Tag Archives: Messiah

Who Was This Man Jesus?

Lent
March 21, 2018

 Scripture Reading: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
   We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God,
   and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
   up to the horns of the altar. 

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
   you are my God, I will extol you. 

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
   for his steadfast love endures forever. –Psalm 118:26-29

Being a crowd favorite is hard. Always being recognized, having your every word noted, having people pushing in to get even a touch of your clothing. As heady as it may be, it must get old at times. I have always thought Jesus saw the innocence of it as well as the irony. Perhaps that is why he rode a lowly donkey on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. His fans reached back into their history and pulled forth the words of this Psalm to welcome him. Did they think they were welcoming a savior like the mighty King David returning from battle? As far as I know, Jesus never dressed the part of a soldier, never gave robust speeches calling followers to arms. Did they view him as a politician someone who could outsmart Pontius Pilate? Or was he truly the Messiah? What do you suppose was in the hearts and minds of those who waved palms and cried out: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord? I am confident that most had no idea what was coming next. Even his disciples who he had warned were not prepared.

Who is this man called Jesus to you? What kind of Savior is he? Role model, teacher, friend, healer, comforter are some possibilities. Today, I leave you with the second verse of Charles Wesley’s hymn, Jesus, Lover of my Soul to ponder as you envision what Jesus means to you:

Other refuge have I none;
Hangs my helpless soul on thee.
Leave, oh, leave me not alone;
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed;
All my help from thee I bring.
Cover my defenseless head*

 Prayer: Jesus, Lover of My Soul, guide me to love like you. Amen.

*See at https://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/jesus-lover-of-my-soul?lang=eng&_r=1

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Forgiveness of Sin

clean heartAdvent
December 6, 2014

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:1-8

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. — Mark 1:4

I don’t think we deal very much with sin anymore or we deal too much with it. We seem to have shuffled sin to the back of the deck and hope that it is never dealt.  In the 1960’s situational ethics* took its turn in explaining sin as being related to agape love and thus sin was describe as not being ridge, set in stone, but somewhat flexible based on the circumstances. Situational ethics was of course translated by some as “If it feels good, do it”, which wasn’t what it was about at all. The other side did define sin in specifics usually related to human moral behaviors often behaviors that related to others not themselves.

Such is the case today, just as it was the case in the first century when one of those radical prophets of old came forth with the message that sin was a problem and once we repent of our own sins and are cleansed through baptism we can return to a right relationship with God. Of course, John, the Baptist wasn’t saying anything new either. He knew the Psalms and the prophets of antiquity. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (Psalm 51:2) In the final analysis, sin separates us from right relationship with God. When individuals are not right with God it is impossible for them fully to be right with one another.

John is telling the people that being right with the God who is love is the only way to be right with self and with each other and all others. We were wonderfully made by the God of love and God wants nothing less than the very best for each of us and all of us. I call it wholeness, oneness, and justice, but it cannot be attained until we turnaround and grab hold of it with all our hearts, minds, and souls.

Prayer: Lord forgive me when I settle for lesser gods and turn away from you. Cleanse me and make me whole. Amen.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situational ethics

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.