Monday, September 16
Matthew 27:45-50
The Death of Jesus
From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.
This past Sunday Pastor Paul talked about the disillusionment that many people have experienced about the church. This idea of being greatly disappointed is an emotion/attitude/reality that was expressed in the Bible. Not all experiences in the Bible were happy and joyous and praiseworthy.
It’s important to approach these stories with care. The point of focusing on them is not to bring each of us down; instead it’s to see their truthfulness. Sometimes we experience vast disappointment—even disillusionment. Our experiences don’t make us “bad” people. They are part of being human.
The story of Jesus crying out on the cross, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me” is one that we could examine from many theological perspectives. It is hard to accept that Jesus—fully divine and fully human—felt abandoned by his Abba, father. Could this really happen?
The story reveals its own truthfulness. Jesus was overwhelmed by the actual and emotional pain that he was experiencing on the cross.
The good news is what happened later—that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. However, it’s important not to move too fast to resurrection.
The pain of this story makes Jesus accessible to us. It’s a hard reality.
What are your thoughts about this cry of Jesus on the cross? Please share.
Tuesday, September 17
Genesis 6:5-6
The Lord saw that the wickedness of humans was great in the earth and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made humans on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.
Like yesterday’s story it is quite remarkable to think that God—the first person of the Trinity—was very sorry or grieved that God had created humans. This brings up many significant questions—ones that go far beyond that can be examined in a short devotion.
It could be easy to be critical of God. Couldn’t you have done a better job in creation? Is the reality of the wickedness (verse 5) of humans reveal your shortcomings? Did you know when humans were created that this would happen?
These questions are significant, but the reality is the experience of God in the story. God was grieved in the divine heart.
In a way the reality that God was grieving makes God accessible to each of us. When we experience grief or sadness about something that has happened in the past or present, we can take a bit of solace in that God understands what we are experiencing. God experienced this.
What does it mean to you that God is capable of experiencing grief? Please share.
Wednesday, September 18
Psalm 51:1-13
Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon
To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
People believe that this Psalm was written after David had committed an affair with Bathsheba and then had Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband murdered. David was disillusioned with himself.
Despite David’s reality, he hadn’t given up. He still had desires for himself. The words are beautiful.
“Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.” (Psalm 51:8)
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain in me a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:12)
David didn’t allow himself to remain in his grief. He kept hoping that he would again experience God’s presence.
What are your thoughts about this Psalm? Please share.
Thursday, September 19
Matthew 12:1-14
Plucking Grain on the Sabbath
At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? How he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
The Man with a Withered Hand
He left that place and entered their synagogue; a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
These stories share how deeply off track that religion had gotten when Jesus was alive. Jesus was hungry and ate. Even though this was on the Sabbath the interpretation of the law was used to judge Jesus.
Jesus brought healing to a man who had lived his entire life with a deformed hand. This story should have brought joy to everyone who saw it. Instead, the religious leaders used the story as justification for the murder of Jesus.
In other places was quite critical of the religious leaders. He certainly was justified in his condemnation.
The good news in this story is that the example of Jesus surpassed the hatred of the religious leaders.
What are your thoughts about this story? Please share.
Friday, September 20
1 Kings 19:1-10
Elijah Flees from Jezebel
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” He got up and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. At that place he came to a cave and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
Elijah was literally at the end of his rope. He had zealously acted on behalf of God, but he saw himself as a failure. He was quite disillusioned. He was ready to die.
He shared his disillusionment in verse ten. Despite his actions the people had turned away from the ancient covenant they had made with God.
If you have extra time read what happens in the rest of this chapter—1 Kings 19:11-30. God didn’t abandon Elijah. God encourage Elijah to get up and go forward. At the end of this chapter Elijah met Elisha who followed him.
Elijah had experienced crucifixion, and God shared resurrection.
What are your thoughts about this story? Please share.
Saturday, September 21
Mark 9:33-37
Who Is the Greatest?
Then they came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them, and taking it in his arms he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
This story takes place right after the middle of Mark. Jesus had been with his disciples for a while—teaching them about the Kingdom and healing those who needed healing.
Their lack of understanding of the mission of Jesus is astounding. They had fallen for pride—discussing which one of them was the greatest. They weren’t talking about how to serve or love or care for people. They were debating who was the best.
We don’t sense that Jesus was disappointed with them in this story. Jesus was remarkable in his restraint.
Instead, Jesus showed his followers what truly mattered. He took a little child in his arms and taught that whoever welcomed a child welcomed him.
What are your thoughts about this story? Please share.
