The Blasphemy of the Prosperity Gospel.

Luke 18:18  A certain ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19  Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20  You know the commandments: 'You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother.'" 21  He replied, "I have kept all these since my youth." 22  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." 23  But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich. 24  Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." 26  Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" 27  He replied, "What is impossible for mortals is possible for God." 28  Then Peter said, "Look, we have left our homes and followed you." 29  And he said to them, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30  who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."

Jesus lived in a culture that believed that God showered riches on the righteous, and - conversely - poverty was a sign of God’s displeasure. Luke records a moment when Jesus rejects this idea: the crowd is stunned to hear their teacher/rabbi say “how hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God” (Lk 18:24).  They would have been thinking – “Surely their riches are a sign of God favour… a guarantee of their membership of God’s realm”.   Jesus repeatedly hammers the message home that God has a particular compassion for the poor, the helpless, and the marginalized. [1]

Sadly there are many who have not heard this. There are Christian teachers who teach that prosperity is guaranteed for those who follow Jesus. One such preacher insists that followers of Jesus have “been predestined to prosper financially… You have every right to possess material wealth—clothes, jewelry, houses, cars and money—in abundance.”[2] This “Prosperity Gospel” is the ultimate blasphemy:  it turns God into a service provider – and humanity into greedy consumers of God’s provision. Only when we recognize our status as stewards of this earth will we discover the call of God to use our possessions to benefit all of creation.

For today: ask how you can bless someone who has a greater need than you.  

Hymn:

For the healing of the nations,
Lord, we pray with one accord,
for a just and equal sharing
of the things that earth affords.
To a life of love in action
help us rise and pledge our word.
Words: Fred Kaan
Words © 1968 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188. 

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 207.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

---

[1] See for example Luke 6:20-25; Matthew 25:31-46.

[2] Creflo Dollar

Psalm 113

This Psalm forms part of the “Egyptian Hallel”. This is one of the psalms that is said before the Passover meal – and in Christian tradition is one of the Easter Psalms. “Hallel" הלל‎ is a Hebrew word that means "praise" – so when we say “God be praised”, it is a translation of Hallelujah.  Use this as a praise Psalm for today – if possible read it with another person, and use the verse as a responsive reading. 

Psalm 113:1  Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD;

     praise the name of the LORD.

Psa 113:2  Blessed be the name of the LORD

     from this time on and forevermore.

Psa 113:3  From the rising of the sun to its setting

     the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Psa 113:4  The LORD is high above all nations,

     and his glory above the heavens.

Psa 113:5  Who is like the LORD our God,

     who is seated on high,

Psa 113:6  who looks far down

     on the heavens and the earth?

Psa 113:7  He raises the poor from the dust,

     and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

Psa 113:8  to make them sit with princes,

     with the princes of his people.

Psa 113:9  He gives the barren woman a home,

     making her the joyous mother of children.

ALL: Praise the LORD!

Second Sunday after Trinity

32 God’s Gracious  Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 202.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

All are welcome

Luke 7:36  One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. 37  And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38  She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39  Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him--that she is a sinner." 40  Jesus spoke up and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," he replied, "speak." 41  "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42  When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" 43  Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt." And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly." 44  Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45  You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46  You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47  Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." 48  Then he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49  But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50  And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Luke writes this for a new generation of Christ-followers. About 80 years after Jesus, he addresses Christians who are struggling with class and culture. They are divided by their wealth, with those who had more wealth feeling superior to those with less. And they are divided by a spiritual superiority where Jewish Christians thought themselves to be ‘more spiritual’ than their Gentile brothers and sisters.  Luke has a point to make: he tells of Simon the Pharisee inviting Jesus to a meal. It would seem that Simon and his friends did not offer Jesus respectful hospitality – no kiss of greeting, or water for washing. By contrast Jesus is warmly welcomed by a woman “who was a sinner” (Luke 7:37).   This welcome is disparaged by the Pharisees, who imply that Jesus is made unclean by her actions. Jesus brushes this aside by insisting that her faith has saved her, and therefore she is no longer unclean. Instead of welcoming the news that a ‘sinner’ has been saved, the religious grumble amongst themselves about the method of salvation.

This story carries much for our own reflection. The good news is that no one is beyond the love of God. Even when the religious think that it must be impossible for God to love such a sinner, God is not bound by these conventions. All too often religious leaders invest time and effort in debating who really deserves God’s love, while God quietly bypasses religious conventions and embraces the outcast with love. Our challenge is to learn to be as gracious as God.  

Sinners Jesus will receive;
  Sound this word of grace to all
Who the heavenly pathway leave,
  All who linger, all who fall. 

            Sing it o’er and o’er again;
            Christ receiveth sinful men;
            Make the message clear and plain:
             Christ receiveth sinful men.

Come, and He will give you rest;
  Trust Him for His word is plain;
He will take the sinfulest;
  Christ receiveth sinful men.
            Sing it o’er and o’er again;
            Christ receiveth sinful men;
            Make the message clear and plain:
             Christ receiveth sinful men.

Erdmann Neumeister 1671-1756;

Translated by Emma Frances Shuttleworth Bevan 1827-1909

Second Sunday after Trinity

32 God’s Gracious  Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 202.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Dead to Sin

Rom 6:1 What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2  By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4  Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6  We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7  For whoever has died is freed from sin. 8  But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10  The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11  So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12  Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13  No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. 14  For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Paul writes to a fledgling Christian group in Rome who are struggling to understand their new faith. He has just explained that sin is awful, but God’s grace can overcome sin and its consequences. Chapter Six then encourages the readers to choose a new way of life: “consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  This is not pretending that sin has miraculously disappeared from the life of one who follows Jesus. Rather it is urging Christ-followers to “no longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God… as instruments of righteousness”. This speaks to the fact that we can choose our actions. We are not to see ourselves as helplessly addicted to sin, but instead the Grace of God enables us to resist the temptation to evil and choose to do that which is good.

This is an important reminder not only in relation to our interior life, but also in  life in community. We live in an age where concepts of right and wrong are subjected to democratic vote. The will of the majority is seen as the right thing to do – even when the will of the majority favours something evil! It is at such times that the easiest option for an individual is to either join the opinion of the majority, or simply remain silent. Paul urges us “do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions.” Here is the moment for the individual to stand up for what is right – because the Grace of God demands it. Søren Kierkegaard speaks of the need for the “single individual in the crowd” to stand firm for what is right. He pleads for a “suffering witness to the truth” to confront that which is wrong.  I pray that this might be true of me – and of you!

For thought:

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

the trumpet call obey;

forth to the mighty conflict,

in this his glorious day.

Ye that are brave now serve him

against unnumbered foes;

let courage rise with danger,

and strength to strength oppose.

Text: George Duffield, Jr., 1818-1888

Second Sunday after Trinity

32 God’s Gracious  Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 202.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Amazing Grace

Ephesians 2:1  You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2  in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3  All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4  But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5  even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- 6  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7  so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God-- 9  not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10  For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

“Saved by Grace” is the great slogan of the Christian Reformers of the 1600’s. Drawing on Ephesians 2:8&9, as well as Romans 3:28 and Galatians 2:16, they vigorously opposed the idea that peace with God is achieved by belonging to a church, or by paying money for remission of sin, or from completing various penitential acts. They insisted that the Grace of God is a gift that is freely given. That said – this does not mean that there is no human response to the love of God. James 2:24 speaks of the importance of faith being accompanied by works, and Jesus tells a faithful man that he needs to keep the commandments, and more particularly – that he needs to give away his wealth to the poor.[1]

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes of the danger of “Cheap Grace” that expects Godly favour without any change in human behavior. “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”  Instead, he calls for the practice of a “Costly Grace”, which demands the transformation of our lives into disciples of the way of Jesus. “Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.”    

It is time for those who follow Jesus to give up our sermons on the Grace of God, and step outside of our church buildings to practice Grace and Truth in a disbelieving society. Perhaps if we lived a life of Grace, our words of faith might regain some credibility.  

For thought:

I'm still discovering right up to this moment, that is it only by living completely in this world that one learns to have faith. By this-worldliness I mean living unreservedly in life's duties, problems, successes and failures. In so doing we throw ourselves completely into the arms of God, taking seriously, not our own sufferings, but those of God in the world. That, I think, is faith.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Second Sunday after Trinity

32 God’s Gracious  Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 202.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

  

---

[1] Matthew 19:16-21

Times of Refreshing

Acts 3:17  "And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18  In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. 19  Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, 20  so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, 21  who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets. 22  Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. 23  And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.' 24  And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days. 25  You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, 'And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' 26  When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

Luke describes the Apostle Peter teaching that “times of refreshing… come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:20). This is wonderfully evocative language. When we spend time in God’s presence we can find our lives refreshed. This reminds me of a river that is drying up into stagnant pools of water. Then the rains come, and the river is revived, and when it flows it cleans out the pools, refreshing the water and bringing new life.

Pray today to be refreshed. This might involve asking the Spirit of God to clean out some dark places in your life; this might be the Spirit topping up your dwindling reserves; and this might be an infusion of new life-giving Spiritual strength where you are becoming dry.

Let Your living water flow over my soul,
Let your Holy Spirit come and take control,
Of every situation that has troubled my mind,
All my cares and burdens on to you I roll……

(Lyrics: Jimmy Swaggart)

Second Sunday after Trinity

32 God’s Gracious  Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 202.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Lost and Found

Luke 15:1  Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2  And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3  So he told them this parable: 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? 5  When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' 7  Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8  "Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9  When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' 10  Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

This is all about spiritual exclusivity. The Pharisees and scribes observed a religious code that demanded ritual cleansing if they associated with people who were deemed to be unclean. So they adopted a policy of avoidance, and for this reason they criticized Jesus for socializing with sinners. Jesus responded to this by means of traditional rabbinical storytelling. A shepherd spends time and energy in searching for a lost sheep, and a woman diligently searches for a lost coin. Both of these make the point that “sinners” are to be found, and not discarded. In a culture where the religious people worked hard at punishing and excluding those who did not conform to society’s religious norms, Jesus urges the religious leaders to go in search of those who are lost to them.  

This story is just as applicable to us today: it challenges us to find ways of including those who do not conform to our cultural and religious norms. Sometimes this asks us to confront unjust and abusive religious systems with God’s Grace-full values.  Other times this demands a robust engagement of ideas where we all learn from one another. The one thing we cannot do, however, is to abandon people we deem to be ‘lost’. 

Hymn:

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Refrain

          Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
          Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Words: Fan­ny Cros­by, 1869; ap­peared in Songs of De­vo­tion (New York: Big­low & Main, 1870).

Second Sunday after Trinity

32 God’s Gracious  Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 202.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Lydia

Acts 16:11  We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12  and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. 13  On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14  A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15  When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.

Lydia of Thyratira was the first Christian convert in Europe. She dealt in purple cloth, which, because it was expensive to make, was the clothing of royalty and the very wealthy. It is probably AD50, and Paul is on his second missionary journey. He sees a vision calling him to Macedonia[1], and arrives in Philippi where he looks for a place to hold his Sabbath prayers. As narrated above, Paul discovers a group of women at the Gangites River (now called the Angista River) with whom he shares the story of Jesus, and they are baptised. Lydia subsequently offers him hospitality, and base for a house church is established.   

The significant point of this story is that the converts to the Jesus movement were women. This new Jewish revivalist movement is challenging the patriarchy of the Jewish-Christ followers. Women are attracted, and in Philippi, Lydia become the leader of the church. Whenever people want to insist that the household of God must be led by men, let us remember that the household of God in Philippi was led by Lydia. God makes no distinction between men and women when it comes to leadership. The only qualification is a servant heart.

Prayer:

Lead me Lord
Lead me all my life
Walk by me, walk by me across
The lonely road that I may face
Take my arms and let your hand
Show me the way
Show the way to live inside your heart
All my days, all my life

Gary Valenciano

First Sunday after Trinity

31 Mercy, Justice and Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 197.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

---

[1] Acts 16:9

Shalom (שָׁלוֹם)

Acts 9:31  Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. 32  Now as Peter went here and there among all the believers, he came down also to the saints living in Lydda. 33  There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralyzed. 34  Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!" And immediately he got up. 35  And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. 36  Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37  At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. 38  Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay." 39  So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40  Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up." Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. 41  He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42  This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

Luke tells us that the church “had peace and was built up”. The word peace / שָׁלוֹם / shalom means far more than the absence of violence. It expresses wholeness in body, mind and spirit.  Luke then uses the stories of Aeneas and Tabitha (Dorcas) to illustrate the peace that Jesus brings.

Aeneas, bedridden with paralysis, lived in Lydda, about 40 km from Jerusalem. For eight years he had been unable to travel to the temple to make the obligatory prayers and offerings. He was not at peace, both spiritually and physically - until Peter brought the peace of Jesus that healed him in every way possible. Sixteen kilometres further on in Joppa – the ancient seaport for Jerusalem – lived Tabitha. Here was one who had brought shalom to the poor through her sewing, but now there was only death and weeping. Again, Peter brings the peace of Jesus that silences the crowds and restored Tabitha to life.

Central to this story is the link between Jesus and Shalom. The life and teaching of Jesus is all about living in peace: it is all about bringing wholeness, healing, restoration, joy and a richness to life. All who follow Jesus are committed to shalom. It is simply impossible to claim to follow Jesus while destroying peace through anger, violence and death.

Prayer for Today:

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in you.

 Words: Sebastian Temple - based on a prayer by Saint Francis    

First Sunday after Trinity

31 Mercy, Justice and Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 197.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Beautiful Gate

Acts 3:1  One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o'clock in the afternoon. 2  And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. 3  When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. 4  Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." 5  And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6  But Peter said, "I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." 7  And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8  Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9  All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10  and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

The Beautiful Gate is only mentioned in Acts 3.2 when Peter and John went into the Temple, and is not mentioned in any other historical sources. Archeologist  Leen Ritmeyer suggests that it was the Double Gate in the southern wall of the Temple Mount, which he describes in his book The Quest, pp. 67-74. [1] I like the idea that something beautiful happened at this gate – and it therefore gained a nickname amongst the disciples.

In the light of this I am intrigued to discover another “Beautiful Gate”. This is an NGO, founded by Toby and Aukje Brouwer, that began as a project for street children in Cape Town. Today Beautiful Gate has grown into an association with organisations in South Africa, Lesotho and Zambia.[2]  And the thought struck me that we can all create our own “Beautiful Gates”. Let us see those who hang around the closed gates and doors begging for morsels of life – and find ways of offering moments of beauty. This can range from a greeting and a smile, to assistance, to advocacy for change in social structures.  Each of us will have our own particular contribution – but all of us can echo the words of Peter: what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

1.    Peter and John went to pray;
they met a lame man on the way.
He asked for alms and held out his palms,
and this is what Peter did say:

2.    "Silver and gold have I none,
but what I have I give to you.
In the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, rise up and walk!"

3.    He went walking and jumping and praising God,
walking and jumping and praising God.
"In the name of Jesus Christ 
of Nazareth, rise up and walk."

Arr. © 1974, Celebration.

First Sunday after Trinity

31 Mercy, Justice and Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 197.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

---

[1] See also http://www.ritmeyer.com/2010/12/14/the-beautiful-gate-of-the-temple/.

[2] http://www.beautifulgate.org/BGInter/about_his.html

Survivor

Acts 28:7  Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8  It so happened that the father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and cured him by praying and putting his hands on him. 9  After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. 10  They bestowed many honors on us, and when we were about to sail, they put on board all the provisions we needed.

Paul is under arrest, being transported from Jerusalem for trial in Rome, when his ship is wrecked on the island of Malta. Today there is an inlet called St Paul’s Bay which tradition locates as the site of this shipwreck.  A leader of this community is cured by Paul’s prayers, and they end up staying three months on this island.

What is remarkable is Paul’s generous spirit. He has been arrested, unfairly accused, imprisoned, shipwrecked, and just as the survivors haul themselves onto the beach – he is bitten by a snake![1]  Yet, instead of using the moment to plead his case before an important leader, he visits his home and prays for his health.

The question raised by this passage asks whether we are so wrapped up in our own misery that we do not see the needs of others. An ego-centred world will blind us to the suffering of people around us. The Christian response is always one that puts injustice and suffering in our community ahead of personal desires.

Song

Talk about suffering here below
And let's keep a-loving Jesus.
Talk about suffering here below
And let's keep a-following Jesus.

(Greg Graffin)

First Sunday after Trinity

31 Mercy, Justice and Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 197.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

---

[1] Acts 28:6

Pray for One Another

James 5:13  Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14  Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15  The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16  Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. 17  Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18  Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. 19  My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, 20  you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

This letter is thought to have been written by James the Just, the brother of Jesus. It was written between AD40-50, at the time of the stoning of Stephen and persecution of Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 8). This is encouragement to new followers of Jesus, who fond themselves excluded from their community and chased away from Jerusalem. James encourages them to pray, to confess sin, and not to give up hope.

There is a lesson in this: ours is a world that thrives on popularity and acceptance. We hesitate to do anything that is outside of the norm, and as a consequence it is difficult to stand firm for our beliefs when such a belief is unpopular. This requires courage, and prayer is the means to access courage. If you are experiencing hardship because of your faith – stand in the tradition of the early Jesus followers and be prayerful and cheerful.    

An afterthought: According to James - if we see someone we love who “wanders from the truth”, then they should “be brought back”. Such action is only permitted after an acknowledgement of personal sinfulness (James 5;16), and a willingness to go the journey to find the person where they are. All too often followers of Jesus confront sin from a platform of their own self-righteousness, without being willing to stand alongside the sinner as a fellow pilgrim.  D. T. Niles, adapting the words of Martin Luther, challenges  Jesus followers to become like “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”  [1]

Song:

Let this beggar tell another where I found bread,
I went asking for crumbs but found a banquet instead;
Seeking only for morsels I left this table well fed,
Follow me to the Master that's where you'll find bread.

ONE BEGGAR TO ANOTHER
by The Rochesters

First Sunday after Trinity

31 Mercy, Justice and Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 197.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

---

[1] http://www.notable-quotes.com/c/christianity_quotes.html. 

In His Steps

1Peter 2:21-25  For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. 22  "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23  When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24  He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25  For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

 In 1897 Charles Monroe Sheldon wrote a book entitled In His Steps  which was to become a Christian classic of its time. The title is borrowed from 1 Peter 2:21 “so that you should follow in his steps” , and this book challenges its reader not to do anything in life without first asking “What would Jesus do?” I am fascinated that although this book went on to sell more than 30 000 000 copies, and many, many more contemporary followers of Jesus have worn wrist bands with WWJD etched on them, very few have taken the time to think about the context of the verse that started it all: 1 Peter 2:21.

This verse comes from Peter’s letter written from Rome in approximately 67AD. The letter encourages Christians in the north-east province of what is known as Asia Minor (Turkey). They are dealing with the struggle to remain faithful to the way of Jesus in the face of religious and political persecution. Peter points out that Jesus also suffered “leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps”.  Therefore following in Jesus steps (by asking the question “What would Jesus do?”) is specific to suffering.

The question more accurately asks: “What would Jesus do when confronted with suffering, persecution and difficulty?” Jesus responded to persecution without returning the abuse, or threatening the abuser. Instead he “entrusted himself to the one who judges justly”.  So, following in the steps of Jesus, challenges us to find a grace-filled response in the face of suffering. This does not mean that Jesus-followers condone injustice or abuse. There is One who “judges justly” – and those who live life ignoring the ways of God are like sheep who have gone astray are asked to return to “the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”   

Today, June 16, is a national holiday in South Africa. We remember the young people of 1976 who confronted the system of Apartheid and forced the leaders into the painful process of change. Many leaders today embellish their histories with a “June 16^th story to enhance their status. What is forgotten is the essential fact of this day – that it was very ordinary young people from local communities who stood firm with dignity and courage as their only weapons. They suffered for a just cause, and many lost their lives, their education, and their liberty as a consequence. They truly followed in the footsteps of Jesus. The challenge for today – June 16 - is for us to confront evil and injustice with the love and grace of Jesus.

Sing:

For the healing of the nations,
Lord, we pray with one accord,
for a just and equal sharing
of the things that earth affords.
To a life of love in action
help us rise and pledge our word.

Lead us forward into freedom,
from despair your world release,
that, redeemed from war and hatred,
all may come and go in peace.
Show us how through care and goodness
fear will die and hope increase.

Words: Fred Kaan
Words © 1968 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188. 

First Sunday after Trinity

31 Mercy, Justice and Love

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 197.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.