Honor God, not yourself…

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’ then that person need not honor the father. So, for the sake of your tradition, you nullify the word of God. You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ ” (Matthew 15:1-9, NRSVue)

Jesus defends the disciples by putting others in their place for twisting the commandments for their personal gain. We cannot use God to get ahead in the world, it will not work and will backfire on you. People and God will see your true heart and know why you do what you do.

Do not twist the scripture or God’s word for your gain.

Honor God.

Not yourself.

Oh how I would love…

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a childhood friend of Herod the ruler, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And they had John also to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now listen—the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he fumbled about for someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord. (Acts 13:1-12, NRSVue)

Paul, also called Saul, looked at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now listen—the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.” How I would love to be able to do this. Maybe it is good that I can’t do this.

To be able to tell those using the name of the Lord in vain, not saying curse words, but claiming power through the misuse of God’s name, that they are wrong and will be blind until morning. To put people in their place for misusing God.

Love all and do not use God for your own gain.

heard and believed

We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out; they displease God and oppose everyone by hindering us from speaking to the gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they have constantly been filling up the measure of their sins, but wrath has overtaken them at last. As for us, brothers and sisters, when for a short time we were made orphans by being separated from you—in person, not in heart—we longed with great eagerness to see you face to face. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again—but Satan blocked our way. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? Yes, you are our glory and joy!(1 Thessalonians 2:13-20, NRSVue)

I am thankful when the word is heard, not as a human word but as a word of life from the creator Themselves.

Believing and following will cause there to be trouble in your life. You will be persecuted for being loving, when that love will disrupt power and cause people to be unable to hold others in place and keep them down.

Stand fast and stand strong.

Spread love in all you do.

All Saints

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’s seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it, but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others, for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12, NRSVue)

Religious leaders sit in a place of power and yield that power to remain there. We need to heed the teaching of Scripture, but not do what those in power do. When leaders speak one thing and do another, they are not to be followed in action. This passage of Scripture is followed by woes to the leaders for speaking truth, but then doing the opposite.

We are called to be people of integrity. We are called to be people who love like Jesus and live that life out loud. Speaking up for the downtrodden and being champions of the weak.

Saints are those who live lives of integrity and acknowledge their shortcomings. We are all sinners, and all are still redeemed. We are all saints, trying to make a difference in the world.

Know that you are loved by God, to go into the world and love others, as God has loved you.

Blessed are you when you do this, either by choice or accident.

Live a life of love. Live into your sainthood.

Reformation

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31-36, NRSVue)

Then Jesus said, “μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, ἀληθῶς μαθηταί μού ἐστε.” Meno is the base word for the first word in that sentence. It is the word translated as continue. I always thought, well, Jesus is claiming these people were believing in Jesus and doing what he said, and now he is telling them to prove that by continuing to do that. And yes, that is one translation of the text. However, the word meno means to abide. And that is not the same as remain or continue. Abide is deeper than that.

Abide is making it a part of who you are. If you are enveloped in my word, you will be a part of the truth, and in that you will be free. Not free to do whatever you want, but free from concern about your life. You are freed, as the great theologian Brad Dokken said, “We are freed from the impossible task of earning God’s love, which allows us to take on the more interesting task of sharing it.”

You are freed to share love when you abide in Christ. And that is what will not only reform the church, but also the world.

Love.

false

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Even so, many will follow their debaucheries, and because of these teachers the way of truth will be maligned. And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:1-3, NRSVue)

Who are the false teachers and prophets?

I will be honest: I struggle with the thinking that I am a false teacher and false prophet, leading others astray from where God would have us go. The passages in the scripture say we will know the way, and people will try to lead others from that path. Many more are leading people down a path the church had taken for a long time, condemning people because of who they love and the fact that they are different. I worry that this is the proper path and that leading others down a path of love and inclusion for all is being a false prophet.

But then, I read the words of Jesus, who frees the woman caught breaking the commandments by committing adultery. Jesus says to love all, and all are included. And then I wonder how others can read the same words and walk away with hatred in their hearts and a desire to separate people from God.

What teaching is false? Anything that espouses hate and separation is not from God. Love is all you need.

Love like Jesus and let God figure out the rest.

boast

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God and know his will and determine what really matters because you are instructed in the law, and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, you, then, who teach others, will you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by your transgression of the law? For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you.” Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So, if the uncircumcised keep the requirements of the law, will not their uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then the physically uncircumcised person who keeps the law will judge you who, though having the written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law. For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something external and physical. Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not the written code. Such a person receives praise not from humans but from God. (Romans 2:17-29, NRSVue)

Do you boast in your religion?
Do you say you are the best Christian?
Do you imply that you are better at faith then anyone around you?

Your circumcision or cross necklace means nothing.
Your going to worship every week, and bible study does not make you a follower any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

You can say you know God and God thinks about you (God does think about you; I am sure of that), but that does not mean you are thinking about or following Them.

When you boast about being the best or a follower, it usually means there is something you are hiding.

Actions speak louder than words.
Actions show your true heart.

Be a follower and show it in your life.

I have kept all of these…

Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother. Also, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22, NRSVue)

I have always wondered about this passage.

Someone came to Jesus and asked how to obtain eternal life. Jesus said keep the commandments: “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother. Also, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” One of these is not a commandment. It is a summary of the ones that are commandments, if we are talking about the 10 commandments. Love your neighbor as yourself is not one of the 10 commandments, but is a summary if the second tablet, which is all about loving your neighbor. The first tablet is the summary of the greatest commandment Jesus says elsewhere in the New Testament: Love the Lord your God.

The thing I wonder at is the response to this from the someone: “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” They have kept all the commandments, and they still did not think they had life eternal? And just the simple fact that they kept all of these. Maybe they kept them on the surface meaning, never actually killed, stolen, committed adultery, but on the second level meaning, the expanded realm as Jesus mentioned, thinking bad thoughts about someone else, looking on a person lustfully, or wanting what someone else has. These are all breaking the commandments. None of us can make it by keeping the commandments, because we will always default to our own nature, of wanting what we want and not worrying about who gets in the way. We are all sinful, and work to not be, but none of us will make it on our own merit, because we will all be like this young man, who will hear we have to give away everything we possess and depend solely on Jesus. That is impossible for us. Thankfully, God will help us.

Be a mighty sinner and sin boldly, my paraphrase of Martin Luther to Philipp Melanchthon. Live a life filled with grace, not worrying about yourself or whether you deserve eternal life. That has already been determined; you do. Now go and help others see that too!

for what?

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Surely that faith cannot save, can it? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from works, and I by my works will show you faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is worthless? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and by works faith was brought to completion. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead. (James 2:14-26, NRSVue)

Martin Luther did not like the book of James and wanted to remove it from the canon. Probably because of this passage in my humble opinion. “Surely that faith cannot save, can it?” Yes. Yes faith can save, but that faith? Well…

You see, the faith the author of James is talking about is the faith we see today in representatives and Christian Nationalists. Faith that says we believe in and follow Jesus but ignore those in need and look over the ones who need help. Those who do not help or lend a hand, but just say, “I’ll pray for you.” Platitudes do not support faith.

The author of James declares that faith without works is not a viable faith. Faith that does not produce action is not real faith but lip service.

Even our beloved Ephesians verse, for Lutherans, Ephesians 2:8-10 has something to say about this. Usually we stop before we get to 10, but we need to hear that. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” We are saved by grace through faith, not from what we do- works- so it is not our doing. That is where we usually stop, but we need verse 10 in there too: “10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them.” God created us and saved us for good works. God prepared the things we need to do before we were created.

So the author of James is right we have to do works, but that is not what gets us in God’s good graces.

We are saved for works.
We are graced, to grace.
We are saved by faith through grace to be a fountain of hope in the world by giving God’s love away.

partiality

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:8-13, NRSVue)

Do not show partiality. For in treating one better than another you are sinning and not loving.

When you fall short in this one thing, you fail at all of the law. Sounds harsh and a little overbearing.

The easy thing to do is to love and love all the same.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Love.