Eastertide

April 11, 2021

Scripture Reading:
John 20:19-31

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.‘—John 20:24-29

Thomas would have been an empirical scientist today. He wanted to see the facts of Jesus’ Resurrection. Jesus understood Thomas and responded by showing him the nail holes in Jesus’ hands and the place where the spear stabbed him in the side. Thomas gets a bad rap for wanting proof. We need to remember that upon receiving the news that Lazarus had died, Thomas was the one who said we must go and die with Jesus if necessary*. Thomas loved Jesus with all his heart.

God created diverse people because a wealth of wisdom is required to properly care for the earth while living together within a loving framework. I learned a lot from studying the Myers-Briggs personality types. Sixteen different types are identified from combining various traits. There are other such tests, but most conclude that it takes a wide range of skills working in harmony to maintain a peaceful society. I think that achievement is what Jesus promised and described as abundant life.

Living together in community requires us to learn to love and trust one another. Evil wins by divide and conquer. It studies our weaknesses and pounces on them. Jesus admonished us in Matthew 10:16, See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.  Jesus called us to be one. To do that, we must intentionally turn the energy of evil into a power source of love. Maintaining our relationship with God is fundamental in accomplishing that feat.

Prayer: Lord, fill us with your love and light as we work to replace evil with love. Amen.

*John 11:16

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.

Living in the Spirit

August 8, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’

Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

My hope, my prayer, is that I do not read something into scripture that is not there. That said, when I read the scripture above today, I could not help wondering if the “wind” translation used here is the same as the “wind” that can also be translated as breath or spirit. I am not a Greek scholar and thus am dependent on what I consider to be a good source, Strong’s Concordance. I was surprised in a totally different way when I read the following definition of the Greek word translated as wind in this scripture:

417 ánemos – properly, a gust of air (wind); (figuratively) something with gusting, storm-like force, like someone bent in a particular direction–applied to empty doctrines*

In my part of the world, the word “windy” can describe one who tells tall tales. Most of that is done with a sense of fun. Being blown around by empty doctrines is a much more severe situation. I feel blown about by empty doctrines every time I listen to the news or read the paper. My sense is that others think the same thing when they hear what is coming out of my mouth. We are all asking the question, how those others, how can they possibly believe something like they are supporting? We are all being tossed about by evil winds seeking to destroy our faith by bending us all in the particular direction of its empty doctrines.

Peter wanted some proof that the apparition he was seeing was indeed Jesus. He stepped out with great courage and walked a few steps but became aware of the mighty winds blowing about him and began to sink. Jesus caught him and saved him.

We do not need to get caught up in the whirlwind of evil that is storming through our world. We need to recognize it for its emptiness. In my experience, evil increases when it sees the threat of love overtaking it. We need to increase our love for one another to overcome evil.

Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’ John 16:30-33

Prayer: Lover of our souls, help us love one another as we plumb more deeply into understanding our differences and build on our common ground. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/417.htm

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.

Eastertide
May 12, 2018

Scripture Reading: John 17:6-19

Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth. –John 17:11b-19

Jesus describes his followers as aliens in the world where we live and work. We are challenged to make that world more like the world will be like when the Kingdom of God comes to fruition. I wonder at times if God is waiting for us to accept the fullness of a Kingdom ruled by love until we are mature enough to become comfortable with the changes to our current environment in which we have attained a level of comfort. We go along often to get along. Making waves can be a burden. I find it distressing to see people longing for better lives and searching in all the wrong places to find them. We are perhaps all victims of instant gratification and depend on others to create a more hospitable world rather than take on that challenge ourselves.  I fear we want all the enticements of evil and all the rewards of being a follower of Christ. Faith just does not work that way.

I saw a five-year-old on the news recently wearing a superhero cape while delivering sandwiches to the homeless with his dad. The TV exposure had resulted in others getting involved providing sandwiches and now money to start a broader program. That is the way love spreads one sandwich at a time until the whole world has enough and the kingdom on earth is as it is in heaven.

Prayer: Lord, grow our love until evil is no more. Amen.

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.