“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability....To be alive is to be vulnerable,” says Madeleine L’Engle. Jesus seems to agree.
During Lent we follow Jesus and journey into the wildness of the wilderness and find the power of vulnerability.
Luke 4:9-13 (Common English Bible)
The devil brought him into Jerusalem and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here; for it’s written: He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.[Psalm 91]” Jesus answered, “It’s been said, Don’t test the Lord your God.”[Deuteronomy 6] After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from him until the next opportunity.
Jesus has been quoting scripture to counteract the first two temptations. Now Satan is playing the game. A round of 'Scripture Battle' ensues between the two forces, each quoting Biblical texts as they can be interpreted for their own purposes. I hate this game! One, I am not knowledgeable enough of specific verses to be good at it; and two, I think the message can get twisted. You can find a verse somewhere in the Bible to justify nearly ANYTHING! Jesus quotes the well-known Hebrew scriptures throughout his ministry to reinforce his 'fulfillment' of the scripture. Always for the glory of God. This is not Satan's intent, rather his is for the glory of evil. Whenever we find ourselves wanting to engage in Scripture Battle, may we first ask, 'to who's glory? Is this going to make ME look righteous and smart, or will God be glorified?' Only play the game if God is the winner!
d365.org BENEDICTION (Luke Fodor)
May God the creator empower you to see your vulnerability as your source of strength, prompting you to reach out to the vulnerable and marginalized in your life.
May God the servant cultivate abundant love in you, allowing you to display your truest and most vulnerable self.
May God the comforter give you enough peace for you to share your insecurities and vulnerabilities with the world.
FRIDAY, February 22 "Cake and Shortcuts"
Luke 4:5-8 (The Message)
For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. Then the Devil said, “They’re yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I’m in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. Worship me and they’re yours, the whole works.”
Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”
Have it all!
Your cake AND eat it too!
Abundance and wealth,
Power and prestige!
More, more, and even more!
Isn't this what our culture teaches?
Take the shortcut to the top!
Do what you must to achieve success!
And what do we find at the top?
Not happiness, not power, but God.
God, patiently waiting for us to
Resist the temptation and come back.
Come back in worship and praise,
In communion and relationship.
God is the only cake we need.
God is the only shortcut to take.
Luke 4:3-4
The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: “Since you’re God’s Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to really live.” (The Message)
The Devil said to him, “If you are God's Son, order this stone to turn into bread.”
Two Translations. Two Thoughts.
Bread. Manna in the wilderness.Sustenance.
Physical life.
But REALLY living?
That takes spiritual bread.
Not stones, but prayer.
Spirit. Faith. Trials.
That involves realizing we are MORE
Than our physical needs.
We can BE more.
"Since you are God's son" OR
"If you are God's son".
Which is it?
In the first the Devil KNOWS his adversary.
In the second, Satan is unsure.
We are sure. We know.
And we know no temptation is worth
Anything lin the light of God's power.
SINCE you are God's son!
WEDNESDAY, February 20
"Comfort Zones"
Luke 4:1-2 (CEB)
Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There he was tempted for forty days by the devil. He ate nothing during those days and afterward Jesus was starving.
Starving? That translates for me to a state of physical deprivation! Your body is in trouble! But other Bible translations use the term Hungry, which I hear as physical discomfort. There is a difference. I don't think God calls us to starve (hence, die) physically, yet he does call us to be vulnerable to uncomfortable situations. Luke Fodor of d365.org writes,
Every year on the first Sunday of Lent, the Church recounts the
story of God’s Spirit pushing Jesus out into the wilderness
for forty days of fasting before the
start of his ministry. Jesus used this time to prepare for his ministry
by accepting his vulnerability. We are called to follow his example.
Where do you find the wilderness?
How do you find the courage to venture out into it?
Today I think of son Luke always speaking of being pushed outside our "comfort zone". Is this our wilderness? Is the place where we are uncomfortable our place of vulnerability? As such, then, it is the place where we open ourselves to God and God's purpose and will. But notice, we are not alone. We are 'led by the Spirit'! Most wilderness experiences can be overcome when accompanied by such a worthy guide! Where is my wilderness? What is going to make me uncomfortable enough that I MUST put my trust in God? TUESDAY, February 19 "Vulnerable in Prayer"
Romans 10:11-13 (The Message)
Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”
The Daily Bread devotional this morning was on patiently waiting on God's time for his help (text from 1 Sam 13). I pondered the message but since I have internet this morning, I also returned to d365.org and this week's writer Luke Fodor. The theme is being vulnerable before God. The last line of his reflection reads, "Prayer is primarily about owning our vulnerability." That got me to thinking. In the Samuel passage, Saul took matters into his own hands because God hadn't yet acted in the manner he desired. Saul didn't want to own up to his dependency on God. How often do we do this? We often fail to connect with God until the HELP cry echoes forth! We don't like to think we can't do it alone! We don't like being vulnerable to the world and patiently waiting for God, and in God's time! Help, God, and in YOUR way!
Source for the next few days:
Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”
The Daily Bread devotional this morning was on patiently waiting on God's time for his help (text from 1 Sam 13). I pondered the message but since I have internet this morning, I also returned to d365.org and this week's writer Luke Fodor. The theme is being vulnerable before God. The last line of his reflection reads, "Prayer is primarily about owning our vulnerability." That got me to thinking. In the Samuel passage, Saul took matters into his own hands because God hadn't yet acted in the manner he desired. Saul didn't want to own up to his dependency on God. How often do we do this? We often fail to connect with God until the HELP cry echoes forth! We don't like to think we can't do it alone! We don't like being vulnerable to the world and patiently waiting for God, and in God's time! Help, God, and in YOUR way!
Source for the next few days:
Our Daily Bread devotional book, published by RBC Ministries
MONDAY, February 18
"Fuel for Hospitality"
Without internet access today, I am
going to continue with another section of yesterday’s scripture of advice from
Paul. I was struck mostly by the first and the last lines in this passage:
don’t burn out and creative hospitality.
SUNDAY, February 17, 2013
"Fuel for Hospitality"
Romans 12:11-13 (The Message)
“Don’t burn out; keep
yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert
servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant.
Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.”
Without internet access today, I am
going to continue with another section of yesterday’s scripture of advice from
Paul. I was struck mostly by the first and the last lines in this passage:
don’t burn out and creative hospitality.
How often do we
witness ‘burn-out’ in today’s world?
People dive into new activities or life styles with abandon, and then
slowly….reality sets in and the novelty wears off. It is difficult to maintain the
intensity. Early Christians were in
danger of doing the same. How do we stay
fueled? What kind of fuel do we
seek? While our bodies need the fuel of
daily food and water, our faith needs the fuel of daily contact with God –
through prayer, through scripture, through interactions with fellow believers. Am I feeding my spiritual soul daily as well
as my physical body?
Hospitality was a
key element of Biblical life. Homes were
opened and the best a family had to offer was put forth for any and all
visitors. What does it mean today to be
inventive in hospitality? What does it
look like in our private, fearful culture today? We are aghast at the thought of opening our
home to total strangers! It might be
dangerous! Yet it is through constant,
creative hospitality that we put a name and a face to the needs of the world –
we personalize service in such a way that it becomes second nature. Hospitality is putting the needs of others
ahead of my own. How can I do this today
in a new way? Whom can I impact?
SUNDAY, February 17, 2013
"PLAYING IN GOD’S BAND"
Romans 12:6-8 (The Message)
“If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help,
just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teachings; if you give
encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in
charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress,
keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged,
don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face."
The actual scripture for
today was much longer with more wise advice from Paul. (vs. 3-13) I think you could spend a whole week on just
this chapter from Romans! At the heart,
the Daily Bread author puts it well: ‘We can’t all play the same part in God’s
band of service, but we should all play in harmony.”
We are gifted by God
differently. It is imperative that we
honor the gifts of others just as highly (or more!) than we seem to esteem our
own gifts! All have a purpose and a
role. All are critical. To play the
music of God effectively and with love, we must play together in harmony, and ….we
must be playing the same music!!!
The "Body of Christ", you know, the hands, feet, eyes, brain etc. the underlying meaning can be difficult to grasp. This example, of a band, playing in harmony, different instruments, playing the same music. This for me, really expresses what Paul was trying to say.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Jim