Posts filed under ‘Word for Today’
“Word for Today” – Matthew 15 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
One of my favorite current series of commercials is for V8 vegetable juice. They feature people eating all sorts of cholesterol packed, calorie laden, trans-fat drenched foods, only to be bopped on the head by someone with a higher health IQ. The commercial’s announcer then informs us: “Could’ve had a V8. 100% vegetable juice. With three of your daily vegetable servings in every little bottle.”
Perhaps there is nary a one of us who could not improve our eating habits, at least a little bit. My vices include ice cream, chocolate, and lots and lots of cheese. I’ve also been known to enjoy a burger from time to time. And for me, the greasier, the better. Just the other day, in fact, I went over to the Longhorn Café and scarfed down a cheeseburger. It was deliciously sinful. Sure, I could’ve ordered a salad. Or sure, I could’ve ordered the grilled chicken. But that would’ve not been nearly so delicious as a burger which turns its own wrapper clear from its grease. I could’ve eaten healthy. But I didn’t.
I have found that there are many things which many of us wish we could’ve done differently. But when we are faced with so many choices, ranging from the mundanely incidental to the profoundly life-altering, we inevitably make poor decisions. “I could’ve spent more time with my kids when they were growing up,” a father in the twilight years of his life might bemoan. “I could’ve saved more rather than spent everything I have,” a deeply indebted person might lament. But as the old saying goes, “Could’ve, should’ve, would’ve.” Just because we could’ve, doesn’t mean we did.
In our text for today from Matthew 15, we meet a woman we meet a Canaanite who is tirelessly caring for her demon-possessed daughter. Matthew tells us that she is from “the region of Tyre and Sidon” (verse 21). Now, as a rule, Matthew does not indicate a person’s whereabouts as a mere travel log. Rather, some theological import often accompanies a location. So it is with these twin cities. For just a mere three miles northwest of Sidon was a temple, pictured above, to Eshmun, a pagan god of healing whose origins date back to at least the Iron Age. If a woman like this needed healing for her demon-possessed son, she could’ve gone to make an offering at Eshmun’s temple. Indeed, that’s what her friends, neighbors, and relatives would’ve expected she should’ve done. But she doesn’t do that. Instead, she turns to a healer she has just recently heard of. She turns to a healer named Jesus: “Lord, Son of David,” she cries out, “Have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession” (verse 22). This woman takes a chance on someone she scarcely knows anything about. And she is hoping against hope that he can help her.
But instead of helping her, Jesus shocks her: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel,” Jesus quips (verse 24). In other words, Jesus is saying, “I’m only interested in helping holy Israelites, not pagan Canaanites.” But this woman will not be detoured. So she persists, “Lord, help me!” Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs” (verses 25-26)? Wait. Did I hear that right? Did Jesus just call this woman a dog? Yes, he did. And in that day, as in ours, calling someone a “dog,” was not a term of endearment. It was a term of revilement.
At this point, this woman had to have been thinking, “I could’ve gone to Eshmun’s temple. I could’ve possibly had my son healed by a priest there. Maybe I’ve made the wrong choice going to this Jesus.” But this woman, desperate for help, makes one last-ditch effort to curry Jesus’ help and healing: “Yes, Lord,” she says, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (verse 27). This woman refuses to walk away from Jesus without some scrap of blessing. He may insult her, belittle her, and beleaguer her, but this woman just won’t give up on Jesus.
Perhaps, like this woman, you’ve been tempted to give up on Jesus. Maybe you’ve prayed a prayer that has gone seemingly unanswered. Maybe you’ve suffered a tragedy that has made you question God’s goodness if not his very existence. Maybe you’ve encountered a steady stream of unfulfilled hopes, dreams, and wishes that have driven you to other avenues to seek fulfillment. And even if you haven’t officially “given up” on Jesus, you’ve at least thought, “I could’ve gone some place other than Christ’s for help. And maybe I could’ve gotten better ‘results’ than I did with Jesus.” If you’ve ever felt this, said this, or thought this, then I want you to remember the persistency of this Canaanite woman. For she just won’t give up on Jesus. And Jesus hears. And Jesus eventually helps: “‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour” (verse 28).
Even if we could’ve gone somewhere other than Jesus, that doesn’t mean we should’ve. For the only real place for healing, hope, and help is Jesus. So today, even if you could’ve despaired, or could’ve sinned, or could’ve walked away from faith in a moment of trial, don’t. Instead, go to Jesus. And rely on him for all you need. For, in the end, he helps that Canaanite woman. And, in the end, he’ll help you too.
“Word for Today” – Matthew 14 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
The fame was just too much for her to manage. It’s not really surprising, though. After all, going from an unknown British homemaker to a world wide superstar in the scope of one performance would be an overwhelming roller coaster of success for anyone. And it certainly was for Susan Boyle.
Her opening audition, when Susan sang “I Dreamed A Dream” on Britain’s Got Talent, was quickly uploaded to YouTube where it amassed almost 100 million hits in its first nine days, making her performance the most popular video ever on YouTube. And the question du jour of Britain, and of this country, almost instantaneously became, “Have you heard Susan Boyle sing? She’s incredible!” But then, the bottom dropped out. After losing the competition to the British dance troupe Diversity, Boyle checked herself into a London psychiatric clinic, exhausted and depressed.
Fame has a dangerous way of taking its toll on a person. What many desire becomes what many more cannot handle.
If there ever was a famous person in the first century, it was Jesus of Nazareth. Long before talent shows and YouTube videos, the question afoot in ancient Palestine was, “Have you heard of Jesus? His miracles are incredible!” Indeed, in our reading for today from Matthew 14, we learn that Jesus’ fame spread even to the ruler of all Galilee and Perea, Herod Antipas: “At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus” (verse 1). Herod was no enamored by Jesus, in fact, that he could hardly contain his elation when he finally got the chance to meet him, even if it was only right before his death: “When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle” (Luke 23:8). Interestingly, this is not the first time that the family of Herod had heard of Jesus. It was Herod Antipas’ father, Herod the Great, who first heard of Jesus from the Magi: “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:1-3). Herod the Great, it seems, was not nearly as impressed by what he heard of Jesus as his son was.
Tragically, for all that Herod Antipas had heard about Jesus, and for all of his curiosity concerning his miracles, he never has what is most important when it comes to Christ: faith. For time and time again, the biblical authors call upon people not only to hear of Jesus, but to believe in him. “Many who heard the message of the gospel believed” (Acts 4:4). “God gives you his Spirit and work miracles among you because…you believe what you heard” (Galatians 3:5). To merely hear about Jesus does a person no good, he must believe what he has heard.
Sadly, many people treat Jesus as they do Susan Boyle. He’s someone they’re heard of. He’s someone they’re curious about. They may even watch a YouTube video about him. But to believe in him as the Son of God? That’s a line many will not cross. Yet, that is the very line that we are invited to cross: to believe in Jesus as the Son of God and the Savior of our souls. And by the way, the faith that Jesus invites us to is not meant to be heroic feat, nor is it meant to be an irrational devotion; instead, the faith that Jesus calls us is often a “little faith,” as Jesus says of his disciple Peter’s faith in verse 31 of today’s reading. Yet, it is faith nonetheless. And, as Jesus himself promises, even the littlest faith is a salvific faith: “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). So today, take time to listen to Jesus as he speaks through his Word. And as he speaks, don’t just hear his voice, believe it.
“Word for Today” – Matthew 13 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
My least favorite subject in middle school was geography. There was just something about having to memorize all fifty states and their capitals, especially those square states in the middle that all look the same, that didn’t appeal to me. In fact, being able to stare at a blank map of the US and fill it in was a task that seemed impossible in my middle school mind. And yet, it was a task that was a required part of my curriculum.
My first go at the blank US map did not go so well. I can remember bringing my paper home, a fat D – scrawled across the front of it, and meekly handing it to my dad. “A D minus?!” my dad bellowed. “You got a D minus?! I know you can do better than that!” “But dad!” I protested. “The class is boring and the map is hard and I just can’t do this!” “Well, you’re going to have to do this,” my dad fired back. “Because if you don’t, there are going to be serious consequences.” I finally passed the course with a C.
As much as I hate to admit it, I could have done better. I could have studied harder, applied myself more diligently, and took more of an interest in the subject matter. But I just didn’t want to. So I didn’t. Instead, I slid by with the bare minimum amount of work required.
In our reading for today from Matthew 13, Jesus tells a parable about a sower who goes out and scatters seed. Jesus says that some of the seed “fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (verses 4-8).
Now usually, when Jesus tells a parable, he leaves it up to his disciples to interpret it. Indeed, interpreting Jesus’ parables is a task that has kept even theologians and scholars busy for some two millennia now. But in this instance, Jesus spares us his usual enigmatic parabolic cliffhanger and interprets it for us: “Listen to what the parable of the sower means” (verse. 18). Actually, this is a poor translation of this verse which we will return to momentarily. For Jesus’ interpretation of his parable begins long before verse 18. It instead begins in verse 11: “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them’” (verses 11, 14-15). This parable, it seems, is a parable about the very people who are hearing it. Some of the hearers are “good soil” and so receive “the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.” Some, however, are poor soil that “has become calloused” so that they do not receive the seeds of God’s Word. Why don’t they receive the seeds of God’s Word? Truth be told, it’s because they don’t want to. They have muted their ears and closed their eyes. Like me in my geography course, they have not bothered to earnestly pursue the kingdom of God. This is the meaning of Jesus’ parable.
Thus, when Jesus says, “Listen to what the parable of the sower means” (verse 18), he is not so much interpreting the parable’s meaning as he is simply retelling the parable in light of the meaning he has already offered. Indeed, a more literal translation of Jesus’ words would read: “Hear therefore the parable of the sower.” In other words, Jesus is inviting his disciples to listen to the parable with new ears as he retells it. For now, his disciples understand the parable’s meaning and gravity: the very people who are listening to Jesus’ parable are the very soils of Jesus’ parable.
Jesus’ call, then, is to examine the soil of your heart. Does your heart yearn for Christ’s kingdom, or does it treat its mysteries with all the warmth and interest of a middle school geography course? Jesus says later in this chapter, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (verses 44-46). This is the earnestness with which we should pursue the kingdom of heaven. It should be as precious as treasure and as fine as jewelry to us.
So when it comes to the Kingdom, study hard. After all, the location of the Kingdom is far more important than even the location of our magnificent fifty states.
“Word for Today” – Matthew 12 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
Last week, a collective sigh of relief went up from Concordia’s campus. The source of the sigh was none other than the fact that finally, summer vacation has arrived! Faculty and staff alike have been working hard all year long and now, we take moments here and there throughout the summer to rest, relax, and recharge. Of course, this week is the week before our Vacation Bible School, so the office is buzzing with activity, but our rest will come soon enough. Indeed, one of my favorite Bible comes at the tail end of the creation account in Genesis 2:2: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” I figure if God can take a break every once in a while, so can I. In fact, I am actually commanded to: “The seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work” (Exodus 20:10). The Hebrew word for “Sabbath” is shabbat, meaning, “Stop!” The implication of the Sabbath, then, is clear: we have six days for working, but we are also to have a seventh day – a shabbat day – where we stop working and take a break.
The ancient rabbis took the Sabbath day very seriously. They even had a whole tractate of the Mishnah, a compendium of ancient rabbinical teaching, known as the Shabbat. And in the Shabbat, they outlined some 39 things prohibited on the Sabbath: “The principal acts of labor prohibited on the Sabbath are…Sowing, plowing, reaping, binding into sheaves, threshing, winnowing, fruit-cleaning, grinding, sifting, kneading, baking, wool-shearing, bleaching, combing, dyeing, spinning, warping, making two spindle-trees, weaving two threads, separating two threads, tying a knot, untying a knot, sewing on with two stitches, tearing in order to sew together with two stitches, hunting deer, slaughtering the same, skinning them, salting them, preparing the hide, scraping the hair off, cutting it, writing two letters, erasing in order to write two letters, building, demolishing in order to rebuild, kindling, extinguishing fire, hammering, transferring from one place into another. These are the principal acts of labor” (Mishnah Shabbat 7.2). For those of you who are hunters, I would like to call special attention to item 25: “deer hunting.” In other words, no missing church for deer season!
Good natured ribbing aside, the rabbis were ruthless in their implementation of these laws. In ancient Judaism, the punishment for breaking a Sabbath was death. So you can imagine the incredulity of the religious rulers when, in our reading for today from Matthew 12, Jesus boldly, brazenly, and publicly, heals a man who has been struck with a paralyzed hand. “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” they ask angrily (verse 10). For to them, healing qualifies as work. And it is unlawful to work on the Sabbath. Jesus counters, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (verses 11-12). Jesus responds to these overly legalistic religious leaders: “People may need to take a vacation, but good never does. For it’s always okay to do good. It’s always okay to help someone, love someone, assist someone, and give to someone…even on the Sabbath.” In other words, the Sabbath day, like any other day, is a day for goodness. Indeed, it is a day that is itself good: “And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Genesis 2:3).
Finally, then, the Sabbath is not just a day to do no work, it is also a day to do good. It is a day to love your family. It is a day to assist your neighbor. It is a day to treat your spouse. With that in mind, did you take the opportunity to “do good” on yesterday’s Sabbath? If not, you have a whole week to plan a special act of goodness for this coming week’s Sabbath. So think of an act of goodness that will bless someone’s life and touch someone’s heart and then, if it can wait, save it for the Sabbath. For, in that act of goodness, you may just find more rest than you ever imagined.
“Word for Today” – Matthew 11 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
“I’m too old for this.” At least, that’s what I was thinking as I boarded the “Freak Out” at the Corpus Christi carnival with a teenage youth from the church I was serving. At first I thought it wouldn’t be too bad. But as I boarded the car, and the bar came down to keep me from flying out, my once ironclad bravery melted into trembling trepidation. And then, the ride began to swing. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Higher and higher it swung until I was being swung some 72 feet up in the air, my feet flailing in a chasm of open space below. My stomach began to churn and I closed my eyes. And it was on that day that I began to understand why they called the ride the “Freak Out.” Because I was doing exactly that. I was just glad when it was over.
I have always found it funny how, oftentimes, we will forcefully claim the ability to confront even the most frightening and challenging predicaments with steely-eyed resoluteness, but only when we are not yet directly faced with them. For when reality hits and fear and uncertainty take over, our once rock-solid gallantry gets cut down to size. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you,” Peter pompously pronounces to Jesus (Matthew 26:35). But then Jesus gets arrested and Peter gets scared. And when people begin asking Peter questions about his relationship to Jesus, he responds, “I don’t know the man” (Matthew 26:72)! So much for Peter’s valor.
In our reading for today from Matthew 11, what happened to me on the “Freak Out” and what happened to Peter when he was confronted by inquisitors, also happens to John the Baptist. As the chapter opens, John is in prison. According to the first century Jewish historian Josephus, John was held at a castle in Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea, seen in the picture at the top of this blog. As you can tell, John was not exactly staying in an oasis paradise! Apparently, John had been in prison throughout Jesus’ Galilean ministry, perhaps for as long as a year. It is at this point that John begins to get a little bit antsy. “I thought Jesus was the Messiah,” John reflects to himself. “Isn’t the Messiah supposed to ‘free the prisoners’ and ‘set the captives free’ (Isaiah 61:1)? Why is it, then, that I remain here, languishing in prison?” Cracks of doubt and misgiving, it seems, begin to develop in John’s normally impenetrable fortitude. And so, John sends some of his disciples to ask of Jesus: “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else” (verse 2)?
Many times I think we errantly perceive biblical characters to be people of heroic faith unmitigated by such struggles as doubt and fear. According to Matthew 11, however, this picture is simply not true. For even John the Baptist begins to doubt Jesus’ messianic pedigree. Graciously, rather than scolding John for his lack of faith, Jesus gives him this kind reply via one of his disciples: “Go back and report to John what you hear and see. The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the dear hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to poor” (verses 4-5). “Do not fear, John,” Jesus says, “I’m not some wannabe Messiah. I’m the real deal. For I am fulfilling the prophecies concerning the Messiah’s work, even if you remain in prison.” And then, Jesus concludes with this beautiful beatitude: “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (verse 6). Jesus knows that faith is hard. Jesus knows that his followers will doubt. But he gives them this encouragement: “Even when it’s tough, even when it’s dark, even when it’s uncertain, don’t fall away. Trust in me, even if your trust is only hanging by a thread. And you will be blessed.”
Perhaps you, like John, sometimes struggle with your faith in Christ. Perhaps you are in a time of bitter anguish and you wonder how a loving God could ever allow you to experience such pain. Perhaps you see the brokenness of this world and you wonder how a righteous God could let this go on. Whatever question you might have, please know that you are not alone. You are not the first to have your fortified faith fractured by a tough trial. And you will not be the last. Then again, perhaps you feel strong in your faith right now. Perhaps you can say with Peter, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you, Lord!” Except that you, unlike Peter, would actually follow through. If this is you, praise be to God! By his Spirit, he has strengthened your faith. But remember also to be understanding of those whose faith is shaky right now. After all, your faith has been shaky before and it will probably be shaky again. As Jude, himself a very brother of Jesus, would remind us, “Be merciful to those who doubt” (Jude 22).
“Word for Today” – Matthew 10 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
The famous news commentator Charles Osgood, host of “CBS Sunday Morning” on television and “The Osgood File” on radio, penned this “Poem on Responsibility”:
There was a most important job that needed to be done,
And no reason not to do it, there was absolutely none.
But in vital matters such as this, the thing you have to ask
Is who exactly will it be who’ll carry out the task?
Anybody could have told you that everybody knew
That this was something somebody would surely have to do.
Nobody was unwilling; anybody had the ability.
But nobody believed that it was their responsibility.
It seemed to be a job that anybody could have done,
If anybody thought he was supposed to be the one.
But since everybody recognized that anybody could,
Everybody took for granted that somebody would.
But nobody told anybody that we are aware of,
That he would be in charge of seeing it was taken care of.
And nobody took it on himself to follow through,
And do what everybody thought that somebody would do.
When what everybody needed so did not get done at all,
Everybody was complaining that somebody dropped the ball.
Anybody then could see it was an awful crying shame,
And everybody looked around for somebody to blame.
Somebody should have done the job
And Everybody should have,
But in the end Nobody did
What Anybody could have.
Maybe this has happened to you too. There is a job to be done. And everybody agrees that somebody should do it. But in the end, the job gets left undone because nobody steps up to the plate.
I can remember, as a teenager, how my father would divvy up a list of chores between my two siblings and me. One would wash the dishes, another would vacuum the living room, and still another would clean the bathroom. One evening, however, my father decided to let us divvy up the chores amongst ourselves. “You decide who’s going to what,” he told us. So we did. We all decided that none of us wanted to do any of it. And the chores didn’t get done. My father never tried that again.
At the end of Matthew 9, Jesus says to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38). Jesus is here employing an agricultural metaphor to push an evangelistic imperative. “There is a great harvest of people,” Jesus says, “on the cusp of being converted to the Kingdom of God. All they need is for someone to tell them about me. So pray for people to go to them and tell them about me.”
I can almost imagine the disciples’ reaction: “Will do, Jesus! We’ll be praying away! We’re sure someone will answer the call to share the gospel. In fact, we might even donate some money to a mission society to help out in the cause. Can you recommend a good one, Jesus?” This is Jesus’ response: “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘As you go, preach this message: The kingdom of heaven is near’” (Matthew 10:1,5,7).
Jesus ends Matthew 9 by praying that the Lord would send someone to preach the gospel. At the beginning of chapter 10, we learn that that “someone” is the disciples themselves.
When it comes to sharing the gospel with others, many of us, at least tacitly, live with this attitude: “Someone will do it.” We, like Jesus, may pray that God would send out missionaries, those brave souls who professionally preach the gospel in far away lands, but sadly, too many of us read the end of the Matthew 9 without also reading the beginning of Matthew 10. Because the beginning of Matthew 10 is the answer to Jesus’ prayer at the end of Matthew 9. God does indeed have “someone” in mind to share his gospel. And that “someone” is you.
Will you answer the call of God to be his “someone”? It doesn’t have to be complicated, you know. It can be as simple as a prayer for a sick friend, a note of encouragement to a distressed coworker, or a helping hand to someone down and out. The chances to share your faith are legion. So, will you be the “someone” who shares your faith today? I sure do hope so. For someone needs to hear what you, as God’s “someone,” have been called to share.
“Word for Today” – Matthew 9 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
This past Friday was the last day of school here at Concordia. In celebration, my wife Melody sent me on a mission to pick up Taco Cabana breakfast tacos for her first grade class. I sampled a bean and cheese taco. Those kids got some good eats.
There seems to be something about celebrations that demands food. Thanksgiving demands a fat turkey. Christmas demands a luscious ham. Birthdays demand a decadent cake. And Super Bowl parties demand mounds of wings, bags of chips, and coolers full of every conceivable drink. Food and good times go together.
In our reading for today from Matthew 9, the disciples of John the Baptist come to Jesus with a question: “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast” (verse 14)? John the Baptist had been recently thrown in prison (cf. Mark 1:14) and his disciples were accordingly fasting and praying for his release. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were fasting out of an arrogant self-righteousness. Old Testament law commanded only that a Jew fast once a year (cf. Numbers 29:7-11), but the Pharisees would often fast twice a week (cf. Luke 18:12) as a conceited display of their rigid piety.
In this instance, John’s disciples come to Jesus and, to paraphrase, say to him, “We’re fasting, the Pharisees and their disciples are fasting, everyone is fasting! Why aren’t you and your disciples fasting?” Jesus responds, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them” (verse 15)?
In the first century, weddings were particularly joyous occasions. Like today, weddings would often be accompanied by a reception where guests would eat, drink, and celebrate. Jesus’ analogy, then, is this: Jesus is like the groom come to love his bride who is his disciples (cf. Ephesians 5:25-27). Therefore, we, as disciples of Jesus, live not in a time of fasting and somber faces, but in a time for feasting and celebration! For Christ is with us as our bridegroom! So eat up!
In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah foresees a day when God will be with his people and writes thusly of God’s celebration with them: “On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest of wines” (Isaiah 25:6). I think the King James Version does better when it translates, “In this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.” “Fat things full of marrow.” Now there’s a word picture for you. In our day, we think of fatty foods as sinful, embarrassing indulgences which cause diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. But the biblical authors are writing out of a culture of scarcity. That is, famines were common and fat was good. It kept you from starving to death. And so, Isaiah says, “There will come a day when we can all celebrate and praise our God around a big plate of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Chili’s Awesome Blossoms, Domino’s stuffed crust pizzas, and Sonic Oreo milkshakes. We’ll even throw in some Taco Cabana breakfast tacos for good measure.” And then, one day Jesus comes and says to his disciples, “Now is not the time for fasting. Now’s the time to pile your plate high! For I am God come to be with you. I am the fulfillment of Isaiah 25.”
So today, as you eat your meals, remember to regard them as special celebrations of God’s provision and God’s presence in Christ. Maybe even treat yourself, being cognizant of health concerns, of course. Speaking of which, I think it’s time for breakfast. Here’s to a great Jesus feast!
“Word for Today” – Matthew 8 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
About a month ago, my wife Melody came down with a cold. Coincidentally, she became sick in the thick of the so-called “swine-flu” scare, so I, of course, joked with her about contracting the fearful virus. Thankfully, however, her condition was not nearly so dire. Just a runny nose, a mild headache, general fatigue, a relentless cough, and a low-grade fever.
Even though Melody’s symptoms were relatively mild, I took all the precautions I could to protect myself from her unpleasant illness. I washed my hands constantly; I took plenty of vitamin C; I ate lots of yogurt. I even took some Zicam just to be on the safe side. Thankfully, I avoided getting sick.
For such an innocuous illness, I admittedly reacted with what may have been a disproportionate amount of concern, not wanting to get laid up in the middle of a busy season of ministry. If I reacted so vigilantly to an illness that is relatively and harmless and extensively treatable, then you can imagine the reaction of those who found out they had a loved one with the disease of leprosy in Jesus’ day. For, unlike our present day with all of our advanced medical technologies, there was no way to effectively treat this dreaded disease in the first century. This disease, in this day, was a sure and certain death sentence.
Leprosy would generally begin with fatigue coupled with joint pain, followed by the development of nodules on the skin. These nodules would subsequently ulcerate and emit a foul smell. Eventually, a leper would lose sensation in his digits, which meant that he could sustain a cut, puncture wound, or even sever a limb, and scarcely notice. Finally, a leper would lose his ability to function mentally, slip into a coma, and die. Such was the dreaded fate of those who contracted this dreaded disease.
With the apprehension that accompanied leprosy, both medical and religious protocol dictated that lepers be quarantined away from the general population: “The person with…an infectious disease [such as leprosy] must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:45-46). With such strict instructions for lepers to remain separate from the healthy, you can imagine the crowd’s surprise in our reading for today from Matthew 8 when, “A man with leprosy came and knelt before Jesus and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean’” (verse 2). Notably, in Greek, this verse begins with the word idou, meaning, “Behold!” Idou is meant as a verbal marker to draw the reader’s attention to a startling scene. Thus, as this leper approached Jesus, gasps, whispers, and sneers offense would have been audible from the crowd. For no leper would ever dare approach such a large crowd of people. After all, he risked infecting them with his grisly ailment! Consequently, a more literal translation of this verse would read: “Idou! A man with leprosy comes and kneels before Jesus!”
This leper, however, approaches not with a bald disdain for the health of others, but with a humble request for Jesus: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Notice the surrender of the leper’s will to Jesus’ will: “If you are willing, Jesus,” the leper says. “Not my will, but yours is what counts.” The great fourth century preacher, theologian, and archbishop John Chrysostom, wrote of this passage: “The leper did not say, ‘Lord, cleanse me!’ But leaves all to him, and makes his recovery depend on him, and testifies that all authority is his” (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 10:172).
You see, the most beautiful part of this leper’s story is not the miraculous healing which he receives, but the faith that he displays in God’s will, even if that will would have been to receive his healing in heaven rather than here on earth.
All too often, our requests of Jesus begin, “Dear Jesus, please…” And then follows our laundry lists of pressing needs and not-so-necessary wants. Today when you pray, try taking the posture of the leper before God: “Lord, if you are willing…” Seek God’s will before praying your own, perhaps even in the midst of a precarious plight like that of the leper’s. And remember that your prayers, even if they get a little demanding at times, as all of ours do, never fall on deaf ears. For God always idous us when we pray in Jesus’ name.
“Word for Today” – Matthew 7 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
I am an avid contact wearer. Several years ago, I used to wear glasses until a friend of mine suggested that I switch to contacts. At first, I was reticent to make such a switch, for sticking my finger in each of my eyes twice daily to put in and remove my contacts sounded less than appealing, but once I got into the habit of it, I loved my contacts. No more blurred peripheral vision. No more foggy lenses when I walked outside on a humid day. I soon began wearing my contacts from first thing in the morning until late at night. That is, until one day.
It was right in the middle of a Vacation Bible School at my former church. My left eye, no matter how many times I flushed it and rinsed my contacts, was always sore and blurry. I finally decided to make a trip to the optometrist when, after lots of vision tests, a couple of puffs of air, and a dilated pupil, he informed me that my eye was infected and I would have to stop wearing my contacts immediately. I was not pleased. “How long will I have to wear glasses instead of contacts?” I demurred. “I don’t know,” came the reply. “Probably a few months until your eye gets better.”
Those few months seemed to be nearly an eternity to me. Office visit after office visit. Vision test after vision test. And still, the eyesight in my left eye remained troublingly blurred.
In our reading for today from Matthew 7, Jesus speaks to a kind of stymied vision that is much more significant and dire than that which can be blurred by a simple eye infection: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (verses 3-5). Sadly, many people misinterpret Jesus’ words here to be either a prohibition against any kind of condemnation of sin whatsoever, or a minimalistic perquisite against having anything too bad in your own life so that you can self-righteously sock it to your brother or sister in Christ without being embarrassed by your own shortcomings. Neither interpretation is correct or faithful.
The problem which Jesus addresses in these verses is simply this: We have a spiritual vision problem. There is a timber of transgression in every human eye. And with such obstructed vision, it is not that we should not try to remove a speck of sawdust from our brother’s eye, it is that we cannot remove a speck of sawdust from our brother’s eye because, with such a large lath in our own eye, we cannot even see our brother to help him in his sin! In other words, Jesus is not saying, as some would maintain, that we dare not judge our brother’s speck because that might seem narrow-minded or accusatory. No! The very reason Jesus wants us to remove the plank from our own eye is so that we can help our brother with his speck. Jesus wants us to be able to help others repent of their sin! But, then again, we also must never turn Jesus’ word into some shallow precondition meant simply to keep us from looking too hypocritical so that we can ruthlessly and mercilessly judge others. Instead, Jesus calls to us to really examine ourselves and remove our planks and to really help others with their specks of sin by calling them to repentance.
So, how’s your eyesight? Although it certainly isn’t 20/20, for no one is perfect, are you cognizant of your own sins and shortcomings, asking God to forgive and purify you so that you can be of service to others? Don’t live with your spiritual eyesight stifled by sin. After all, your brother needs your clear vision so that you can help him. I hope you will.
“Word for Today” – Matthew 6 – www.concordialutheranchurch.com
This week has been a red letter one in the history of corporate America. Or, perhaps I should say it’s been a red number one. For the numbers of one this country’s most storied manufacturing companies, General Motors, were so terrible, showing some $172.81 billion in debt, that this behemoth of the auto industry was forced to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The effects of such a filing will no doubt be felt far and wide. Jobs lost. Factories shut down. Bondholders losing millions. Dealerships scrambling to remain open. This is a news story that is causing much consternation and worry across our great nation because, for so many, General Motors is much more than a headline, it’s a livelihood.
When spoken into today’s corporate context, it may seem as though Jesus’ words from Matthew 6 ring a little hollow: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear” (verse 25). “Do not worry?” What do you mean, “Do not worry?” Jobs are being lost. Sources of income are evaporating. If ever there was a time to worry, this is a time to worry!
In some ways, Jesus’ words seem to be almost nothing more than “pie in the sky” niceties. “Do not worry.” Doesn’t that sound nice? If only it were true. But we all know better. For life throws us inevitable curve calls that call for our immediate attention and, yes, even our worry.
This may come as a surprise to you, but I would agree with such an estimation of Jesus’ words. To simply say, “Do not worry” is neither practical nor helpful. It is simply wishful thinking. I would agree with such an estimation of Jesus’ words…if those were actually Jesus’ words. But they’re not.
Look carefully. What is Jesus’ first word in Matthew 6:25? It’s not a command: “Do not!” Rather, it’s a connector: “Therefore.” And in the Bible, whenever you see a “therefore,” it’s important to ask, “What is it there for?” For the word “therefore” is an important word in biblical literature. It’s a word which connects what is getting ready to be said to that which has come before it. And what has come before this particular “therefore” is a veritable treasure trove of God’s promises of provision.
Jesus promises, “Your Father…will reward you” (verse 4). He teaches us pray: “Give us today our daily bread” (verse 11). And he instructs us to hope not in “treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steel, but…[in] treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (verses 19-20). It is only in view of all this, in light of all this, and in trust of a heavenly Father who rewards and who provides daily bread and who offers eternal treasure, that Jesus continues, “Therefore, do not worry!” And Jesus offers this not as some lofty, impossible command, but as a humble invitation to trust that, just as God has already been faithful to us in the past with rewards and bread and treasure, he will continue to be faithful to us into the future by his grace.
Perhaps right now, you are riddled by worry. Rather than simply beating yourself up over your anxiety or throwing your hands up in utter despair over your inability to “not worry,” allow me to invite you instead to rejoice in Jesus’ “therefore.” In fact, today, why don’t you do a little exercise? Get a sheet of paper and turn it sideways. In the middle of the sheet write the word, “Therefore.” Then, on the left side of that sheet, write all the ways in which God has provided for you in the past: with life, with food, with loved ones, with former jobs, with a current job, and so on and so forth. Then, on the right side of the page, write down the good blessings that could possibly come after Jesus’ “therefore.” If God has provided for you so heartily and mightily in the past, how might he provide for you in the future? And then study that list. And thank God for that list. And trust that God will provide according to his will. Who knows? In light of your list, it might even be a little easier to heed Jesus’ invitation: “Therefore, do not worry.” I hope it is.
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