I have decided you would have to be really, really dumb to get caught in a speed trap down here. Two different times when driving north on I-65 we have seen one of those "information" signs along the way that actually says "Drive Careful, Troopers Ahead." So, if you get caught, you deserve to be caught!
We went to a great show at the South Baldwin Community Theater on Sunday, Dec. 11th - "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" http://www.sbct.biz/2011-2012-schedules-synopse/the-best-christmas-pageant.html If you have never read the story or seen a video of it, I would urge you to do so. It's quite funny and very touching at the end. Brought tears to my eyes. There were many talented young people in this cast and it was a pleasure to watch!
We went to a great Christmas Festival at the First Baptist Church of Gulf Shores http://www.fbcgulf.com/ on Sunday, Dec. 18th. What a production! They had an adult choir, a children's choir, an orchestra, an organ and four grand pianos. Many talented people did solos as well. Very uplifting and wonderful to experience.
We have started rehearsals for our next Variety Show at the RV Resort. I will be singing a solo of two verses of Amazing Grace. I was going to do it a cappella, but the pianist has one of those great keyboards where she can make it sound like anything and she asked if I wanted to sing it with bagpipes. I tried it and it sounds really great that way, so that's what we are going with.
We are going to attend a Candlelight Service at our church on Christmas Eve and then go play cards with friends of ours in the RV resort. We have learned two new card games from them already - Sequence (which is a board game played with cards) and Nickel Nickel (which I think is some form of Rummy). We have lots of fun with them.
Christmas Day we will have a dish-to-pass dinner at the RV resort. Hopefully it won't rain that day.
We have had three days of rain in a row this week. And when it rains down here it POURS! This afternoon there was quite a thunder-boomer with lots of lightning. An impressive show, let me tell you. So now we have "waterfront property" at our campsite. It is supposed to be clear the next two days so we are hopeful that it will dry up (before it rains again on Sunday!)
We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Blessed New Year!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Keeping Busy in AL
Hey, ya'll! We've been in Gulf Shores, AL for almost a month now and have been keeping very busy.
Between all the activities at our RV resort http://rvcampresort.com/gulfbreeze.aspx and all the activities at our church https://www.facebook.com/pages/Morgans-Chapel-United-Methodist-Church/264130090302773 and all the activities around town http://www.gulfshoresal.gov/ we have been enjoying ourselves a lot!
At our resort, we have had a Welcome Back dish-to-pass, and a Thanksgiving Dinner. I am also in the chorus. Our first Variety Show "Christmas Holidays" is tomorrow evening. We do audience sing-a-longs, skits, readings, and solos as well as women's chorus numbers and men's chorus numbers. I will be doing a solo of "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee." Our next Variety Show will be in January and will be "Country and Favorites." I will be doing "Amazing Grace" a cappella. I do love to sing!
Lynn goes for coffee with the guys Monday - Friday mornings, and I attend Women's Bible Study on Wednesday mornings. I also use their indoor pool and hot tub quite often. Lynn goes on long bike rides with a group of guys and he and I ride bikes through the State Park as well.
At our church we have had a dish-to-pass Thanksgiving meal on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, when I was privileged to be able to give the sermon for United Methodist Women's Day. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the service.
We also had what they call "Dirty Santa" gift exchange -- where you open a gift and other people can steal it from you when it is their turn to open a gift. I had to open four gifts before I finally got one I could keep, but one young man had to open 7 or 8 before he got to keep one! It was a lot of fun! And of course they had a dish-to-pass then, too.
We also put together lots of Christmas boxes for needy children on the Friday before Thanksgiving -- they ended up with 104 boxes which is amazing because it is not that big of a church. It was a lot of fun doing that together, too.
Some of the things we have done in the area is go to great restaurants for lunch, especially since we bought an entertainment book and get discounts. So much good seafood down here. Yum. And not all of it is fried any more, either!
We also went to Christmas Open Houses at the Gulf Shores Museum, the library and the Civic Center where we listened to the Mobile Quintet as well as Brent Burns http://www.brentburns.com/ who is a local entertainer. He is always quite funny.
We went to the Gulf Shores Christmas Parade on December 3. Gee, I wonder why they don't have one of those in Unadilla? BRRR
On Dec. 4 we went to St. Andrew's By The Sea http://www.standrewbythesea.org/ (church) to listen to their Christmas Program, A Service of Carols and Readings, which featured their chancel choir and their hand bell choir. Beautiful.
Dec. 5 we went to hear the Baldwin Pops Band http://baldwinpopsband.com/ at the Foley Civic Center for their Christmas program. That was wonderful as well.
I guess that catches us up on everything. I hope everyone is having a good winter so far. I know we are!
Between all the activities at our RV resort http://rvcampresort.com/gulfbreeze.aspx and all the activities at our church https://www.facebook.com/pages/Morgans-Chapel-United-Methodist-Church/264130090302773 and all the activities around town http://www.gulfshoresal.gov/ we have been enjoying ourselves a lot!
At our resort, we have had a Welcome Back dish-to-pass, and a Thanksgiving Dinner. I am also in the chorus. Our first Variety Show "Christmas Holidays" is tomorrow evening. We do audience sing-a-longs, skits, readings, and solos as well as women's chorus numbers and men's chorus numbers. I will be doing a solo of "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee." Our next Variety Show will be in January and will be "Country and Favorites." I will be doing "Amazing Grace" a cappella. I do love to sing!
Lynn goes for coffee with the guys Monday - Friday mornings, and I attend Women's Bible Study on Wednesday mornings. I also use their indoor pool and hot tub quite often. Lynn goes on long bike rides with a group of guys and he and I ride bikes through the State Park as well.
At our church we have had a dish-to-pass Thanksgiving meal on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, when I was privileged to be able to give the sermon for United Methodist Women's Day. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the service.
We also had what they call "Dirty Santa" gift exchange -- where you open a gift and other people can steal it from you when it is their turn to open a gift. I had to open four gifts before I finally got one I could keep, but one young man had to open 7 or 8 before he got to keep one! It was a lot of fun! And of course they had a dish-to-pass then, too.
We also put together lots of Christmas boxes for needy children on the Friday before Thanksgiving -- they ended up with 104 boxes which is amazing because it is not that big of a church. It was a lot of fun doing that together, too.
Some of the things we have done in the area is go to great restaurants for lunch, especially since we bought an entertainment book and get discounts. So much good seafood down here. Yum. And not all of it is fried any more, either!
We also went to Christmas Open Houses at the Gulf Shores Museum, the library and the Civic Center where we listened to the Mobile Quintet as well as Brent Burns http://www.brentburns.com/ who is a local entertainer. He is always quite funny.
We went to the Gulf Shores Christmas Parade on December 3. Gee, I wonder why they don't have one of those in Unadilla? BRRR
On Dec. 4 we went to St. Andrew's By The Sea http://www.standrewbythesea.org/ (church) to listen to their Christmas Program, A Service of Carols and Readings, which featured their chancel choir and their hand bell choir. Beautiful.
Dec. 5 we went to hear the Baldwin Pops Band http://baldwinpopsband.com/ at the Foley Civic Center for their Christmas program. That was wonderful as well.
I guess that catches us up on everything. I hope everyone is having a good winter so far. I know we are!
Enjoying Alabama
Hi ya'll! We have been in AL now for almost four weeks, and have been keeping pretty busy.
Right now we are having a cold spell -- mid 50s during the days and 30s at night. But at least the sun continues to shine and it hasn't rained lately and there is definitely NO SNOW, so we can't complain too much.
We have been enjoying a lot of the wonderful area restaurants for lunch, especially since we purchased and entertainment book that gives us discounts. So much good seafood down here... yum. And not all of it is fried, either, thank goodness!
I have joined the chorus here at the RV park. Our first Variety Show is tomorrow night. We have our rehearsal tomorrow morning, and then it's show time! We are singing lots of Christmas carols, and having audience sing-alongs, a skit, and readings, and solos. I will be doing "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee." Thankfully I am the third soloist so my voice shouldn't be too strained by the time I sing, hopefully.
Our next Variety Show will be in January and that will be "Country and Favorites." I have signed up to sing "Amazing Grace" a cappella. I do love to sing!
Lynn goes bike riding with a group of guys once in a while. They rode to the area airport one day and watched the planes come in and had a chance to chat with a few of the pilots. He enjoyed that.
The church we attend down here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Morgans-Chapel-United-Methodist-Church/264130090302773 has kept us busy, too. I was invited to preach the first Sunday we were here for United Methodist Women's Day, the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I posted the sermon in a previous blog entry, if you are interested in reading it. I really enjoyed being a part of that Sunday service. Then we had our Thanksgiving Feast afterwards.
We also had what they call "Dirty Santa" gift exchange -- where someone opens a gift and the next person can steal it from them if they want it. It was a lot of fun. I ended up having to open four gifts before I got one no one stole from me. One young man there I think had to open about 7 or 8 of them before he got to keep one! We had lots of good food to enjoy as well, as usual.
We have been keeping busy at the RV resort, too. They have lots of activities and we have met a lot of nice people. Lynn goes to coffee with the guys every morning and I have joined the Women's Bible Study every Wednesday morning.
I have kept busy making lots of jewelry, too. I think they have a craft fair at our RV resort some time in January, so maybe I can sell some of the things I have made. So I have room to make more!
Right now we are having a cold spell -- mid 50s during the days and 30s at night. But at least the sun continues to shine and it hasn't rained lately and there is definitely NO SNOW, so we can't complain too much.
We have been enjoying a lot of the wonderful area restaurants for lunch, especially since we purchased and entertainment book that gives us discounts. So much good seafood down here... yum. And not all of it is fried, either, thank goodness!
I have joined the chorus here at the RV park. Our first Variety Show is tomorrow night. We have our rehearsal tomorrow morning, and then it's show time! We are singing lots of Christmas carols, and having audience sing-alongs, a skit, and readings, and solos. I will be doing "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee." Thankfully I am the third soloist so my voice shouldn't be too strained by the time I sing, hopefully.
Our next Variety Show will be in January and that will be "Country and Favorites." I have signed up to sing "Amazing Grace" a cappella. I do love to sing!
Lynn goes bike riding with a group of guys once in a while. They rode to the area airport one day and watched the planes come in and had a chance to chat with a few of the pilots. He enjoyed that.
The church we attend down here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Morgans-Chapel-United-Methodist-Church/264130090302773 has kept us busy, too. I was invited to preach the first Sunday we were here for United Methodist Women's Day, the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I posted the sermon in a previous blog entry, if you are interested in reading it. I really enjoyed being a part of that Sunday service. Then we had our Thanksgiving Feast afterwards.
We also had what they call "Dirty Santa" gift exchange -- where someone opens a gift and the next person can steal it from them if they want it. It was a lot of fun. I ended up having to open four gifts before I got one no one stole from me. One young man there I think had to open about 7 or 8 of them before he got to keep one! We had lots of good food to enjoy as well, as usual.
We have been keeping busy at the RV resort, too. They have lots of activities and we have met a lot of nice people. Lynn goes to coffee with the guys every morning and I have joined the Women's Bible Study every Wednesday morning.
I have kept busy making lots of jewelry, too. I think they have a craft fair at our RV resort some time in January, so maybe I can sell some of the things I have made. So I have room to make more!
Monday, November 21, 2011
The Attitude of Gratitude
I had the privilege of giving the sermon at the United Methodist Church, Morgan's Chapel, in Bon Secour yesterday. They were celebrating United Methodist Women's Day. Here is the sermon I gave:
The Attitude of Gratitude
Good morning. Thank you, Edith, for that introduction, and thank you all for having me here to give today’s message on this Sunday before Thanksgiving for United Methodist Women’s Day.
Normally, in the past, when I have been privileged enough to be asked to give the Sunday sermon, I have always used the Gospel Lesson from the Lectionary. So when Judy first contacted me to see if I would be interested in giving today’s message, I looked up the Gospel Lesson. It’s about sheep and goats.
A perfectly good parable on which to preach, but not very much in keeping with Thanksgiving; which is more of a turkey and stuffing kind of day rather than a sheep and goat kind of day. So when we spoke again I asked Judy if I should do the Gospel Lesson as I usually do or if you all wanted something different. After reassuring me that I could do whatever I wanted, she then said ‘or you can talk about women, or you can talk about Thanksgiving.’ How perfectly brilliant is that?
So, here I am – to talk about both. After all, who does most of the preparations for Thanksgiving Day? In most households, it’s the women. And it starts several weeks before the day, am I right, ladies?
First, we have to know how many people are going to be coming to eat. I’ve had anywhere from 13 to 20 people, and I am sure some of you have had even more than that.
Once you know how many people are going to be eating, you have to figure out how big of a turkey to get – counting for leftovers, too, of course. But on the other hand, it has to fit in the oven.
Then, how many side dishes? Do you just make all the favorites again or try out something new that might become a tradition in the future? Are other people bringing a dish as well? And if so, do you dictate what dish they should bring, or do you just accept whatever they show up with and hope that it fits in with your menu?
Now, it’s time to set up a timeline. What dishes go in the oven at what time? What temperature? For how long? Can some things be made on the stove top, or in a crock pot, or made ahead and reheated in the microwave? And do I even have enough room in the refrigerator for all this food?
Okay, now it’s on to the presentation. Is the table big enough? Do we have enough chairs? Who should we sit next to each other, and who should we keep far away from each other? Tablecloth. Napkins. Place mats. Place cards. Dishes. Silverware. Glasses. Candles. Centerpiece. Serving dishes. Serving spoons. Carving knife and fork. Platter. Bread baskets. And on and on and on....
What?!? You men thought all of this just “magically” happened?
Then once everything has magically somehow come together and you sit down to eat, and grace has been said, and perhaps you have gone around the table for everyone to say one thing they are grateful for this year, then what happens? Yep. “Let the feeding frenzy begin!!!!”
Ten minutes later, everyone slumps back in their chairs and moans “Oh, I am SO full.”
Then they drag themselves away in a trytophan-induced stupor to veg out in front of the TV to watch football – through their eyelids.
And if you are lucky, someone may help you clean up. I used to be very resentful of this aftermath – especially if no one offered to help clean up. Here I had slaved away for hours... days... weeks... to make this beautiful feast and it’s wiped out in 15, 20 minutes, tops!
But as I began studying God’s word more and reading daily verses and devotionals, I realized that I was not looking at the situation properly. The Bible tells us that we should do all things as though we are doing them for God.
In Colossians 3, verses 23 and 24, the apostle Paul says, “Whatever you do, work at it with your whole heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Jesus Christ you are serving.”
1 Corinithians 10:31 reminds us, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
I needed to change my attitude from one of resentment to one of gratitude. I needed to become grateful that we could afford to buy all that food; that I have the ability to prepare the food in an appetizing manner; that I have enough dishes (probably too many if you ask my husband); and that we have family, friends, and loved ones with which to share our bounty.
I had become like Martha. You have probably heard stories about Mary and Martha who are the most familiar set of sisters in the Bible. According to the account given by Luke, Martha was head of the household as she was the one who welcomed Jesus into her home. Mary was probably younger. Like most sisters, these two women had conflicts which came about because of their different personalities, their different roles, and simply the fact that they were siblings.
Luke chapter 10, verses 38 through 42 tells the story: Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."
Jesus gently rebukes Martha for being "worried and distracted" by her many tasks and her resentment of Mary's behavior. Jesus tells her that she has lost her focus; she needs only one thing. And what is that one thing? Martha needs to focus on loving God and her neighbor as herself; to do this one thing is to “choose the better part” – to be a disciple of Jesus.
Like Martha, instead of being resentful that I was doing so much work for so little perceived “reward,” maybe I needed to learn to relax and enjoy the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
No, I am not going to give you a history lesson on Thanksgiving Day – I am sure we all heard that in grade school. I’m talking about the word itself – Thanksgiving – literally to “give thanks.”
The word ‘thanks’ in its many forms, thankful, thanksgiving, etc., appears 139 times in the Bible. Many of the Psalms are psalms of thanksgiving.
Psalm 100 is such a psalm. In my NIV Bible it is subtitled “A psalm. For giving thanks.” and reads: Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. (See? I did manage to work sheep into it...) Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his court with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 105:1-2 instructs us: Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
And Psalm 69:10: “Then I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving.”
Sacrifices of thanksgiving were given in Old Testament times. In Psalm 107: 2 we read, “Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.”
And Jonah, while still in the belly of the whale, finally coming around to heed God’s call to be his prophet, said “But I, with a song of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.” (Jonah 2:9)
The apostle Paul has been attributed with writing thirteen epistles to various early churches. And in all of them, he always gives words of thanksgiving, both for God and for the congregation.
Communion re-enacts perhaps the most memorable story of thanksgiving – the Last Supper where Jesus broke the bread and gave thanks, and raised the cup of wine and gave thanks.
Indeed, the Bible is full of many instances of giving thanks. And we should be full of thanksgiving as well – not just full of Thanksgiving turkey.
While it’s nice that a national holiday has been set aside, basically instructing us to give thanks – we, as believers and followers of Christ – should be giving thanks daily. “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
So, if any of you women have been like me in the past and felt resentful of all the work with little thanks – try the new approach of giving thanks for the opportunity to serve others as though you were serving Jesus.
1 Peter 4:9 tells us, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
And if any of you men or children really didn’t know how much time and effort it takes to create this yearly feast, maybe you could take the time this year to be sure to say an extra “thank you” to those who prepared it.
And THEN slip into your turkey coma.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we want to thank you for your glorious goodness – not just on Thanksgiving Day – but every day, Lord. You give us so many blessings to be thankful for; they are beyond counting. Help us always to serve others with a thankful heart as though we were serving you. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
It was especially gratifying when an elderly gentleman who sings in the choir with me tapped me on the shoulder after the service and said "You gave me a whole new perspective, thank you." (I hope his wife gets an extra thank you this year!)
And a woman came up after the service when we were sitting waiting to eat Thanksgiving dinner and said "I have never been at a Sunday Service where the message was so totally directed at ME before!" She said she had 47 people coming for Thanksgiving! She said, "I just have to give you a hug, and my husband will probably want to give you a hug too, because he has been listening to me complain about this all week!" She said that they were talking the night before about how much $ they had spent already (about $1,000) and she said "but, you are right, we should be thankful that we can buy all this food."
It is always so heartening when God's words reach people through me. I am blessed to be able to bring his word to others. I have to admit it was slightly intimidating to preach at this church because there were probably about 90 people there. Not only was it UMW Day, but it was also their Thanksgiving Dinner Day, so the pews were full, and then some!
But, the current pastor said a prayer for me before I began, and I always say "for your glory, Lord" before I get up to speak.
The past pastor, Tony, also came up to me afterward and told me what a good job I did and I thanked HIM because he was such an inspiration to me when I first began my Lay Speaker's training. I had told him how much I admired the way he preached and he said "I just tell the story," so that is what I try to do now.
Lynn said a lot of people told him "you should be proud of your wife," and he is, which is also very gratifying. GOD IS GOOD! ALL THE TIME! I can do all things through Him who strengthens me!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sermon Given on October 30, 2011 at UCUMC
I was asked Saturday night if I could do the sermon for church on the following day, since our pastor was sick (I pray he is getting well), so I said sure!
The Lectionary verse I chose to base it on is Matthew 23:1-12 which reads:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
Have you ever heard, or maybe even used, the expression “do as I say, not as I do?”
In today’s gospel lesson, Jesus uses that phrase to condemn the actions of the Pharisees. He says “But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” Just who were the Pharisees? They were the largest and most influential religious-political party during New Testament times. They appear in the Gospels as opponents of Jesus. Paul was a Pharisee and we recall how he used to persecute, and even put to death, Christians before he became a man of God. The Pharisees controlled the synagogues and exercised great control over much of the population.
The term “Pharisee” means “separated ones.” Perhaps it means that they separated themselves from the masses or that they separated themselves to the study and interpretation of the law. They saw the way to God as being through obedience to the law. The Pharisees opposed Jesus because He refused to accept their interpretations of the oral law.
In this gospel lesson, Jesus does not deny that the Pharisees know the law, in fact he tells the crowds and his disciples that “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you.” Sitting in Moses’ seat meant that they were like Moses in interpreting the law and acting as judges in disputes regarding the law. So they certainly knew what the laws were. And since they took the Scriptures at face value, Jesus said their instructions should be followed. However, Jesus warned the people of the Pharisee’s legalism which valued their own rules and regulations above the Scriptures. Legalism simply means strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code.
In verse 4, Jesus condemns the Pharisees because “They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders...” What is the heavy load they tie up? The Pharisees counted 613 laws from the Old Testament that they said the people were to do in order to live lives that were pleasing to God. All of these social regulations added up to immense burdens on the Jews for their day-to-day lives. By focusing on these 613 religious rules and regulations, the Pharisees neglected the weightier issues of love and justice. They saw no “wiggle-room” in the law. Indeed they accused Jesus of breaking the law for picking grain for his disciples to eat on the Sabbath. They also condemned him for healing the sick on the Sabbath.
Imagine the weight of your religion on your shoulders if you thought the only way you could be “religious” was by obeying all of these 613 religious rules. What a burden it would be.
Even though Jesus does not use the word “hypocrite” in this gospel passage, he certainly is pointing out the acts of hypocrisy that the Pharisees display. Hypocrisy is the act of pretending to be what one really is not, especially the pretense of being a better person than one really is. We can see this in the verses where Jesus points out “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;”
Let’s take a closer look at this. Phylacteries were small boxes containing Bible passages that were worn on the forehead or arm. This custom was based on Exodus 13:9 which says “This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.” And Dueteronomy 6:8 which says “Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” But from such passages as Proverbs 3:3 “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” that God meant his word to be more than outward adornment – he meant for his word to be held in our hearts.
The tassels that Jesus refers to were worn on the corners of garments in order to remind the Israelites of God’s law. Numbers 15:38-40 states“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.” In order to be seen as especially righteous, some hypocrites would make their phylacteries conspicuously large and their tassels unusually long.
To the Pharisees their phylacteries had become more important for the status they gave than for the truths they contained. Jesus exposed the hypocritical attitudes of these religious leaders. They knew the Scriptures but did not live by them. They didn’t care about being holy – just appearing holy so they could get the people’s admiration and praise. Even today there are many people who may know the Bible, but they don’t let it change their lives. They say they follow Jesus but don’t live by his standards of love. People who live this way are hypocrites, just as the Pharisees were. We must always be vigilant in making sure our actions match our beliefs.
Hypocrisy was also addressed by Jesus in Isaiah 29:13 where he said “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”
The other things that Jesus condemned the Pharisees for were “they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’”
Jesus is not condemning the place of honor at banquets, obviously someone has to sit there, but he is condemning the Pharisees for “loving” the place of honor. They expect to receive the place of honor because they believe they are better than others and should be accorded the highest seat of honor in all places. The most important seats in the synagogues were a row of seats in the font of the synagogue facing the congregation. Again, they want to be seen by everyone as being the most pious and most important person wherever they go. They essentially are making idols of themselves, and worshiping themselves – the worst kind of idolatry. And to seek that kind of recognition in the synagogue where they were supposed to be worshiping God, not themselves, is mocking God rather than honoring Him.
People desire positions of leadership, not only in business, but also in the church. Desiring leadership in itself is not a bad thing – we need Christian leaders. But it becomes a problem, however, when the love for the position grows stronger than loyalty to God. Jesus was not against all leadership – but he was against leadership that serves itself rather than others.
Rabbi means “teacher” and it was used as a respectful salutation. However, the Pharisees loved to be called by that title for the prestige and power that went with the title, not for the purpose of using the position to serve others.
All disciples need a master, or a teacher. But the way the Pharisees viewed the role was in stark contrast to the humble way in which Jesus served his disciples. They gloried in the limelight, while He came to be overlooked and rejected by the nation as a whole. He came to give His life as a ransom for many; they lived only for the praise and adulation their position gave them.
Jesus cautions the disciples to not elevate themselves above others as the Pharisees do. In verses 8-10 he warns them “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.” He is teaching them they must be humble and that only God should be exalted above all others.
Jesus is not saying that levels of authority should not exist in this world. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 he says “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” 1 Timothy 5:17 tells us “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” And in Hebrews 13:17 we are told “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
Jesus came as a servant. And one of the greatest teachings of Jesus is that we are to be servants. The greatest Christian is the person who has learned to be a servant, to have the heart of a servant, the attitude of a servant, the actions of a servant. In the foot washing on Holy Thursday, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and shocked them all with this action and his attitude of humility.
So what do we learn from Jesus, our Teacher and Messiah? Those who seek greatness, says Jesus, will find it not in leading others but in serving others, for as verse 11 in today’s passage says “The greatest among you will be your servant.”
Greatness in the kingdom of God is not measured, as the Pharisees supposed, by determining how many disciples they had under their authority. Rather it is the number whom we serve that reflects our measure of greatness in God’s sight. To Jesus greatness come from serving – giving of yourself to help God and others. Service keeps us aware of others’ needs and keeps us from focusing only on ourselves.
Indeed, as Paul points out in Philippians 2:6-8, Jesus “... being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
The good news is that the story of Jesus did not end at the cross or with his death. God raised Jesus to new life and restored to him all the rights, privileges, and titles he had willingly given up in order to serve us. And so we can claim the truth of Jesus’ promise in the last verse of today’s lesson: “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for your words today that teach us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Remind us that we are to be servants, not only to you, but to others as well. As 1 Peter 4:10 tells us “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” Let us go forth today and use our gifts to serve others in your name, Lord. We humbly ask that you continue to guide us and to teach us your word. We also ask that you be with those on our prayer list, you know who they are, Lord. We lift them up to you; hold them in your loving arms, be their strength and their comfort. Your will be done, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
The Lectionary verse I chose to base it on is Matthew 23:1-12 which reads:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.[b] 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
And here is the sermon I gave:
Hypocrisy & Servanthood
Have you ever heard, or maybe even used, the expression “do as I say, not as I do?”
In today’s gospel lesson, Jesus uses that phrase to condemn the actions of the Pharisees. He says “But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” Just who were the Pharisees? They were the largest and most influential religious-political party during New Testament times. They appear in the Gospels as opponents of Jesus. Paul was a Pharisee and we recall how he used to persecute, and even put to death, Christians before he became a man of God. The Pharisees controlled the synagogues and exercised great control over much of the population.
The term “Pharisee” means “separated ones.” Perhaps it means that they separated themselves from the masses or that they separated themselves to the study and interpretation of the law. They saw the way to God as being through obedience to the law. The Pharisees opposed Jesus because He refused to accept their interpretations of the oral law.
In this gospel lesson, Jesus does not deny that the Pharisees know the law, in fact he tells the crowds and his disciples that “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you.” Sitting in Moses’ seat meant that they were like Moses in interpreting the law and acting as judges in disputes regarding the law. So they certainly knew what the laws were. And since they took the Scriptures at face value, Jesus said their instructions should be followed. However, Jesus warned the people of the Pharisee’s legalism which valued their own rules and regulations above the Scriptures. Legalism simply means strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code.
In verse 4, Jesus condemns the Pharisees because “They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders...” What is the heavy load they tie up? The Pharisees counted 613 laws from the Old Testament that they said the people were to do in order to live lives that were pleasing to God. All of these social regulations added up to immense burdens on the Jews for their day-to-day lives. By focusing on these 613 religious rules and regulations, the Pharisees neglected the weightier issues of love and justice. They saw no “wiggle-room” in the law. Indeed they accused Jesus of breaking the law for picking grain for his disciples to eat on the Sabbath. They also condemned him for healing the sick on the Sabbath.
Imagine the weight of your religion on your shoulders if you thought the only way you could be “religious” was by obeying all of these 613 religious rules. What a burden it would be.
Even though Jesus does not use the word “hypocrite” in this gospel passage, he certainly is pointing out the acts of hypocrisy that the Pharisees display. Hypocrisy is the act of pretending to be what one really is not, especially the pretense of being a better person than one really is. We can see this in the verses where Jesus points out “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;”
Let’s take a closer look at this. Phylacteries were small boxes containing Bible passages that were worn on the forehead or arm. This custom was based on Exodus 13:9 which says “This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.” And Dueteronomy 6:8 which says “Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” But from such passages as Proverbs 3:3 “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” that God meant his word to be more than outward adornment – he meant for his word to be held in our hearts.
The tassels that Jesus refers to were worn on the corners of garments in order to remind the Israelites of God’s law. Numbers 15:38-40 states“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.” In order to be seen as especially righteous, some hypocrites would make their phylacteries conspicuously large and their tassels unusually long.
To the Pharisees their phylacteries had become more important for the status they gave than for the truths they contained. Jesus exposed the hypocritical attitudes of these religious leaders. They knew the Scriptures but did not live by them. They didn’t care about being holy – just appearing holy so they could get the people’s admiration and praise. Even today there are many people who may know the Bible, but they don’t let it change their lives. They say they follow Jesus but don’t live by his standards of love. People who live this way are hypocrites, just as the Pharisees were. We must always be vigilant in making sure our actions match our beliefs.
Hypocrisy was also addressed by Jesus in Isaiah 29:13 where he said “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”
The other things that Jesus condemned the Pharisees for were “they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’”
Jesus is not condemning the place of honor at banquets, obviously someone has to sit there, but he is condemning the Pharisees for “loving” the place of honor. They expect to receive the place of honor because they believe they are better than others and should be accorded the highest seat of honor in all places. The most important seats in the synagogues were a row of seats in the font of the synagogue facing the congregation. Again, they want to be seen by everyone as being the most pious and most important person wherever they go. They essentially are making idols of themselves, and worshiping themselves – the worst kind of idolatry. And to seek that kind of recognition in the synagogue where they were supposed to be worshiping God, not themselves, is mocking God rather than honoring Him.
People desire positions of leadership, not only in business, but also in the church. Desiring leadership in itself is not a bad thing – we need Christian leaders. But it becomes a problem, however, when the love for the position grows stronger than loyalty to God. Jesus was not against all leadership – but he was against leadership that serves itself rather than others.
Rabbi means “teacher” and it was used as a respectful salutation. However, the Pharisees loved to be called by that title for the prestige and power that went with the title, not for the purpose of using the position to serve others.
All disciples need a master, or a teacher. But the way the Pharisees viewed the role was in stark contrast to the humble way in which Jesus served his disciples. They gloried in the limelight, while He came to be overlooked and rejected by the nation as a whole. He came to give His life as a ransom for many; they lived only for the praise and adulation their position gave them.
Jesus cautions the disciples to not elevate themselves above others as the Pharisees do. In verses 8-10 he warns them “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.” He is teaching them they must be humble and that only God should be exalted above all others.
Jesus is not saying that levels of authority should not exist in this world. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 he says “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” 1 Timothy 5:17 tells us “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” And in Hebrews 13:17 we are told “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
Jesus came as a servant. And one of the greatest teachings of Jesus is that we are to be servants. The greatest Christian is the person who has learned to be a servant, to have the heart of a servant, the attitude of a servant, the actions of a servant. In the foot washing on Holy Thursday, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and shocked them all with this action and his attitude of humility.
So what do we learn from Jesus, our Teacher and Messiah? Those who seek greatness, says Jesus, will find it not in leading others but in serving others, for as verse 11 in today’s passage says “The greatest among you will be your servant.”
Greatness in the kingdom of God is not measured, as the Pharisees supposed, by determining how many disciples they had under their authority. Rather it is the number whom we serve that reflects our measure of greatness in God’s sight. To Jesus greatness come from serving – giving of yourself to help God and others. Service keeps us aware of others’ needs and keeps us from focusing only on ourselves.
Indeed, as Paul points out in Philippians 2:6-8, Jesus “... being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
The good news is that the story of Jesus did not end at the cross or with his death. God raised Jesus to new life and restored to him all the rights, privileges, and titles he had willingly given up in order to serve us. And so we can claim the truth of Jesus’ promise in the last verse of today’s lesson: “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for your words today that teach us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Remind us that we are to be servants, not only to you, but to others as well. As 1 Peter 4:10 tells us “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” Let us go forth today and use our gifts to serve others in your name, Lord. We humbly ask that you continue to guide us and to teach us your word. We also ask that you be with those on our prayer list, you know who they are, Lord. We lift them up to you; hold them in your loving arms, be their strength and their comfort. Your will be done, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Hearts on Fire For Jesus
This is the sermon I gave at our church (Unadilla Center United Methodist) on Mother's Day. It was my first chance to preach in front of a congregation.
It is based on Luke 24:13-35, the text of which follows:
When things are taken out of context, it can be jarring. It leaves a story feeling unbalanced, or unfinished. That’s how today’s reading seemed to me when I first read it. Starting with the first four words “Now that same day...” Obviously, it must have been an important day, but what day was it? So, I had to look back in my Bible to the preceding subheadings. Starting from the one before this reading and going backwards, they are “Jesus Has Risen,” “The Burial of Jesus,” and “The Death of Jesus.” Ah! Now I get it! “That same day” refers to the Sunday when Christ had arisen from the dead. Wow! Now the passage becomes more intense than when I originally read it. It has so much more weight and meaning. This is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill day. This is the day that our Lord and Savior arose from the DEAD!
Now THAT is a day to remember! Just think of all that came before this day. How Christ rode triumphantly into Jerusalem amidst loud “hosanas!” and much adoration. How that was quickly followed by those who opposed him gaining the upper hand and having him arrested. And instead of releasing him because he had committed no crimes, they instead let a murderer go free. After giving Jesus no trial, they commenced to torture him and ridicule him and beat him beyond mercy. He was then forced to carry his own cross where he would later be continually taunted as he died on that cross for all to see.
Many people saw Jesus as weak at this moment. After all, wasn’t he “King of the Jews” and the “Son of God?” Hadn’t he shown great power through many miracles? Hadn’t he helped others who seemed beyond help? Why then could he not save himself?
I see this as Jesus’ greatest show of strength, however. How easy it would have been for him to destroy all his tormentors. Just a word, or a glance, or even a thought could have ended all of his torture and his shame. He could have struck them all down one by one. But, in his strength, he chose not to. Instead, he chose to follow God’s will and to be sacrificed so that all who believe in him, confess their sins, and follow him may have eternal life. Now that is strength. How many of us, given the powers that Christ had, would have been able to restrain ourselves from annihilating our enemies? How many of us could have stayed our hand and not raised it against those who had beaten us, humiliated us, taunted us to the very end of our lives? I don’t think I could have. And that is probably why we are not given such powers! Christ was the perfect son of God. We are all children of God, but we are not perfect as He alone was.
So, it is the third day after Jesus’ death and he has arisen from the grave. He has already appeared to Mary Magdalene; angels have appeared to the women who had come with Jesus to the cross and told them Jesus had arisen from the dead. The women had already run and told the disciples who were hidden behind locked doors in fear that they, too, would be taken and crucified. Peter and the apostle whom Christ loved ran to the tomb and discovered that he was gone as they said.
All these things had taken place, just as Jesus had told his disciples they would. And yet, these two men walking along together, deep in a discussion about all that had happened were not joyful. You would think that after Jesus had told all his disciples of all that would happen to him, and all those things had come to pass that they would believe that he had come back from the dead. But they did not. When the disciples were told by the women that Jesus was raised on this third day, Luke 24:11 tells us: “But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” Even after everything else Jesus had told them had already taken place, they could not bring themselves to believe this last prophecy.
When the two men were asked by Jesus, whom they “were kept from recognizing,” what they were discussing as they walked along, they did not respond with joy and exclamations of triumph. No. “They stood still, their faces downcast.” How could they be downcast when their Savior has arisen? They are not only downcast, but they are incredulous that this stranger walking with them does not know what has transpired during this time of great upheaval. They practically ask him if he has been living under a rock or something not to know what has taken place.
Jesus asks them “What things?” knowing full well what things they spoke of. Perhaps he wanted to hear their “take” on things. Perhaps he wanted to see how much they believed. These passages do not give us the answer to his motivation, but I think maybe it was to present him with another opportunity to teach them through Scriptures. Jesus was the Great Teacher. So the two men began telling Jesus all that had ensued. And here, we can find out why they are so downcast. When asked “What things?” they replied “About Jesus of Nazareth... He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had HOPED that he was the one that was going to redeem Israel.” Notice the word “hoped” – it is in the past tense. They were downcast because they had lost their hope for redemption. They thought because Jesus was dead that their hope of salvation had died with him. After all, he had been arrested, beaten, and crucified just like a common criminal. Where was his power then? And how can a dead man be a Savior of anyone? They had lost hope.
They have not only lost hope, they were also confused. They told the rest of the story of how the women did not find Jesus’ body in the tomb, and the angels had said Jesus was alive, and some apostles went to the grave and did not see Jesus. But they apparently did not believe this last part, otherwise they would have been anything BUT downcast! They would have been filled with joy and anticipation at the thought of seeing him again. So, the stranger then rebuked them for their unbelief: “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” In other words, you have heard all Jesus told you about his being betrayed, crucified and buried and you saw all that happen, so why do you choose not to believe the final piece of the story – that of his resurrection?
Jesus proceeded to remind the two men of all the teachings in the Scriptures about his life, as they continued on their walk. He wanted them to understand two things especially: one – that Jesus would have to suffer death, and two – he would then enter into his glory.
Once they reached their destination, “Jesus acted as if he were going farther.” He did this because it was not polite to invite oneself to stay at someone else’s home. But seeing him getting ready to continue on, the two men “urged him strongly” to stay with them. Doesn’t hearing that phrase “urged him strongly” make you think that they had become entranced with all that this stranger had to say to them, all he was teaching them? I think so, or else they would not have wanted to prolong their visit with him.
Jesus accepted their invitation to stay. In those days, before a meal, a host would take bread, offer a blessing, break it, and distribute it to all who were feasting together. Here Jesus went from being the guest to becoming the host because he “took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.” Doubtless, these two men had traveled with Jesus in the past and were used to him seeing him begin the meal by breaking bread and giving a blessing. This, too, of course brings to mind the Last Supper where Jesus broke the bread and gave it to his disciples saying “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
This act of breaking bread opens their eyes and they recognize him, and he then disappears from their sight.
Now the joy sets in! They are no longer downcast. They know their Savior lives! They begin to excitedly talk about all that has happened, and ask one another “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked to us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Their hearts were on fire for Jesus once again! Hallelujah!
How often are we walking along our road of life a little downcast or confused? Do we recognize Jesus when he walks along with us, or are we too deep into our own despair or too distracted to even know he is there? Are we in so much pain and confusion or so set on solving our own problems, that we cannot discern when Jesus is with us? What will it take for us to recognize him? How often are our hearts on fire for Jesus?
Here is my challenge for us this week: as we walk along our road of life, let’s take the time to seek out and to find Jesus. Let’s ask him to walk beside us, to teach us, and to restore our faith and hope in him. Let’s find a way to set OUR hearts on fire for Jesus this week!
It is based on Luke 24:13-35, the text of which follows:
Luke 24:13-35
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
On the Road to Emmaus
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ[b] have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Hearts on Fire for Jesus
When things are taken out of context, it can be jarring. It leaves a story feeling unbalanced, or unfinished. That’s how today’s reading seemed to me when I first read it. Starting with the first four words “Now that same day...” Obviously, it must have been an important day, but what day was it? So, I had to look back in my Bible to the preceding subheadings. Starting from the one before this reading and going backwards, they are “Jesus Has Risen,” “The Burial of Jesus,” and “The Death of Jesus.” Ah! Now I get it! “That same day” refers to the Sunday when Christ had arisen from the dead. Wow! Now the passage becomes more intense than when I originally read it. It has so much more weight and meaning. This is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill day. This is the day that our Lord and Savior arose from the DEAD!
Now THAT is a day to remember! Just think of all that came before this day. How Christ rode triumphantly into Jerusalem amidst loud “hosanas!” and much adoration. How that was quickly followed by those who opposed him gaining the upper hand and having him arrested. And instead of releasing him because he had committed no crimes, they instead let a murderer go free. After giving Jesus no trial, they commenced to torture him and ridicule him and beat him beyond mercy. He was then forced to carry his own cross where he would later be continually taunted as he died on that cross for all to see.
Many people saw Jesus as weak at this moment. After all, wasn’t he “King of the Jews” and the “Son of God?” Hadn’t he shown great power through many miracles? Hadn’t he helped others who seemed beyond help? Why then could he not save himself?
I see this as Jesus’ greatest show of strength, however. How easy it would have been for him to destroy all his tormentors. Just a word, or a glance, or even a thought could have ended all of his torture and his shame. He could have struck them all down one by one. But, in his strength, he chose not to. Instead, he chose to follow God’s will and to be sacrificed so that all who believe in him, confess their sins, and follow him may have eternal life. Now that is strength. How many of us, given the powers that Christ had, would have been able to restrain ourselves from annihilating our enemies? How many of us could have stayed our hand and not raised it against those who had beaten us, humiliated us, taunted us to the very end of our lives? I don’t think I could have. And that is probably why we are not given such powers! Christ was the perfect son of God. We are all children of God, but we are not perfect as He alone was.
So, it is the third day after Jesus’ death and he has arisen from the grave. He has already appeared to Mary Magdalene; angels have appeared to the women who had come with Jesus to the cross and told them Jesus had arisen from the dead. The women had already run and told the disciples who were hidden behind locked doors in fear that they, too, would be taken and crucified. Peter and the apostle whom Christ loved ran to the tomb and discovered that he was gone as they said.
All these things had taken place, just as Jesus had told his disciples they would. And yet, these two men walking along together, deep in a discussion about all that had happened were not joyful. You would think that after Jesus had told all his disciples of all that would happen to him, and all those things had come to pass that they would believe that he had come back from the dead. But they did not. When the disciples were told by the women that Jesus was raised on this third day, Luke 24:11 tells us: “But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” Even after everything else Jesus had told them had already taken place, they could not bring themselves to believe this last prophecy.
When the two men were asked by Jesus, whom they “were kept from recognizing,” what they were discussing as they walked along, they did not respond with joy and exclamations of triumph. No. “They stood still, their faces downcast.” How could they be downcast when their Savior has arisen? They are not only downcast, but they are incredulous that this stranger walking with them does not know what has transpired during this time of great upheaval. They practically ask him if he has been living under a rock or something not to know what has taken place.
Jesus asks them “What things?” knowing full well what things they spoke of. Perhaps he wanted to hear their “take” on things. Perhaps he wanted to see how much they believed. These passages do not give us the answer to his motivation, but I think maybe it was to present him with another opportunity to teach them through Scriptures. Jesus was the Great Teacher. So the two men began telling Jesus all that had ensued. And here, we can find out why they are so downcast. When asked “What things?” they replied “About Jesus of Nazareth... He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had HOPED that he was the one that was going to redeem Israel.” Notice the word “hoped” – it is in the past tense. They were downcast because they had lost their hope for redemption. They thought because Jesus was dead that their hope of salvation had died with him. After all, he had been arrested, beaten, and crucified just like a common criminal. Where was his power then? And how can a dead man be a Savior of anyone? They had lost hope.
They have not only lost hope, they were also confused. They told the rest of the story of how the women did not find Jesus’ body in the tomb, and the angels had said Jesus was alive, and some apostles went to the grave and did not see Jesus. But they apparently did not believe this last part, otherwise they would have been anything BUT downcast! They would have been filled with joy and anticipation at the thought of seeing him again. So, the stranger then rebuked them for their unbelief: “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” In other words, you have heard all Jesus told you about his being betrayed, crucified and buried and you saw all that happen, so why do you choose not to believe the final piece of the story – that of his resurrection?
Jesus proceeded to remind the two men of all the teachings in the Scriptures about his life, as they continued on their walk. He wanted them to understand two things especially: one – that Jesus would have to suffer death, and two – he would then enter into his glory.
Once they reached their destination, “Jesus acted as if he were going farther.” He did this because it was not polite to invite oneself to stay at someone else’s home. But seeing him getting ready to continue on, the two men “urged him strongly” to stay with them. Doesn’t hearing that phrase “urged him strongly” make you think that they had become entranced with all that this stranger had to say to them, all he was teaching them? I think so, or else they would not have wanted to prolong their visit with him.
Jesus accepted their invitation to stay. In those days, before a meal, a host would take bread, offer a blessing, break it, and distribute it to all who were feasting together. Here Jesus went from being the guest to becoming the host because he “took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.” Doubtless, these two men had traveled with Jesus in the past and were used to him seeing him begin the meal by breaking bread and giving a blessing. This, too, of course brings to mind the Last Supper where Jesus broke the bread and gave it to his disciples saying “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
This act of breaking bread opens their eyes and they recognize him, and he then disappears from their sight.
Now the joy sets in! They are no longer downcast. They know their Savior lives! They begin to excitedly talk about all that has happened, and ask one another “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked to us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Their hearts were on fire for Jesus once again! Hallelujah!
How often are we walking along our road of life a little downcast or confused? Do we recognize Jesus when he walks along with us, or are we too deep into our own despair or too distracted to even know he is there? Are we in so much pain and confusion or so set on solving our own problems, that we cannot discern when Jesus is with us? What will it take for us to recognize him? How often are our hearts on fire for Jesus?
Here is my challenge for us this week: as we walk along our road of life, let’s take the time to seek out and to find Jesus. Let’s ask him to walk beside us, to teach us, and to restore our faith and hope in him. Let’s find a way to set OUR hearts on fire for Jesus this week!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
It's been a while
I am not sure where the time is going this year. Here it is already near the end of September. Yikes!
Our house renovations are coming along well. Just a few minor touches left to be done inside the house itself. The addition is currently being spackled and taped. They hope to be completely done by the end of this week. It has been an amazing process. I fell behind putting pictures on facebook, too, but will try to remedy that today.
My paperback collection for Operation Paperback to send paperback books to our troops was a great success with a total (so far) of 201 books donated. I have sent out 89 books to 6 troops for a total of $31.01 postage (which I didn't think was too bad.) I really want to thank all the people who donated books and/or money towards postage for this great cause. I am sure the troops will appreciate having some good books to read during their "down time."
Lynn went hunting in MD the 15th - 17th but unfortunately came back venison-less. Hopefully his next trip at the end of October will be more successful. I know he enjoyed the time he spent with his son, Mike, but a little venison would be nice too!
Our house renovations are coming along well. Just a few minor touches left to be done inside the house itself. The addition is currently being spackled and taped. They hope to be completely done by the end of this week. It has been an amazing process. I fell behind putting pictures on facebook, too, but will try to remedy that today.
My paperback collection for Operation Paperback to send paperback books to our troops was a great success with a total (so far) of 201 books donated. I have sent out 89 books to 6 troops for a total of $31.01 postage (which I didn't think was too bad.) I really want to thank all the people who donated books and/or money towards postage for this great cause. I am sure the troops will appreciate having some good books to read during their "down time."
Lynn went hunting in MD the 15th - 17th but unfortunately came back venison-less. Hopefully his next trip at the end of October will be more successful. I know he enjoyed the time he spent with his son, Mike, but a little venison would be nice too!
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