St. Bartholomew Lutheran Church ​

Saturday, March 26 – Luke 15:1-10

 

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3 So he told them this parable: 4 “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

8 “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

 

“I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven

over one sinner who repents

than over ninety-nine righteous persons

who need no repentance.”

 

Luke 15 begins with society’s ever-present concern for the company we keep. We live in a world that makes too many faulty judgments about who “counts” and who doesn’t; who is “good” and who is “bad”; who is “in” and who is “out”; who is “clean” and who is “unclean”; who is “worth our time” and who is not.  But in response to the charge that Jesus associated with tax collectors and sinners, His response was, “Obviously!” The very first verse of this reading tells us why: “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen.” They knew they were in need and were drawn to Jesus because they sensed that He could help them. Jesus came for everyone: the poor and the rich, the sick and the healthy, tax collectors, sinners, and even the Pharisees -- those in the margins of society, and those who thought they owned it.

 

These verses invite us to find God’s image in everyone, particularly those who seem lost or unworthy because, if we were honest, we would count ourselves among them!  We worship a God who tenderly searches for sinners and then joyfully forgives them.  Each individual is precious to God, and should be to us as well. He grieves over every loss, and rejoices when his lost children are found and brought into the kingdom.  And that’s where we come in.  When we passionately share Jesus’ love for the lost, and diligently seek them wherever they are, we too can rejoice when they come to the Savior.

 

Sunday, March 27 – 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

 

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:

everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”

 

            Paul wrote these words to encourage the people of the early Church, but they can also encourage us in our faith walk.  The verses suggest some good questions that we can all ask ourselves: “Am I different from the person I would be if I hadn’t accepted Jesus as my Savior?”  Do I have a more enlightened perspective?  Do I look at the world through different eyes?  Do my words and actions reflect a changed heart and soul?  Is God able to work through me in new ways?  Do I share His love in new ways, each and every day? 

 

            Being in Christ will not make us perfect.  We will still have moments when we suffer temptation; days when we will struggle to do the right thing.  But revisiting these questions again and again might serve to keep us on track, and these remaining days of Lent are a perfect time to do so.

 

            Pray with me:  Sweet Jesus, I am so grateful that you saved me.  I want to be more and more like you.  I want to live my life in service to others.  Help me to reach out to them the way You reached for me.  Regenerate my heart.  Make from me, each and every day, a new creation, through whom others can see Your love and experience the transforming power of God.

 

Monday, March 28 – Philippians 3:4b-14

 

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

 

“…this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind

and straining forward to what lies ahead,  

I press on toward the goal for the prize

of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”

 

            If ever there were a life radically changed by an encounter with Jesus, it was Paul’s.  At one point, Paul had a comfortable life and a successful career as a devout Pharisee, spending every waking moment pursuing and persecuting Christians. But then one blessed day he ran into Jesus on the road to Damascus and things were never the same again.  Paul was saved.  He became a new man and began a new life, spending his time and resources pursuing Jesus instead.  It’s not an exaggeration to say that life was no longer easy for him. Pail wrote this letter while he sat in prison in Rome. But he never gave up and he never lost his purpose.

 

Paul wrote this letter, and many others, to encourage new church communities that he loved.  In these verses, he talks of everything he had once considered of value; the things that had once increased his status in his eyes and the eyes of others – his background, his heritage, his education, and his religious and political convictions.  He had once considered all of that as gain, and now, he considers it as loss.  What Paul cares about now is serving his Lord and Savior; pressing on toward the goal – the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.  Good advice for us as well. 

 

As we examine our lives and our faith during this holy season, let’s forget what lies behind – all the “gains” we once thought we were making.  Let’s consider anew what is true loss and what is true gain.  Let’s adopt the same goals Paul did and strive forward to the real gains that lie ahead.  Press on, my friends!

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, March 29 – Psalm 53

 

1 Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”
   They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts;
   there is no one who does good.

2 God looks down from heaven on humankind
   to see if there are any who are wise,
   who seek after God.

3 They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse;
   there is no one who does good,
   no, not one.

4 Have they no knowledge, those evildoers,
   who eat up my people as they eat bread,
   and do not call upon God?

5 There they shall be in great terror,
   in terror such as has not been.
For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly;
   they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them.

6 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion!
   When God restores the fortunes of his people,
   Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.

 

“God looks down from heaven on humankind
   to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.

 They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse;
   there is no one who does good, no, not one.”

 

            The first thing that occurred to me when I read these verses was to wonder what God thinks when He looks down from heaven on the likes of us!  It’s a scary thought.  Does He see any who are wise, who seek after God?  Or have we all fallen away?  What have we done to the world He trusted us to take care of?  Do we care enough about each other?  Are we building walls, or are we breaking them down?  Are we walking in step with Jesus, or have we completely forgotten who we are?  God does indeed look down from heaven upon mankind, -- upon you and I.  We may wish, at times, to forget He’s watching, but He never forgets about us.

 

 God doesn’t expect us to be perfect.  If we were, we wouldn’t have needed Jesus to save us.  But shouldn’t we be giving it our best shot?  In this psalm, David longs for the establishment of God's kingdom on earth, when God will restore the fortunes of his people, at which time there will be great joy.  Don’t we, too, long for that?  What are you and I doing, right now, to hasten that day?

 

Wednesday, March 30 – Luke 9:10-17

 

10 On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured. 12 The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so and made them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

 

“The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve

came to him and said, ‘Send the crowd away,

so that they may go into the surrounding villages

and countryside, to lodge and get provisions;

for we are here in a deserted place.’ 

But he said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’”

 

            In this familiar story, the disciples came to Jesus with their concern about where the crowd of people would get something to eat. Jesus provided an unexpected solution: “You give them something to eat.”  And like most of us do, they focused on what they didn’t have, instead of what they did.  Their apparent lack of resources blinded them to the power of God.  They saw only five loaves and two fish, and forgot the most important truth -- that God can make something out of nothing.

 

Just like the disciples, we too are tempted to believe that we have nothing to offer in the face of overwhelming need. Millions of people are hungry, and all we have is a few canned goods. Millions of people are infected with diseases, and we have nothing to offer but a few dollars. Millions of people have lost their homes and all we can come up with are some prayers and a few blankets.

But that’s just it -- we do have, and God will multiply!   Once we see how inadequate we are, and give all we have to God, He will use us to meet the needs of our hurting world.  We have enough, because God is enough!

           

Thursday, March 31 – Isaiah 43:1-7

 

But now thus says the Lord,
   he who created you, O Jacob,
   he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
   I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
   and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
   the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
   Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my sight,
   and honored, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
   nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
   I will bring your offspring from the east,
   and from the west I will gather you;
6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
   and to the south, “Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
   and my daughters from the end of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
   whom I created for my glory,
   whom I formed and made.”

 

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
   I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
   and the flame shall not consume you.”

God has called each and every one of us by name.  It constitutes a kind of adoption ceremony that tells us we are His.  He knows who you are, He has redeemed you, and you are His precious child. He doesn’t promise that the way will be easy or without danger, but He does promise that we will be neither overwhelmed nor consumed.  And He always keeps His promises!

 

This reading from Isaiah reminds us that believers in every generation have seen fire and flood, and all that is larger than ourselves, but none of it is larger than our God.  All of our fears and longings have already been defeated.  Jesus lived a human life so that He could experience and understand our deepest emotions.  There is nothing that can happen to us that Jesus hasn’t already fought and defeated.

 

No matter what you are going through, never forget that your Loving God is always, always with you – feeling what you feel, urging you on, and telling you, “You can do this!”  God is with you!  If you are feeling scared or lonely, it’s only because you’ve forgotten that.

 

Friday, April 1 – Isaiah 43:16-21

 

16 Thus says the Lord,
   who makes a way in the sea,
   a path in the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariot and horse,
   army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
   they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18 Do not remember the former things,
   or consider the things of old.
19 I am about to do a new thing;
   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
   and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild animals will honor me,
   the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
   rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21     the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.

 

“Do not remember the former things,
   or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
   and rivers in the desert.”

            In these verses, God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah, telling the Israelites not to dwell on the tribulations of their past history.  He counsels them to “not remember the former things, or consider the things of old”, because God is going to do a new thing.  It seems to me that this is a universal human tendency – to get lost in the mistakes we’ve made; our pain and loss and regrets.  It is so easy for us to get mired in the past and forget that all of that is gone now.

 

            It is perfectly fine to learn from the past, but we mustn’t get stuck there. The future is full of potential.  It is being written by a God who is already there, who loves us, and who wants the very best for us.  We must always remember that God is about to do a new thing in each of our lives. 

 

So forget the former things, the things of old, and look ahead to the amazing possibilities God is creating for you right

now.  Yesterday’s a closing door; you don’t live there anymore. *

 

(* from a song “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” by Danny Gokey)

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Saturday, April 2 – Psalm 126

 

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
  then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5 May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
  shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.

 

“May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
  shall come home with shouts of joy

carrying their sheaves.”

 

            The cycle of sadness and joy is vividly reflected in these verses from Psalm 126.  The Jewish people had been in exile in Babylon for fifty years.  They had dreamed of the day they could return to Jerusalem, where they had been happy and free.  They had longed to worship again in Solomon’s temple.  But they couldn’t imagine when that day might come.  The verses remind us that great joy is often preceded by a season of tears, as if those tears are seeds of sorrow that will one day bring a crop of joy.

 

            In this somber season of Lent, we too might remember better days.  We too might long for a time when we were happy and free.  As we journey through these last days of the season, we know what is ahead for our Lord, and we grieve for Him and regret our part in it.  But we remember that tears sown in faith will bring a true harvest of rejoicing.  We remember that our blessed Savior, bearing our sin and grief, was the ultimate seed sown in sorrow.

 

            Lent is indeed a season of tears.  The passion of our Lord is coming closer, and it will be painful and unbearably sad, but it is not the end of the story.  A grave cannot contain our God’s love, and there will be shouts of great joy!

 

Sunday, April 3 – John 12:1-8

 

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

 

“Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard,

 anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.

The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

 

In this reading, Lazarus’ sister Mary, surely still grateful to Jesus for raising her brother from the tomb, takes a pound of perfume made from pure nard, anoints Jesus’ feet, and wipes them with her hair.  This is an incredibly loving yet shocking gesture on Mary’s part.  Nard was imported all the way from the mountains of India and was extremely expensive.  And women in that culture never let their hair down in the presence of any man but their husband.  Mary was acting out of deep love and gratitude that couldn’t have been expressed more humbly.  She may have known that Jesus would soon give His life, so she seized the moment and honored Him with her whole self – down to the last strand of her hair.

 

Mary knew that Jesus was worthy of extravagant love.  She treasured Jesus more than her possessions, her pride and her reputation.  Our opportunity to serve Jesus could come to an end at any time.   Mary’s gesture of love reminds us that now is the time to seize the moment. Today and every day let’s remember what Jesus did for us and do something extravagant for Him!

 

Monday, April 4 – Hebrews 10:19-25

 

19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

“And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together,

as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another,

and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

 

            These verses are from a letter to the early Hebrew Christians, who were undergoing fierce persecution at that time and may have been struggling with their new faith.  The verses encouraged them to hold together and support one another as a community in Christ. 

 

These wise words are still powerful today. We too struggle with our identity, our sin, our doubts, and our fatigue.  We too need to be reminded that we are in this together.  The Christian life is meant be active not passive, full of “love and good deeds”. It is also meant to be lived in community.  There is nothing more helpful than the encouragement of other believers.  We need each other, to avoid going it alone, to keep moving forward and avoid getting off track. That inspiration we get from each other can feed our souls when we most need it.

 

Consider your brothers and sisters in Christ: Whom have you fed lately?  Whom can you encourage today?  Who needs your care and concern?  We are called to continue Jesus’ mission to reach the world with the Gospel.  Let someone know they are not in this alone!

 

Tuesday, April 5 – Psalm 20 

 

1 The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary,
and give you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your offerings,
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices.

4 May he grant you your heart’s desire,
and fulfill all your plans.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory,
and in the name of our God set up our banners.
  May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

6 Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with mighty victories by his right hand.
7 Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They will collapse and fall,
but we shall rise and stand upright.

9 Give victory to the king, O Lord;
answer us when we call.

 

“Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
  but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.”

 

David knew what the kings and the people of his time trusted in - human strength and the possessions that were used to flaunt it: chariots and horses.  If he were writing this Psalm today, he might name nuclear weapons, tanks and drones.  Unfortunately, it is our human nature, then and now, to put our trust in such items.  But the problem is that kind of strength doesn’t last.  Firepower is transient; throughout history, nations have risen to military power and easily fallen to defeat. 

 

In these verses, David draws a strong contrast: “Our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.”  Chariots and horses, nuclear weapons, tanks and drones will never save us!  Those who trust in them are brought down.  It is only when we trust in God that we can stand upright, hold our ground and triumph. 

 

God alone can preserve a nation or an individual.  God alone has the power that lasts.  God alone gives eternal victory.  Make sure your trust is in the one and only undefeated King – Jesus Christ! 

 

Wednesday, April 6 – Luke 18:31-34

 

31 Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles; and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon. 33 After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again.” 34 But they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

 

“But they understood nothing about all these things;

in fact, what he said was hidden from them,

 and they did not grasp what was said.”

 

            Time and time again, the apostles just didn’t get it!  But who can really blame them.  They had never known anyone like Jesus; no one had.  Would we have understood?  Could we ever have imagined that anyone would love us so much that He would be willing to suffer the inconceivable pain and humiliation that Jesus suffered for us?  Would we ever have thought anyone could understand our weakness with such forgiveness as to endure our punishment, just so that we wouldn’t have to?  Would we ever have believed that anyone could be so selfless that they would die a horrible death in our place?

 

            But we do know these things.  Unlike the apostles, we have the benefit of knowing the whole story. There’s no pretending we don’t!  So let us not sugar-coat it, or skip over the hard parts.  In these next few days, let’s spend some time considering the magnitude of what our Savior did for us.  Let’s face the hard truth and confess our part in it.  Certainly, we can do that for Him!

           

Thursday, April 7 – Hebrews 2:1-9

 

Therefore, we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. 2 For if the message declared through angels was valid, and every transgression or disobedience received a just penalty, 3 how can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? It was declared at first through the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, 4 while God added his testimony by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to his will. 5 Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. 

6 But someone has testified somewhere,

“What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
or mortals, that you care for them?
7 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned them with glory and honor,
8 subjecting all things under their feet.”

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, 9 but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

 

“What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   or mortals, that you care for them?
You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
   you have crowned them with glory and honor…”

Think about this: the entire purpose of Jesus’ incarnation was in order to suffer a death that would lead to eternal life for you and me.  And in order to serve as a true example for us, Jesus had to experience all of our human sufferings and temptations.  His ultimate resurrection finally broke the slavery we experience over our fear of death.

 

These verses from Hebrews show us that this is exactly what God planned for all along.  Christ chose to be clothed in human flesh, come here to this broken place, and live a life just like ours. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to pay the full and final price for our sin.

 

The question above deserves some thought: “What are we human beings that God cared so much for us?”  What are we indeed?!  Unlovable, yet He loves us.  Unforgiveable, yet He forgives us.  Infuriating, yet He is patient with us.  Unworthy, yet He values us.  Clueless, yet He keeps on teaching us.  We have so much to be thankful for.  Given who we are, where in the world would we be if our God was not who He is?!

 

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Friday, April 8 – Hebrews 2:10-18

 

10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
   in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”

13 And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”

And again,

“Here am I and the children whom God has given me.”

14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

 

“Because he himself was tested by what he suffered,

 he is able to help those who are being tested.”

 

Today we continue with yesterday’s reading from Hebrews, and are again reminded of all that Jesus shared with us.  He came to earth as a human being, born in a stable and raised by parents of humble means.  He grew up as an ordinary Jewish boy in a modest town. He experienced all of the joys and sadness, trials and temptations of human life, and because of that, He “gets” us.  He understands our weakness, our fears, our worries and sadness.  There’s nothing in life or death that we can possibly face that He didn’t face already. Jesus is a true brother to us in every way. 

Knowing these truths can greatly help you to endure.  When you commit yourself fully to Jesus, you can go to Him time and time again for strength and comfort. Jesus has that special kind of sympathy that comes from having suffered the same burdens you have.  He is ready and willing to walk with you, feel what you’re feeling, and help you to defeat your hardest trials. He is personally available, whenever you need Him. 

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Saturday, April 9 – Leviticus 23:1-8

 

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: These are the appointed festivals of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations, my appointed festivals.

3 Six days shall work be done; but the seventh day is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no work: it is a sabbath to the Lord throughout your settlements. 4 These are the appointed festivals of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall celebrate at the time appointed for them. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, there shall be a passover offering to the Lord, 6 and on the fifteenth day of the same month is the festival of unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not work at your occupations. 8 For seven days you shall present the Lord’s offerings by fire; on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation: you shall not work at your occupations.

 

“Six days shall work be done;

but the seventh day is a sabbath of complete rest,

a holy convocation; you shall do no work:

it is a sabbath to the Lord throughout your settlements.”

 

            What if you could have an entire day -- 24 uninterrupted hours of complete rest -- to devote to what is most important?  What if you could have this every single week? And what if it was a special gift from God? Well you can!  And it is!

 

            Did you ever wonder why God rested on the seventh day?  Certainly, He didn’t need to rest; He simply wanted some time to sit and enjoy His creation.  And He wants you to do the same.  God created the Sabbath for our good.  Jesus said this himself when He told the Pharisees, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”  God created us, and He knows that our soul needs rest, refreshment, and fulfillment.  We can only obtain these things when we spend time with Him; and what could possibly be a better use of our time?!

 

            Celebrate this gift.  Honor the Sabbath.  Get some well-needed rest.  Read your Bible.  Listen to Christian music.  Pass some heartfelt time in prayer.  Sit still for a while, think about all you have to be grateful for, and thank the God who loves you.

 

Passion/Palm Sunday, April 10 – Luke 19:28-40

 

28 After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he had come near Bethpage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38 saying,

“Blessed is the king
   who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
   and glory in the highest heaven!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”

 

“Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,

“Teacher, order your disciples to stop.

 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent,

the stones would shout out.”

 

Just picture it!  What a beautiful day it must have been -- Our Lord’s triumphant arrival in Jerusalem.  Jesus, in all humility, riding on a borrowed donkey.  People spreading their cloaks on the ground to make way for the Savior King.    The disciples and all the others following along, announcing the truth of who Jesus is and what He has come to do.  The crowds shouting “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”   The time had come for the world to know that Jesus was the Messiah. 

 

The truth had to be told, even if God’s non-human creation had to proclaim it.  If everything else had been silent, even the stones would have shouted out.  We humans aren’t the only creation that proclaims its creator.  The wind blows God’s love.  The ocean pounds the beach with His power.  The birds sing of God’s goodness for all to hear.  The mountains rise in glory to proclaim His might.  The sunlight warms the earth with each new day.  Thunder resounds, and the clouds open, showering the world with life-giving water.  Flowers and trees pop open with bright colors and feed the animals. All of creation, singing together to announce Jesus, the Savior of the World! 

 

Jesus’ time had come, and there would be no silence on that day!