In Matthew's Steps: A New Beginning

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 28

Focus Verse: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Meditation: A New Beginning
At the end of every chapter...something new begins. At the end of the school year...the summer begins. At graduation...a new life in college or in the world opens up. At the end of our time with our children...a new life together opens up. At the end of life...a new eternal life.

Here at the end of Matthew we find the same to be true. The Gospel moves quickly from the resurrection experience to the last words of Christ. Here you will find no post-resurrection sightings. Jesus doesn't appear to any of them on the road or in their homes or on the shore. None of them see him until they reach the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And only there does Jesus say anything substancial to them.

On the mountain, we read nothing of Jesus ascending into heaven. The words read on Ascension Sunday are not spoken from the clouds. They are said as Jesus "came to them." Not as he leaves. And they do one important task. They send the disciples forward. They are sending words that transform the disciples, the learners, into the apostles, those who are sent. These words open doors. They pave the way to the greater adventures the disciples will have as apostles, as those sent forth, from Christ.

This chapter is an ending...but it's also a new beginning.

We too are given the chance to begin anew...to move from one ending into a new beginning. SIn the past we've gone through trials and hardships. Leaders we know may have derided us as they did Jesus. We may have suffered tremendously, physically, mentally, or spiritually. But here...at the resurrection and on the mountain where we see the Risen Christ...we are given a new beginning. A chance to start over. And a new horizon to meet.

For me and my family, we too have been through an ending. Our time at St. James Lutheran Church in Columbus, Montana has ended. There we leave people who cared about us. In a sense... we have died to our life there... and now God has opened up an exciting new beginning.

This week I accepted a call to serve as pastor of a church in Peoria, Illinois. Peoria is an exciting place with numerous opportunities for both me and my family. The church is forward-thinking, exciting and enthusiastic about mission and ministry. There will be challenges as there are in every place. But this is a brand new frontier. I feel like the disciples did. Nervous. Anxious. Believing...and also doubting. Wondering what the new future has in store for us. Hopeful. Excited.

But through it all, I know that Christ Jesus is with us. This promise, at the end of his speech, is what sustains us all through all the chapter changes in our life. Jesus says: "I will be with you always to the end of the age." Here at the end of Matthew, Jesus doesn't leave us. He doesn't disappear in the clouds. He doesn't go and disappear into heaven. Instead, Jesus is WITH US! Still, Jesus is still with us even here. Even now! Jesus stays by our side through all the chapter changes of our lives. And that's a promise we can bank on! Amen!

Questions to Ponder...
1) What chapter-changes have you faced lately? How have you gotten through them?
2) What sustains you through all the changes in your life? What gives you faith and assurance of God's grace?
3) Where have you seen Jesus lately?

A Prayer to Pray...
Almighty God, your Son, Jesus, is still among us just as He promised. Open our eyes that we might see him through all the changes in our lives that we might find faith, even in the midst of our doubts, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


**Faithful devotion readers... we come to the end of our study of Matthew. Stay tuned as life brings us stories of transition as my own family goes through their own transition this month! **

In Matthew's Steps: Christ's Climax

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 27

Focus Verse: Now when the centurion and those with him who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, "Truly this man was God's Son!" Matthew 27:54

Meditation: Christ's Climax
Stories, we learn in school, have certain elements to them. There is the introduction, the beginning of the story in which the characters are introduced. There is the leading action in which the main character is developed and the climax of the story is foreshadowed. This builds into the climax of the story, the point to which everything has been leading. Finally... the story ends with what is called a denoument, where the remaining threads of the narrative are wrapped up and a new narrative may be introduced.

Christ's story takes on the same shape. In Matthew, Jesus is introduced as the one who will save Israel. The magi reinforce this with his gifts, which include symbols of power, wealth, and death. Throughout Jesus ministry, he continually refers to his own suffering and death, something he believes is necessary for the Son of Man. He walks straight into Jerusalem as the story increases its pace until Christ meets his climatic end on the cross as the centurion declares: "Truly, this man was God's Son!"

Without this climax, Christ makes no sense. There is nothing particularly unique about Christ's teaching. Nothing that other teachers haven't said. There is nothing special about his life or his miracles. Other prophets have lived this way. But Christ's death is unique. Very unique. Jesus' whole life led up to his suffering and death on the cross. Here we see the fulfillment of everything that was ever said of the Messiah. Here is the climax of Creation. And the redemption that Christ brings, a redemption that even we, two thousand years later, is not possible without this ending. Without the climax, Christ means nothing. Without Christ on the cross, his teachings are meaningless words and useless presuppositions, but through the cross, they are life! And they are from God!

Here at the end of his life we see everything come together! The kingdom of heaven that Jesus has been announcing and speaking to is now tested. Jesus' kingship is challenged, once by Pilate "Are you the King of the Jews?". Once by the soldiers: "Hail, King of the Jews!" Once by the sign over his head: "This is Jesus, the King of the Kews." And once by the chief priests and scribes: "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him." The persecution promised to the faithful now falls squarely on Jesus' shoulders, as those around him desert him, his own people turn on him, and painful suffering overcomes his body.

We might wonder why Jesus had to suffer this way. Why would this be the destiny of the Son of God? But the truth is... it's all built up to this point! Jesus death does what no other sacrifice could do. It atones for our sins. But Jesus' death on the cross does other things too. It paves the way for the kingdom of God. It places God's presence directly in the center of suffering. It shows us the price one must pay for the kingdom of God to come.

Jesus' death does other things too...for you. Each of us who have heard this story, sometimes more than once, who have walked Jesus' footsteps as he makes his way to the cross, take something else from this event.

Perhaps you hear the love Christ has one the cross. Perhaps you can relate to the insults hurled at him by his people. Perhaps you have felt like you were on trial. Or perhaps you have suffered unjustly for doing right. Perhaps Christ's death reminds you that you are truly forgiven. Or perhaps it's about a New Beginning... a New Creation.

However this story touches you, Christ's death is indeed the climax of his life here on earth. For nothing he did or said makes any sense without it. Amen.

Questions to Ponder...
1) Look back through Matthew sometime. How often does Jesus foreshadow his own suffering and death? At what point do you think Jesus' comes to this realization of his climax?
2) Does Jesus' death make you uncomfortable? Why or why not?
3) What does Jesus' death on the cross mean for you?

A Prayer to Pray...
We thank you, Heavenly Father, for sending your Son whose destiny was the cross. We pray as we walk through life that you would remind us of his atoning sacrifice for our sins and lead us to walk in his footsteps, through our crucified and risen Lord's name. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: Facing the Inevitable

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 26

Focus Verse: “You know that after two days the Passover is coming and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” Matthew 26:2

Meditation: Preparing for the Inevitable

Can you imagine knowing that at someplace in a month or more a horrible pain will come upon you and you will be forced into an ordeal that will change your life forever?

If you’re a mother who’s had children of her own, you can very well imagine that situation. In fact, you’ve experienced that very thing. Pain on a schedule.

It takes courage to know that this is in your future...and to press on toward it anyway. To know with all certainty that pain and suffering awaits you and to walk into it willingly takes strength from God!

Now imagine that it’s not the precious birth of a baby that you’re waiting for but your own death. People are told throughout the world that they have only a few months to live. And that news is devastating. Imagine having that knowledge brought forward to a few days and to know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that pain and suffering will accompany your death. Would you face it willingly? Or would you retreat? If you could prevent that in some way... would you?

That is the situation Jesus faces as he prepares for Passover. His end is coming. “The Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” Jesus knows it comes...and yet he presses forward.

As the woman at Bethany anoints his feet Jesus says, “...she has prepared me for burial.”
As the disciples eat the meal together Jesus says, “...one of you will betray me.”
As the cup of communion is passed around Jesus reminds them, “I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
And as Jesus wakes his disciples the last time he tells them, “See, my betrayer is at hand.”

All of these things point to the fact that Jesus KNEW what was about to happen to him...and yet he walked that way willingly. Jesus KNEW what was to take place and how much it would hurt...and yet Jesus walked that way anyway. Jesus walked the way to the cross in full knowledge of what would come upon him and what would happen to him in the end. He trusted that his Father in heaven had some plan in mind...but he knew the path that had been chosen for him.

That trust wasn’t easy...that’s for sure. As Jesus is in the Garden, he prays that the cup of suffering would be taken from him. If only there is another way... but there is no other way. The Son of Man must suffer and die and be raised to new life. Jesus must walk this path in full knowledge of the pain and in the hope of the resurrection.

When we find ourselves in inevitable situations, where suffering is at our doorsteps. When we’ve had cancer diagnosed or face an upcoming surgery. When the news of a divorce settles in our family or our loved one gets ill. When Hospice is called in and we lose hope of them ever recovering physically. Let us remember and know that Jesus has already been there. Jesus knew suffering was approaching...and he faced it willingly.

And Jesus is there too when we face suffering too. When the doctors have nothing but bad news, Jesus stands there beside us, comforting us with his presence, sustaining us in our moments of suffering and pain, whispering in our ear that there is something better in store for us at the end. A resurrection like no other. That he himself has prepared for us. There is nothing to fear...even at the inevitable end of our lives. Amen.

Questions to Ponder...
1) When have you faced the inevitable? How did you react?

2) How does your opinion of the passion of Christ change when you figure in Christ’s pre-knowledge of the situation?

3) How has Christ helped you through the inevitable sufferings of life?

A Prayer to Pray...
Almighty God, your Son knews he would suffer and die... and he goes through with it anyway. Help us when we know more than we wish to. Encourage us when suffering is upon us that we might see your resurrection at hand, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: No Other Way

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 25

Focus Verse: “And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’” (v. 40)

Meditation: No Other Way

I get lost. Frequently.

I have a hard time traveling from point A to point B without turning around at least twice in the meantime. I’m not sure where this tendency comes from or when it began. I just know that GPS has been my friend, but even with the computer telling me when to turn and where to go, I often get lost in the meantime.

Most confusing of all is the fact that there is always, without fail, more than one way to travel anywhere you want to go. Do you go down Main Street or Hill Avenue? Do you take the freeway or the frontage road? Do you go the direct route or the indirect route? With so many trails to follow, how do you decide?

In faith we might think there are many ways to go there too...but there really aren’t. Whatever direction you take, there is only one road that goes all the way through...that road is grace.

Today Jesus tells three parables about grace and particularly what happens when you refuse grace.

The first parable, the wise and foolish bridesmaids, features two groups of women: one who brings extra oil to wait for the groom. The other who doesn’t. The one who brings extra oil are ready for the groom when he comes late. The other group doesn’t. The other group, the foolish ones, have to run out to the store for more oil and in doing so, misses out on the groom’s entrance. They are left outside.

So...why are they foolish? Is it because they have no extra oil? Or...maybe another reason.

Maybe the foolish women are foolish because they believe the groom cares. What if the groom cared only nothing for whether they had oil in the lamps or not? What if the groom cared if the women only believed in his grace and were waiting for him just as they are? What if it were their false image of the groom that left them stranded outside?

Grace is the only way...

This theme comes to light too in the second parable. The familiar story of the talents. Three servants are given talents. Two use them wisely. One hoardes it and doesn’t. In the end, when the accounts come to bear, two are commended and one is thrown out on his head.

Why again does this happen? Is it the foolish stewartship of the servant? Or maybe... Maybe it’s the false image of the master.

When confronted by the Master, the last servant says: “Master, I knew you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid...”(vs. 24-25a).

What was his mistake? His fear! Exactly! And because he doesn’t believe in the grace of his master... because he doesn’t believe that his master will commend him no matter what he does...the servant hides the coin and returns it in fear and loathing of the master.

God is a God of grace!

Finally, the last parable about the end judgement is again all about grace. Only this time its grace given, not by God, but by the nations on peoples who are the least of them. In this parable, the righteous are commended for offering grace and the unrighteous condemned for not. What’s striking here is the surprise both parties have. They both ask the same question: “When Lord?” And the Son of Man answers them both...

It was when you offered...or didn’t offer...grace!

If grace is the only way...which I believe it is! And If God is a God of grace...which I believe He is. And if God cares most about how we offer grace to others...which I believe He does... How does that change us? How does that change how we deal with others? How we see God? How does this change the way we view everything around us?

There is only one way to go. That way is grace. Grace, found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that says: “I love you...no matter what?! I don’t care how much oil you have...come and see me! I don’t care what you’ve done with your life...I love you! I’m not interested in how good you are... I’m interested in how much you care and love and show grace to the least of my children. Grace is all that matters in the end.”

May these words disturb you, challenge you, and ultimately save you by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Questions to Ponder...
1) Does grace comfort you? Or disturb you?

2) What does it mean to say that you are on the same ground as every other child of God? Does grace make you equal in worth to the Pope? Or Mother Theresa?

3) How can you show and share grace to others around you? Where is God calling you?

A Prayer to Pray...
Almighty God, I believe you are a God of grace who shows mercy and compassion to the world through your Son. Give me that mercy and compassion. Help me show and share your grace and mercy to all, through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: Be Prepared!

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 24

Focus Verse: “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (vs. 42)

Meditation: Be Prepared!

My two sons are in cub scouts. Every other Tuesday or so, they trudge out to learn about life, the world, and how to do important things like tie knots and make bird houses. Apart from all the fun they are having, though, my boys are learning an important lesson. One immortalized in the boy scout motto:

Be Prepared!
This lesson is played out in every single activity they do.
“Be prepared...” when out want to tie two things together.
“Be prepared...” when it comes to home safety.
“Be prepared...” when you go camping, or hiking, or fishing.
“Be prepared...” when riding your bicycle.

I have loved my boys being in scouts for the sole reason that: this lesson is important to learn. It’s important to be prepared...for anything and everything ‘cause you never know when life will throw you a curveball.

This lesson, be prepared, is precisely what Jesus is trying to tell the disciples in this chapter of Matthew. The focus is on the end-times, what happens at the end of the world, and what Jesus says to the disciples he says to each and every one of us: Be prepared!

Be prepared... when the walls come crashing around you. You never know when the very building you’re standing in will be swept away by a tornado, earthquake, or something else and everything you worked for will be destroyed. So be prepared to lose it all.

Be prepared... to face persecution. For the time will come when those you trust most will turn on you. Be prepared to stand firm with what you believe, or like your home, you too will be swept away.

Be prepared...for deception. “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect...”(vs. 22) Not everyone in the world will be in your best interest. When others come in the name of Christ, discover their motivation. Search their heart. See if they come from God...or not. And be prepared for their deception.

Be prepared...for terrible things to happen. “...the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” Even when all this happens... be prepared to raise your hands and meet your Lord.

Be prepared...even if nothing seems to be happening. Keep your bag at the door, like one who is expecting a child, just in case in the middle of the night something happens. Be prepared!

This cry for preparedness strikes us as it struck the disciples. How often have we thought we have more time than we do. We don’t need to go to church this Sunday...there’s always next Sunday. We aren’t ready to forgive our neighbor or relative quite yet... we still have tomorrow. We’re just not there with God yet...but there’s always tomorrow. How often have some thought these very thoughts only to have their life taken from them that very day.

Be prepared... can act as a call to attentiveness. Be alert. Be alive! For you don’t know when your world will end with your own death...and you don’t know when the WHOLE world will end with its. Be prepared. Always be alert. Have your bags packed if need be. Harbor no regrets. Tell your family you love them TODAY. Do it NOW. Don’t wait. ‘Cause you never know when the thief in the night will come and the world as you know it will end. So...stay alert! And be prepared! Amen.

Questions to Ponder...
1) What have you been putting off doing? What do you need to do TODAY to prepare for Christ’s coming?

2) What would you do if you knew that you only had a week to live? How does this news shift your priorities?

3) Martin Luther said that if he had just a day til the end of the world, he’d plant a tree. How does this statement bring us hope as we look forward to the coming of Christ?

A Prayer to Pray...
Heavenly Father, we know not the day or the hour of your Son’s return, just as we know not the day of our own death. Keep us awake and alert that, in the hour He comes, we may greet Him with joy at the gates, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: Correct Labeling

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 23

Focus Verse: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” Matt. 23:37

Meditation: Correct Labeling
Labels are important. Very important!

Take your average bottle of Dr. Pepper. If the bottle isn’t labeled right, if it says it’s Root Beer, than when you go to drink from the bottle, expecting one thing...you’ll be very surprised.

Or take your average can of green beans. If it’s labeled as green PEAS...you’re not going to be too happy opening it up.

Labels are important for it is only by the labels we read that we know what is inside the packages we buy. We don’t know the product without the label and incorrect labeling can be annoying, if not downright dangerous.

Today’s chapter of Matthew is all about incorrect labeling. People labeling that is. And it is something that gets Jesus pretty upset. In this case, Jesus focuses on incorrect religious labeling. Those who say they speak for God and for Moses, but whose actions are far from pleasing God.

Jesus begins by talking about the labels themselves. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat, “so you must obey them and do everything they tell you to.” They CLAIM to speak for God...but their actions are far from it. They claim to be authentic products of God. “Trust us...” they say. But the product they contain is all wrong.

For starters...they exalt themselves, loving the attention they get by their high position. Jesus says... “NO!”... “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” True leadership is found in servanthood, Jesus says, not in being the greatest in the assembly.

Then Jesus goes through their problems point by point. In a contrast to the beattitudes which list the eight groups of people blessed by God, these verses list seven woes, or mistakes the inauthentic product, makes.

The Inauthentic Word...
• ...Is an insider-only deal. Jesus says: “You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who try to.” Those who are “inside” don’t want the “outsider” in...and so close off the kingdom of God to those who really need it.
• ...Trusts only insiders... The Word of God opens us up to the world...it doesn’t close us off from others. Anything that attempts to separate you from those who need to hear the Word of God...making them outsiders even as you become an insider...isn’t to be trusted.
• ...Always makes exceptions to suit THEIR fancy...not others. Anytime we exclude ourselves from the picture or make exceptions that appeal to US...that’s when we’ve got to be wary. The authentic Word realizes that “...he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and the one who sits on it.”
• ...Doesn’t know what is more important...money or justice. This is a hard one, for we live in a world ruled by money, but in God’s eyes what matters most isn’t our money but “...the more important matters of the law–justice, mercy, and faithfulness.”
• ...Is too wrapped up in outward appearances. The inauthentic Word is caught up in what things look like, in the outside of the cup, instead of what is inside of a person.
• ...Doesn’t know themselves... The inauthentic Word is SO concerned with the sin of others that they cannot see the unrighteousness in themselves. They “...appear to people as righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
• ...Separate themselves from the sin of their ancestors. Beware anytime a church or other organization does not acknowledge their own corporate guilt in the sins of the past. Such a separation is never healthy nor is it what God requires.

We, like the religious people of Jesus day, may find ourselves in one or many of these categories. We too may not be properly labeled. But there is hope. For after saying these things, Jesus speaks of mercy, compassion, and grace.

“I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers...” Christ comes, bringing with him apostles and disciples, prophets and wise men and women, whose job it is to stir in us the authentic product, the New Creation. Through these messengers, God works in our lives to “...gather us together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” Through the Word of God in with and under such ordinary and simple things, even bread, wine, and water, our insides are renewed so that our outside labels match what may be found within. Amen.

Questions to Ponder...
1) Look around your home. What things have a label? How much do you trust the label on the package?

2) How do you label yourself? How do others look to those labels for answers to who YOU are?

3) How might God renew your insides so that the label “Child of God” might apply to you more fully.

A Prayer to Pray...
Almighty God, your authentic Word, your beloved Son, comes to us with both law and gospel. May your Law convict us of our sin, that we might be drawn to your Gospel, the good news of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: Let's Party!

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 22

Focus Verse: “‘Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.” Matthew 22:9-10

Meditation: You’re invited!

My kids have reminded me again and again how arranging a party is different when you’re young. In elementary school, invitations go out to...everyone! All the kids in the class get an invitation. Everyone the children knows(and the parents can stand) are invited. Parties of fifteen or twenty “good friends” are not uncommon.

As we grow older, our guest list changes. We invite those we know and those we like, those who we’re closest to and those we count as “good friends.” Very rarely will we invite EVERYONE to anything. Especially to something as important as a wedding where the number of invitations is closely monitored so we have just enough food to feed everyone.

The same party ediquette held true at Jesus time too. The host would invite his friends and neighbors. Those who were in. The host in Jesus’ parable does just that...only he has a problem. He has overestimated how much they like him. He assumed that everyone he invited would come. So when one invitation goes ignored he sends another. And when he hears back excuses he sends a third.

But the third invitation gets his guests mad. And they kill the messengers.

Frightfully upset, the host then sends his servants to invite “everyone you find on the streets.” The hobo drinking his wine, the unmarried mother of two, the gay and the straight, the “good and the bad” as the text says, everyone! Everyone is invited to the banquet. And they all come! The hall is packed.

But the host still knows this is a wedding party. And his guests aren’t dressed right for a wedding. So... he’s provided some clothes for them. A changing room is on the left with clothes in everyone’s size. And everyone is asked to change in order to be right for the party at hand. Right-ness is provided by the host. Just take off your old stinky clothes and wear the cool clean ones he has provided for you.

All is well at the party...except one thing. One of the guests hasn’t changed yet. One of them is still wearing his old stinky clothes. Smiling, the host approaches the man. “Friend, we have clothes for you to wear. How did you get this far without changing...”

The man is... speechless. Why? I’m not really sure. Maybe he didn’t think anything needed to change in him. Maybe he thought everyone else needed a makeover...but not him. Maybe he didn’t like it that the host was giving new clothes to “those people over there.” Or maybe he just didn’t like the clothes the host was providing.

But in any case...the man doesn’t say a word. And the host is forced to remove him from the wedding party. Why? Because they all need to look right. Because right-ness is provided by the host and if you’re not willing to take the free gift being offered, than what right do you have being there in the first place?

Jesus’ parable might be taken as a reference to Israel’s rejection of God and the ministry to the Gentiles...but I think there’s more to it than that. I think there’s something we can take from this parable...personally.

You see... we also have been invited into the banquet hall. Along with all the rest of creation, we’ve been invited to sit with our Lord as he makes the world new. We’ve been invited, along with the good AND THE BAD, together. We didn’t ask for the invitation. We didn’t somehow earn it. But...there it is in our hands.

And we, like others, have also been given a gift. The gift of righteousness, given freely in our Lord Jesus Christ. Like new wedding clothes, this righteousness makes us “look right” at the party. They too are a gift. Given freely without any merit or worthiness on our part.

But they’ve been given to more than just us. More than just our little family and friends. In fact, when we look closely at the redemption bought by Jesus Christ, we discover that those wedding clothes have been given to each and every person, living and dead, on the face of the earth. All have been invited. All are welcome. All have been clothed in Jesus Christ.

We needn’t worry about how Jesus will clothe anyone else. We need only worry about putting on the clothes ourselves. Realizing that there is nothing good and right and proper about the way we live. We aren’t any better than anyone else. The righteousness that is right for the party is the righteousness given to us by Jesus Christ our Lord. And that is a gift. Forever...to the end. Amen.

Questions to Ponder...
1) Think about the best party you’ve ever been to. What made it so great? What do you remember about the celebration?

2) How do you decide who to invite and who not to invite to things?

3) How would you feel if you were invited to this wedding banquet that Jesus throws?

A Prayer to Pray...Heavenly Father, you invite us to the wedding banquet of your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us the humility to repent, to take off our old stinky clothes, so we can put on your righteous robes. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: When the Righteous are Wrong

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 21

Focus Verse: “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.” Matt. 21:43

Meditation: When the Righteous are Wrong
It doesn’t take long in a World History course to learn that religion has its dangers.

The media talks about the danger of fundamentalist Muslims, but throughout the centuries the religious from all faiths have proven themselves to be dangerous. Very dangerous.

Take the history of Christianity. A thousand years ago, a group of Christians thought they heard the call of God to cleanse the Holy Land of the Muslims living there. A couple hundred years later an Inquisition swept over the known world, killing thousands of innocent men and women in the hopes of purifying their society. A few years later, more religious wars swept Europe. On the heels of the Reformation, the Thirty Years War, pitting Protestants against Catholics, lasted thirty years and killed hundreds of thousands of people. In the New World, the conquistadors converted the masses by the sword, killing even those who adopted the faith. Up in the Americas, an idea known as Manifest Destiny gave Christians the license to kill the native populations there in the name of God. And in the last century good Christian men and women participated in the largest slaughter of human life in known history. An event called rightly “The Holocaust.”

Christians today get it wrong all the time. Hatred abounds on the Christian Broadcasting Stations against Muslims, Catholics, and Democrats. Denominations go against other denominations on trivial matters of doctrine and practice. Christians can’t even talk about their faith in the public square without being termed a radical, a fundamentalist, or one of those crazy religious types.

No wonder secularists accuse religion itself of polluting the world!

Of course this is nothing new. The same happened in Jesus’ own time. In this chapter of Matthew, Jesus lays out how the righteous get it wrong...a lot!

Triumphant Entry Into Jerusalem... At the beginning of this chapter we get the beloved Palm Sunday text. Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus, riding in a donkey, enters Jerusalem with the crowds all in an uproar. Palm branches are waving. Cloaks are being laid before him. Everything looks great...except for one thing. There’s no religious people there. Read the story again for yourself. The disciples are there. The crowds are there. But where are the religious? They are strangely missing from the picture. The religious did NOT welcome Jesus into Jerusalem.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple... As if to amplify this point, Jesus moves into the temple where he drives out the money changers and throws out those who sell doves. The religious ones who make a profit off their faith. And who does he welcome? “The blind and lame came to him in the temple and he cured them...” Even little children(the lowest outcasts of society. No use in a child at this time). Even they sing Jesus’ praises. Of course the religious don’t approve. “...they became angry and said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’” The religious don’t approve...even of those who gather around Jesus.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree... Jesus moves, therefore, into a kind of living parable. Seeing a fig tree without fruit, Jesus curses it saying, “May no fruit ever come from you again...” Jesus uses it as an example of faith...but its also an analogy of the religious. For they who were suppose to produce fruit are not. The religious are the fruitless tree, standing with leaves and nothing else to show.

Jesus Authority Questioned... Now when religious people are challenged or upset what do they usually do? Traditionally they turn on their leaders. The authority of their leaders is questioned and probed. The offense is made known and the question of “Why” comes forward. The same happens to Jesus. Jesus’ authority is questioned because he is tredding upon sacred ground.

The Parables... of the two sons and the Wicked Tenants. Finally, at the end of this chapter, Jesus pronounces judgement on those who think they do God’s will but do not. The parables of the two sons and the wicked tenants are directed toward the religious people. Those who say they do God’s will...but doesn’t. Those who would care for God’s vineyard, but do not. Jesus makes it clear that those who care and do are not always those who are seen as religious. “...the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.”(vs. 31) Those who do God’s will are not always the religious. They are scattered throughout the kingdom of God...and are not just in one place.

I wonder what a difference we Christians would make in the world if we actually lived as Jesus lived. If we looked at Jesus life, and took his live as our cue. How would that change our political convictions? When the poor and the needy, the lame and the blind, and those who have nothing, are so important to Jesus? How would it change how we spent our resources, when we see Jesus giving to the poor and wanderer? How would it change the way we looked at the world if we really took Jesus at his word?

Christians face the same challenge that Jesus’ people did then. Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Bear fruit. Don’t just sit there eating up the soil. Do something good in the world. Don’t just talk about it. Don’t play lip service to it. Don’t say you’d like to do something... and then not do anything. That’s following the disobedient son’s path. Actually do something about it. Fix the problem as you can. Do your small part in the world to make the world a better place. It’s the least we religious Christians can do in response to Christ’s awesome love! Amen.

**Note: If you’d like to talk about real-life ways to make a difference, let’s talk. Email me and we’ll share some ways we can improve God’s world right here and right now. **

Questions to Ponder...
1) Do you consider yourself religious? Yes or no? If yes... why? If no... why not? What is your gut reaction when someone says they’re religious?

2) What are the needs in your own community and town? What ordinary ways can you improve someone else’s life?

3) Jesus saves you... now what? What do you answer when someone asks you that?

A Prayer to Pray...
Almighty God, forgive me. Forgive me for being a fruitless fig tree. Forgive me for playing lip service to your call. Forgive me for being one of the ones who killed you. Replant me. Support me. Encourage me in my community to reach out in love to your children, for Jesus sake. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: Disappointed?

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 20

Focus Verse: "So the last will be first and the first will be last." Matthew 20:16

Meditation: Disappointed with God

We all have certain expectations that hold true no matter how old we are. Expectation like...

- God should reward the good. And punish the bad.
- Life is fair...or should be.
- Everyone should get what they earned. No more. No less.

These expectations affect everthing we do in life. From which denomination we attend to which political party we follow. Everything in life hinges upon these expectations. And anger comes when these expectations are broken. Disappointment sets in as the world turns completely on its head. And where disappointment is, hopelessness comes, followed by anger followed by violence. Find any one of these things and you can trace them down to one central disappointment.

Jesus today sets us up to have these expectations shattered. He begins with a story of a group of workers in a vineyard who don't get what they deserve...only what is promised. Those who work the whole day and those who work just a few minutes all get the same wage. Of course they don't like this arrangement and complain. And in typically Jesus fashion, the landowner says to them: "Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?"(vs. 15)

What Jesus doesn't tell you in the parable itself is what the workers do to that landowner. That he says in the verses following this parable. "...the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death...to be mocked and crucified."

No one likes disappointment. And people are gonna be disappointed with Jesus. That disappointment will become hopelessness and anger and eventually violence. Jesus doesn't match their expectations. He doesn't fit the bill of any Messiah they would ever expect. And this, world-turning thing, only adds insult to injury.

But still Jesus doesn't relent. Not one bit. God is turning the tables on the world. He's not gonna give them what they earned. Not a single one of them. He's not gonna reward the good and punish the bad. He's gonna save them all. He's gonna give life, and grace, and salvation to all through the blood of his Son. He's gonna turn the world completely on its head. "Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be your slave."(vs. 26-27)

And it's not gonna be fair. Not in the slightest. When the least enter the kingdom of heaven before the great. When God stands with the sinner, the prostitute, the tax collector over the righteous. When the party becomes not for the good people but for all the bad ones who came home, It's just not fair. But that's what God is doing in Christ Jesus right here and right now.

And we are a part of that turnabout. We are all a part of God turning the
world on its head. And it affects our lives. It changes the way we see ourselves in our professions. It changes how we are at home. It alters all of life. So that now...

- The greatest person in the organization is not the CEO...but the mailcarrier who connects the company people together and lays his life down for others, even as Christ did for him.

- The greatest husband is not the one who is aloof over the family or inaccessible to them, but instead is the greatest servant in the family, the one who lays down his life for them, even as Christ did for him.

- The greatest pastor in the world isn't the one with the biggest church, the most staff, the best programs, the most books published, but is the one who lays down his or her life and service others, even as Christ served him.

Greatness itself has changed. Our world has been turned over. It's funny when you see how our definitions of greatness and fairness, what's right and wrong and who's better and worse, affect how we deal with other people. We are so much like the mother of the Zebedee boys who asks Jesus, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." We just don't get it. Ask anyone what their idea of success is...and you'll see this is true.

But God in his grace still holds us, still loves us. And even when we are as clueless as the disciples about how God is working in our world, God still takes care of us. Even when we're ready to crucify this God who brings change, God still loves us. Even as he welcomes the sinner and the tax collector and all the other outcasts into heaven, just as he welcomes us. Amen.

Questions to Ponder...
1) What are your expectations of God? Write them down. Are these realistic expectations?
2) How would you feel if you were one of the first people hired? How would you feel if you were one of the last? Does the landowner really treat them justly?
3) What do you wrestle with God about? What does that say about YOU?


A Prayer to Pray...
Almighty God, you have called us to work for you in the fields and has promised eternal life through the blood of your Son, Jesus. Help us trust your wisdom, your grace, and your compassion as we labor for you and with you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: The Greatness Debate

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 18

Focus Verse: At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:1-3

Meditation: The Greatness Debate

It snowed here! Again! Last week we received a recogrd breaking 18 inches of snow...all in the same night. Even after the first day, the snow was piled up alongside the road. Huge hills of snow can be seen.

As an adult snow at any time is a bit...annoying. But I remember as a kid playing on these huge hills of snow our school would push up on the sides of the parking lot. The hills weren't probably all that big...but as a kid they were huge! And when no one was looking we'd play a game known as "King of the Hill". A game to decide who was the greatest climber and stayer on the mountain of snow.

As an adult I have grown past that childish game...right? Not quite. The question: "Who's the greatest?" is still up for grabs. Only now the question is: "Who's the greatest pastor?" ... "Who's the greatest citizen?" ... "Who's the greatest person...period?" Adults rank greatness depending on social status in the community, salary, influence. Greatness is found for us in how popular we are, how well-traveled we are, or how successful our children are.

The disciples too competed for greatness... greatness in this new "kingdom of heaven" Jesus was talking about. And this chapter in Matthew today highlights just how radically different Jesus' idea of greatness is from ours. Let's see what Jesus says...

"Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."... One of the ways we determine greatness as adults is by educational level. The more education we have, we figure, the greater we become. Doctors and surgeons are paid so much, not because of what they do, but because of how much education they need to do what they do. The greater the education...the greater you are. Jesus says... NO. Education doesn't measure greatness in the kingdom of heaven. When we must become like an uneducated child to enter it, greatness takes on a whole new meaning. Our worth doesn't depend on the "Dr." in front of our names or on how many degrees we obtained after high school. Becoming humus(dirt) is what helps you achieve greatness in this new kingdom of heaven. Lowering yourself and becoming the servant to others is what makes you great.

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven."... Think of the ones you "look up" to...and those you "look down" on. You might think of the homeless man on the street compared to, say, Donald Trump. Which one is great in the world's eyes? Trump of course. And which one is looked down on? Jesus says that the little ones looked down on have a special place in God's heart. They are truly great!

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you."...Apart from being a celebrity and the educational level we achieve, another way we measure greatness is by our sinlessness. By our perfection. The less we offend others, the less we do wrong, the greater we think we are. The more we offend, the more we risk being seen as weak. Take, for example, the ever common pastoral offense. This happens when your pastor(who is human) does something that offends you. Immediately you feel...strange. The man (or woman) you thought was so great...isn't. Their perfection is flawed. Their sin is apparrent. You struggle with what to do. Do you go to them? Or not? How do you handle their fall from grace? Do you leave? Or do you make them leave?

"'Lord how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?'" Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'"... Finally Jesus asserts that true greatness is found in forgiveness. We can measure our greatness in this kingdom of heaven by our ability to forgive others. This is a different teaching that what the world teaches us where greatness is found in the justice we can weild against others and the power we hold over their lives, not in our ability to forgive and forget their mistakes. Sin gives the victim power. And that power is a sign of greatness. In the kingdom of heaven, though, that power is dispursed. The sinner is forgiven. And the ability to forgive becomes a mark of true greatness.

To be humble, lowly like a child, forgiving(not grudge holding), to place yourself at the lowest station. That is truly greatness according to Jesus. So... how does your definition measure up? What needs to change...for you to be truly great? Amen!

Questions to Ponder...
1) Imagine a "great" person... What does he or she look like? What is so great about them?
2) We measure greatness with money in our culture. With that said, who is "great" in the world's eyes? Who are the "little ones?"
3) How do you struggle with being great? What would you life look like if you just relaxed and trusted in God like a child?

A Prayer to Pray...
Heavenly Father, your Son comes announcing a new kingdom of heaven that is foreign to everything we know or see. Give us eyes of faith that we might trust in His word, believing in his greatness, and serving him in humility that we might become even as little children in this new kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: Finding Signs

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 17

Focus Verse: "...I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased." (17:12)

Meditation: The One Behind It All

A few years ago, Halloween, my kids and I dressed up as we usually do. I took out of our Halloween bins a mask, the face of an alien. Our kids were younger then and hadn't actually seen their daddy in a mask like that. Quietly I came up behind my kids and just tapped them on the shoulder.

They jumped! High in the air! I tried to talk to them, but my daughter kept pointing up at the face. Finally, I took the mask off and showed them my face. "It's me. It's just me!" I said.

They stared for a moment, back and forth, from the mask to my face before they smiled and laughed.

"You're silly, Daddy!" they exclaimed.

The unveiling is precisely what is happening in this, the seventeenth chapter of Matthew.

At the start of this chapter, Jesus is miraculously revealed as God's Son in his transfiguration. "...his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white." Moses and Elijah come and join the party and the three of them are seen chatting together. And then the voice that is repeated in three of the four Gospels. "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased."

What a marvelous unveiling! What a look at the God who is behind it all. Jesus takes off the mask and reveals who he is. And it is glorious!

Unfortunately only Peter, James, and John get to see this take place. And even they are "...overcome with fear." It's only when Jesus puts the mask back on and touches their shoulder saying: "Get up and do not be afraid." That they calm down.

Still do they know Jesus as Lord? Do they recognize they're in the presence of God's Son? Not hardly! In fact, Jesus says, they failed to recognize the Elijah of their day when he came to warn them. What's to say they're going to recognize Jesus for who he is? No amount of miraculous signs and wonders is going to accomplish this. As if to prove that, in this chapter alone, Jesus does two more signs and wonders to show them who he is. A boy with an incurable demon is cured! The temple tax is paid by a coin in the belly of a fish. But still these signs still don't convince them. Something larger is needed. The life of the Son of Man. Maybe if they see the Son of Man die and rise from the dead. Maybe that will show the world that God loves them. Maybe faith will flourish then...

I've often wondered what it would be like to live back during Jesus' earthly life. To walk with him. To listen to him. To see and experience his miracles first-hand. Would I have understood? What I have seen Jesus for who he was? I think not. For the signs of who Jesus is are present more today than they were then.

True... demons might not be expelled from epileptics so dramatically. Coins might not be found in fish. Elijah and Moses haven't made appearances at church. But signs and wonders of God are all around us, pointing us to Christ and to his love for us.

For starters, adorning most Christian churches is a sign. The sign of the cross. Have you ever wondered why there are so many of them all around? Why people wear them on their necks and churches display them about? They are God's love made real. A cross is a sign of God's love in Christ. Gazing up at it, we see the wonder of God's presence with us and evidence of God's love for us. As sure as any of the miracles Jesus performed we have this as a sign of God's love among us.

We also have with us the least, the little, the lost, the poor. We have those who Christ loved and cherished. They too are signs of God's presence. Christ tells us later in Matthew that "whatever we do to the least of these you do for me." Signs of God's presence can be seen in the faces of the poorest among us. As we minister to them. As we take care of them. We are in the presence of God Almighty. Our care and concern become the love of God made real in their lives.

Signs of God are all around us. We need only open our eyes and look. What signs and wonders has God shown you in your life? How are you sure of His presence here in this place? Amen.

Questions to Ponder...
1) Imagine being a disciple during Jesus life. What would you have liked seeing? What would you have missed? How would your upbringing have influenced your view of Jesus?
2) What signs and wonders is God doing right now in your life? Take a moment and list a few ordinary miracles that are happening now.
3) Would it comfort you to know that Jesus is with you, masked and hidden at times, in everything you do? What might that faith do to your life?

A Prayer to Pray...
Heavenly Father, at the mountain of transfiguration you reveal your Son to be the Beloved, and yet we see his path take him to the cross. Help us follow after your Son wherever He is. Give us eyes to see your Spirit at work in the world around us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: Confessing our Huh?

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 16

Focus Verse: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." Matthew 16:23

Meditation: "Huh?"

There's a look. A glance. A sound that all communicates one thing. Confusion. It's common in schools, when a teacher's explanation isn't understood. It's common in political circles, as the media tries to understand what the President has just said. And it's even common in church, when the pastor says something that goes completely over the heads of those sitting in the pews.

That word, that phrase, is really quite simple. It's communicated by opening your mouth just slightly, raising your cheeks just so, shrugging your shoulders, $and saying something that sounds like: "Huh?"

With that simple word, all the confusion in the world is communicated. Misunderstanding takes on a whole new meaning. And the confused realized that, despite their original firm stance on a matter, they really don't understand it afterall.

That sound is what is communicated today by the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the disciples, and even Peter himself.

It is first uttered by the Pharisees who come to Jesus asking for a sign from heaven. Jesus says: "...no sign will be given...except the sign of Jonah."(vs. 4). You can almost hear the Pharisees and Sadducees shrug their shoulders and say... "Huh? What's the sign of Jonah? Jonah performed no signs..."

But Jesus doesn't dwell on their confusion. Instead he goes to his disciples who have, foolishly, forgotten to bring bread with them to eat on their journey to the other side of the Lake of Galilee. Jesus tries to comment on his recent encounter: "Watch and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." But the disciples, literalists as they are, think he's talking about bread. "It is because we have no bread!" Jesus has to set them straight, telling them he isn't talking about literal yeast, but still confusion rules the day.

Then, at the apex of confusion in this chapter, Peter gives Jesus the perfect answer. Jesus asks : "Who do you say that I am?" and Peter responds : "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus almost jumps up and down. "Yes! Finally you get it! Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!" (Notice the connection here between the sign of Jonah and Simon Peter's confession? Yeah? Kinda cool...)

Still Peter doesn't get it. After Jesus explains what a Messiah is meant to do, Peter takes him aside and begins to rebuke him saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you!"

He still doesn't get it. Confusion has ruled the day. The "Huhs?" have won. And, though Jesus goes on to rebuke Peter and tell him what a disciple is suppose to do, you have to wonder if Peter ever got it. Did Peter, or any of the others, ever understand just what following this Jesus is suppose to look like? Or were they always confused?

And do we understand Jesus as well? Do we fully grasp what it means to be Jesus' disciples, to be followers of this peasant from Nazareth? Or are we just as confused as the disciples were?

In recent years, books have written challenging what we've always thought about Jesus and his words. Some have dismissed Jesus in one way or another, arguing that Jesus words are more likely the words of the early Christians and not straight out of Jesus himself. Others have challenged how we understand what is written in the Gospels, arguing that Jesus calls us to live a new life few of us have understood or realized before.

On this continuum, I fall in the later camp. I believe, as do many, that we shouldn't dismiss Jesus' words as being those of the early disciples but instead look at how those words have been ignored or misunderstood for far too long. Jesus' call to a new life, to a changed life, have for too long gone by the wayside. They have been dismissed and disregarded. And even the less confusing parts have been ignored. They should be wrestled with and argued with and discussed with the question of : "What does this mean for me?"

In this very chapter, Jesus challenges his disciples then and now: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."(vs. 24) What does that mean... deny ourselves? Does that mean to deny ourselves our wealth or the advantages of our own status? Does it mean denying ourselves what we really want in exchange for what we really need? What does self-denial and sacrifice truly mean for us? Or Jesus' words on taking up our crosses? What's up with all this talk on death?

I can almost hear the collective "Huh?" echo through cyberspace. Confusion is common when it comes to Jesus' sayings. Maybe it's why we have such a hard time putting them into practice. Or why Christians act and look like everyone else. We, like Peter, have definate ideas on what this Messiah is suppose to look like and act like and what we, his disciples, should be able to do. So... when Jesus' life and words don't mean what they think they mean? Well... we get confused just as the disciples were.

Perhaps, though, our confusion can be to our benefit. Our confusion(or rather the confession of our confusion) can lead to better knowledge. We begin to understand what we fail to understand. By taking this stance, this humble stance, we realize that we don't know it all. We don't understand all that he's talking about. And we become as students are to their professor, or as disciples are to their master. We search and dig and discover together with others because we can't understand their meanings ourselves.

May the Holy Spirit inspire humility in each of us that we might confess our confusion, asking Christ to teach us how to live. May we put our lives into his hands, just as he put his life in ours. Amen.

Pondering the Questions...
#1: What confuses you? What makes you say : "Huh?"
#2: What is your reaction when you're confused? Do you press on to learn more? Or do you retreat and forget about it?
#3: What about Jesus' words disturbs you? Confuses you?

A Prayer to Pray...
Almighty God, we are confused. We are confused by the words of your Son. His logic, his wisdom. His very life and mission disturb us. Teach us to walk the way of the cross that, following after our Lord and Savior, we may find life and salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: Finding Faith

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 15

Focus Verse: “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” (15:28)

Meditation: Faith’s Home

Where does faith reside? In tall cathedrals? In small country churches? In the rules and regulations, the canon law, of the church? Or someplace else?

This chapter of Matthew centers on this question. “Where is faith?”

It begins with a question, posed by the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem, who asks Jesus: “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat!”

It might seem so...petty! Who cares if Jesus’ disciples wash their hands? Right? Except that faith, for some, resides in the keeping of law and, if the disciples aren’t keeping the law...they aren’t too faithful? Right?

Of course Jesus has a different view of the matter and argues that point to the Pharisees. “You hypocrites!” he says. “Your law contradicts the law of God!”

Of course no one understands Jesus. Not the Pharisees and not the disciples. They all think that faith resides in keeping laws. To be faithful means to be obedient to the details of the commandments prescribed, not by God but by men. To be understood better, and to speak of faith’s true home, Jesus must play out a kind of parable.

A Canaanite woman, a foreigner, an outsider, and a pagan all wrapped into one comes to Jesus for help with a problem. Her daughter is tormented by a demon. She doesn’t know where to turn. She’s heard that the “son of David” as she calls him is coming into town. And she needs help.

At first Jesus seems to dismiss her. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” he tells his disciples. And even when she throws herself at his feet he exclaims:“It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

Yet this woman of little note has a great big faith! Even after being dismissed, she still clings to Jesus with the statement: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table!”

In no law, written or unwritten, does Jesus have an obligation to do anything for this woman. She is an outsider to God’s love. She doesn’t belong to God’s people. If faith resides in keeping commandments, she’s a big fat zero.

But Jesus sees great faith in her! Great faith indeed! And at the pronouncement of such faith, her wishes are fulfilled and her daughter is healed. Faith’s home is shown, not to be in rigid commandment keeping, but in grace-filled relationships. From here Jesus lives out that faith in more grace-filled relationships, healing the sick in the next section, feeding another four thousand in the following section. People are said to have been “...amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the mamed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.”

That last section is the most important. For it is the first time that has been said in Matthew. “They praised the God of Israel!” Grace-filled relationships will do that. They will lead us to faith. They will bring us to God. They will change people’s lives.

Our churches are filled with “commandment-based” relationships. That is, relationships commanded and prescribed by someone else. I have instituted such relationships myself. In the past, I have asked those who wish to be married to attend church “at least once” I tell them. They have come, of course, just that once...and never darkened the door of the church again. I had hoped that a relationship might begin and continue, but that was not to be. The commandment was kept...but faith was never planted.

Of course the largest, most prevalent commandment-based relationship we have is confirmation. Though it is never spoken of or commanded in the Bible, we in the Lutheran church have made Confirmation a rite of passage for our young people as they transition from middle school into high school, from being children to adulthood. For two-years or more we demand that our young people participate in service projects, help at worship, and become involved in the life of the congregation. We force them to be involved, telling them that after confirmation is over, it will be their choice. Unfortunately we fail to tell our children that faith takes root, not during confirmation, but AFTER Confirmation. It happens when we don’t HAVE to do anything. When we worship together, sharing grace-filled relationships, regardless of what we get out of them. Faith happens when we reach out to the needy, not because pastor is telling us to, but because we have an itching in our hearts to do so. Faith happens when the commandment has passed and we do it “out of the goodness of our hearts.”

“God shows his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” These words from Paul remind us of God’s grace-filled relationship with us. God wasn’t obligated to save us. He didn’t HAVE to do anything! He does everything out of grace and love and in the spirit of forgiveness. And we find ourselves believing, trusting, and putting our faith into Christ precisely when we put off our obligations and focus in on grace. We may have commandments and rules and laws that govern most of our lives, but it is only when we step away from those and fall into grace that we will ever find anything resembling faith.

May the Holy Spirit be upon us that He might nurture and foster grace-filled relationships with our neighbors, our friends, and the world that the faith planted within us might be brought to fruition. Amen!

Questions to Ponder...1) What commandment-based relationships do you have? Who do you HAVE to be in relationship with? What is that relationship like?

2) Think of some grace-filled relationships that you are in. What make them unique? Why do you WANT to spend your time in those relationships?

3) Do you want to be in relationship with God? Is God a commandment-based relationship for you(i.e. you HAVE to do it) or is He a grace-filled one?

A Prayer to Pray...
Heavenly Father, you have poured out your grace through the work of your Son. Give us grace that we might want to trust you, love you, and serve you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Matthew's Steps: When Tragedy Strikes... Jesus!

The First Steps: Read: Matthew 14

Focus Verse: John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Matthew 14:12-13

Meditation: When Tragedy Strikes...Jesus!

Our town has recently experienced a series of tragedies that have left us almost numb. In the last month or so, we've lost probably a half-dozen people from around our town. Some we expected to pass away, others not. And heartbreak abounds in town.

People respond differently to tragedy. Some retreat into themselves or into their homes. They’re scarcely seen in church or anywhere. Some people immerse themselves in their work or in school. Others seem to thrive on community and conversation and you see them still out and about, talking to everyone about the recent events in their lives.

Jesus too had to face tragedy. John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, and, more importantly, the man who inspired Jesus’ message has died. Tragically too. Died at the hands of Herod the tetrarch after his daughter requested the head of John the Baptist to be given to her on a plate. News of this tragic event reaches Jesus...and he is moved and torn. Matthew says that Jesus retreated by boat privately to a solitary place.

You can imagine what was going through Jesus’ head. “What happened to John!?”... “Why did this tragedy strike!?”... “What am I going to do now?”

Unfortunately Jesus doesn’t get any “time off” from life. The crowds are in hot pursuit of him and in no time at all, both the disciples and the crowd has caught up to him. To top it off, the crowd is hungry. They haven’t eaten all day and they are starving! The disciples figure they can go away to fetch something to eat, but Jesus will have none of that.

“They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat!”

I can almost imagine the frustration in Jesus’ words here. (Yes, Jesus did get frustrated I believe a number of times... he was human after all!). “Can’t they do anything for themselves?” Jesus thinks. Of course the answer is no... so Jesus once again has to step in...

“Bring me what you have...” he says. And with that the first big feeding miracle in Matthew is performed. The five loaves and two fish become enough for everyone to eat...with leftovers. And the people are happy and fed...right? Now Jesus can get some alone time with God...right?

It would seem so. The disciples then go into the boat and Jesus stays back. “He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.”(vs. 23).

Of course life doesn’t stop there and before long the wind and the waves, agents of chaos, are battering the disciples’ boat. Jesus has but one thing he can do. Go out to the boat and save them. Setting aside his own need for retreat with God, Jesus walks out on the water to help the disciples.

“Take courage!” He shouts at them when he sees they’re afraid. “It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Climbing into the boat then, the wind dies down and the disciples worship him. “Truly you are the Son of God.”

But I wonder...at that moment...what was going on in Jesus’ head. Was he still upset about what happened to John? Was he still thinking about it? Still mourning the loss of his cousin? Did anyone ever stop and ask Jesus how he was doing with the whole thing? Or were they so consumed with what was going on in their lives, with their own grief and pain and hunger and faithlessness, that they failed to stop and ask him what he was thinking and feeling after his tragedy?

We too might fall into our own lives and forget that the pain of tragedy doesn’t end. It doesn’t end with the funeral service. It doesn’t end a week or even a month after. The pain of tragedy continues to hurt, throughout life. It’s a continual struggle sometimes just to get up in the morning, let alone continue through the day.

We might feel alone and lost when tragedy strikes. And we might feel even more lonely in the days and weeks following. But know this. The world might not remember...but Jesus does! Jesus knows what it’s like to grieve. He grieved for his friend, John. Jesus knows what crisis of faith are all about. He experiences those twice in this chapter. Jesus knows what it means when people just go about their lives, forgetting to even ask you how you’re doing. Jesus knows...and Jesus cares!

In the midst of your tragic storms, Jesus comes out to you, walking on the water. He comes reassuring you: “Take courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid!” Jesus climbs into your boat with you. And though the winds around you might not seem any slower, we know that Jesus calms the storms around us too. For the courage, the peace, and the presence of Jesus Christ is life and hope and salvation for us. Amen!


Questions to Ponder...
1) Think of a tragic moment in your life. What got you through that moment? How do you cope when memories of that moment return?

2) Do you think Jesus was frustrated? Confused? Afraid? How did tragedy affect Jesus?

3) CHALLENGE: Think of someone who has lost someone lately. Take a moment NOW to offer yourself to them. BE the presence of Christ you hunger for in others.

A Prayer to Pray...
Almighty God, your Son Jesus experienced everything we experience. May we find comfort in his struggles and in his triumphs that, despite everything happening around us, we may know your presence which gives us courage and peace, through His Name we pray. Amen.