Devotion.al

Tag: gift

  • Bringing Gifts

    Matthew 2:1–12, John 12:1–11

    The ‘s visiting Jesus presented 3 gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh. Often they are respectively tied to Jesus’ roles as king, prophet/priest, /savior. How accurate that is may be questioned. That they were costly and significant gifts is not questionable. Gold is gold. We all have a pretty good idea about it. Frankincense is an aromatic plant often used in , including Jewish temple incense (Exodus 30:34-38). It is also used in perfumes. The fact that it was a key component of the temple incense is what leads many to conclude that its gifting is symbolic of Jesus’ priestly and role. Myrrh is another plant. It was used as a perfume and incense (too), stimulant, anointing oil, and embalming. The last two uses are where the sacrifice/savior symbology is assumed. Whether this was intended symbology is not the issue at hand. These magi would have had important positions at home. They would have not brought a small amount of any of these things. Providing these gifts was expected, and being stingy in those gifts was not culturally or politically practiced. We should think of the magi as representatives (or ambassadors). Put on a good show to increase the prestige of your home country.

    Why the focus on the magi and their gifts? To show just how significant Mary’s was. We don’t know a lot about Lazarus and his sisters, other than Jesus was likely a more common visitor than the convey. We also know that Lazarus—due to his rising from the dead—was a person of concern (John 12:9–11) for the religious leaders, as his continued presence was apparently adding to Jesus’ stature as prophet and Messiah.

    Let’s look at Judas, too. John gives him a good poke, but let’s be honest with ourselves, we have a bit of Judas in us, especially when it comes to “church” . The expectation that the church does not spend frivolously is a strong tendency in us all, with the Puritan expectation ingrained in us of financially barebones ministry. The “wastefulness” of Mary’s “gift” would definitely cause some trouble in today’s churches.

    Mary wasn’t worried about the wastefulness. What motivated her is her love of Jesus. Her love was reflected in Jesus’ . Jesus’ followers made sure that her story is still told after almost 2000 years. Maybe that gift wasn’t a waste?

    1) Thinking about what is to come ( Week), what aspects in this story do you see played out?

    2) Poking the bear…what are your thoughts of Judas versus Mary (taking Judas’ betrayal out of it) and how churches and ministries spend money?

    3) We often don’t think of the ongoing presence of those touched by Jesus’ miracles (e.g., Lazarus) as adding to the validation of his ministry, and what the impact was on their lives. What do you think their lives were like during Jesus’ ministry and after his death/?

  • Sharing Where The Food Is

    Isaiah 55:1-9, Matthew 6:1-15

    When one works with the homeless, one learns that the homeless have an amazing network of information. This network includes which ministry provides food on which day. It can include which ministry provides sundries and clothes. Then there are the ministries that provide free clothes cleaning. They are quick to what will aid one another. Regardless of your perception or feelings regarding ministry to the homeless, their connection to one another cannot be denied. When we our pride and our stuff, Christians more than anyone else ought to be aware that we are truly homeless. This world is not our home.

    Just like the homeless who share about the sustaining things around, Isaiah announces God’s mighty , mercy, and gifts. Imagine if all of Christ’s followers couldn’t help themselves from sharing this amazing that God has given them. We talk about so much that is present in Isaiah’s words: the value (or lack thereof) of , God’s great food, new covenant, not of this world. Yet, more and more, Christians are really nothing special. Now, that isn’t to say that they aren’t, but that they no longer know that they are. By and large, most people view them as political blocks or hate-filled people. Christians have allowed themselves to become this. We are no longer (by-and-large) Isaiah (or the homeless) saying, “come meet this awesome guy, Jesus!” Because of our career positions or career locations, we are not free to share our faith. We now have to become wiser than serpents to share the Gospel. However, we have to become like Isaiah and believe we have to actually share.

    The has come up with many schemes and methods to share the good news.

    It is good news, right? Is it, perhaps, time to return to simpler words and ways?

    When Jesus provides the template for , it is intended to be an antidote to the excessive prayers of those who made a show of their false piety. Later, it would also serve as a counterpoint to the Roman tendency for long-winded oratories that were so prized by the intellectual culture. The Lord’s Prayer (as we call it now) is so simple that a child can (and memorize it). Yet, the depth of the Lord’s Prayer from the holiness of God to our place in God’s kingdom here on earth. The Lord’s Prayer really is the tension between the ideal and our reality. We are often uncomfortable with the tension between the two, yet that is where the energy and ability to call those struggling in this life to the new life offered by new creation in Jesus Christ.

    1) Is your life with Christ still an important part of your life that you want and seek to share with ?

    2) When was the last time you prayed the Lord’s Prayer? What do you see as its positives and negatives?

    3) We talk about inviting people to church. When was the last time you invited a person to a new life with Jesus?

  • A Seeking Heart

    Psalm 105:1–15, 2 Chronicles 20:1–22, Luke 13:22–31

    We often feel powerless in comparison to the world around us. The current pervasive feeling is that normal people do not have a in the government that is supposed to be theirs. Many people feel powerless in the face of medical issues, general health issue, job issues, issues, and so on. It is easy to become overwhelmed by what we cannot do. Embrace the powerlessness.

    Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Yet, the story of Jehoshaphat is a story of a people, and their king, who recognized their powerlessness in the face of enemies far beyond their ability to deal with. Jehoshaphat embraced his powerlessness. He acknowledged it. He put it before God. God doesn’t always do something miraculous like what happened here. The miraculous is God. The powerlessness is ours. What do we do with our powerlessness? Do we study harder? Work harder? Pray harder?

    The multitude of Judah (entire families) publically placed their weakness before God. True humility is often the greatest gift parents and grandparents can to their children and grandchildren. It wasn’t that long ago that men and women were to hide their paid either behind plastic smiles or stoic faces. , toil, , depression, mourning, were all to be hidden, for they were a weakness. The families of Judah had no shame in sharing this. God saved them.

    Theirs was collective . When we come to Jesus, there is both collective and personal salvation at stake. In particular, the narrow road and gate are more personal than collective, but the separation between the two is not as clear as we like to think. Think about the opening question regarding the number of people to be saved. That’s the wrong question! In another place in scripture, there is a similar question regarding the requirements to be saved. Again, that’s the wrong question! Actually, that’s the wrong orientation.

    Jesus’ intent is orientation. If we are always trying to figure out the limits, we aren’t aiming for the heart. Think about marriage. If one marries another, saying what can I get away with and still be married, it doesn’t sound right, does it? Marriage isn’t about our joy, but what we do to make the other happy. A with Jesus is very similar in that regard. While Jesus’ words sound harsh, “get away from me evildoers,” it is that heart orientation: a heart seeking to do (what can I get away with), versus a heart seeking to make Jesus happy.

    1) Have you ever thought, what can I get away with and still be saved?

    2) If you said, “no,” has your behavior matched, “no”, or has your behavior really matched, “yes”?

    3) How do powerlessness and the narrow road go together (they do)? What does that tell you about the Christian /walk?

    FD) Why do you think Jesus talks about the door being narrow? Why narrow? Why a door?

  • The Nudging

    Moses is in need of help. He can’t do it all. What’s odd is that it would seem that Moses didn’t maintain the lesson learned from his -in-law (see Exodus 18). It’s not entirely the same. In Exodus 18, it was the “priestly” judges who were selected. This is more along the lines of a professional judiciary, such as we have from local, to district, to appellate, to supreme judiciaries. We have something different here. What has occurred is the selection of senior spiritual leaders. They are family leaders, too, but it is the application of the that makes this important. There are a couple of story-lines occurring here, and that can lead to some confusion. It is often assumed (and has often been taught) that Eldad and Medad remained in camp because they were disgruntled, putting them with the grumbling people. The text does not make that clear. It is our . We do know that Eldad and Medad were selected by Moses (so, much less likely to be among the disgruntled). What if they just hadn’t made it, yet? Or, what if they did not feel or were scared? Both reasonable based upon experience God’s miracles. They had been chosen…and the Holy Spirit fell on them anyways.‌

    Joshua was offended on Moses’ behalf, but Moses noted that it is God’s spirit, not his. Many, many years later, has a similar experience with his disciples. Within in the context of arguing which disciple was greater than the other, and Jesus shutting that conversation down well, John ups the game reporting that a man who was not among the disciples are successfully driving out demons. John then states that they (in other words, “I wasn’t the only one, Jesus.”) tried to stop the man, but Jesus stopped even that. The disciples were “offended” by the man driving out demons, but were they upset on Jesus’ behalf or their own. Jesus’ response would indicate that this was about them, not him.‌

    Often we can become overly concerned with the “right” way of doing things. With the Holy Spirit, the right way can often not be our way. This is not to say the God is a god of chaos. God makes and creates order. However, our concept of order and “right” can be at odds with God at times. Joshua and John (yes, with some pride in there) assumed they were doing the right thing by saying “this is wrong.” Yet, God did it, so it wasn’t wrong. It just didn’t fit their idea. Philip may have learned a lesson by the point of this story in Acts. The of the Holy Spirit didn’t hurt either. Philip obeyed and went to the “desert” road for a divine appointment. Nudged further, he approached an important chariot. There is a lot in this story that is missing, but the essentials are there. Philip in obedience approached a chariot that would have been awkward for him normally to approach. Through obedience to the Holy Spirit, Philip then leads the Ethiopian to Christ. After the Ethiopian’s baptism something strange happens, the Holy Spirit “carries” (in Greek, it’s more of snatch) Philip away. The Ethiopian goes on his way rejoicing. The way the journey from Jerusalem to Gaza is , it sounds immediate, but it was actually quite a journey by foot. We don’t get that from Luke’s words, we just have to know geography. This is important as the way Luke writes this gives us an idea that Philip teleported from Gaza to Azotus (a.k.a., Ashdod). While it is quite possible for God to do such, a better way to think of this is that Philip did what was needed and did not stay there rejoicing in the victory. He continued on the mission.‌

    Far too often we get comfortable with the success and want to “stay” there in the happy time. The Holy Spirit is always calling us on to the next thing. The next thing may not be immediate (and often isn’t). Sitting with our victories and successes, though, makes us stagnant. The same can be said of sticking to the old known formula. It worked for its time. The Holy Spirit may have stamped “expired” on it. We need to be ready for the Holy Spirit is doing.‌

    • 1) In the last week, how have you seen the Holy Spirit in your ? How about the lives of others?‌
    • 2) What is the Holy Spirit nudging you to do? Who is the Holy Spirit nudging you to to?
    • 3) Often times we may think the Holy Spirit is nudging us to talk to someone so that they can be “fixed”. This isn’t always the case. When have you had a Holy Spirit encounter where you were the one that learned rather than being the one who taught?‌
    • FD) Have you ever said something to defend the efforts of others? Why did you do that?

  • Freely Walking

    1 Samuel 2:1–10, John 8:31–36

    Hannah’s joy-filled of praise for her Samuel is the wonderful response of a woman who had been denied the (cultural) gift children…and then was gifted Samuel. In her case, it was the rival wife (Peninnah) who continually taunted her. Hannah’s (and Peninnah’s) husband, Elkanah, loved her despite her childlessness, and during the special festivals, gave her a double portion, giving her above Peninnah. Elkanah did his best to make Hannah feel and loved, but her heart wasn’t on the same page. She went to the Lord in prayer, and the Lord answered her.

    Samuel was born, and Hannah’s shame was done away with. This prayer is amazing. There is joy, praise, thanksgiving…and bittersweetness.

    In faith and faithfulness, Hannah gave her son to the Lord. There is an echo here of the firstborn belonging to God. Hannah did not perform an animal sacrifice. She gave her son. While her heart was full of finally being a mother, her heart was hurting.

    However, just as she was faithful to God, God was gracious to her. She had more children and was now the mother she longed to be. She had been freed to be who she wanted to be.

    One of the greatest promises of Jesus is to be free of the chains that bind us. We can be like Hannah, bound by both societal/cultural chains, by the chains we set upon ourselves, or by the chains that our mistakes become.

    The Jews, for example, had chains of blood. They believed their was tied to their bloodline. By that understanding, they had chained themselves to rigors that God had not intended. Instead of being children of God, they had become “slaves” of the rules in the house of God.

    Jesus wanted to break them free of their chains. The sad is that we often become so comfortable in our chains that we do not want them to go away. The weight, while still weighing us down, is comfortable.

    Transformation of our relationship with God is the fulfillment of the life. When we follow our understanding of God’s desires for us, it is not about rules. It is about a loving response to God the Father who loved us before we knew him.

    When we cannot step beyond the rules to relationship, we do not get the true of free in Jesus Christ. When we don’t invest in our relationship with God, we are just statues in the house of God that cannot sing the praise and glory of God.

    • 1) What thoughts and habits are still keeping your walk with Christ empty or shallow?
    • 2) Can you relate to Hannah’s freedom? How is it different than we often think of freedom?
    • 3) We often tie our self- to others’ perceptions and values of us. How does looking at the freedom that Jesus offers challenge that?
    • FD) How do rules create and limit relationships?

  • Transformational Inheritance

    In the Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (11th Ed), (1) a legacy is a gift of personal money or personal property, (2) something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor.

    What a dry way to kill a legacy.

    Abraham had plenty of personal property and wealth. He was successful from a material point of view. As we say today, though, you can’t take it with you. Stuff can only be given to or taken by others. Abraham was old and was looking at who would get his stuff. As he had no children, It was going to be a . While we often overlook this brief mention of Eliezer, this is a good example of someone preparing for the future without him in it. The small business owner that is a wise steward, will make preparations for the company after they are gone, especially for their employees and family members who are dependent upon the business. Abraham was looking out for his people and their families.

    God then makes a to Abraham that Abraham will have a to inherit Abraham’s wealth. Well, that’s the way Abraham took it. Then God took it up a notch and said that Abraham’s descendants would number like the stars in the sky. Then God said that there was this huge swath of land that Abraham’s descendants would get, too. While the wealth, property, and land were all good, it was Abraham’s (counted as righteousness) that was the true legacy. Faith was the true inheritance.

    Through the wealth, property, and land, Abraham and his descendants prospered, fell into ruin, returned, prospered, fell, returned…and so on. Throughout it all, Abraham’s faith is what made it through all of it. Abraham’s faith was the legacy that he passed on, that he didn’t even for.

    Generations later, an infant boy was born in the City of David. This infant boy had 2 parents who were out of their element (so to ) before he was born. These 2 parents were inheritors of Abraham’s legacy, and they experienced its fulfillment in a way unimaginable at that point.

    In his letter, Paul tells the Galatians (non-Jewish people, like most of us) that they (thus, us) are also inheritors to this legacy of Abraham. To play off of Paul’s words, the original inheritance that Abraham was concerned for was in regards to stuff, land, and the family ““. This is more along the lines of the child (or slave) who is in bondage to their immediate gratification (the stuff). The true inheritance is one of faith and with God, the , that we receive through the gift of the Son, Jesus Christ. It is through the power and working of the that we are transformed from child (bound by the world) to inheritor (free in faith).

    1. Elsewhere, Paul writes about childish things. What are some “childish” things that preoccupy your mind, heart, and soul?
    2. The “world” is often concerned about the stuff, and we, too, may fall into that trap. It is good stewardship (according to Scripture) to have an inheritance for your grandchildren. What kind of inheritance do you want to leave?
    3. What is the difference, if any, between inheritance and legacy?

    KD) What is one thing that you want people to remember about you?

  • Family Praise

    Psalm 145; Isaiah 12; Hebrews 2:6–18

    is words that glorify God. The English “praise” comes from the Latin word “pretium”, which means “value”. We or sing in such a way that we express that we value God. The important concept to understand is value. If all you were to from a person was, “thanks for (all) the (s),” at some point you would question whether they actually value the gifts or you (i.e., see your worth, and want to have a relationship with you).

    It is in Psalm 145:1-13 that we see this of praise. Then in verses 14-21 we see more and , though verse 17 gets back to praise. The psalmist speaks more of who God is and what God is like in comparison to what God has done. When we speak only of what God has done, we put God the Action Hero box. God becomes someone who does something for us. Our relationship becomes shallow and transactional, rather than relational and transformational.

    Isaiah’s song of praise (Isaiah 12) starts with relational . As it continues, there are acts yet everything revolves around the restored relationship. This is especially important in the time of Isaiah as the exile of the people was ultimately the result of a destroyed relationship. At this point, the Lord’s salvation was primarily viewed as a physical salvation. Be that as it may, the physical salvation was a result of relational salvation, which lead into full salvation in Christ.

    Underlying the passage in Hebrews is the concept that full relationship (and thus salvation) was so important to God, that—in the form of Jesus of Nazareth—incarnational (i.e., God physically being present) relationship between God and Man was not only possible…it actually happened! In Hebrews it goes on from “just” relational to “familial,”…becoming the of God!

    1) What do you think of the “praise” definition above? Does it match or conflict with your understanding?

    2) How was physical salvation a spiritual “trap” for the exiles? Do you see that same “trap” alive today? If yes, where? If no, what do you think it would look like?

    3/FD) Jesus thought it was important for us to know we are his brothers and sisters. Why do you think Jesus thought it was important that we are (and know that we are) part of his family?

  • A Child-Like Gift

    Psalm 26, Matthew 18:1-4, James 4:7-12

    A child-like . That is the greatest an adult could for. All too often, however, we get caught up in our own heads, hearts and hurts. A child can look to God in faith and .

    We are not talking naiveite or ignorance. We are talking about innocence.

    Think of a baby. A parent tosses them up in play, smiling at this bundle of . The baby smiles, too, imitating the parent. Yet, for the first few times they are tossed up, they instinctively understand that this sensation is wrong. Despite that, their parent, their trusted person, is smiling. Trust overrides. A child-like faith.

    We actually have more child-like faith than we think, but it’s : engineers, mechanics, military and first responders. Even with other we have child-like faith that those around us know what they are doing, even though the traffic and accidents should teach us otherwise.

    James takes the “adult” approach. He’s working with those adults. He has to unwind the ways of the world from their minds and hearts. Cast aside your worldly ways, he says. When he talks about mourning and weeping, it is to recognize what we are in the world. Mourning and weeping are signs of grieving; grieving for our worldly selves; grieving for the world.

    So much of what we have to unwind is ourselves. Some have claimed that it was pride that led to the Fall of Adam and Eve (and thus mankind). All of what James writes of comes from our pride. A child of faith has pride…pride in God, not self. This is not to diminish self, for we are made in God’s image. We are not to see ourselves as better than others, for all are equal before God.

    An untrained (or untainted) child will treat others equally, no matter how different they are. Only when adults condition them to judge those different than themselves that children become cruel, and then we all have to deal with the of that cruelty.

    1) What does child-like faith mean to you? How do you live that out in a world that is “adult”?

    2) Why do we often put ourselves in the role of lawgiver and judge?

    3) Why do we judge when we ourselves don’t want to be judged?

    KD) What do you do when kids treat others differently then they would want to be treated?