Friday - are you the one?

Prayer:   We thank You O God  with heart and hands  and voices.  You have done wonderous things and we rejoice.  You have blessed us on our way and given us the gift of Your Son.  Amen.

Read St. Luke 7  20 – 23

“Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else”?     How would you respond if a stranger came up to you and asked you these questions?   While the disciples of John probably were not totally unknown to Jesus,  did Jesus sit right down with the disciples of John?

Jesus chose instead  to give examples of  how he is the One.   Verse 21 is very clear that Jesus cured many who had diseases,  sickness and evil spirits and gave sight to many who were blind. 

Only then did Jesus reply to John’s Disciples.    Jesus tells John’s disciples to go back and report to John that the blind received sight,  the lame walk,  those who have leprosy are cured,  the deaf hear,  the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

And the report that Jesus gives to John’s Disciples is extremely similar to the Isaiah 35: 5 – 6.  This portion of scripture in Isaiah is a whole section that Isaiah writes on what it will be like when the people repent and return to God.       John the Baptist would have known this portion of scripture.    Perhaps it even gave John comfort to know that yes,  Jesus really is declaring himself as the One who Came from God to save us all.

Did you notice that  no where does John the Baptist nor Jesus say the word “Messiah”.  They both say, “the One”.    Using the word “Messiah”  would have opened up the flood gates of  instant jail time for either John or Jesus and their disciples  by the Romans.    Remember the Romans were ruling the people.  The Romans took the Messiah to be a political figure  who would come into Galilee with an army and try to overthrow the Roman rule.     

Jesus’ parting words to John’s Disciples is “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me”  (St Luke 7: 23  NIV  Zondervan 1981).         Keep holding the faith.  Live in accordance to the way God wants John  to live.  Continue bringing the Good News of the One into the world.      

Today Jesus gives us this same comfort….. this day how will you keep holding the faith?  How will you live in accordance to the way God wants us to live?  How will we continue bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ into the world?

Prayer:  Great God,  may we continue to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ into the world.    Great God,  reassure us that each thought and each deed we do is completed in Your love.    Help us to live in accordance to the way You would want us to live.  This we ask in Your Son’s name.  Amen.

Thursday - Questioning

Prayer:  Glory be to You,  O Lord Our God.    Each day we come before You knowing that You have given us Your Love and Your Word.  May we not hide this great love and this great Word.  May we do an ever great source of comfort and love when those who need it this day.  Amen.

Read St. Luke 7:  18 – 20

John the Baptist’s disciples tell John about all the things Jesus had been accomplishing.   Yet John is uneasy.  He calls two of his disciples and sends them to Jesus to ask “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”

What a question.   John and Jesus were cousins.  John knew about Jesus.  John baptized Jesus.  Yet John is pondering Jesus’ ministry.    And why?   Foremost because the image John had of the Messiah (or Chosen One) is not who Jesus the Messiah is.  Jesus was hanging out with Tax Collectors and in discussion with the Priests and Elders.  The very people that John the Baptist has been calling horrid and brood of vipers and trying desparately to have them repent and turn to God.

We read earlier John’s understanding of who the Messiah was to be:  St Luke 3: 16 – 17

“And John answered them,  ‘I baptize you with water.  But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn,  but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’  “

Wow,  no wonder John is questioning Jesus’ Messiah-ship.   Jesus is going about the ministry of sharing the Good News with story and teachings and examples of life.  John thought the Messiah would come with a winnowing fork and burn those who would not repent.  

Have you ever questioned a Minister’s sermon  or questioned an Elder for their life’s example?  These questions aren’t the questions of spite or hatred or attempts to humiliate,  these are questions asked of Ministers and Elders in order for us to learn more about living our life as a Christian.  Questioning is a wonderful way to build up our faith.  By questioning,  we first have to discern what we believe.   Only then can we ask questions of others.

Was John doubting Jesus as the Messiah?     Where does doubt fit into our faith?    Living Faith (The Presbyterian Church in Canada’s  Statement of Christian Belief) states:

6.2.2- 6.2.3  Questioning may be a sign of growth.  It may also be

disobedience;  we must be honest with ourselves.  Since we

are to love God with our minds, as well as our hearts, the

working through of doubt is part of our growth in faith.

The church includes many who struggle with doubt.  Jesus

accepted the man who prayed “Lord, I believe.  Help my

unbelief”.   ….. we find assurance in Christ through

confidence in His word, the sacraments of His Church and the

work of His Spirit

John’s questioning of Jesus is a sign of growth – a time of  John changing his thinking about who the Messiah is and how the Messiah comes into our lives.   

Prayer:   Lord,  we believe.  Help our unbelief.   May we find assurance in Christ this day through this study of Your Word and Your Church and the work of Your Spirit.  This we ask in Your name.  Amen.

Wednesday- reaching out

Prayer:  Today Almighty God,  may we screech to a halt to spend time in Your presence.   May we devote ourselves to this time of study and meditation and reflection upon Your glorious Word.    In Your Son’s name,  our Lord.  Amen.

Read St. Luke 7:  11 – 17

From Capernaum,  Jesus and the Disciples and a large crowd head off to Nain.   Geographically we know that Nain is somewhere in Galilee,  but the town no longer exists.   Some Biblical Scholars state that Nain was near Nazareth.  

As Jesus and his followers approach the gates of the town,  they screech to a halt.  A funeral procession is coming through. A mother is burying her son.   Remember that dealing with anyone dead makes a Jew unclean.

Does Jesus stand on the far side of the road and hide his face?  No,  not at all.  His heart went out to the  mother  and he says, “Don’t cry”.    Then he goes up and touches the coffin.    Can’t you hear the followers of Jesus suddenly said, “Don’t do that Jesus!”  “What are you doing?”

Jesus touches the coffin and those carrying it stood still.  No kidding.   The coffin bearers know they are already unclean but here is this man wanting to touch the coffin and become unclean.   They might even consider him to be a bit mentally deranged.

Jesus says, ‘Young man,  I say to you,  get up!”   The young man sits up and begins talking.     The dead young man would be wrapped in burial clothes in which spices are wrapped.    He would have had wrappings over his face as well.    This is starting to sound like a Horror Movie…. The young man in his burial wrappings sits up and starts talking.    (It never says in the Bible if those who were carrying the coffin freaked out and dropped the coffin does it….)

Jesus then gives the young man back to his mother.   What has Jesus done?  Why did Jesus’ heart go out to the mother?   Because there is no mention of a father at the funeral procession,  we  assume that the father has died.  And now her son has died.   The mother is all alone.  After the death of her husband,  widows depended upon their sons to care for them and hold the property of their father.  Without a husband and a son,  the widow would have been homeless.   

And what do the followers say about this great healing?   “They were all filled with awe and praised God.  A great prophet has appeared among us, they said.  God has come to help his people.  This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding county”  (St. Luke 7: 16 – 17  NIV Zondervan 1981)

Jesus saw the mother’s pain and reached out,  in love,  to help her.  This day,  who will God ask you to help?

Prayer:   Immortal God,  may we too today be filled with awe and praise of You.   Help us to remember that You have come to help all Your people.   This day,  O LORD,  may You open our eyes to those who need Your help.   In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tuesday - faith anytime, anywhere

Prayer:  Amazing God,  from You all knowledge is given.  From You all love is formed.  From You all hope is given.   May we be Your servants today in sharing Your knowledge,  Your love,  and Your hope.    This we faithfully ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Read  St Luke  7:  6 - 10

Jesus sets forth to go to the house of the Centurion when the Centurion sends some friends to Jesus saying, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.”     Could it be that after the elders left,  the Centurion sat at home and thought of the cultural taboo?   A Jew could not enter the home of a Gentile without becoming unclean.    It just wasn’t done.       The Centurion goes on to say, “That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.” 

“Say the word and my servant  will be healed”.  Goodness.  This is a great statement of faith from the Centurion.   Then the Centurion goes on to say, “For I myself am a man under authority,  with soldiers under me.  I tell this one, ‘Go’ and he goes;  and that one, ‘Come’ and he comes.  I say to my servant, ‘Do this’ and he does it.”

The Centurion is also stating publically that he believes Jesus has authority…. authority of God to heal.    Why even the disciples and crowd didn’t understand Jesus’ authority so quickly!

Jesus is amazed at the Centurion’s faith.   Jesus then says, “I have never found such great faith even in Israel!”      The Centurion believed in Jesus.      Amazing.

Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant healed.  

How does this great story reflect on our lives today?  This story reminds us that the love of Jesus and great faith can come to the most unlikely persons.   God calls each of us, anytime and anywhere to be followers of Jesus.  This story also reminds us that as we bring the Good News of Jesus to our community,  our community is watching how we live our life.    This day,  remember that You are the hands and feet and voice of Jesus.

Prayer:   Jesus Christ,  Son of God,   we are Your hands and Your feet.  Remind us yet again that we are also Your voice.  Whatever we are to do today,  may we do with Your great love and enthusiasm.   If we are to sit,  may we spend time in prayer.  If we are to stand,  may we share Your love.  If we are to travel,  may we show mercy upon those we meet in our travels.  This we ask in Your Name.  Amen.

Monday - Words

Prayer:  Lord of all being,  Your glory is brighter than the flames of the sun and the stars.  In You,  we are made free.   Kindle in our hearts a holy love that is never extinguished so that everyone may see Your great love.   This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Read St. Luke 7: 1 – 10  (yes,  no mistype.  We’re reading this portion of scripture again)

St. Luke then writes that there is a Centurion who had heard of Jesus. This Centurion is Roman – an officer who leads 100 men. Small local outposts were usually commanded by a Centurion.  The Roman army was known for its brutality,  yet here we have a Centurion whose  servant is sick and about to die.   And what does the Centurion do?   The Centurion – the Roman – the Gentile sends a delegation of Jewish elders to Jesus asking Jesus to come and heal his servant.   Wow.  

Something else that we need to be aware of in this text is the Centurion asked Jewish elders to go ask Jesus for healing.    The very man that has command over their town is asking those who are the religious and civic leaders in this town to help.     Gentiles asking Jews for help is amazing.   An Army Officer of a frequent brutal army that was sent to oppress the town folk,   asking the town folk to help is equally as amazing.

Do the elders take the Centurion’s request to Jesus?  Yes indeed they do as well as stating their admiration for the Centurion.    Verse 4 reads that the elders plead earnestly to Jesus and said that “this man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue”.    Wow.    Plead earnestly.  When was the last time you came across a group of people who were living in oppression and plead earnestly for their captors?    Wow.  And the Centurion also helped the Jews build their synagogue.   This generosity would have been unheard of during this time of Roman rule. 

Yet something we tend to gloss over is the connection that the early Christians would have  caught.    The Centurion was from Capernaum.   The elders and friends are from Capernaum.  Peter and Andrew, James and John are all from Capernaum.   Capernaum wasn’t that large of a town.   Everyone knew everyone else.     Perhaps the Centurion overheard his servants telling each other “Hey,  you know those fisherman brothers?  Well we can’t buy anymore fish from them now.  They have left everything and gone and followed this guy named Jesus”.  Or perhaps the Centurion knew the Fisherman brothers from watching them fish as the Centurion marched by the Sea of Galilee.

What the Centurion overheard or saw with his own eyes, he had kept up on the news about Jesus.  A good Army Officer will always find out who might be a possible enemy of the state as well as knowing what all the people in each town are doing and saying.    The more the Centurion heard about Jesus,  the more he realized that Jesus wasn’t a leader coming to overturn the Roman rule but coming to do something greater.  

Think back in your life and ponder who influenced you as a Christian?  Did this person influence you as a Christian by what they did or by how they lived or by what they said?

Prayer:  Through Your Word,  O LORD,  our bodies are healed.  Through Your Word, O LORD,  our minds are brightened.  Through Your Word, O LORD,  our love shines so that everyone may know of Your great love. Whatever we are to do today,  may we live this day in Your Glory and love.     In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Saturday and Sunday

The season of Lent is coming up very soon.    Lent is a time during which the Church looks at what they believe.   It is a time of reflecting upon our life in Christ and how we can become amazing examples of Christ in our neighbourhood and world.   Lent is also a time of repentance – a time of saying to Christ, “I am sorry for not sharing your life with others”.      So each Saturday during February,  we will spend time in prayer and meditation asking ourselves what we believe.  A Lenten Retreat.

Before we begin the Lenten Retreat ask yourself  a Big Question:   Who is Jesus Christ?

    

Prayer:   Jesus,  I come into Your presence today knowing that You love me for who I am.    Jesus, I come into Your presence today knowing that listen to all I say.    Jesus,  I come into Your presence today basking in Your love and glory.  Jesus, You have brought me to this moment and I love You.

Re-read  St Luke 7: 1- 10

* I see or contemplate each person in those events, especially Jesus himself.

*  I listen to the words, spoken or implied. I ask myself what they might mean. Do they apply to me?

*  I ponder   the actions, gestures and emotions of Jesus.   Tell Jesus  what I think about faith and what Jesus means to me.

  *   What touched my heart about this scripture?   What did I find difficult?

   *   Was there something I would like to return to?

   *   Was there a phrase of verse that I would like to remember?

 Picture Jesus sitting beside you.   Tell Jesus why he is your Lord and Saviour.    Be aware of the love Jesus has for you.  Share any questions you have about Jesus and just let the questions be in Jesus’ presence.  You don’t need to answer the questions yourself.

Prayer:  Jesus Christ,  my Lord and Saviour,  You call me to follow You and to become like You.  You call me to live in communion with God and with each other.  I do not always know where you are leading me but I know that You lead me beside green pastures.   Jesus Christ,  Son of God,  I love you with my whole heart and soul and mind.   Amen.  

Sunday February 3

Prayer:   O God, whose mighty hand has fashioned the stars, and whose tender love cares for the least of Your creatures,  we worship and bow down before You,  for You alone are worthy of our praise.  There is no power in all this vast world which must not own You Lord.  Your gracious will is sure,  Your promise of mercy and forgiveness cannot fail.  Glory be to You, blessed Trinity.  Your power is infinite and Your love is incomparable.  With our lips,  our lives, and the whole affection of our hearts we bless You now and evermore.  Amen.

(Book of Common Order of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, 1964,  pg. 173)

Friday - February 1st!

Prayer:  God Almighty,  Great is Your Faithfulness to all people.    You never change.  You always remain the same.  You love us beyond all measure.    Each new day,  we see Your new mercies.    Each new day,  You provide for all our needs.   Great is Your Faithfulness, Almighty God.   Great is Your name to be praised.  Amen.

Read  St. Luke 7: 1 – 10

When we read this story,  we love to gallop to the end and hear those awesome words from Jesus,  “I tell you,  I have not found such great faith even in Israel”.    We all love stories about people of great faith.  These shared life experiences give us great reassurance and hope.   

Yet,  we need to begin at the beginning of this story as there is so much happening that we miss if we gallop too quickly to the end.

Luke writes that Jesus heads to Capernaum after he finished teaching all the people.  Capernaum seems to have been Jesus’ “headquarters” when he was in Galilee.    We aren’t told at whose house he stayed but it was a house of the follower of Jesus.  Perhaps the house of Peter or Andrew,  or James or John.

Many Ministers and Sunday School teachers can tell you that at the end of each Sunday,  they are exhausted from teaching (and preaching) the Good News of Jesus.   (except for those of us who are extraverts and delight in preaching/teaching and gain enthusiasm from the Word of God and can’t figure out why everyone else has to have an afternoon snooze to regain their energy…. but that is a topic for another time)   Jesus too would have been tired from teaching the Disciples and crowd and from travelling on foot to Capernaum.   And perhaps Jesus was a bit discouraged that the disciples and crowd didn’t quite understand his teachings.     How many Minister’s  have preached a sermon only to have people say, “What were you preaching about this Sunday??” 

St Luke states that Jesus had finished his teaching.  Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people.       Now it is the responsibility of the people to put into practice what they have heard.

Today,  after meditating upon this portion of scripture,  how will you put the teachings of Jesus into practice?

Prayer:  Great God of all compassion,   help us this day to put into practice the teachings of Jesus.    You are our hope and our joy.    You are our shelter from the stormy blasts of life.   You are our eternal home.  Whatever we do today,  may we live our lives in Your great joy.   This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.