Well, dear friends, as we end this journey I want to thank you for following, and for trusting me with inviting you on this transformative personal journey through Lent. I hope that it has blessed you, and I know that it has certainly blessed me. Through the interaction on this blog I learned more about what it means to follow Jesus, about how important a variety of experiences are in our lives, and especially how important it is to ask ourselves empowering questions, just like Jesus did.
Please email me any thoughts you've had on this journey, as this Beyond Question experience will provide the basis for a writing project that I've been asked to do. I'd be interested in any thoughts or feedback from you! You can email me at eric.burtness@gmail.com Thanks.
I'd like to leave you with one final song; Let me Rediscover You by Downhere. I love the last words, "Jesus, let me rediscover you."
Easter Sunday was an amazing and glorious day at Zion! Great people, great singing, and a pretty good sermon! What in the world was Mark thinking to end his Gospel with the words, "And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid." What's going on?
Mark ends his Gospel in that was because the story of Jesus begins anew when we receive it by faith and live our lives according to His word. It's Jesus' goal for us to follow him by deepening our lives of discipleship. And by living Beyond Question! Listen in:
John 20:27-29: 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.”
Thomas had not been with the rest of the disciples when Jesus appeared to then, risen from the dead. He hadn’t experienced the breath of Jesus, nor the showing of his hands and side, and so he said, “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.”
Many people feel like Thomas! You want to believe, but you also want proof. You don’t accept things by faith until you know they’re true. If we were to be honest, most of us probably have a little doubting Thomas within our hearts.
But Jesus asks, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” That’s what’s so awesome about Easter! We have not seen, but we have come to believe.
As we come to the close of this transformative personal journey through Lent we’ve come to know that believing is seeing. Believing is seeing the presence of Jesus with us on our journey through life, on our detours, in the midst of our mess, and wherever life brings us. Jesus is there. When we believe, we see and experience him. When you believe in Jesus and his ability to heal, strengthen, and guide you, you begin to see life differently. You begin to reflect on your life and see how God is active in your life.
In the same way, faith is obeying when I don’t understand it, and persisting when I don’t feel like it. And on every step along the way Jesus is with us; leading, guiding, encouraging, and giving us strength for life’s journey.
Beyond Question. It’s my hope and prayer that you have been blessed on this journey, and that you have personally experienced how Jesus uses questions as a methodology for deepening discipleship. May you continue to grow, deepen, and grow closer to Jesus as Lord and Savior on each step on your journey through life.
Questions to Ponder:
If you have to list three things you’ve learned on this journey through Lent, what would those be?
If you have grown closer to Jesus during this journey, what do you need to do in the coming weeks or months to continue to deepen your life of discipleship?
What can you share with another person about your personal journey during these last weeks? How might you share with others what you have come to believe?
Prayer for Today: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all you have done for me. Thank you for meaning and purpose in my life now, and for the eternal life to come. Help me believe. Help me see. And always, always, draw me close to your heart. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for everything. Amen.
Mark 15:34: At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
It’s the “cry of dereliction.” It’s the cry of abandonment. Of utter aloneness. It’s the cry of Jesus from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
King David originally wrote those words in Psalm 22. David knew those feelings because he felt that God had abandoned him in all of the personal tragedies of his life. Job also experienced many personal tragedies; he lost his farms, animals, his children, and his wife. Both David and Job felt that God has forsaken and abandoned them.
Maybe you’ve felt those feelings, too. As a pastor, I’ve met with many people during an experience of the loss of a loved one, the loss of a marriage, or the loss of a job when they felt that God abandoned them. And I often say that feeling the pain and sadness, and feeling abandoned by God is “normal.” God created us to feel passionately about things. After all, Jesus felt abandoned by God.
But when we feel like Jesus did, then we should do what Jesus did. Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers of all time, preached a sermon in 1872 where he said that in Jesus darkest hour, with darkness all around him and within him, Jesus still clung to God with both hands. “His left hand said, ‘My God.’ His right hand said, ‘My God.’…Jesus was clinging to God with the might of both his hands during the darkest hour of his life.”
It’s easy to believe in God when life is bringing smiles your way. But it is much more difficult to believe in God when life frowns on you. Life can, at times, be terribly difficult. And at those deep and dark times of our lives, it’s important to remember that Jesus clung to God with the might of both of his hands. Both hands. Clinging to God.
We are invited to do the same. Because we know, in the end, Easter always trumps Good Friday.
Questions to Ponder
Are there times in your life when you’ve felt abandoned by God? What was it like? What helped you through that time?
Easter trumps Good Friday. Life triumphs over death. Good conquers evil. If those statements are true, why are they sometimes so difficult to believe?
Prayer for Today: Dear loving God; sometimes I feel so lost and alone. Sometimes I feel forsaken and abandoned. During those times, help me to cling to you with both hands. Help me grasp your promises with both hands, and with all my might. Help me remember that Easter trumps Good Friday, and that life triumphs over death. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Sandi Patti: She's still got it.
Listen all the way through and be touched by her witness.
John 13:12: After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?”
Do they know what he has done to them? As Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, they probably were astounded that their Teacher would stoop to such a lowly and menial task. They didn’t know what he had done to them. They didn’t really understand his teaching, and by the time they experienced Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, they certainly didn’t understand what he had done.
They began to understand later, after Jesus had been crucified and was laid in a tomb. In John 20, Mary Magdalene, Peter, and the Beloved disciple went to the tomb and found that the stone had been tossed aside from the tomb. It wasn’t just rolled aside, as if a bunch of guards or disciples took it upon themselves to roll aside the stone. It was flung aside. Thrown aside. That’s the awesome power of God; flinging aside the stone, and throwing conquering sin, death, and the power of the devil.
Pause for a moment on this Maundy Thursday, and ask yourself, “Why was the stone thrown aside?” Did Jesus need the stone rolled aside so that he could get out? As the Resurrected Lord, Jesus somehow walked through the doors where the disciples were huddled, and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” None of us will ever know how Jesus did that, but we can know that the stone was not removed to let Jesus out.
The stone was removed to let you in.
The stone was thrown aside to let you and the disciples in. We need to know that the tomb is empty. Jesus didn’t need to be “let out,” but we needed to be “let in.”
When Jesus asked the disciples in our Bible reading today, “Do you know what I have done to you?”, the answer is no. They really didn’t know what he had done in washing their feet, in serving them, and in being willing to go to the ends of the ends of the earth, and to the depths of death, to let them know how much he loved them.
And the stone was rolled away; thrown aside to let you in. How awesome is that!
Questions to Ponder:
Today is Maundy Thursday. It’s the day when Jesus instituted the Last Supper. What have been your most profound experiences receiving Communion? When has it been most meaningful to you?
What kind of disciple would you have been? If you were one of the 12 disciples, at what point do you think that you would have really deeply believed in Jesus? And why would that have made a difference for you?
Prayer for Today: Lord Jesus, I believe, but help my unbelief. I understand, but help me with what I don’t understand. I see you, but open my eyes that I might see you more. In the Holy Meal today, as I receive the bread and wine, help me see it as your body and blood, and help me experience you in new and fresh ways. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
In a recent "Brazil's Got Talent" this yound kid sings Agnus Dei.
Holy, Holy. are You, Lord God Almighty! Worthy is the Lamb!
Oh, and driving to do this video we got near-to-lost on a Forest Service Road and went through some mongo huge mud pools in the road. Good thing I had my Mighty PT Cruiser. Gets me through anything. Oh, the things I'm willing to do for these video shoots...
But now to the devotion....
John 20:14-15a: When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”
Our first week on this transformative personal journey through Lent began with the question, “What are you looking for?” And through this journey it has been my hope and prayer that this time together would have brought you into a deeper relationship with a living and loving God who, through Jesus, is looking for you.
Today we join Mary, weeping at the tomb. She was devastated by what happened, in fact, the Greek word that is used for “weeping” not only describes that she was crying, but that she was weeping and wailing because she was so devastated. She had a broken heart and tears streaming down her face. And she didn’t know that it was Jesus who asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She presumed that he was the gardener, and she wondered where they had taken Jesus’ body.
But then something amazing happened. Jesus said to her, “Mary.” And she turned and recognized him. Jesus spoke her name, and she turned and came face to face with her Living Lord, Savior, Messiah, Jesus, and Son of God. Her life was devastated and spinning out of control, and Jesus spoke her name, and she turned, came face to face with Jesus, and recognized that he was standing right there in front of him. She recognized him when he spoke her name.
We begin this Holy Week remembering to turn and face Jesus, and listen to him speaking our name. Jesus died on the cross with your name on his life. And he has spoken your name at the time of your baptism, and has kept you close throughout your life. Jesus speaks your name. He wants to know you. He wants to love you, and has given his life to show you the lengths to which he is willing to go to love you. When you hear him speak your name you know that there’s nothing that will separate you from that love; no struggles, no problems, no sin that’s too great. Nothing in your past will separate you from God’s love.
Jesus speaks your name. Turn to him, recognize him, and realize that Jesus is the one you’ve been looking for all along.
Questions to Ponder
Before Jesus spoke Mary’s name, she mistook him for the gardener. What do people mistake Jesus for today? A magician? Just one of the many ways to God? A nice, comfortable Savior who does little more than affirms us? What are some ways people mistake Jesus today?
Have you heard Jesus “speak your name?” What does that phrase mean to you in a personal way? And what difference does it make in the way you live your life?
Prayer for Today: Holy Jesus, thank you for knowing me by name. When I come to you in prayer, help me know that you know me and love me better than I know myself. Thank you for loving me and calling me your own. In Your Most Holy Name, Amen.
Luke 24:41: While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
What I find fascinating is that both Luke and John have post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. And both Luke and John talk about Jesus eating! I can’t imagine it was because he was simply hungry. There must be a deeper and more important reason.
He ate in their presence because he wanted to show them that he’s real, and he’s alive!
That, I think, is the deeper and more important reason. He’s real! And He’s alive! He was with the disciples before their eyes were opened, and now that they recognize him, he wants to show that he’s real, and he’s alive.
John Ortberg is a Christian author who wrote, “If You Want To Talk On Water, You’ve Got To Get Out Of The Boat.” And he asks his readers to exercise their imaginations.
Imagine that your life is over, and you are led to a small room. There are two chairs in the room, one for you and one for God (who gets a very large chair), and there’s a VCR. God puts a tape into the machine. It has your name on it and is labeled What Might Have Been.
Imagine watching all that God might have done with your life if you had let him.
Imagine seeing what he might have done with your financial resources if you had trusted him to be generous. Imagine seeing what he might have done with your giftedness if you have trusted him enough to be daring. Imagine what he might have done with your relationships if you had trusted him enough to be fully truthful and fully loving. Imagine what he might have done with your character, if you had dared to confess sin, acknowledge temptation, and pursue growth.
Now, that’s certainly a stretch of the imagination! And everything depends on God, of course, and not us. The imaginative scene “fails” in many important ways.
And yet…
As a pastor, I sometimes wonder whether people truly believe that Jesus is real, and that he’s alive. I sometimes wonder whether people listen to my sermons and think that I’m saying some nice theological truths that don’t really have anything to do with their daily lives. I sometimes wonder what would happen if people truly believed that Jesus was real and alive in their lives. What might have been?
It’s Holy Week. It’s a very important week for those who know Jesus and follow him. Maybe what’s important this year is to recognize in a new and fresh way that Jesus is real, and that he is alive.
Realizing that, and knowing that makes all the difference in the world, both now and forever. He is real. And he is alive.
Questions to Ponder:
· What do you think of Ortberg’s imaginative scenario? Is it helpful? If it’s not helpful, what do you feel is unhelpful about it?
· Think of a friend, neighbor, or relative for whom Jesus seems very real. What does their life looks like? How do they talk about their faith? If you could, would you like to have a faith similar to theirs? Why or why not?
Prayer for Today: Lord Jesus, help me believe that you are the Son of God, that you are alive, and that you are real. Please forgive my sin, my doubt, and my uncertainty about you. Come close to me, Lord Jesus, and let me see that you are real, and that you are alive. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Imagine what it would have been like in Jesus' time to follow him on Twitter...
Luke 24:38: He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?”
I doubt it!
I used to hate hearing those words! It implied that what I was saying wasn’t true and that I wasn’t to be believed. It always hurt when someone said that to me.
Perhaps it hurt Jesus, too, when doubts rose in the hearts of the disciples. They doubted him. And they didn’t know if he was to be believed.
In some ways, we all have doubts. Most of us have a tendency to second-guess ourselves and think, “Did I do the right thing? Did I make the right choice?” Most of us doubt the future, and so we worry. We doubt other people, and we call it suspicion. We doubt ourselves, and we consider ourselves inferior. Some people doubt God, and we call it unbelief. And there are even times when we doubt our beliefs, and we believe our doubts.
Jesus had just opened the eyes of the disciples as he broke bread with them. They recognized him and were overjoyed! They realized that their hearts burned within them while they were walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, and they were so excited that they went and told the Eleven ( the Twelve, minus Judas) that “The Lord has risen indeed!”
It was at that point that Jesus asked them, “Why do doubts arise in your hearts?” He had been with them all along the way, he had gone through what was necessary to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for his life, and they still doubted. They weren’t sure what to believe.
In some ways, we all have doubts, as I just said. And perhaps the best way to overcome some of our doubts is to start with the faith you already have. Sometimes people simply need the courage to go ahead with their lives of faith despite fears that we have. Some people think their faith is frail or weak.
But remember the mustard seed? Don’t underestimate the power of a mustard seed of faith. No matter how weak or frail you think your faith is, it is enough. It is enough to get you through. You don’t need faith the size of a mountain to move a mustard seed. You need faith the size of a mustard seed to move a mountain.
Jesus is walking with you on your road to Emmaus. Don’t doubt it for a minute.
Questions to Ponder:
· What are some doubts you have about your faith? How would you complete the sentence, “I doubt that…..”
· Do you think that doubts can actually drive us to faith, rather than away from faith? Why or why not? What role does doubt play in your deepening life of discipleship?
Prayer for Today: Lord Jesus, I want to believe. Help me with my unbelief. Give me your renewing Spirit, and help me know you and trust you. Help me see you and experience your presence. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
It's the cry of abandonment from the cross. Of forsakenness. Of being utterly forgotten by God.
Or.....
It's the first verse of Psalm 22; an Individual Psalm of Lament. And as you listen, you find that there may be a lot more happening in this cry from the cross than a simple cry of abandonment. Listen in and see what you think.
Luke 24:25-26: Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?”
I saw a list recently of explanations that were filed in police reports after traffic accidents.
The telephone pole was approaching fast, and I attempted to serve out of its path when it struck my front end.
I pulled away at the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment.
I was coming home, pulled into the wrong driveway, and hit a tree I didn’t have.
The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth.
Sometimes people act in the same way; they make silly mistakes, try to avoid responsibility, and get stuck on the “failure freeway” and don’t know how to get off. They tend to forget that if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten!
But there are others who deal with failure as a part of a larger plan. They see failure as a way of learning how to do things differently in the future. Many people whom we regard as genius could have been failures. Wolfgang Mozart, a musical genius, was told by Emporer Ferdinand that his opera The Marriage of Figaro was far too noisy and contained way too many notes. Vincent Van Gough sold only one painting in his lifetime. Thomas Edison was considered unteachable as a young child. Albert Einstein was told by his school teacher that he would never amount to much.
What made the difference was their response to failure. They refused to see failure as a self-definition. They saw the larger picture and looked beyond their immediate circumstance.
The disciples “had hoped” that Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel, and they looked back and saw Jesus as a failure. But Jesus told the disciples that it was necessary that he must suffer in order to enter into his glory. His suffering and death was all a part of God’s larger plan and purpose for his life.
Jesus wasn’t a failure. He triumphed over death, and now promises new life to all who believe in him. It was necessary. It was a part of God’s larger plan. Knowing that makes all the difference in the world!
Questions to Ponder:
· How do you respond to failure in life? Do you ever feel stuck on the failure freeway of life?
· Think back on some of the things that you failed at in your early life. What were some important life lessons you learned? What have you done differently because of those experiences?
Prayer for Today: Dear gracious God, in the low times of my life, let me praise you. In my weak moments, give me strength. When I fail, give me faith. Help me see you, and let my life be one that brings you praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
It's Palm Sunday tomorrow! Hosanna! Hosanna! Praise is Rising!
Luke 24:17b-19a: They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?”
They stood still, looking sad.
Have you ever wondered why some of the saddest words in our language begin with the letter "d"? Disappointment, doubt, depression, discouragement, despair, despondency, and death all being with "d". Woody Allen once said, "Our civilization stands at the crossroads. Down one path is despondency and despair. Down the other road is total annihilation. I hope we'll take the right road." Woddy Allen was making an attempt to be humorous, but there are some people who think he's right.
Jesus had asked the two disciples what they were discussing on the way. After they wondered if he was the only clueless one in Jerusalem who didn't know the things that had taken place, Jesus asked them, “What things?”
And so they begin to tell him about Jesus who was a prophet, how he was condemned and crucified, how they had hoped that he would be the one to redeem Israel. As they told him what things had taken place, it’s all in the past tense. They were living in the past. They were living in an “if only” world.
And to be honest, that’s so easy to do. If only things had turned out different in my life. If only I had a better paying job, or a better education. If only I hadn’t been raised the way I was. If only I didn’t have the looks and body that I have. If only…then my life would be different.
At times like that, when we’re like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, it’s important to ask ourselves, “Am I cursing the darkness, and I’m stuck, going nowhere, and controlled by my past negative experiences? Or am I looking to God for the strength to move on with my life, and to ask Jesus to walk with me?”
Here’s something important to remember. Just as Jesus walked with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, so also he walks with us on our Emmaus roads. He walks with us in the present, and not just in the past. On our tough patches of the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus he is always with us, even though we don’t always recognize him. We are never alone. Never. And that means that we can face anything that comes in the path of our journey because we know that Jesus promises he will always be with us.
Questions to Ponder:
· Do you feel your faith is lived in the past tense? Or the present tense?
· Have you started asking yourself empowering questions on this journey through Lent? If you have, what kind of difference is it making?
Prayer for Today: Lord Jesus, walk with us. All along our pilgrim ways, walk with us. In our sorrows and in our troubles and through our trials, walk with us. In the living name of Jesus, amen.
In the midst of our doubts, disappointments, and despair, it's important to remember that there IS an Unfailing Love.
While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” Luke 24:15-17a
The story is familiar. Two little known disciples – Cleopas and an unnamed disciple – are leaving Jerusalem and walking on the road to Emmaus. They had just been in Jerusalem where they had witnessed the horror of the crucifixion of Jesus. They had just had the most terrible experience of their lives because they had put their hopes in Jesus as the savior of the world. But now he had been crucified and was dead. They had just been in Jerusalem, which had now become a place, and an event, and a time that shook them to the core and made them lose their sense of direction.
And they were on their way to Emmaus, just 7 miles from Jerusalem. Emmaus was the place they were going to escape; to go back to the way their lives were before they met Jesus. Frederick Buechner describes what “Emmaus” stands for. He writes, “Emmaus is whatever we do or wherever we go to make ourselves forget that the world holds nothing sacred, that even the wisest and bravest and loveliest decay and die….Emmaus is where we go, where these two went, to try to forget about Jesus and the great failure of his life.”
Jerusalem. A place of tragedy and loss. And Emmaus. A place of escape and denial. Most of us have both of those “places” in our lives. Loss. Disappointment. Unmet expectations. And escape. Loneliness. Isolation. That’s what the disciples were facing. Maybe you’ve faced that in your past. Perhaps you’re facing it now.
But Jesus walks with them on their escape to Emmaus. He joined them as they were escaping. He asked what they were discussing on their way. He joined them on their journey.
Frederick Buechner again wrote, “In other words, it is precisely at deep and dark times that Jesus is apt to come; into the very midst of life at its most real and inescapable moments. Not in a blaze of earthly light, nor in the midst of a sermon, not in the throes of some kind of religious daydream, but….at supper time, or walking along a road….Jesus never approaches on high, but always in the midst, in the midst of people, in the midst of real life, and in the midst of the questions that real life asks.”
The two disciples had a companion on their journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus. And thank God, that you do, too.
Questions to Ponder:
· Is there a “Jerusalem” in your life; a place or time or event in which you experienced hurt or pain that shook the foundations of your life? What was it like?
· Is there an “Emmaus” in your life; a place you go to escape, or something you do when you’ve lost your sense of direction?
· While you travel from your Jerusalem to your Emmaus, do you experience Jesus walking with you? Why or why not?
Prayer for Today: Precious Lord, gentle Jesus; life sometimes just gets really difficult, and sometimes, Lord, we just lose our sense of direction. At those times, be with us. Help us know that you are there for us. And help each one of us experience your presence with us, in the midst of whatever joys or sorrows that we are experiencing. In the Holy and Present name of Jesus. Amen.
"I am new." On your journey from your Jerusalem to your Emmaus remember that the One who is making everything new doesn't see me the way that I do. I am new. I am new.
John 5:46-47: “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”
There must have been times in Jesus ministry when he wondered what it would take to get through to his disciples. What would it take for them to understand who he really was, and what he was sent to earth to do? Why wouldn’t they listen? Why did they want a Messianic King to usher in a new world order, when he came to them as a Suffering Servant?
They had Moses. They had the prophets. They had Jesus’ own teaching, his miracles, and his healing. Yet they kept asking, “Who is this?” When would they finally understand?
Maybe, just maybe, if he spent time with them after he was crucified and resurrected. Maybe then they would understand.
Jesus did just that in Luke 24 on his post-resurrection appearance to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. During his time with them he asked them five questions; five transformative, personal, and empowering questions on their journey to Emmaus.
Each day this week we’ll be spending time with one of those five questions.
In order to do that, put yourself in the place of the two disciples. One of them is named: Cleopas. The other is not named. These two disciples were not a part of the Twelve disciples, rather, they were followers of Jesus. They weren’t the designated disciples who are named, whom Jesus called and appointed as the special inner group. They were just ordinary disciples who had followed Jesus.
They were just like us.
And after Jesus was crucified, they felt like failures. They felt betrayed and let down. Their hearts hurt that their Lord and friend, Jesus, had been crucified. It must have felt like his death on the cross was simply they end of the story. They were deflated disciples; they were frustrated followers.
But what happened in their encounter with the Risen Lord rocked their world. Though they didn’t recognize him at first, they looked back and realized that their hearts burned within them as they walked and talked with Jesus.
And on that road to Emmaus Jesus gave them a vision and a direction for their lives. He put new meaning and purpose in their minds. Just like on the Day of Pentecost, Jesus set their hearts on fire with the power of the Holy Spirit to lead responsive lives because of the verifiable fact that he had been risen from the dead.
Now that’s something you can believe!
Questions to Ponder:
· Do you ever feel like the two disciples, meandering through life without a clear sense of vision and purpose? What would it take for you to really “be on fire” for your faith?
· “It’s more important for you to be a witness to your faith than to argue with people about their faith.” Do you agree with that statement? Why or why not? What would it look like for you to simply be a witness to your faith?
Prayer for Today: Dear Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross and came back to life for me. Guide me on my journey through life with the power of your Holy Spirit, and help me to follow you all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Questions, following, struggles, loving anyway....it's here in the song.
Luke 9:23-25: Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will love it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?
Do you sometimes find comfort in a “nice” Jesus?
From my perspective as a parish pastor for many years, we often have a tendency to want to domesticate Jesus. We want a “nice” Jesus. A smiling Jesus. We want a Jesus who is like a decent Boy Scout, who helps older women across the street, takes in stray cats, and never, ever says a cross word to anyone. Afterall, wasn’t it Jesus who said, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Or was that Thumper?
We often have a tendency to want to domesticate Jesus. We often rub off his rough edges to make him palatable and vanilla, and non-offensive. We want Jesus to be, well, comfortable and approachable, to be our Best Friend Forever, and to “like” us on Facebook.
But that’s not who Jesus is.
This week we’ve looked at life, love, and service based on the question Jesus asked, “Do you love me?” When Jesus asked Peter that question, it was an agape question; Peter, do you love (agape) me with a sacrificial love? Are you willing to give your life for me? Are you willing to take your life, your priorities, your reputation, and everything you have and lay it at the foot of the cross? Are you willing to take up your cross daily and follow Jesus?
As we saw at the beginning of this week, Peter was only able to answer with a phileo kind of answer. Yes, Jesus, we’re buds. I love you, man.
And we saw that Jesus accepted Peter just where he was; accepting and loving him just as he was, unconditionally and without reservation.
But we also saw that while Jesus loved Peter just as he was, Jesus loved him far too much to let him stay that way. Jesus wanted to lead Peter into a deeper life of discipleship. Jesus wanted to give him a transformative personal experience with his own sacrificial love. Jesus wanted to invite Peter into a life of taking up his cross daily, and following him.
There’s nothing “nice” about taking up your cross and dying to your own will and desires. But there is something ultimately redemptive about losing our lives for the sake of knowing Jesus.
Ultimately a “nice” Jesus doesn’t do much for you. But living a sacrificial life by taking up your cross daily will do absolutely everything for you, both now and for an eternity.
Take up your cross daily. Love Jesus. Serve others. That’s an agape love.
Questions to Ponder:
What does “taking up your cross daily and following Jesus” mean to you? Are you comfortable with doing it daily, or does it make you uneasy? How would you explain your answer?
This has been a challenging week on this transformative personal journey through Lent. What are ways in which you’ve grown or deepened in your life of discipleship? What are some things you’ve learned? Are there some things you might do differently in the coming weeks?
Prayer for Today: Gracious and merciful and loving Lord, draw me close to you. In times when I feel entitled to what I want, remind me of what You desire. Let me live to you and in you, no matter what that takes. Be with me as I lose my life in order to gain Your life in me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Today we have two songs; a traditional praise song (love this version) and a funky happenin' love song to God that was sent to me from a Brad in Wisconsin whose coolness greatly exceeds mine.
Luke 22:27a: “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves?”
In Luke 22 Jesus had just finished sharing his Last Supper with his disciples. He took the bread, and the wine, and told they that this is the new covenant in his blood. He said the very sad words that one who shared this new covenant, this bread and wine, his very body and blood would soon betray him.
Immediately after this most precious and holy time, a dispute arose among the disciples. They hadn’t yet digested the bread, and still had the smell of the wine on their breath. And they disputed among themselves which one would be the greatest among them! Unbelievable! Didn’t they understand what Jesus had just done and said? How could they be so clueless?
And so Jesus asks them a question. For who is greater, the one who is at the table, or the one who serves? As they were asked this transformative personal question, their hearts must have seen that servanthood is the sign of greatness, not being served. Servanthood. Loving others sacrificially. That’s what it means to be great for those who follow Jesus.
A servant simply loves and serves. Servants love and serve the Lord, but they also love and serve other people. Without love, service often turns into bitterness or duty. When service is done without love, it becomes merely an obligation, and something you “have to” do rather than something you just simply “do”.
Because often the people you are called to serve aren’t perfect people! They disappoint you. They aren’t always grateful. And sometimes they take advantage of you.
But that’s OK. Servants love and serve imperfect people, just like Jesus did with his disciples. Servants serve because they can, and not only because they should. Servants serve based on love, and not out of obligation.
Servants serve because they know that love is stronger than hate. They believe that forgiveness is stronger than sin. They are convinced that life is stronger than death. A servant simply loves. And serves.
Questions to Ponder:
The heart of Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship. The heart of Christianity is a passion for living for Jesus by serving others. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Think about a time that you served without recognition and without gratitude from anyone. What did you learn from that experience?
Prayer for today: Make me a servant, humble and meek. Lord, let me lift up those who are weak. And may the prayers of my heart always be: Make me a servant. Make me a servant. Make me a servant today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Jesus, Joy. We simply serve because He desires it. Just be blessed by this beautiful song.
Luke 10:36: “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
Remember Eeyore in The House at Pooh Corner?
One day Pooh and Rabbit were dropping Pooh Sticks over the bridge, and then running to the other side of the bridge and watching them go by. Again and again they did this. And as they were preparing to drop another stick, they saw Eeyore floating on his back down the river. They asked Eeyore whatever he was doing.
Eeyore said, “I’ll give you three guesses, Rabbit. Digging holes in the ground? Wrong. Leaping from branch to branch of a young oak-tree? Wrong. Waiting for somebody to help me out of the river? Right.”
Waiting for somebody to help me out of the river.
Eeyore was helplessly and hopelessly floating down the river, with nobody to help him out. Someone needed to help him. Someone needed to save him from the river’s flow.
So Pooh and Rabbit figured that if they dropped rocks close enough to Eeyore they would cause waves that would gently bring Eeyore to the shore, and save him. The first rock, of course, hit Eeyore right in the stomach and sank him. But eventually the rocks made enough little waves to bring Eeyore to the shore so that he could be saved.
Jesus tells the story of a man who was beaten, and left by the side of the road, helplessly and hopelessly unable to help himself, and ignored by the religious priest and Levite who piously avoided helping him.
But a Samaritan, a Good Samaritan, stopped, went to him, bandaged his wounds, put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, took care of him, and paid for his care. The Good Samaritan helped the wounded man out of the “river.” And Jesus asks, “Which one of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” It was the Good Samaritan.
There are people whom you pass by every day who are floating helplessly and hopelessly down the river of life. There are people whom you pass by every day that are hurt by the side of the road; struggling with the complexities of life, lost and alone, and dealing with emotional, relational, financial, or addiction issues. They often don’t know how they’re going to make it through the day, much less make it through the next week or month.
The Good Samaritan didn’t help everyone. That would have been far too big of a task. But he did help someone; someone that was placed in his path.
Are there people in your path? Do you know of someone (like Eeyore) who is waiting for somebody to help them out of the river?
Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.”
Questions to Ponder
· Who are the people in your path? Is there a possibility that they are there for you to help; to stop, to go, to bring, to care for, to lend a hand? While you can’t help everybody, is there someone you can help?
· It’s often said that a local congregation is not defined by its seating capacity, but by its sending capacity. How is your congregation sending people to bind up, to help, and to heal?
Prayer for Today: Gracious God, open my eyes. Loving Jesus, open my heart. Holy Spirit, open my hands. Direct me, lead me, guide me to do your will and to see and to serve those on my path through life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Today's video is from a Christian sociologist, Tony Campolo. It shares the importance of "seeking the one who is lost" better than any video I could do. It's funny, it's touching, and it's challenging. Be sure to read the devotion today slowly, reflect on Tony's video, and be sure to watch the song at the end. "Does anybody see her? Does anybody care?" Tony's woman, and the woman on the song at the end are the "one." And if we are on a transformative personal journey toward loving (agape) Jesus, then how can we not see the "one"?
Luke 15:4: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?”
What if your local congregation became known as a place where the lost are found? What if your local congregation became known throughout the community as a place that welcomes the lost?
Some people think that it’s at least a little offensive to refer to people as “lost.” It presumes that the one who is “not lost” has found his or her way, and so the designation “lost” is seen as judgmental, or pejorative. It’s seen as a negative term. And so we sometimes use words like “unchurched” or “pre-Christian” rather than the pejorative term “lost.”
And yet, why use the word “lost”? Well, because Jesus used it.
Luke chapter 15 is fondly referred to as the “lost” chapter. It’s there that Luke gathers three stories. The Lost Sheep. The Lost Coin. And the Lost Brother.
And here’s what’s fascinating. In each of the stories, when the lost sheep is found, when the lost coin is found, and then the lost son returns home, there’s a huge party and celebration! They call together their friends and neighbors, and say, “Rejoice with me, for I have found what was lost.” And Jesus says, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who have no need of repentance.”
Who are the lost? The lost are the ones God for whom God wants to throw a party! And if your local congregation became known as the place where the lost are found, it’s far from a pejorative term; it’s being intentional and invitational to those for whom God wants to throw a party! Wouldn’t you want to be a part of a church like that?
And here’s something else to think about. When the shepherd left the ninety-nine and went in search for the one who was lost, it wasn’t just for the benefit of the lost “one.”
Think about this: Numbers are very important in the Bible. One hundred is a number that represents wholeness and completeness. And so when one is “lost” and there are only ninety-nine left, the ninety-nine are less than whole. They are less than complete. The ninety-nine need the “one” to be whole and complete again.
Yes, you go after the “one” who is lost, not only for the sake of the one, but for the sake of the wholeness and completeness of the entire community! And when the lost are found, you throw a party. Because if Jesus tells us that the angels are rejoicing in heaven when the lost are found, shouldn’t we throw a party in our churches?
What if your local congregation became known as a place where the lost are found? That would be so cool.
That would be like Luke 15 all over again.
Questions to Ponder:
· Do you agree or disagree with the use of the word lost? Why or why not? Did the devotion today give you any insight into the way Jesus uses the word?
· What would your local congregation need to do to become known as a place where the lost are found? What can you do to help?
Prayer for Today: Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see. Thank you, dear Jesus, for seeking me while I was lost, for finding me, and for your amazing grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
John 21:17: He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love (phileo) me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love (phileo) me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love (phileo) you.”
Do you love Jesus?
Notice here the words that are used. In the Greek language there are more than one word to describe “love.” The first and most important word for love is agape. Agape is the deepest form of love, based on sacrificial living for the life of the other. It’s loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
A second Greek word is phileo. Phileo is brotherly or sisterly love toward someone we really love when we don’t agape them. Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love, based on phileo and adelphos (brother).
Notice the words that Jesus and Peter use in this three question dialog. Jesus asks Peter twice, “Do you agape me?” Jesus was looking for a sacrificial love, the kind of love that gives its all, just like Jesus had given his life for the sake of those who follow him.
Peter answers each time, “Yes, Lord, I phileo you.” Peter wasn’t able to respond with the kind of agape answer that Jesus was looking for. Peter responded, “I phileo you.” Yeah, Jesus, we’re buds. Best Friends Forever. I love you, man. Give me a knuckle bump. We’re tight, man."
So the third time, Jesus changes the question. “Peter, do you phileo me?” And Peter says, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love (phileo) you.”
Knowing that Peter was not capable of an agape love that Jesus was looking for, Jesus asks the third question on Peter’s level. And that was OK with Jesus because Jesus loves Peter just the way he is, with all his quirks and idiosyncrasies, with all his enthusiasm and all his failures. Jesus loves him just the way he is, unconditionally, without reserve. But Jesus changes the question to address Peter’s level of love.
But here’s the key to understanding the progression of these questions.
Jesus loves Peter just as he is, unconditionally and without reserve. But at the same time, Jesus loves Peter far too much to let him stay that way.
Peter’s phileo love was all that he could offer. But by inviting Peter to follow him, to feed and tend his sheep in a life of discipleship, Jesus was inviting Peter into a life beyond question; into a life of sacrificial love that grows into an agape love.
In the same way, Jesus loves you unconditionally, without reserve and with an everlasting love. And however you answer the question, “Do you love Jesus?”, it’s OK. Jesus wants to recognize that we, like Peter, are at different points on our spiritual journeys. He loves us and accepts us unconditionally, just as we are.
At the same time, he loves us far too much to let us stay where we are.
Life is a journey. Faith is a journey. And deepening our lives of discipleship along the journey leads us towards an agape love.
Love. It’s true. That’s what it’s all about.
Questions to Ponder:
· Do you love Jesus? Of course you do. But are there ways in which you could love him more? What would that look like? What would need to be different in your life?
· If there are steps you could take to deepen your life of following Jesus, what would those steps be? What could you do in the remaining days of this transformative personal journey through Lent to love Jesus even more?
Prayer for Today: Love, love, love; that’s what it’s all about. ‘Cause God loves us we love each other; Mother, Father, Sister, Brother. Everybody sing and shout! ‘Cause that’s what it’s all about. It’s about love, love, love. Amen.
In this beloved scene, Tevye is looking for an agape answer. Golde is only able to give a phileo answer. But that's OK. It doesn't change a thing, but even so, after 25 years, it's nice to know.
John 21:15-16: When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love (agape) me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love (phileo) you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love (agape) me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love (phileo) you.”
Do you love Jesus?
It’s an important question. In fact, it’s a fundamental, transformative question. Do you love Jesus?
The most important questions are not, “Do you attend church? Do you tithe? Do you pray? Do you read the Bible? Do you volunteer for Vacation Bible School?” Do you love Jesus is a primary question because if you can honestly answer “Yes!” to the question, then all other areas of spiritual responsibility and spiritual growth will take care of themselves. This is an important, fundamental, and transformative question because how you answer it determines everything else about your spiritual life, health, and growth.
Notice several things from today’s reading. First, notice that it’s from the 21st chapter of John; the last chapter in John’s Gospel. It’s here that Jesus appears to his disciples after he is resurrected. In John 19 Jesus is crucified and dies on the cross. In John 20 Jesus is raised, and appears to his disciples in the upper room. In John 21 Jesus appears to them again and has a breakfast on the beach with some bread and fish that they had caught.
And when they had finished eating, Jesus said to Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me?” And he asked it again. And he asked it again. What’s going on here? Why three times?
Tomorrow we’ll be looking at the words that are used for “love” in these verses. But today let’s think of Peter.
Peter was, in many ways, the premiere disciple. He is listed as the first disciple whenever the rest of the disciples are named. He was the one who had the courage to get out of the boat and walk on water toward Jesus. He was the one who was renamed Cephas, the rock on whose confession Jesus said he would build his church. Peter was always there by Jesus’ side, and when things got tough, Peter was always there.
But there were many “lows” in Peter’s life. Peter got into trouble more than any of the other disciples because of all the times that he took his eyes off of Jesus. Peter took his eyes off Jesus in the story seas, and he began to lose his faith in the power of Jesus and he began to sink into the stormy seas. Peter took his eyes off Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration when he heard that Jesus had to suffer, and Peter said, “God forbid, no!” Peter took his eyes off Jesus in the courtyard and instead of focusing on Jesus, he focused on his fears and denied Jesus three times in the courtyard.
Maybe that’s why Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Maybe that’s why Jesus gave Peter not once, not twice, but three times to redeem himself after he had denied Jesus three times. God, after all, is primarily a God of second chances, and here Jesus gives Peter even more than a second chance. He gives him a third chance.
Do you love Jesus? Even if you’ve had “lows” in your life when you’ve taken your eyes off Jesus, you can still say “Yes.” You always have a second chance.
And a third…
Questions to Ponder:
· Are there times in your life that you’ve taken your eyes off Jesus? Are there times when you feel you’ve denied him with your words or actions?
· How does it feel, knowing that Peter denied Jesus, but that Jesus still gave him a second and third chance to redeem himself? What do you need to do, or what do you need to release in order to feel unconditionally loved by a God of Second Chances?
Prayer for Today: O God, you have prepared for those who love you joys beyond understanding. Pour into our hearts such love for you that, loving you above all things, we may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
