Tag: serve

Serving Your Judas

‌📖 Read

‌John 13:1—9; Romans 5:1–11

‌🔎 Focus

‌“For he knew who was to betray them…”
John 13:11 (NRSVue)

‌“After he washed their feet…”
John 13:12 (NRSVue)

“…Christ died for the ungodly.”
Romans 5:6 (NRSVue)

‌‌✟ Devotion

‌Jesus washed feet. The task normally left to a servant or the lowest person (in hierarchy) in the household was performed by the disciples’ teacher, and the person we now understand to be part of the Trinitarian God. Or to put it differently, God took the lowest place and washed feet.

‌How often are we about us? Probably too much. For most people, our self is our greatest temptation. Whether it be pride, pleasure, finances, power…we often operate from an, “I am first perspective.”

‌Jesus washed feet.

‌Let’s note who was in the room. There were Jesus’ 12 disciples. There was this one, named Judas Iscariot, who would betray Jesus to the authorities. John tells us that Jesus knew that Judas Iscariot would betray him.

‌Jesus washed his feet.

‌Before Judas Iscariot betrayed him, and while Jesus knew he would, Jesus washed his feet.

‌Most of us could complete understand regret if Jesus were to have known only afterward. If you knew someone would betray you, would you actually serve them? Jesus did.

‌Our world far too often operates from a perspective of, “what have you done for me lately.” There are those that make promises for the future and we hope they might (or won’t) fulfill them, knowing far too well that all such promises fall short. We accept (or hope for) the reality that all will not be accomplished as promised.

‌Jesus knew what Judas would do, but he washed his feet.

‌Why keep focusing on this? Why keep repeating, “…but he washed his feed?” There is a general feeling of fear, even of betrayal, going on. Families are ripping themselves apart over politics and policies. Families and friends are allowing those who are not in a personal relationship with them to define their relationships with others.

‌There is truth and wisdom about not being in relationship with toxic or harmful people, but are we really correctly defining who are toxic and harmful?‌

Judas Iscariot chose to betray Jesus. Judas could have repented (and some argue that he indirectly did). Would Jesus still forgive him despite his betrayal? Jesus washed his feet.‌

🤔 Reflection

‌Who are the “Judas Iscariots” in your life? How do Jesus’ actions inform how you could (or should) interact with them? What kind of “wash their feet” action might you being called to perform?

‌‌⏏️ Act

‌Acts of service (i.e., washing feet) can take many forms. Purposefully and prayerfully look for acts of service for a “Judas Iscariot” in your life and do them.

‌🙏 Prayer

‌Gracious God, help us put the example of Jesus forefront in our thoughts and actions, especially in regard to those by whom we feel betrayed. Help us to be gracious with them, as you have been gracious to us, loving us and dying for us while we were still alienated from you. Guide us into ways of thinking and doing the show loving service so that we might draw them to you. Amen.

2024 11 13
Devoted?

🔎 Focus

‌“The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? And if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Luke 16:10–13 NET

‌You cannot serve God and money. Money is the translation for the Aramaic word mammon. Mammon can be defined as an abundance of material possessions and resources. Mammon can also be defined as wealth and riches.

‌‌✟ Devotion

‌When we read this passage (or its parallel in Matthew 6:24), we tend to get hung up on money. A lot of that has to do with the hard decisions translation teams have to go through balancing equivalency, adequacy, and length. When we expand our understanding to that which is beyond money, we can see a bigger picture.

‌For decades, the US (and other so-called first world nations) have sent their cast-offs to other nations.

You Can Have It

‌An example is the standard tongue depressors in a doctor’s office (i.e., those big flat pieces of wood that look like large popsicle sticks). In the US, per government regulations, they have an expiration date, as do beds and other equipment. Depending on the item, and shipping costs, the expired items (perfectly functional) are sent to other nations, where they receive a second life.

‌This is wasteful. Yet, we often demand the latest and best, so such waste is a result of our demands. If such waste is reused, it can be considered okay in our culture, but such waste is also a love of stuff…the latest and greatest.

We Want More

‌We are deluged with advertisements for the latest smartphone that the mobile operator will give us for free (but we’re really paying for it in 24 monthly installments). Such ads and promos work because we love our stuff.

‌However, what if it really isn’t about stuff or even our love of it? What if we tweaked it a bit to recognize that while Jesus is talking about material goods and worldly wealth, it is all about our hearts?

Not Yours?

‌“…if you haven’t been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you your own?”

‌The often used parallel is that it is all God’s, and as God gave it to us, we are using God’s property. It’s not just about an employer or shareholder or spouse or family, it’s about God.

Your True Mammon

Tomorrow (Ash Wednesday) is the beginning of Lent. It is a time set aside to deliberatively think about where our lives are not in line with God’s and to self-reflect on it. What, you may ask, does this have to do with mammon? The first resource that God gave you is…you. Your life on this earth is not only what you make of it, but what you give of it to God, and how you serve God with it.

‌🤔 Reflection

‌Have you ever given something to someone and watched them mistreat it or destroy it? How did that make you feel? How did you respond?

‌If indeed God gifted you yourself and your stuff, how do you think God feels about the mistreatment and destruction that God’s witnesses?

‌‌⏏️ Act

‌It has been said by many that your checkbook (or bank transactions) shows where your heart is. Yet, if you give all your worldly wealth to evangelism, compassionate care, building funds, to a local church, but you don’t give yourself, then are you where God has called you? Where do you shortcut giving yourself to God, and what small step will you take to fix it?

‌As Lent begins, you may or may not be giving up something. Regardless, think through what God gave up and how that applies to your life.

‌🙏 Prayer

‌‌Gracious God, you have given us so much, and we live in such a blessed state that we are now condemned to only see what we want to keep and what others have that we don’t. Help us to see your gifts as you want us to see them. Help us use your gifts as want us to use them. Guide us to see that these gifts are the extension of ourselves and the state of heart and the state of our relationship with you. Amen.

2024 02 13
The Shepherd’s Care
Psalm 100; 2 Samuel 5:1–12; Luke 15:1–7

In case you haven’t noticed, the theme for the week (Thursday through today, plus tomorrow) is sheep. Almost all the Scriptures reference sheep in some form or another. Without question, the sheep are the People of God. Even in Luke, Jesus is still using the sheep as a term for the Jews. As Christians, we understand that we have been adopted into the family of the all-loving God (though some of us are more dysfunctional than others).

We might question being thought of as livestock, especially if you’ve had any experience with Soylent Green, Twilight Zone’s To Serve Man, Silence of the Lambs, Cloud Atlas, Make Room! Make Room! or Tender is the Flesh, or any of the real-life stories such as the Donner Party or Jeffrey Dahmer. While we have dystopian stories and real-life stories of people eating people, there is another type of eating of man that occurs, and that is the spiritual and emotional destruction that we often visit upon one another.

Despite the philosophy and dreamings of the Ayn Rands of the world, no human being can become fully human without being loved and cared for. This is the heart of the why the imagery of livestock. Not that God looks at us as livestock, but in the same way that humans look at their sheep and goats…unable to see the bigger picture. We cannot see the God-sized picture. The sheep and the goats could barely think beyond the grass in front of them. The sheep and goats had to rely on the shepherd.

The shepherd kept them safe. The shepherd cared for them individually. The shepherd knew them by name.

Take that concept into the elders of Israel coming to David and saying that he was their shepherd. Now, to be fair, most of them were probably not all that thrilled with David, at that point. Most of them had chosen to follow Saul, who was now dead at the hands of the Philistines. They initially rejected David’s kingship, but then came to him.

Perhaps, like me, you’ve been twisted into a cynical person. Perhaps, like me, you wonder if these leaders were conveying a slightly different message than, “you’re our shepherd.” Perhaps they were really saying, “we’re Israelites, too. Don’t take it out on us.”These verses in Samuel seemed more of the perspective to justify or solidify David’s kingship. For it was not until Hiram of Tyre acknowledged David that we see that David perceived that the kingship was his.

What is also interesting is that despite the leaders’ cynical statement (at least from my perspective), there was still truth. David was their shepherd. Verse 12 then ends with, “…Then David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingship was held in great honor for the sake of his people Israel.” And therein lies the underlying truth. It is for the people. It is for the herd. It is for the sheep.

As we come to the New Testament, with Jesus as a descendent of the Davidic line, this shepherd and sheep motif takes on a completely different role. Jesus knows each of us by name, even those who hate or avoid him. He knows everyone by name. Jesus is the True Shepherd.

※Reflection※
- From our (particularly) modern perspective, how is it bad to be a sheep? From a Christological perspective, how is it good to be a sheep?
- How and/or why do you think being a sheep went from positive to negative?
- What lesson can we learn from the motives of David and the elders (regarding being sheep and shepherd) in comparison to the Truth of Jesus being the shepherd?
※Prayer※

Lord, we like sheep have gone astray time and time again. Guide us into the Truth and Love of your embrace. Amen.
2021 07 21
Servant Life
Psalm 123; Ezekiel 2:1–5; 2 Corinthians 12:2–10; Mark 6:1–13

In certain cultures, and in certain times, it was not dishonorable to be a servant. In fact, being a servant could well lead to a different path than what could else be accomplished. One of the most famous servants in US culture is a man named Alfred Pennyworth. He is the butler of Bruce Wayne, whose alter ego is The Batman. Yes, he’s merely a fictional character. And, yes, he is one of the few positive US depictions of a servant.

When working through the Scriptures, we often try to “soften” the imagery around servants, indentured servants, and slaves. Part of it is our US ethos of rugged individualism. The other part is our darker history of human exploitation through both indentured servitude and slavery.

To add insult to injury, or misunderstanding to the Scriptures, US culture diminishes waitstaff (a respectable path elsewhere), cooks, or anyone who doesn’t fit certain narratives.

This becomes crucial when we read passages such as Psalm 123:3. As a servant waits for their master, so our eyes wait upon the mercy of God. Our cultural baggage with both master and servant removes our heart’s ability to see this verse as it is intended. The servant of which the psalmist writes loves their master. They love their master so much that it isn’t a burden; it is an honor. Their life orbits the master. They wait to do the master’s bidding so that the master is satisfied. The servant’s satisfaction comes from the master’s.

In our context, we usually then respond, what about the needs of the servant or our needs (if we read ourselves into the role of the servant)? Then, are we really any different than the hardheaded and hardhearted descendants of Israel and Judah that God points to in Ezekiel 2: 4? Or are we more like the braggart that Paul tries not to be in 2 Corinthians 12:6, yet still think that we are greater than being a servant (which Paul didn’t)?

The cultural shift that would make servants (and the service “industry”) more respectable or honorable may never come. Or, if Gen Z can become effective in many of its ideals, It may dovetail into the conversations around the minimum wage, livable wage, and permanent income.

As a result of a recent conversation with a Gen-Z-er (~born 1995–2015), I realized that perhaps we are more servants than we realize. As employees, we serve our organization. An organization serves its stakeholders. That’s a little oversimplified, but you get the idea.

However, most of us will immediately respond negatively to this imagery. We don’t want to serve. That should probably give us pause when we think of living our lives for God.

※Reflection※
- What is your response to being a servant (not serving)? Why? What is the difference between serving and being a servant?
- Jesus called himself a servant. If God calls himself a servant, and we are his followers, why do we have problems with this concept when it comes to living the Christian life?
※Prayer※

Servant of the World who stepped down into darkness. That you for your servant’s heart and sacrifice which brings us into the light. Amen.
2021 07 04
Knowing Limits
Psalm 88; Leviticus 21:1–15; 2 Corinthians 8:16–24

What is your limit? Or, perhaps, who is your limit? Republicans? Democrats? Communists? Libertarians? Capitalists? Roman Catholics? The homeless? The hungry? A different skin color? A different nationality? A different religion? Neighbors? Friends? Family? Children? Spouse?

Relations and relationships are some of the biggest variables in human existence. One child may sacrifice everything to take care of their parent. Another child may do nothing at all. The driver of the car in front of you may give money to a panhandler, and you may not (a description, not a judgment).

For early and non-Western cultures, the family was a critical relationship. Not having a family was risky. The family was what defined and supported you. Unless that is, you were the High Priest of Israel.

Commentators come to different conclusions about what was meant by leaving the temple. Some commentators interpret verse 12 as only apply when family died to keep them safe from defilement. Other commentators propose that the High Priest never left, though none of those commentators could figure out ultimately how that worked.

Regardless, the COVID-era gave us an idea of the kind of sacrifice required by the High Priest. People lost loved ones they could never visit. Loved ones died and funerals and memorial services didn’t happen. Many people were angry, sad, and hurting for they lost the opportunity for closure. A taste of the High Priest’s sacrifice for us all.

It may be a stretch, but there is a similarity between the passage of Leviticus and 2 Corinthians; doing right in the eyes of God.

Paul definitely was concerned about “doing right” in the eyes of others. It was, though, secondary to doing right in the eyes of God. What is the point of being right in the eyes of men, if you will be wrong in the eyes of God? Of course, one has to be careful about that.

In our era, a person such as the High Priest would be looked down upon for abandoning his family to serve God in such a way. Granted, our understanding of things has somewhat changed, both in regards to family, priests, and ritual holiness. If we were to meet such a man today, we would probably think there was something wrong with him.

※Reflection※
- Where have you found conflict in your life in pursuing God’s glory versus the acclaim of man?
- Have you experienced what you thought was following God’s plan and then discovered it was not?
※Prayer※

Lord, help us to know your will. Holy Spirit, guide us to learn the right things before you and our fellow humanity. Amen.
2021 06 28
Faithfully Wise
Psalm 92:1–4, 12–15; 1 Kings 10:26–11:8; Hebrews 11:4–13

We often will use the word wisdom in regards to King Solomon. He was granted the gift of wisdom for the benefit of the people, and they greatly benefited. With the temple being built, on the surface, it would seem that they were benefiting spiritually (or at least religiously) too. Except that all the benefits were short-lived. Eternally, they were of minimal or no value.

While calling the US a Christian nation (whether from the beginning or up until now) is really a mischaracterization, it is helpful to think of the US as Solomon.

Through the inheritance of conquest (Israel took the land, right or wrong, as the US took it from the previous inhabitants) and also hard work, there was financial, societal, and personal security. Everything was going well. Then certain things pulled the US away from its origins. The US, for example, went from a nation needing outside help, to be being one of the dominant (and at times the only dominant) countries that “gave” support (with the general expectation of benefits, even if only figurative).

The US has chased after TV, space, the moon, computers, the internet, and you can probably add more to the list. Each of these things, for a time, became more important than the country itself.

The church (and thus us) fell into this same trap. We had the worship “wars”, attractional, missional, Sunday School, discipleship, and even digital. Churches chased after these things. Could they serve the kingdom? Yes. Did they server the kingdom? Not always. Where this gets really messy is that some of these may have been beneficial for the kingdom for a time and place (and perhaps still), but at the same time, many churches have stuck to their models rather than their mission.

And in case you think that I want the “good old days”, I can easily add “fire and brimstone sermons”, liturgy (which I do love), rural, urban, poor, rich. Anything can inhibit the church—and the people called the church—from fulfilling its mission. Then we are no better than old Solomon.

Solomon had wisdom, but his faith had waned. Contrast this with the faithful listed in Hebrews. Some of them may not have had wisdom, but they had faith.

Often this is where the church and its people can sidetrack. When we lose faith and trust only in wisdom (particularly worldly wisdom), we will often make decisions that we believe are correct (they certainly may be wise), and yet do not align with faith or trust in the will of God.

※Reflection※
- What kind of things/thoughts/“wisdom” have you had/experienced that led you away from God?
- How do you discern when something good is taking you away from God?
- What do you think is the mission of the church and the people of the church? How will you use that to filter your actions and the actions of your church?
※Prayer※

Lord, may we grow in wisdom AND faith, that we are your faithful people on your mission. Amen.
2021 06 11
Pridefully Divine
Psalm 29; Isaiah 5:15–24; John 15:18–20, 15:26–27

When we read about “divine beings” we, understandably, think about angels. What, however, makes a divine being…divine? Apart from God, there is no divine being that isn’t of God. Which becomes a little daunting theologically when we recognize we have the Imago Dei in us.

To be clear, we are not gods (except, perhaps in our deluded fallen minds). We a created beings with the spark of divinity inside of us. It may be a fine line to some. It is a line as large as Creation itself to others. Yet, part of the divine spark responds to God, and God completes us. So, it’s not wrong (totally) to think in terms of the divine beings in Psalm 29:1. Just like those divine beings, we are called and made to glorify God.

This seems contrary, in some ways, to the initial verses of Isaiah. Humanity will be brought low. Yet, it is often the arrogance of humanity that results in wars, animosity, and the general inability of getting along. It is also that particular thing, that when brought low, places humanity in the position of accepting God. One cannot truly accept God through arrogance.

Even as we read further, the arrogance continues with demanding that God hurry up and accomplish God’s work. This all merely so humanity can understand it. Perhaps arrogance is the wrong word. Self-absorbed is probably closer, while arrogance remains part of it.

There there is a lot of doom.

The last of today’s verses in Isaiah though starts with purifying. If you catch the wording, “tongues of fire”, might it remind you of Pentecost when tongues of fire appeared? In this case, the tongues of fire are more of purification rather than empowerment. But that God and the “holy one” are tied into the same verse as “tongues of fire” really do seem to be somehow tied to Pentecost. Then again, that very well be reading too much into it (but it’s fun).

And, while it doesn’t seem to be related when we understand the pride and arrogance of humanity as observed in Isaiah, Jesus‘ words to his disciples (and thus to us) make more sense. The fallen nature of humanity has striven against God. For far too many, it evolved into hate. To be, once again, more along the lines of a divine being rather than fallen creation would indeed cause striving fallen humanity to hate and lash out at those who have been touched by God in such a way.

If we take all of today’s Scriptures into the picture, it makes perfect sense why Jesus warns the disciples that no matter how much they now have (or will have after Pentecost), they are still not greater than God. A good warning, as not too long after Pentecost, Peter performed his first miracle. The Companion (Comforter, Counselor) would come, and they would be tempted to think more of themselves, and even be called gods (Paul and Barnabas).

※Reflection※
- When has your pride hampered your relationships with others?
- When has your pride hampered your relationship with God?
※Prayer※

Lord, guard our hearts against the pride of the world. Let our pride be that you save us and that you work through us recognizing that it is for you and for ourselves that we move about the world. Amen.
2021 05 29
Natural Freedom
Psalm 29; Isaiah 1:1–4, 16–20; Romans 8:1–8

Psalm 29, without question, is a praise of God. It observes God’s power, strength, and presence. Almost the entire Psalm is about who God is. The last verse, though, is different. It is more of a plea to God about the people of Israel.

A cynical person could infer that the whole Psalm was intended to curry favor with God. A more joyful person could infer that the Psalmist did an add-on along the lines of, “if you would be so kind.” A more balanced view could infer that the last verse is a statement of trust, because of who God is, which had just been declared. Regardless, the Psalm was neither a simple praise nor a simple ask.

What should become startling, but really isn’t when it comes to human nature, is that at the same time they would recite a Psalm such as this, the Israelites were abandoning God. Isaiah’s opening words for today include abandon, despise, and turning their backs. In regards to abandon and despise, the Hebrew implies something as strong as blasphemy. It wasn’t just ignorance or turning away, it was something far deeper.

The Hebrew for turning their backs is a combination phrase of stranger and back. In other words, the Israelites are no longer (from their hearts’ point of view) God’s people. They might have claimed and proclaimed that they were, but Isaiah’s words say it was so much more. A more poetic way of thinking of it, God was left in a cloud of dust in a rearview mirror, and the Israelites did what they could to speed away faster and look back in disgust.

Yet, the verses from Isaiah don’t end there (mercifully). We often try to skip over the ugly verses. It is the ugly verses that give the freedom and forgiveness of the last phrases of Isaiah the deepness that they have.

The verses of Romans explain the why. To some theologians, they explain the how. The truth is that God could never (per God’s nature and character) look in the rearview mirror at his people, and speed away.

※Reflection※
- When you read the Psalm, which kind of person were you (cynical, joyful, balanced)? Why? Is it learned or natural?
- Why is understanding God’s character crucial to our response to those who turn their backs on God?
- How might the selfishness of the Israelite (and mentioned in Romans) be reflected in us?
※Prayer※

Lord, you gave us so much and yet we give so little in return. Thank you for your faithful love. Amen.
2021 05 27