When Did We See You?

31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40And 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.’ 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’45Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46, NRSV)

Have you ever seen Jesus?

Looked into the face of another and witnessed the Lord?

Maybe it was someone who helped you. Maybe it was someone you helped.

The part about this text that really sticks with me is not that some people helped those in need and some didn’t help. It’s not that some thought they were doing the right thing and others were just self-centered. The thing that really sticks with me from this text is that everyone is surprised. No one knows when they saw Jesus or did some or didn’t do something for him. To me this says we can’t really be on the lookout for Jesus to help the right person, we have to realize that Jesus is every person and everything we do or don’t do for others is doing or not doing that for Jesus.

So how can we better live out the love that Jesus has given us by being a force for his love in the world?

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!

37 ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38See, your house is left to you, desolate. 39For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’ (Matthew 23:37-39, NRSV)

I read this and I wonder what Jesus has wanted to do for me and yet I was not willing…

The picture of a hen sheltering its young under its wing from all harm is a tender image and one that I hope I would allow Jesus to do for me.

But are we always open to where Jesus is leading us and what Jesus wants to do for us?

Sometimes we are like the stubborn 2-year old that is saying, “I do it myself!”

We need to allow Jesus to shelter us, lead us, guide us, so that we might know the life that He has prepared for us!

More Woes

27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. 28So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, 30and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. 33You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell? 34Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, 35so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation. (Matthew 23:27-36, NRSV)

We look good on the outside. Wear nice clean clothes and shoes. We put on a good appearance to make everything one think we have it all together.

But really we are falling apart on the inside.

Jesus says that the Pharisees and the scribes are whitewashed tombs, we paint over the outside of the tomb with whitewash so it looks good, but we all know that inside it is rotting and putrid. Just like when we put on our holier-than-thou dress and tell others they are doing it wrong when we are no better than they are.

We need to make our lives be an example of what Jesus has called us to so others are drawn to Him through our lives, and not tell others they are wrong for the way they live when we are only pretty on the outside.

Woes

13“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them. 15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. 16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.’ 17You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred? 18And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.’ 19How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it; 21and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells in it; 22and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it. 23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! 25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean (Matthew 23:13-26, NRSV)

I wonder what Jesus would say about us if He were to be here today?

It is easy for us to say, Yes the Pharisees kept people from worshiping but setting up rules and regulations that were too hard to follow and didn’t actually follow themselves. But what do we say others have to do and fail to do ourselves?

I love the line, “You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!” You take out the small thing that maybe won’t make a difference but ignore the big part that is the obvious thing we should be concerned with.

Let us all wash our own cup and work on our own lives from the inside out.

If we can all focus on getting our own lives in line with what Jesus calls us to do, then others will see and wonder how they can have a life like ours. Being a true witness comes from living like we should not telling others they are not doing it right.

Humbled and Exhalted

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; 3therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4They 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. 5They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. 8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. 9And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12, NRSV)

Wow, Jesus really lays it on the Pharisees and scribes here, but the point really is, do not expect someone else to carry a burden you are not willing to help them with or to carry yourself.

We can not think more highly of ourselves than others, and we must always help those who need it.

We do not get ahead in the kingdom of God by walking over people, we get ahead in the kingdom by being like Jesus and lifting people up and helping them know they are loved.

How do you help others see the love God has for them?

A Psalm of David

1The Lord says to my lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2The Lord sends out from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your foes.
3Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day you lead your forces on the holy mountains. From the womb of the morning, like dew, your youth will come to you.
4The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
5The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter heads over the wide earth.
7He will drink from the stream by the path; therefore he will lift up his head.
(Psalm 110:1-7, NRSV)

This is an interesting psalm, written by David, under the prompting of the Holy Spirit according to Jesus in Matthew 22:43.

This psalm is written by God through David and is about the Messiah.

The Messiah is on who will sit at God’s right hand, he will rule over everyone, his people will willingly follow him, he will be a priest forever, he will shatter kingdoms and execute judgment over all. Some of this can be kind of scary when you take it in a militaristic sense, which is probably why the people did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, he didn’t come leading an army, yet he still did most of these things and is coming back to finish the process.

How do you want Jesus to be a ruler and a savior of the world?

The Son of David

41Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: 42“What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 44‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? 45If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” 46No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. (Matthew 22:41-46, NRSV)

This is a really good question. Because Jesus is of the lineage of David and would be David’s son, but David calls the Messiah Lord, so how can someone’s son be their lord?

We get into trouble when we try to use logic and work out the tenants of our faith. Sometimes things that deal with faith will not make sense logically, that is why we call it faith.

Jesus is the offspring of David and is yet David’s Lord.

We don’t have to understand how it works, we just need to believe it…

What else do we question about our faith, yet still believe?

Alle…

Alle…

Oops. Hold on…

As you are reading this article it is still Lent. But it is April and Spring and it should be Easter!

And yes that celebration is coming. This year Easter is almost as late as it can be. The latest Easter can be is April 25.

We are in that already but not yet, we already know that Jesus will rise from the dead, or has risen. Even though now we are in the waiting of Lent.

And isn’t that really the life of the Christian, the disciple of Jesus. We are already living eternally with God through our baptism, yet we are still here stuck in our sinfulness.

Already, but not yet.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known, Paul tells the Corinthians. (1 Corinthians 13:12) We are there but can’t see it all around us, and yet we are not quite there yet. We know that we are a part of the kingdom, but we can’t fully understand it yet.

Just like St. John’s here and now moving forward following the path God has put before us. Seemingly unsure about what has happened and what might happen next. But I have been there several times, where you really can’t see that next step because of the fog or the haze or your vision is unclear. And that is the time we come together and step out in faith.

So hold on, and know the promises are true, just as we know in a few days we can again say Alleluia!

Christ is Risen!

The Parable of the Talents

14“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.16The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’24Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.28So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents.29For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30, NRSV)

This is an interesting story. And people have wondered for a while what it is meant to teach us. It is about a man who is going on vacation or a trip and gives the servants in his home talents to take care of while he is gone.

A talent is a measure of weight for gold. 1 Talent is equal to about 75 U.S. pounds. So just to give an example in today’s values, on February 22, 2019, when I typed this devotional the value of 1 ounce of Gold was $1,323.24. So 1 Talent would equal $1,587,888! and 10,000 would be $15,878,880,000! That is over 15 Billion.

So he gave one servant 5 talents, one two and one one. He left expecting them to use the talents to get more.

And 2 do but one doesn’t want to risk losing the talent because he is afraid of what the master will do to him. He doesn’t do anything but bury the talent.

If we say that talent is a gift we get, how many of us bury our talent? We don’t use the gift we have been given for fear of what others will say. But we are gifted to use that talent so the world can see the love God has for all of us.

Now the story is hard to take that way because God is not one who reaps where He doesn’t sow and I don’t want to think that God is one who would take away from one who has little and give to one who has much. But how else can we see this story?

God gifted us. Don’t bury it.

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

17You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:17-18, NRSV)

You can’t hate any of your family and you have to tell your neighbor when they are wrong. How many of us actually do this?

Don’t take vengeance or bear a grudge against anyone but love everyone as you love yourself.

This is easier said than done. Our human nature is to hold grudges and want revenge on those who hurt us but the Law says to not do but to love everyone as God loves you. Forgiving you when you didn’t deserve it.