking for more of Jesus. That seems enough to conclude that when Jesus taught his disciples to ask for daily bread in the Lord’s Prayer, he didn’t mean the kind that fills your gullet, or at the very least, he didn’t mean that kind only.

Faith and Practice:
In what ways do you feel empty, lacking, needy today? Ask Jesus to give more of himself to you in ways that personally and uniquely fill these voids.

“‘I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.’” - John 6:51-58

In the world Jesus inhabited, bread was life. A day without bread was a slide in the direction of starvation. Meat was a luxury, but bread was a staple. So when Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” he wasn’t mincing words. He was saying, of course, something like, “I am your sustenance. I am your strength. Without me as your vitality, you have a life-sapping hunger that cannot be satisfied or filled.”

So to play out the image, we might come to something like, “My flesh is your daily nourishment. My righteousness feeds you so you can give up all your striving and scorekeeping. And my blood is the drink that keeps you irrigated and vibrant and fertile, not parched and barren. My sacrifice revives you so you can put down your shame and scandal. Feasting on my body and blood, you can be daily made new.” Of course, we receive these things through the eucharist, but whether or not you can make it to the altar rail every single day is beside the point. Jesus is talking about the spiritual reality at work in the eucharist, but not limited to it - that is, a dependence upon Jesus. (Another way to say the same thing is, eating and drinking is a tactile renewal of our dependence, but eating and drinking is not necessary to our dependence.)

Always the literalists laying traps, the Pharisees object to Jesus’s words and fail to grasp their spiritual meaning. They fail also to connect Jesus’s self-disclosure here to his feeding of the five thousand the day before (6:1-15), which certainly they’ve heard rumor of. By calling himself bread, Jesus is saying, “Don’t you get it? I meet you in the wilderness. I supply your greatest eternal need, not just the nagging momentary ones. I fill your emptiness. I provide what you cannot produce. Like bread for a crowd too big to cater, I am the banquet God has sent - I am the covenant kept, I am God’s will upheld and performed from desire, not duty. I am holiness, and faithfulness, and love and righteousness. I am your offering and sacrifice. I am your atonement. Because the Father approves of me, I am your approval. You need me like you need bread.”

It’s enough to make the devout forget the formalities and leap for sheer joy. That doesn’t mean these words are any easier to swallow, however. If we use a softened form of Jesus’s claim and say, “You can’t live without Jesus,” most folks will still find it distasteful. Which only goes to show, it’s not the strange mandate to eat his flesh and drink his blood, but the very notion that we need a Savior that people can’t stomach.

Faith and Practice:
In what specific ways do you need Jesus to fill you, like bread fills the ache of hunger?

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Ephesians 5:15-20

Wisdom is knowing how to walk. More specifically, it is knowing what to walk after, and what to walk away from.  

St. Paul directs us to walk away from:
Whatever evil of the day is in vogue (v. 16).
Folly. Foolheadedness. Which is different from being a holy fool (v. 17).
Drunkenness, or any similar excess. Anything that would fill you in place of the Spirit of God (v. 18).

St. Paul waves us on and chases us toward:
The revealed will of God. The kinds of things God would smile upon because they display his character (v. 17).
Anywhere the language of Gospel is the common tongue (v. 19).
Praise and thanksgiving, which always re-orders our view of the cosmos, when done right (v. 19, 20).

Maybe another way to sum up these two lists that St. Paul would approve of would be to say, always walk within reach of the cross and in orbit of the broken tomb.

Which certainly seems to resonate if we consider wisdom in light of the verse just before our selection starts -

“Awake, O sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.” - Eph. 5:14

This verse seems to suggest that wisdom is walking toward the light of Christ and walking away from all our comfortable deaths. Like a little kid following after a parent, jumping from deep footprint to deep footprint in the snow instead of trying to trudge his own path, wisdom is following after Jesus and knowing exactly where and where not to step.

Faith and Practice:
Today, where is Jesus pointing you to step? Are you following in his tracks, or cutting your own paths? What is the result?

“Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.” – Psalm 112:1-4

Psalm 112 is not in our lectionary readings this week, but it is a perfect complement to Psalm 111, and so it deserves our consideration as an extension of the previous psalm. If Psalm 111 is a praise psalm that lists all the attributes of God which his people love and admire and worship, then Psalm 112 is a praise psalm that lists all the attributes that well up in us as the side effects of belonging to God and being near to him. His attributes spill over into us who listen and watch for him, who cry out to and follow him. Maybe we could describe the relation of these two psalms this way - the point of nearness to God is greater likeness to him. This again may give us a clue as to the meaning of fear which appears in the first verse - fear is a voluntary exposure to God’s gracious power with the expectation, anticipation, and desire that it will alter the substance of who we are. The purpose of encountering Jesus at his cross, in his resurrection, through the outpouring and indwelling of his Spirit is fundamental and lasting change.

Psalm 112 holds out this same promise (because we are so prone to forget and chase after counterfeit promises) that by praising the qualities of our Father and King and Redeemer, and by adopting his character through wearing his commandments with delight (v. 1), we are changed and changing.

We are upright among the bent and crooked, and we hand uprightness down to our children and all who are part of us to use freely as they move through the world (v. 2). The upright see light where others can only see darkness (v. 4).

We are given wealth and riches as expressions of the godly attributes of generosity and mercy and justice (vs. 4, 5, 9). Notice how MUCH over-the-top generosity figures into the portrait painted by this psalm.

We are immovable in righteousness (v. 6). Jesus will preach two thousand years later in the Sermon on the Mount that, Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled to bursting. Go ahead! Indulge on righteousness. Be gluttonous in righteousness! In other words, once you have developed a taste for righteousness, everything else will be distasteful and stomach-turning.

And we have mountains for hearts (v. 6). Our hearts can’t be shaken. We laugh at bad news (v. 7), not because it isn’t real, but because it is not final. And more than that, all bad news is just another stage on which our God will play out the fullness of his inscrutable goodness to us. Whatever wounds us, whatever fills our eyes with tears, they only magnify God’s grace to us and so we will triumph over each of them in the end.

While every last enemy of godliness is devouring itself with its own angry gnashings (v. 10), we are preoccupied with chasing down holy resemblances, with the source of these traits himself cheers us on and fills us up. The good news that bleeds through this psalm is, you can come to him just as you are, but thank God on high through Christ, there is no way in heaven or earth he will leave you as you are.

Faith and Practice:
Choose an attribute from Psalm 112 and chase after it. Practice it. It will feel clunky and unnatural at first. It will become natural, the more you perform it.

“Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful… The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” - Psalm 111:1-4, 10

“Off to make unhappy people believe the world revolves around them,” my daughter, home from college for the summer, often chirps on her way out the door to wait tables. Thankfully the Psalms offer us no such charade, and to keep us from thinking too much of ourselves and too little of God, the psalmist throws eight psalms of praise into his song book. A psalm of praise is line after line of all the best attributes of who God is, and it is written as an acrostic, each line beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in successive order of course. The nifty acrostic trick doesn’t pop out in English translation, but it is enough to know that by using all 22 Hebrew letters, the author was sending the signal: This is a full list! This is how comprehensively good our God is, or at least as comprehensively as we are able to say it. The suggestion of singing through such a list was that if this inventory doesn’t make you love our God more, you are as dead as a slab of granite.

No surprise, wisdom is one of God’s attributes being showcased here (v. 10). Wisdom seems to be the incandescence of true knowing that lights up the darkness of confusion and despair. Refusing to escape the horrors of the cross and insisting on breaking out of the thieving tomb were acts of sheer wisdom on the part of God the Son, then.

The trouble with this Psalm is in 2 parts. First, the world is short on wisdom, and getting shorter every day. Secondly, the key to accessing wisdom somehow, is fear?! This is a very common biblical formula - the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. But fear can’t possibly mean what we fear it means in this case, all the preacherly and interpretive gymnastics to explain what fear is in this sense, all of which still leave too few of us feeling any more reverent, nor any closer to God, nor any wiser for God’s sake! Without dragging you through the technicalities, I will give you the best, sloppy translation I can cobble together. (If it works, use it, and don’t give the true linguists even a single further hearing!) To revere what God reveres is the beginning of wisdom. To love and value what God loves and values is the beginning of wisdom. To be captivated and taken with those things that enthrall God, namely the very attributes and character we have just listed and celebrated in our song, is true wisdom. If that is what the psalmist means, suddenly many more of us can participate in God’s wisdom. Wisdom is being swept away in God’s incomparable character, and the craving to display more of it ourselves.

If our interpretation is close....

...wisdom seems to appear in that moment when we stop caring so much whether we are noticed by the people around us, and we begin to care that the transformative work and presence of God in us is what other people see. It seems to be the shift in our being when we stop caring about whether we will go to heaven because we are much more concerned to look and feel like living, breathing chunks of heaven walking the earth. It seems to be the difference between reserving a corner of our hearts for the Living God and realizing that he means to take up every inch of them so there isn’t a hair’s breadth of room for anything else (v. 2).

Our drastic, and highly unauthorized, re-translation reads, WHAT GOD HIMSELF LOVES/REVERES/STANDS IN AWE OF HIMSELF IS THE BEGINNING OF ALL WISDOM. Or, put another way, TREASURING WHAT GOD TREASURES IS WISE. Wisdom seems to be, in the end, finally finding a far better love and being able to laugh off all lesser seductions.

Faith and Practice:
This should make the practice of wisdom more straightforward. In moments where wisdom is called for ask, “What attribute and character trait of the Living God would transform this situation? Through Christ, alive and active in me by his Spirit, how can I display more of those attributes and that character in this instant to the glory and rejoicing of God?”

“I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” - 1 Kings 3:13-14

Wise as Solomon is a misnomer if ever there was one. Humble as Solomon would be more in line. Mostly because, when it comes to wisdom, Solomon himself claims to be in short supply of the stuff (v. 7, 9). Because wise means something like, “not easily fooled, not even by the self.” It is extremely elusive, and the closest Solomon ever comes to it is realizing he doesn’t have anything like it.

Earlier in 1 Kings, David, the dying king, counsels Solomon the successor to not go easy on a traitor to the crown, “for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him” (2:9). David suggests the opposite of wisdom here, but he seems to define it spot on - knowing what to do when no one knows what to do. In this way, wise and wisdom seem less to be something you have as something you borrow. Wise and wisdom seem to be a spirit willing to listen and overhear the voice of God speaking from pure character into moments where the stakes are the very highest.

There is no shortage of academic arguing over Solomon’s age at this point in the narrative, mostly deriving from Solomon’s self-characterization in verse 7, “I am but a little child.” Tradition interprets Solomon’s claim by suggesting he is a 12-year-old boy at this time. Remember, though, in the previous chapter David has referred to him as a wise man. This has led other interpreters to estimate Solomon’s age at somewhere around twenty. The number of candles on Solomon’s birthday cake doesn’t matter any more than the breath he would need to puff them out. What Solomon is crying out in prayer over is not his age, but his aptitude. Solomon seems acutely aware that the worst imaginable trait for a king like him in a moment like this is swagger. Conversely, he also seems to realize that the best trait in the moment is smallness. When he prays, “I am but a little child,” he is saying something like, “I don’t measure up to the task, the responsibility, the office. I can’t carry this weight. I am undersized in every way.”

The reason children seem so well suited to the Gospel is, children know how to size themselves up honestly. When they are outmatched and they run up against their limits, children know how to assume the posture of worship - outstretched arms to be lifted up and empty, clutching hands eager to be filled. Children are willing to assess their need quickly and cry out for help in the next reflex. It’s this same child’s posture that rejoices at the unspeakable beauty of the cross, that laughs and dances on the threshold of the broken tomb, that gets a catch in the throat when served the bread and the wine, or when standing at the font and hearing the water of renewal poured over another little one. It is also not too much to say that to be as a little child is another way to describe what wise means.

In his child’s posture, Solomon somehow realized that God, on the contrary, is oversized to our every crisis. When Solomon cries out, “I can’t do this! I can’t compare to my father, I can’t meet the standards of righteous and faithful, I am not a great man to lead your great people, I can’t discern good from evil, when I leave the house in the morning I don’t feel like a conqueror, and when I punch out at the end of the day I feel like I’ve conquered even less!”, he is praying the Gospel. It is into desperate ears like these, into a yielded heart like this that God whispers, and it comes out in our world as wisdom. It comes out as justice and mercy and truth in a tangled argument between two prostitutes haggling over who had accidentally rolled over and smothered her baby in the brothel the night before (3:16-27). It comes out in the celebration of the people in the street that God would watch over them all through the admitted smallness of the king (3:28), and it even comes out renamed by the end of the chapter - what we commonly call the wisdom of Solomon is properly credited as the wisdom of God (3:28).

The most world-shaking prayer any of us could utter, even in the hurry and clamor of an ordinary day, is “I am a little child,” with outstretched arms and clutching hands, of course. It is the true prayer of faith, the one that God is pleased to answer with Gospel surprise. Don’t be shocked to hear or feel his whisper in the desperate moments if you add this prayer to your regular line up of cries and pleas. AND, if God does something for you like he did for Solomon, if he loans not only his wisdom, but also throws honor and abundance on top of it - well, the trick of it is, wisdom will help you to see right through those, too.

Faith and Practice:
1) Is your own self-reliance and swagger standing in the way of enjoying more of the Gospel?
2) Make it a priority to pray in desperate moments, “I am a child.” Keep track of how many times you pray this way, and keep track of how Jesus answers.

“Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.” - 1 Kings 2:10-12

The trouble with the death of a king is always in the successor. What kind of king will we get next? Better? Or worse?

As the shadow of death drew long on David’s doorstep, there were plenty of challengers to the throne, but it was hard to imagine there would be a king better than David. When Jesus came along 2,000 years later, not simply as successor but also as the ideal, many had trouble imagining him as a king at all. To be fair, he didn’t exactly look like a king, mostly because while the history and culture of Israel told the story and previewed the shape of his kingship, his kingdom was not limited to Israel. He was easy to miss without the eyes of faith. The only way to trace his royal right was through his connection to David. There was of course the lineage of ancestry to appeal to, but the similarities between the two were also meant to be revelatory.

Similarity 1: The City of David - David’s final resting place (v. 10) was also the site of Jesus’s birth thanks to the census decreed by Herod Agrippa. The circumstances were divinely aligned to present Jesus an heir of David.

Similarity 2: Contested Kingship - When David was anointed king, not everyone was ready to receive him, particularly Saul, the sitting king and his supporters. David’s obituary acknowledges the contested start to David’s reign – “And the time David reigned over Israel was forty years,” the text reminds us, and also points out that seven of those forty years were in exile in Hebron. David was accepted as king in the southern region of Judah, but to the north in the territories of Israel, one of Saul’s loyal generals set up a son of Saul as a rival king (2 Samuel 2:1-11). When Jesus began to announce himself, his reign was hotly contested for three years. Roman magistrates and company men, Jewish puppet kings and high court grifters, religious establishment types, paramilitary operators and Make-Israel-Great-Again organizers, demons and devils - all took their turns challenging Jesus’s appointed march to the throne.

Similarity 3: Established Reign - Finally, the elders of Israel have had enough of rivalries and pledge themselves to David as king of a new united kingdom comprising Israel and Judah. Thirty-three years he reigned over this expanded kingdom from Jerusalem, or City of Peace. Jesus also firmly established his own reign of peace by slipping free of the tomb. Former rivals and resistors came under his reign of peace at Pentecost with the pouring out of his Spirit of love and loyalty.

And this is where the pattern of similarity gloriously breaks. The text says David slept with his fathers (v. 10). David died like the rest of them. Jesus shattered death’s teeth and stood back up out of sleep. The text says Solomon sat on the throne of David his father (v. 12). At least for one more generation, God’s people would have a decent successor. Jesus on the other hand, took his seat on the throne with the eternal heavenly Father, and there he remains, his reign unbroken today and forever. Jesus will have no successor. He is the first and final king. We never have to worry about corrupt and abusive rule again because whatever earthly powers may rise, we serve the unbeatable king in his unbeatable kingdom.

Wisdom suggests that to resist God’s chosen king is to defy God himself. On the other hand, to bow with trust and contented surrender before God’s chosen king is to inherit his inexhaustible blessing.

Faith and Practice:
How do you assess your relation to the reign of Jesus? Do you despise it? Do you acknowledge but resist the way he rules our world and your days? Do you push toward practicing contented surrender?

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. – The Book of Common Prayer, The Collect for Year B, Proper 14

This week, we have read a lot about God’s call on our lives. First and foremost, we are to believe in Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he made for us. We are to wait and long for the eternal life he promises. We are to feast on the Bread of Life and imitate Jesus in all we do. We are to extend his love and grace to those around us. We are to treat one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to live in faith and gratitude. The collect provides a rather succinct summary of that list: we are to think and do always what is right and live according to God’s will.  

The prayer above also addresses why and how we are to do that. First, we are compelled to obey because God, our Creator, demands it. We acknowledge and revere him as the source of all life, earthly and eternal. Second, we obey because we have been transformed by the extravagant love Christ demonstrated on the cross. Finally, we know that only the Bread of Life can truly satisfy us; only Jesus offers salvation and eternal life.

Even if we are motivated to live according to God’s will, that’s a pretty tall order. We are all flawed and frail human beings. We cannot do it on our own. Fortunately, we don’t have to. If we ask him, the Lord will enable us. If we invite him, the indwelling Holy Spirit will instruct, strengthen, and guide us. If we cry out to him, God will hear and answer our pleas. And, if we confess when we stumble, Jesus freely offers the forgiveness and salvation he purchased with his life. Our triune God stands ready to equip us for every challenge and meet our every need.

Take a few moments to reflect on this week’s readings. Which passage inspired or convicted you the most? Which aspects of God’s call are most challenging for you? How is he calling you to live into your saving faith and his will more fully?

Reflection:
May God grant us the spirit to think and do always what is right.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Ephesians 5:1-2

When I was in middle school, I imitated everything my oldest sister said and did, much to her chagrin. If you have siblings or children of your own, you’ve probably experienced this adolescent phenomenon. I copied her clothes, her hairstyle, the food she ate, and the music she liked. I eavesdropped on her conversations and pored over the notes she exchanged with her friends, studying how she thought, spoke, and interacted with others. I even tried to play tennis like she did, a laughably futile endeavor, as I am neither coordinated nor athletic. Admittedly, some of my methods were questionable, but my motive was pure: I thought she was amazing, and I wanted to be just like her.

That is the type of unabashed adoration to which Paul calls us in the verses above. While yesterday’s reading contained specific instructions about behavior, today the apostle zooms out so we can see the bigger picture. The focus shifts from what we do to why we do it. We are to be so awestruck by who Jesus is and what he has done for us that we dedicate ourselves to becoming more like him. Not by copying his clothes or specific deeds, but rather, his relentless pursuit of God’s will and his abiding love for others. We are to study his life, his works, and his words, seeking an ever-deeper understanding through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are to embrace our role as beloved children of God and imitate him in everything we do.
   
The question “What Would Jesus Do?” appears on jewelry, t-shirts, posters, and screensavers around the world because it encapsulates a basic tenet of our faith: Jesus is the only perfect role model. My sister, who truly is amazing, would be the first to admit she is not worthy of such devotion. Nor are the celebrities, power execs, politicians, and athletes our society so reveres. We can certainly admire and emulate positive attributes in those around us, but our adoration must be reserved for the only one who is truly worthy. Jesus is our infallible compass, the only example that will never lead us astray. May we imitate him in all things.

Reflection:
Are you walking in love, following Christ’s perfect example? Where and how is he calling you to imitate him today?

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:25-32

While researching a historical project, I recently came across several U.S. war bond advertisements from the1940s. Sponsored by local businesses, they ranged from silly to sweet and somber to slightly aggressive. As you might expect, they all solicited investments. But I was surprised to find that some of the broader messages they contain mirror what we read in today’s passage from Ephesians: “Give no opportunity to the devil… let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths… let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice” (verses 17, 29, and 31).

One of the most striking ads from the World War II era features a drawing of a woman’s profile with the headline “Saboteur? Who me? Yes, lady, it’s you!” Like I said, slightly aggressive. And yet, it is also pertinent and convicting, as the text goes on to say: “Remember, how you talked about your neighbors down the street, who go to a different church? Remember those thoughtless remarks you made about folks whose skin was a different color, or whose names were hard to pronounce… You are doing the thing our enemies want most for you to do.” Other ads echo that same theme, warning readers about “rumor bullets” that create disunity and entreating them not to play the enemy’s game.  

Whoever wrote these ads was clearly fired up. They were also right. The enemy has always seized upon any opportunity to sow seeds of discord and division, just as he does now. Words are powerful. They can be tools that build or weapons that destroy. They can encourage those around us or tear them down. They can advance the kingdom of God or undermine it.  

It has been almost 80 years since those ads were published, and yet they are still applicable today. Our society is extremely focused on the differences between us – race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation. Even within the church, we see divisions between denominations. We forget that all of us share one Creator, one Savior, one path to eternal life. When we speak, let it be “only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (v. 29).

Reflection:
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). Take a few moments and ask God to place his thoughts in your heart and his words on your tongue.

“And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.’ And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.” – 2 Samuel 18:5

If King David and his family were alive today, they could star in their own soap opera or reality show. Here’s a quick recap in case you missed the last few episodes: David’s son Amnon raped his sister Tamar. Absalom, David’s son by another woman, demanded vengeance and killed his step-brother. David, who favored Absalom over all of his other children, nevertheless exiled him for his crime. After three years, the king relented and allowed his wayward son to return. Absalom said “Thanks, Dad,” and promptly began scheming to overthrow him.

In today’s reading, Absalom has raised an army against his father. The future of the kingdom is as stake. And yet, in another interesting plot twist, David instructed his commanders not to harm his son. All of them heard the order, but only one of them obeyed. When they found Absalom dangling from a tree with his head caught between two branches (you can’t make this stuff up), Joab and the others decided they knew best and killed him. Then they rushed back to the palace and essentially said, “Great news, King David, we defied your explicit orders and murdered your son!” I’m not sure how they expected him to react, but we read that “the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept” (v. 33).

Despite the fact that his son was trying to steal his throne, David offered forgiveness. Even though Absalom would almost certainly have killed him given the chance, the king extended grace. His purpose was reconciliation, not destruction. He longed to unify his people and his family. And he mourned when he lost his child. David frequently modeled sin and human frailty, but in this case, he demonstrated God’s boundless love for his children.

Sometimes we get mired down in our failures and sins. We wonder how God could ever want or forgive us after all we have done. And yet, if a human father is capable of such extravagant grace and forgiveness, how much more can our heavenly Father pour out upon us! David was no paragon of virtue. His transgressions included adultery and murder, to name a few. And yet, the Lord forgave and redeemed him time and time again. We, like David, are invited to receive those gifts. As we shall see tomorrow, we are also called to share them with others.
   
Reflection:
Are you holding on to past sins? Ask God to help you release them and accept his unconditional love and forgiveness.

“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” - Psalm 130:5-6

One of the most challenging aspects of God’s call on our lives is to wait, to hope and trust in the future he promises, regardless of what is happening in the present. Psalm 130 is beautiful and moving in its entirety, but I particularly love the imagery in the passage above. The watchmen had good reason to long for the morning. First of all, darkness was dangerous. It was far easier for enemy forces to approach undetected under cover of night. As the first line of defense against a surprise attack, the sentries were also the first target of the adversaries, who sought to silence them before they could sound the alarm.  

As crucial and perilous as their duty was, it could also be exceedingly dull. There is a common military saying that war is “hours of interminable boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.” I suspect that is an apt description of the night watch as well. Most of the time, nothing happened. No one approached or attacked. Instead, hour after hour passed in darkness and heavy silence. As anyone who has worked the nightshift can attest, it is extremely difficult to adjust our circadian rhythms. These men not only had to stay awake but also vigilant in case the enemy attacked; people’s lives depended on them. As dawn approached, I imagine their eyes scanned the horizon for the first shafts of light, knowing that daybreak would bring safety and rest.  

All of us will experience periods of darkness in this fallen world. Like the watchmen, we are called to endure and remain vigilant against the enemy’s attacks. Just as they longed for the rising sun, we are to place our hope and expectations in the risen Son and the eternal life he promises. What does that look like in our day and age? Mark Richt, former college football coach and current commentator, recently announced he has Parkinson’s disease. His statement read, in part: “Truthfully I look at [th]is as momentary light affliction compared to the future glory in heaven. Thank you Jesus for promising us a future blessing of a glorified body that has no sin and no disease. In the meantime I am going to enjoy the blessings that I do have.” What an incredible declaration of faith, hope, and gratitude! While he knows that his remaining time on earth will be difficult and painful, his eyes are set on the eternal glory that awaits.

When darkness threatens to engulf us, may we fix our gaze on the horizon and trust in the Light of the World.

Reflection:
How does God’s promise of eternal glory and peace change your perspective on your current circumstances?

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” – John 6:47-51

Apparently, the crowd still wasn’t getting it because this is the third time in fifteen verses that Jesus identified himself as the Bread of Life, the path to eternal salvation. The first time, the people demanded he perform a sign or work as proof. The second time, they grumbled because he made such an audacious claim. After all, they knew his family. He didn’t come down from heaven, he was born up the road! Once again, the Messiah was rejected by his own people. Would the third time be the charm? (Spoiler alert: no.)

Jesus also repeated, for the third time, that “whoever believes has eternal life” (v. 47). It sounds simple, right? Well, yes and no. The moment we accept Christ as our Savior we are assured of eternal life. However, the kind of belief to which Jesus calls us is not a one-and-done proposition. We cannot simply proclaim our faith; we have to live it. Every day. In every circumstance. We are to be so overwhelmed by Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, by the gift of salvation, that we are transformed. We become new creations who think, speak, and behave differently. We pursue God’s will and agenda, rather than our own. We feast on the Bread of Life, rather than the treats of this world.

Over the next few days, we will explore passages that describe this type of saving faith. We will read instructions about how the Lord’s children are to behave toward him and each other. Believing in the Son of God and the eternal life he offers is a critical first step. Living that faith is an ongoing process. Thankfully, we have Jesus’ example, Scripture, and the Holy Spirit to guide us on the journey.

Reflection:
Does your daily life reflect your saving faith? Ask the Lord how he wants to continue shaping you into a new creation.

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.’” - John 6:35-37

Like most parents, my mom and dad tried to do everything right as they raised their young children. Part of that plan was nourishing their minds and bodies with a healthy diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grain breads. Everything went swimmingly for years until, one day, my sister had a playdate at a friend’s house. On the drive home, she breathlessly declared that she had discovered something amazing called… Wonder Bread. My mom’s dramatic imitation of the announcement is hilarious, but I know she groaned when the inevitable exposure occurred. My sister didn’t care that the bread was chock full of additives or that it was less nutritious and filling than what she ate at home; she only cared that it was delicious. And she wanted more. (For the record, she grew up to be an extremely healthy and nutrition-conscious adult.)

Our world offers a seemingly endless array of tasty morsels and tempting treats, and the menu extends far beyond food. Some items can be enjoyed in moderation, while others are inherently toxic and destructive. Many promise to feed our bodies, minds, and souls, but none will ever truly satisfy us. Our appetite will always return. We will want more, or we will begin to crave new flavors and experiences. Only Jesus, the Bread of Life, can completely and permanently assuage our hunger.

We have seen this theme before. Jesus told the woman at the well that “everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14). Why bread and water? Why not wine and honey cakes, both of which existed during Jesus’ day and, frankly, sound a lot more appealing? Bread and water were staples of survival; they were absolutely necessary. Obviously, water is still vital and, as far as I’m concerned, so is bread. Jesus was highlighting our innate and inescapable need for the salvation he offers. We cannot have eternal life without him.

Only Jesus can truly satisfy our hunger and slake our thirst. And yet, many of us (myself included) have to learn this lesson over and over. We turn to worldly sources of fulfillment and satisfaction before remembering they are hollow. Thankfully, he is patient and steadfast in his love. He will always welcome us back. He promises that he will never cast out those who believe (v. 37).

May we choose to feast on the Bread of Life rather than the empty offerings around us!        

Reflection:
Where do you turn for nourishment and sustenance? Do you look to the Bread of Life or the Wonder Bread of this world?

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” – Psalm 51:1-2

Throughout my twenty-five years of ministry, countless people have told me that, if God knew what they had done, he would not want anything to do with them. If I am honest, I have entertained similar thoughts about myself. When we allow God’s light to shine into our lives, we see all of the messes hidden behind our many facades. But those sins and dirty little secrets were never hidden from the Lord. He has always known and will always know everything about us, and still, he chooses to offer us abundant mercy through his Son. In his steadfast love, he welcomes sinners into his perfect embrace.  

The Bible is full of stories about people who received God’s grace and steadfast love, despite committing some fairly spectacular sins. Moses was a murderer. Saul viciously persecuted the Christians before his conversion. King David is another prime example. First, he had an affair with another man’s wife. Not only did he lure Bathsheba into adultery, but then he had her husband, a righteous man, killed on the battlefield to hide her pregnancy. King David was a royal failure! While he tried to conceal his sins, the Lord confronted him through the prophet Nathan. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of God.  

Although the Lord confronted King David about his sin, he did not turn away from him. Isn’t that beautiful and amazing? He continued to love David, to forgive him, and to use him for his purposes. What an awesome demonstration of God’s grace, steadfast love, and redemption! While David would experience the consequences of his sin, the Lord stayed close and continued to work in his life.

Human beings are inclined toward extremes. Some people stubbornly refuse to acknowledge their sin at all. They know it exists, and it might even eat away at their conscience, but they do not want to shine a light into those dark places. At the other end of the spectrum are people who see their sin and choose to wallow in their failure. They allow their flaws and mistakes to define them and prevent them from accepting Christ’s salvation. But the Lord convicts us of sin so that we can see it, acknowledge it, and then turn from it. That is the process of repentance. After receiving Jesus’ forgiveness, we are to move on, knowing those sins have been washed clean. Paul says we are new creations in Christ; the old is gone and the new is come (2 Corinthians 5:17). That new creation is a one-time experience of justification and an ongoing experience of sanctification. Sin is never to define us or hold us back, for the grace of Jesus Christ has set us free from that bondage.  

If a man anointed to be the king of Israel could fall to such depths of sin and receive God’s abundant mercy and forgiveness, so can we. Will we allow God to reveal our sin? Will we acknowledge it? And once we turn from that sin, will we fully embrace the mercy and forgiveness he offers? There is nothing that can separate you from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39)! You cannot out-sin God’s grace! His mercy is abundant, as is his steadfast love. May you come before him ready to be cleansed, healed, forgiven, and redeemed. And may you rejoice that his mercy and love will always be there when you stumble or falter. He is ready to receive you today, tomorrow and every day until you see him face to face.  

Reflection:
Spend some time praying David’s beautiful and heartfelt words. What does the Lord want you to know about your sin and his mercy and love?

“Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” – Ephesians 4:15-16

I have heard the truth spoken boldly but without love, and it cuts to the quick. I wondered if the words were intended to hurt me or truly help me change. Paul lived and taught a very different way. He called people to speak the truth of Jesus Christ, to encourage faithfulness and purity, but to do so from a posture of love. The goal should always be to build up, rather than tear down. If legalism could actually change lives and hearts, the Pharisees would have raised up faithful followers. However, Jesus challenged the Pharisees to stop focusing on outward appearances and focus on the heart. Speaking the truth in love means addressing a person’s innermost being. What is happening within them that leads to wayward living? What beliefs might be distorting their understanding of the truth?  

When speaking the truth in love, we are to remember how God has dealt with us. While we were still sinners, he sent his Son to die for us. He calls us to himself and covers us in grace and righteousness through Jesus. Time and time again, he exercises divine patience and expresses his steadfast love. The Lord sees and understands everything about us. While he accepts us in our sin, he also calls us to deeper sanctification, to become more and more like his Son. That is where we are called to come together as the body of Christ. We are called to accept and love one another where we are. However, as we read in Proverbs: “Iron sharpens iron” (27:17). While accepting one another as we are is important, it is equally important to exhort one another, to challenge weaknesses or wrong thinking, and to pray for one another. Beyond that, God also encourages us to be accountable to one another.  

Relationships can be very hard work! That is why it is so important to heed Paul’s words and speak the truth in love. When you approach me with a godly challenge, I am going to be uncomfortable. No one likes to hear that they are living in sin. However, if I know that you are challenging me out of love for me and commitment to my well-being, I am much more inclined to receive the words and to ask for help in implementing them. The truth of the matter is that I need you and you need me. God created us to be interdependent. We begin with the vertical relationship to the triune God then move to the horizontal relationship with God’s children. One informs the other.  

How are you speaking the truth in love? How are you receiving the truth spoken in love? Do you recognize that, while God loves you just as you are, he longs to see you transformed into the image of Jesus Christ? And do you recognize that your brothers and sisters in Christ are part of that sanctification for you, just as you are for them?

Lord, we pray that our hearts would be softened to your truth, that we would be faithful conduits of that truth to one another, and that we would live into and out of your love.  

Reflection:
Where can you speak the truth in love today? Where can you receive the truth spoken in love today?

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” – Ephesians 4:11-14

How many times have you heard people declare that they don’t need to belong to a church to be a Christian? There is some truth in their statement, as well as much error. The only requirement for becoming a child of God is faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord calls individuals into relationship with himself, first and foremost. However, he did not design us to remain alone and independent. He created us to live in relationship with the body of Christ.  

Yesterday, we considered the different gifts the Lord distributes to his people, gifts that equip them to serve the church in various and complementary ways. The Lord’s plan is for his children to use those gifts to support and strengthen one another. Some will share the Gospel and lead new believers to Christ; others will teach the ways of the Lord. Some will exhort through words of prophecy; others will nurture and comfort in times of need. As we read yesterday, no one receives all gifts, and no one is called to serve in every capacity. We are to come together and share our gifts for our mutual benefit.  

Why? So that our faith can grow and mature! So that we do not remain gullible or naïve. The enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), so we must remain on guard against his mischievous ways. When we feel discouraged, we can invite the prophet to pray and speak. When we feel immature in our understanding of Scripture, we can invite the teacher to elaborate and instruct. For every instance in our lives, God provides people within his body to minister to us. Ultimately, the Lord longs for us to look to him. Yet, he also knows that we need each other, for that is how he designed us.  

God calls you and me to continue growing in our faith. It is a lifelong journey that requires participating in the body of Christ, giving of our gifts, and receiving from others. If you find yourself flailing in your faith, talk to the Lord and talk to his people. Through his lavish distribution of gifts, we can receive what we need to faithfully walk through every season, every trial, and every opportunity that comes in this life.  

Reflection:
Take a few minutes to consider if you are truly growing in spiritual maturity right now. How might the Lord be calling you to draw closer to the body of Christ for this season?

“But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’ (In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” – Ephesians 4:7-12

As a parent of three wonderful children, I like to think that I distribute my attention, love, support, and money fairly. However, each of my children is a very different person with different needs. There is simply no way to maintain fairness in our relationships. In fact, attempting to do so would be to the detriment of each child.  

These days, fairness is often held up as the highest standard. However, is that really how we want the Father to treat us? Our initial response is likely to be, “Of course I want God to be fair in his dealings with me!” Yet, if we stop and consider what we truly deserve from a holy, holy, holy Lord, we might quickly reconsider. If God were fair with his people, none of us would receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of salvation. Thankfully, he is not fair in his judgement.  

Nor, as Paul tells us, is the Lord fair in his distribution of spiritual gifts. Instead, he allocates them according to his good measure. Some people are called to be apostles or prophets, others are to serve as evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. As we saw in yesterday’s reading, all of us are to walk in a way that is worthy of our calling, whatever that might be. And all of us are called to live in unity, providing support and strength for one another. God distributes his gifts to different members of the body so that we will live in relationship with each other, depend on each other, and sharpen one another.  

That was true in Paul’s day and is true today. We have all have been given spiritual gifts and we each have a unique call to serve the body of Christ and the world. There are still apostles who proclaim the word of the Lord. There are still prophets who faithfully speak his truth. There are modern evangelists who share the good news of Jesus Christ. Just imagine how many people came to the Lord through Billy Graham’s messages. There are shepherds, often referred to as pastors, who nurture and care for God’s people. They might do so by preaching from the pulpit, praying in a hospital room, or counseling those in need. Finally, some are called to teach God’s people. Whatever the format, the key is to teach the Scripture and truth about Jesus in a way that is understandable and relatable.  

God gives his children spiritual gifts so they can bless one another. All work together to build and strengthen his body.  

Reflection:
Are you strengthened in your faith by the spiritual gifts God has given your brothers and sisters in Christ? Are you faithfully using and enjoying the gifts he has entrusted to you?

“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” – Ephesians 4:4-6

In the preceding verses, Paul issued a tall order to God’s children: walk with humility, gentleness, patience, and bear with one another in love. While these qualities were despised in Roman culture, Jesus demonstrated them throughout his life and death. Now, his followers were called to demonstrate them in the church, their homes, and their communities. I suspect the Ephesians squirmed when they read this passage, just as we do today. After all, these traits are not exactly inherent to human beings. They are, however, intrinsic qualities of the Holy Spirit that dwells and works within God’s children.  

Paul assured the Ephesians that, through the Holy Spirit, they could embrace humility in a world that valued ego and pride. Through the Spirit, they could respond to the weakness and needs of others with gentleness, rather than disdain or judgment. They could display God’s patience toward those who were slow to change or embrace the faith. They could even show patience in their own suffering, trials, and tribulations. That was profound!  

Lastly, through the Holy Spirit, they could bear with one another in love. There will always be some people who are easy for us to love and others who require the work of the Spirit in our hearts. Rick Warren calls the latter “extra grace required people.” They irk us, get under our skin, and make us want to lash out or run and hide. However, Paul says to move out of the flesh and into the Spirit – love when it is hard; love when you want to hate; love when it hurts. Bearing with one another means staying in relationship and community, becoming one through the Spirit.  

Paul had experienced the extravagant love of Christ, and he knew that receiving such a gift demanded he share it with others. The same is true for his readers, then and now. While the world focuses on the differences and divisions between us, God calls his children to unite in his love, to form one body through the Holy Spirit. We are to set aside our differences and embrace the fundamental truths: “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (v. 6).  

Reflection:
How are you working to reconcile and unite the people of God? What more might he be calling you to do today?

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” – Ephesians 4:1-3

Paul saw himself and his circumstances from a divine perspective. He was not a prisoner of Rome, but rather a prisoner for the Lord. His work had not been halted, but merely relocated. Even though proclaiming the Gospel landed him in jail to begin with, Paul never lost his faith or his fervor. Instead, he continued his ministry from behind bars. Since he could not get to the church in Ephesus, he wrote them a letter to encourage and nurture them in their faith.  

The previous portion of his letter contains a beautiful prayer for their spiritual strength, which ends with a reminder that God can do abundantly more than we could ever ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). Paul assured them of God’s infinite love for them and his boundless power to work on their behalf. In today’s reading, Paul called the Ephesians to live into that love and power “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love” (v. 2).  

Paul chose to view his life from God’s divine perspective, and he taught his readers to do the same. In all circumstances, they were to live into the Lord’s love, grace, goodness, sovereignty, and steadfast patience. Receiving these gifts, they were called to humility toward the Lord and one another. Of course, living in relationship with a perfect God was, and is, much easier than living in relationship with God’s imperfect children. Despite the gifts of salvation and sanctification, every person is a work in progress. Christians annoy one another, disappoint one another, sin against each other, and fail each other. Yet, Paul called them to persevere in relationship and to demonstrate the gentleness, patience, and love that God had shown them. This was not, and is not, an easy charge, especially in a world that harbors division and seems to embrace hostility.  

I can’t help but wonder what Paul would like to say to us today. Certainly, his words ring as true now as they did back then. However, even in the church, it seems we are more inclined to anger, judgement, and dismissal than humility, gentleness, and love. Paul exhorted the Ephesians to walk in a manner worthy of their calling; I believe he would exhort us to do the same today. We are all called to live “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love” (v. 2).  

May the Spirit pierce your heart and mine with these powerful words today!

Reflection:
How is the Lord convicting you today and how will you respond?

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” – Ephesians 4:1-3

The apostle Paul always knew who he was and what he was called to do – for good and for bad. Prior to his conversion on the road to Damascus, he was a Pharisee committed to protecting and upholding the Jewish faith. He fervently embraced his perceived calling to destroy all those who proclaimed Jesus Christ as the Messiah and who continued to build his church. That was, until Paul actually encountered Jesus. In a blazing light that knocked him to the ground and blinded him, Paul (then Saul) met the risen Lord, the very Messiah he denied. From that moment on, Paul’s identity completely changed. He was no longer Saul, Pharisee of Pharisees, but rather Paul, the least of the apostles. Upon beholding Jesus, Paul saw himself from a new, divine perspective and it changed everything: his life, identity, calling, and ministry!

Paul wrote his letter to the church in Ephesus from a Roman prison cell. Notice how his divine perspective informed his writing. He didn’t bemoan his situation or complain about being held captive by the Roman government. Instead, Paul referred to himself as a prisoner for the Lord. He believed in the absolute sovereignty of God and trusted his purpose and plan. Paul knew that he belonged to an authority far greater than any Roman official.  

The apostle could easily have gotten mired down in the abuses and humiliations of his captivity. Instead, God’s perspective opened his eyes to the opportunities that surrounded him, even in jail. He preached to the Roman guards, reaching an entirely new audience. He wrote to the Ephesians, nurturing their fledgling faith and (though he did not know it yet) the faith of Christians for centuries to come. Maybe he was able to receive visitors and pray for others with better focus and presence. In all things, Paul trusted in God’s sovereign plan and purpose, and he sought to work according to that plan and purpose.  

Do you also seek God’s divine perspective in all things – your health, relationships, work environment, challenges, finances, etc.? Trusting in God’s sovereignty can change everything in your life, just as it did Paul’s. Like the apostle, you can come to believe and profess that God works all things for good for those who trust him (Romans 8:28).  

Reflection:
How is the Lord calling you to adopt a new, divine perspective on situations in your life?

“And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they told him, ‘John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.” - Mark 8:27-30

The entirety of Mark’s Gospel has been leading up to this point. Who is Jesus? Obviously, the Son of God knew exactly who he was and what he had come to do. And we have read before about those who believed he was John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets. A Gentile woman called him Lord and a legion of demons addressed him as Son of the Most High God. But in today’s passage, the disciples faced a moment of truth when Jesus asked them point blank who they thought he was.  

Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus performed many mighty works. As the people said after he healed the deaf mute: “He has done all things well” (Mark 7:37). For those who had eyes to see and ears to hear, there was no doubt that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. He was the promised Messiah for the nation of Israel. Who else could heal disease, drive out demons, raise the dead, calm storms, and feed multitudes with a few loaves and fish? Though clearly a man of power and authority, he also demonstrated tremendous love and compassion for his people. He was a shepherd, teacher, and preacher who could captivate a crowd for three entire days!  

Clearly, there were a number of theories about who Jesus was. After they touched on a few of the most prevalent, Jesus asked the disciples directly who they thought he was. And, for the first time in Mark’s Gospel, he was proclaimed the Christ. While we are very familiar with this term, it was not one that the Jews of the day bandied about lightly. It was the ultimate designation, a title reserved for the anointed one who was set apart by God to be his instrument of salvation. Jesus, as the Christ, was the living God, the Lord made manifest. This was the first indication that any of the disciples recognized who Jesus truly was. At least for that moment, Peter’s eyes were opened and he saw clearly.  

As soon as Peter uttered the words, Jesus demanded the disciples keep his identity a secret. While many people longed to celebrate Jesus as their rightful Lord, that was not the way of the suffering Messiah. Instead of being elevated as an earthly king, he would be humiliated and crucified as a criminal. The disciples and others who thought the Messiah would save his people with a snap of the finger were in for a rude awakening. Jesus would deliver them and author their salvation, but it would not unfold in the way they expected or desired.  

Peter’s acknowledgment marks a turning point in Mark’s Gospel, as Jesus begins his journey toward Jerusalem and then Calvary. It was not what the disciples wanted for their friend, Messiah, and Savior. But, as always, Jesus followed the path of God rather than man. The disciples still had many challenging lessons to learn about what it means to follow Jesus. And Peter’s proclamation would echo in their minds and hearts for years to come.  

Who do you believe Jesus is? That is the most important question you can ever ask or be asked. Is he a good prophet and teacher? A way to the Lord? Or is he the Christ, the anointed one who came to author for your salvation? If you choose the latter, a natural follow-up question is whether your life reflects that belief. Have you chosen to surrender yourself and your life to him completely? He will change everything as he calls you to be his disciple, to learn from him, and to join him in building the kingdom of God.  

Reflection:
Jesus said he was the way, not a way, to the Father. Have you put your faith in him and are you walking in his way?

“And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, ‘Do you see anything?’ And he looked up and said, ‘I see people, but they look like trees, walking.’ Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, ‘Do not even enter the village.’” - Mark 8:22-26

After the encounter with the Pharisees, Jesus and the Twelve climbed in a boat and pushed off from the shore. At some point, the disciples realized they had only one loaf of bread between them and grew concerned. As he listened to their conversation, Jesus must have once again “sighed deeply in his spirit” (Mark 8:12). They were worried about bread, of all things! He warned them that, even though they witnessed his miraculous works first-hand, they still were not manifesting true faith. Like the Pharisees, they saw but did not perceive and heard but did not comprehend. Their hearts were still hard and they could not yet understand (Mark 8:21). Even as he rebuked them, however, Jesus offered them grace and hope.  

After this teachable moment, the boat arrived in Bethsaida and Jesus was approached by a group of people leading a blind man. They begged Jesus to touch him, believing that simple act would restore his sight. Instead, Jesus led the blind man out of the village, just as he had the deaf mute. Then he did something rather unusual - he spit on the man’s eyes before laying hands on them. When Jesus asked if he could see anything, the man replied that people looked like trees walking around. Even without an optical exam, it’s pretty obvious his vision was not yet 20/20. Jesus touched the man’s eyes again and, this time, his sight was fully restored. He could see clearly.  

It was another powerful demonstration of Jesus’ ability and willingness to heal, and yet we are left with several questions. Why did this healing occur in stages when all of the others had been complete and instantaneous? Why did Jesus spit on the deaf mute and the blind man, while the bleeding woman was cured by simply touching his robe? Why was the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter healed with a word from afar, while Jairus’ daughter died waiting for Jesus to arrive? Of course, he later raised her from the dead, but the question remains.  

The bottom line is we don’t know. Jesus does not work according to our plans and desires; he works according the sovereign will of the Father. Sometimes we experience instant healing. Sometimes we have to persevere in our request, trusting in his power, compassion, and perfect timing. And sometimes, healing is a process, a journey of gradual illumination and restoration.  

As the Son of God, Jesus doesn’t have to explain why he does things the way he does. But he promises that we can come to him, bring our loved ones to him, and trust that he can and will heal. Jesus does not work according to our ways, but he always works according to the perfect ways of his Father! May we come before him with open eyes that see him and all that he is doing today.  

Reflection:
How might the Lord want to illuminate his work in your life? Ask him to open your eyes so that you can see him clearly.

“The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, ‘Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.’ And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.” - Mark 8:11-13

Jesus had raised the dead, healed the deaf and blind, cast out demons, and cured diseases. He had also fed a multitude with a few loaves and a couple of fish. Twice. Still, the Pharisees demanded a sign from heaven to prove his power and authority were legitimate. Seriously? I love Mark’s description of Jesus’ response: “And he sighed deeply in his spirit” (v. 12).  

Mark is once again creating a narrative sandwich. Just prior to this encounter with the Pharisees, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and mute. As we shall see in the next passage, he then healed a blind man. The first man’s ears were opened; he heard the word of the Lord and believed. The second man’s eyes were opened; he saw Jesus’ mighty works and believed. Meanwhile, the religious leaders, who knew every messianic prophesy and promise, were deaf and blind. They did not have ears to hear or eyes to see the truth about who Jesus was.  

The Pharisees were learned men, well-versed in religious texts. Surely they recognized that Jesus was fulfilling the prophesies of old. Why, then, did they insist on challenging and testing him at every opportunity? Why did they resist him so tenaciously? I cannot answer that question definitively, but I can offer two possible theories.

First, they questioned Jesus’ power and authority because it undermined their own. Until now, the people had looked to them for spiritual guidance and instruction. They were the ones who enforced religious law and interpreted Scripture. To be blunt, Jesus was stealing their thunder. Not only was he captivating crowds, he was teaching Gentiles and Jews alike. He threatened the Pharisees’ entire identity as leaders among God’s chosen people.  

Second, the Pharisees had very clear expectations for the Messiah. He would be strong and powerful, not kind and humble. He would adhere to and uphold religious laws, rather than defying them. (He certainly would not let his disciples eat with unwashed hands!) Most importantly, he would free the Israelites from Roman oppression and restore the Jewish nation to power and freedom. Jesus did not exactly fit that description. He was much more concerned with teaching, preaching, and healing than defeating the Romans. And his goal was to build God’s kingdom, not an earthly nation. According to the Pharisees’ narrow definition, there was simply no way Jesus could be the Messiah.  

These religious leaders were so focused on their agenda that they completely missed God’s, even as it unfolded right before them. After the encounter, Jesus used them as an example and cautioned the disciples about the dangers of unbelief and hard-heartedness. Mark offers us the same warning. What agendas blind us to the work of Jesus and the kingdom of God? Are we more concerned with power, prestige, or earthly riches than heavenly values? As disciples, we must constantly pray that our eyes and ears will be opened, our hearts made soft and teachable, and our faith strengthened.  

Reflection:
Take some time to consider whether your agenda aligns with the Lord’s.

“And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.” - Mark 8:8-10

Imagine sitting down to your favorite meal, perfectly prepared. You savor and enjoy every bite until your belly is pleasantly full. A sense of gratification and contentment settles over you. It seems that is how the crowd felt after Jesus fed them. He provided such abundance that all 4,000 people ate and were fully satisfied. They didn’t want or need more. They were content. When is the last time you experienced true satiety? It is a rare but wonderful gift.

In our fast-paced world, I sometimes wonder if people pause long enough to experience any sense of satisfaction at all. While enjoying a great lunch, we wonder what to have for dinner. We take an amazing vacation but start dreading our return or planning another getaway before the adventure is half over. Rather than celebrating a successful business deal, we stress about closing the next one and the one after that. What is enough? What will truly satisfy us?  

Only Jesus. He alone could feed 4,000 people in a desolate place, and he alone can truly satisfy the human heart. Augustine of Hippo captured this truth beautifully in his famous quote: “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” Augustine knew whereof he wrote. He had chased after the things of this world – education, status, accomplishment. And yet, he discovered that nothing could truly satisfy him except the person and work of Jesus. Once he came to this saving realization, he dedicated the rest of his life to serving Christ and building his church.  

Despite the fact that they worked and lived alongside Jesus, the disciples were a bit slow on the uptake. Fortunately, Jesus never gave up on them and he will never give up on us, even when we seek fulfillment in everything but him. When we, like Augustine, realize that only Jesus can satisfy the human heart, he will be there. He is always ready to embrace us, fill us with his Holy Spirit, and gratify our very souls.  

Have you experienced this soul-deep satisfaction, pleasure and contentment? If not, Jesus invites you to his great messianic banquet. There is an abundance waiting for you. At his feast, there is food, not only food for today and tomorrow, but for eternity. And one day, you will see him face to face and experience a celebration like no other. Come – taste and see that the Lord is truly good and satisfying.  

Reflection:
Do you long to feel the kind of satisfaction and contentment the Gentile crowd experienced? If so, will you accept the Lord’s invitation and to attend his messianic feast? He is so ready to receive you!