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Devotion.al

Tag: Jesus

  • Magic Targets

    2 Peter 1:16–21, 2 Timothy 4:1–8

    Yesterday, we read about mediums, sorcerers, et al., and that they were bad mostly because of the human tendency toward the self. The problem with the way this is portrayed is what seems to be an apparent conflict between scriptural admonitions and the world.

    One of the easiest targets for this over the years has been the Harry Potter series. The story about an outcast becoming a hero is very attractive to many people. Yet, many well-meaning Christians warned (and continue to warn) others that the series was steeped in occult and black magic.

    On the other hand, those same people would insist that everyone see/read Narnia series and The Lord of the Rings series. The Narnia series was written by Anglican C.S. Lewis, and he was deliberate in developing the series through a Christological lens. Roman Catholic J.R.R. Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings series. Both series written by devout (and vaunted) Christians were steeped on otherworldly lore…and magic.

    What are we to take away from this, then? Be discerning about both what you read/watch, including Christians. Legends and myths are useful to teach and learn Biblical lessons from a different perspective. J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and even J.K. Rowling (author of the Harry Potter series) tell wonderful, inventive, and disturbing (i.e., looking in the mirror) books about humanity.

    Can people take them too far? Absolutely! This is where we tie back to Paul’s and Peter’s words. If the myths pull us away from Christ and the Truth of the Gospel, then they are to be avoided. The primary myths that Paul and Peter were dealing with were Roman pagan gods (now studied by even conservative Christian colleges as part of their liberal arts programs) and the Jewish Laws that Jesus opposed. Yes, Narnia, Middle-Earth, and even Hogwarts can be used to teach about Jesus. Again, one must be careful in doing so.

    1) What do you think is an American (or your home national) myth? Why is it a myth? What is its power?

    2) What do you think is a family myth? Why is it a myth? What is its power?

    3) What do you think is a church myth? Why is it a myth? What is its power?

  • Faithfully Blind Together

    Leviticus 21:16–24, Matthew 20:29–34, 1 Corinthians 1:26–29

    Even today people struggle with blindness. Granted, today those who are blind have legal protections, braille, technology, and acceptance that wasn’t part of other cultures. In the New Testament era, the only “job” the blind could get was begging. Doesn’t sound very fulfilling or enjoyable.

    Our story in Matthew takes place on Jesus’ last journey to Jerusalem. Whether the large crowd was only because of Jesus or also because of the approaching Holy Days is somewhat up for discussion. Regardless, though, the blind men were probably looking forward to having a more successful attempt at begging, due to the emotional high that people would have had, and the affiliation of almsgiving with Holy Days.

    Instead, they hear Jesus is coming. They probably had already heard the stories of the miracles he performed. That Jesus would be near them would be exciting and would be hope-filled. They cried out, but the crowd tried to silence them. Some commentators take a symbolic view of this. The crowd is the world (and Satan) trying to drown out the coming salvation of Jesus. The blind men, like Christians, have to overcome the world to meet Jesus. It might be taking a few too many liberties, but the reality is these men overcame the crowd.

    In all likelihood, this was not normal behavior for them. They would generally be meek so as to not be bullied. Yet, they went for it. They took the risk. Opposed the crowd. They could now see.

    The weak. Foolish desires. The despised. Yet, Jesus heard their cries and healed them. Paul notes that the world has a different form of evaluation and valuing people than the Kingdom of God.

    1) What have your thoughts been (whether now or in the past) of people who were not fully as capable (physical or mental) as you?

    2) People are quick to value people based upon their physical bodies. Why do you think that is?

    3) Why do you think Paul concludes with, “…so that no one may boast in his presence…”?

  • Very Much Active

    Numbers 11:16–17+Numbers 11:24–30, 1 Samuel 10:1–13, Mark 9:35–41

    The Holy Spirit—the third person of the Trinity—often does not act in a way we understand or can predict. That makes us frustrated. For example, there are Christians who believe the Holy Spirit has ceased miraculous activity. For some, that means no miraculous healings. For others that means no “tongues”. For others that even includes the gifts of the Spirit.

    Many tie the movement of the Holy Spirit to the 12 Apostles and Paul. However, as we read in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was active without them. So, where does this us? Well, there can be no question, really, that the Holy Spirit is in action. Hearts are still called to Jesus. Hearts are still changed. Lives are still transformed.
    To believe that 1/3 (the Holy Spirit) of the Trinity is inactive while the other 2/3 (God the Father, Jesus the Son) are active seems to be problematic. The Holy Spirit is God. So, if the rest of God is active, it seems illogical for the Holy Spirit to not be.

    The struggle is, again, that the Holy Spirit does not necessarily move in the ways we want or predict. Thus the conclusion is drawn that the Holy Spirit stopped moving. However, miraculous healings do occur. Tongues still occur (and not just the charismatic type). The gifts of the Spirit, including prophecy, still occur. It is often that our hearts and minds are too dull and hard to see them for what they are.

    1) Have you ever seen or experienced a miracle that could only be performed by God?

    2) If you haven’t, or haven’t a long while, why do you think (or do you think) the Holy Spirit is still active?

    3) Why do think it is important that the Holy Spirit is or isn’t active? How does your belief impact the way you live your faith?

  • Questions, Questions

    We have all heard an instructor, teacher, professor, or lecturer say, “there is no such thing as a dumb question.” The intent is to make the students or hearers more comfortable to ask questions. While that statement is often made, on the other hand, when students are graded on participation, their questions are evaluated on how they contributed to the understanding (i.e., the education) of the topic. In other words, yes, there really are dumb questions. That being said, what are usually considered dumb questions are really ignorant, foolish, or purposefully disruptive (to the purpose of the venue).
    Solomon asked for wisdom. Was that really a question in the context of the verse? Yes and no. In English, no, it isn’t a question. In context, however, it is. “Is it possible, God, that you would give me the wisdom and discernment to lead your people?” That really is the question. God answers in the affirmative. As we follow Solomon’s life, we do see that he stopped asking wise questions when it came to his wives and worship practices. In fact, it seems in that area he stopped asking questions at all.
    Nebuchadnezzar asks some questions out of anger, pride, and offense (people in his immediate circle did not obey his law). We look at his questions and think they’re dumb. Think about it from his perspective. He made a gold statue to worship (no in-depth theology on this new god). Everyone will now suddenly worship it. In many respects, this sounds more like a civil religion than true religion. Nebuchadnezzar didn’t seem to really believe in the god he’d made nor the God of the Jews. In the midst of his anger, he was probably pretty confused.
    Then we have the Sadducees. Really, the question they asked Jesus could have easily been asked of the Pharisees. In fact, this exact question was indeed probably asked of the Pharisees during theological discussions. Jesus gave a brilliant answer to their question, but their question wasn’t dumb. For people concerned with fulfilling the law correctly, this would be a matter that needed an answer. The consistency of their logic was sound.
    Questions need answers, and we often judge our answers by what we perceive is the brilliance of others. Sometimes though, people just need their questions to be heard. They may not need an answer, but they may need a sounding board.
    1) What can you do to show others that you are open to their questions, especially regarding faith?
    2) What will you do to train yourself to not always see questions in black or white, right or wrong? What causes you to think answers must be formed in that way?
    3) What do you think the better question that Nebuchadnezzar and the Sadducees could have asked, in the context of these Scriptures?

  • Enemies and Adversaries

    Rom 2:25–29, Revelation 3:7–13

    The struggle between Jew and Christian has long been the case. Initially, there was a mix of those with good motives (e.g., preserving the “true” faith, protection from apostasy) and bad motives (e.g., pride, influence). Then there were those who regularly challenged the theology for various reasons.

    Paul regularly had to oppose them to protect the fledgling churches. Oddly, we ought to be grateful, for without opposition we might not have even had the letters that we have. One could argue that it is because of the opposition that the church grew as it did (and many do argue that to this day). Without question, opposition forced the church to figure out what it did believe, wrestling with it over generations.

    Paul struggled to separate the Jewish Laws and customs from the new Christian life, and due to the Jewish basis of Christianity it continued to be an issue. Yet, what was an issue of understanding became something much darker.

    In Revelation 3:9, John wrote “…synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews…” This phrasing, which was intended to illustrate the same struggle that Paul had, became a verse of hatred. It’s easy to see why. Seemingly tying the Jews to Satan is pretty inflammatory. Christians for generations vilified and demonized Jews based on verses like this and an erroneously singular focus on who was the root cause of Jesus’ crucifixion (the Jews, rather than all of us). Some interpreters are quick to point out that what is translated as Satan is satanas, a Greek take on the Aramaic/Hebrew word for adversary. The question for some becomes is this a proper name (the Adversary) or a descriptive name (an adversary). The reality is that there is an adversarial relationship toward the church, trying to skew its theology.

    The reason this odd historical piece is important is that the church, still, often resorts to adversarial/enemy language when discussing or interacting with those whose theology is different. We cannot behave that way, for while we were sinners (enemies of God), even before we were born, Jesus died for us. Imagine if Jesus treated us as if we were his enemy.

    1) Is there someone you have treated as an enemy, that God is calling you to love?

    2) Is there language that you have been using the frames others as the enemy or adversary? (This is beyond just not agreeing with them on something)

  • Evaluating Value

    John 8:2–12, 2 Corinthians 5:10–15

    Before we go any further, this story in John is an odd one. It does not show up in the earliest manuscripts that we currently have, however, the story does show up soon (time-wise) after the earliest manuscript. What is also unusual (in comparison to others stories) is that it doesn’t show up in exactly the same places. The very early church attested to the accuracy of the story, as do most scholars. However, because of its appearance later, there is probably a note in your bible about it. Again, this does not put the story in dispute.

    The story is interesting, as many people have put their own spin on what Jesus was writing in the dirt. Could it have been a line? Was it a list of sins the men committed? Maybe it was as simple as, “love God; love others.” Many creative sermons have been delivered over what was written in the dirt, but not written in the Scriptures. The real question is judgment. Based on the context (setting Jesus up) and the lack of a male participant (who should have been stoned, too), there was no following the Law in Truth or Spirit. Even literally the law wasn’t followed (again, the lack of the man).

    The Law, or the law (as in US jurisprudence) can be judged insofar as being evaluated and found regarding the preponderance of evidence as guilty or innocent of the charge. That is not the judgment in this instance. It is a judgment of value. This woman was judged to be less valued for she was a woman and an adulteress. The man involved was skipped over. Why was one granted mercy and grace (presumptive), while another was not?

    Paul reminds us that we all will stand before the throne. Yes, if we’ve accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we will be spared the judgment. However, what if we stood before the throne and experienced the entirety of the emotional, spiritual, and physical pain of our sins (including what we have caused others). This would not be out of a desire to inflict pain, but for us to Truly understand the grace and mercy given to us.

    1) Have you ever judged and/or condemned a person, then found out you were wrong? What was that like? Did you make amends? If not, why not?

    2) We may be quick to judge the sins of others. What should we learn from the lesson of Jesus?

    3) Paul speaks of the “fear of God”. How should that affect our views of judging others?

  • Worship Together

    Genesis 28:10–17, Exodus 3:1–6, Luke 23:44–46

    Have you ever been confronted by a person who states that they can worship God better in nature than in a church? They might be right. Jacob put a stone under his head, and upon waking declared that the wilderness was the house of God.

    Moses is wandering in the wilderness minding sheep. He walks to a burning bush that is declared by God to be a holy place. This is no church.

    During the last moments of Jesus’ crucifixion, the temple curtain (dividing the “normal” temple from the Holy of Holies) was torn in two. The division between earthly and Heavenly is gone.

    So, what about our challenger? They might be right. Perhaps they can worship better in God’s Creation. It’s not out of the question as we look at Jacob and Moses. If we are only called to worship God, then the challenger is right. So, where does that leave us? Moving beyond worship.

    The Christian life is far more than mere worship (not that it isn’t good and necessary). However, the way of Christ means being transformed into Christ-likeness. As good as worship is, it is only meant to be a piece and not the centerpiece of life of a Christian. When we worship together, in comparison to alone in creation, we also become more of one heart. This allows—over time—us to temper and form one another.

    1) Have you ever been tempted to just go it alone in worship? Why? What restored you?

    2) If you’ve had a conversation with such a challenger, what was your response?

    3) For you, what is the connection between worship and community?

  • The Truth of Lies

    Proverbs 29:22–25, Philippians 2:5–11, Galatians 6:1–5

    Tell the truth. That is a maxim for life. However, often we succumb to the temptation to lie. We can be surprised when it pops out, or we could plan for it. There are times where lying is appropriate (as many Germans, for example, lied to the Nazis to protect Jews). Most lying, however, is not such.

    Lying can come from anger. It can come from pride. It can come from fear. An angry person may lie to inflict pain upon the person they feel is hurting them. A person of pride may make their story bigger to make themselves feel superior. They might also lie to preserve their way of life or gain. Fearing mankind, however, is probably the biggest root cause of lying. The wisdom of Proverbs is that fear men before fearing God is not a good prioritization of things.

    Paul’s train of thought regarding Jesus submitting himself to all (really, by dying he did), Jesus provides the example of selflessness. We are often taught a selflessness that is mindless and without self. Yet, that is not Jesus’ example. Did Jesus at any point forget who he was? Did Jesus stop being who he was? Of course not!

    The humble and aware obedience that Jesus displayed is the example. Jesus was angry at times (think the temple). He did not lie or seek to hurt others. He sought to correct others in a way that some (not all) would understand. Jesus could have made himself out to be the King of Kings.

    Instead, he would escape the crown of an Earthly kingdom. Jesus consistently shared the Truth in the face of people who not only didn’t want the Truth, they also wanted him dead.

    The biggest temptation when it comes to lying is catching the other person in it. We feel so much better about ourselves. “…if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing…restore…with a gentle spirit.” The gentle spirit is why Christ’s humility is so essential. We’ve all been there.

    What makes that lie we told better than theirs? Nothing. We need to submit ourselves to our fellow Christians, not just because we are called to, but because when humbly submit ourselves, we are able to correct in love.

    We don’t like this submit, humbleness, nor truth. It makes us uncomfortable when we make it a way of life. We don’t mind doing it when it costs us nothing. If it costs nothing, of what value is it?

  • Through God’s Mercy

    2 Corinthians 4:1–6

    Ministry. Mercy. Determination. Cleansing. Sharing. Shining.

    Ministry: each and every one of us is a minister of the Gospel of Reconciliation. Every one of us. Pastor and preachers they have their roles. That does not excuse anyone from being a minister of the Gospel.

    How are you being a minister of the Gospel? (And you are being one. Even a bad one is still one)

    Mercy: God showed us immeasurable mercy through Jesus Christ. We are called to share that mercy with others. We are called to be merciful to others. Mercy can be shown in many ways.

    How are you showing and giving mercy, especially God’s mercy, to others?

    Determination: the Christian life is not a destination. It is a journey. It often takes far more determination (not giving up) to walk the way, than it takes to do something else.

    How is your determination?

    Cleansing: emptying our spiritual closets is scary and healthy. Secrets and sins strengthen in darkness. Open the doors and let the light in. Confession and open discussion with one another keeps the doors open, and the light shining in.

    How is the house cleaning going? Do you have help?

    Sharing: if we truly believe the Gospel, we will share it. This is not the “beat them over the head” sharing, it is the heart that is “strangely warmed” that people are drawn to so that they get to share in the warmth.

    Are you sharing the warmth of Christ?

    Shining: the world is full of shiny stuff. The world is full of pretty lights. We can become too concerned with the holy light being drowned out by the worldly light. We are called to shine. We are like the stars made by the Creator. Always shining. Sometimes their shine is hidden by the sun, the glory of God. Sometimes it’s hidden by the lights of the city (the world). Regardless, the shining doesn’t stop.

    Are you shining?

  • Just Praying

    1 Samuel 1:1–18, Luke 18:1–8, Matthew 6:5–15

    “…The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.”—James 5:16

    As a gift, prayer is probably second only to salvation and reconciliation. The ability to talk to the Creator of the universe. The God who calls us children.

    Prayer can take many forms. While there may not be as many forms as there are people, there are still many forms which can be done in many combinations. Prayer is also changing. Prayer doesn’t just change us, but through our lives, our prayers change and how we pray changes.

    Hannah was thought to be drunk. However, her heartache was so acute that words failed her. In a culture where prayers were spoken aloud (especially in public at the Tabernacle), someone praying quietly (or silently) was abnormal, and (as Eli displayed) not particularly trusted. Hannah’s prayer was effective, however, along with even Eli’s blessing. The boy who came of it, Samuel, was the spiritual leader of Israel for many years.

    Hannah shows the heart’s prayer. Jesu talked about persistent prayer. Regardless, for example, of what you think of him now, Franklin Graham (the son of the famous evangelist Billy Graham) ran away from the faith of his father. He was the prodigal son. Ruth Graham (the wife of Billy Graham) was persistent in prayer for her son, Franklin. After many years, Franklin returned to the faith. She, like the widow in Jesus’ story, was persistent. However, unlike the unrighteous judge in the story, our prayers are heard by the righteous God. Ruth Graham incorporated her prayers for her son in her daily devotionals.

    Who says which form (devotionals or a poured out heart at a single annual festival) is better? There are many Christians who look to Jesus’ words and draw huge generalizations that Jesus does not make. For example, the Jesus prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” has been used for years. People condemn it as babble because it is used in repetition. However, these same people often use the Lord’s Prayer (a mere 2 verses later) as memorized prayer without meditating on the actual words and meaning. Which is right?

    1) What are your preferred methods to pray? Why do you think that is?

    2) Have you ever tried to pray a different way? Why? What was the spiritual difference?

    3) How is your prayer life?