Life without worry

Matthew 6:25  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26  Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27  And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28  And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith? 31  Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' 32  For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33  But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34  "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.

This passage is not an invitation to live without forethought. We are to use our God-given talents and skills to sustain ourselves, clothe ourselves and to provide for our families. This is not an invitation to lazy dependence on the provision of others!

It is, however, an invitation to live without the crippling, life-negating, energy sapping force of worry. Jesus invites his followers to live in a way that affirms our lives as a gift of God. When we choose to believe that God has created us, and that God continues to guide us through each day – then we do not need to “worry about tomorrow”. This frees us to live fully into whatever today brings, and trust that God will be waiting for me when tomorrow arrives.

Simply trusting every day; Trusting through a stormy way; Even when my faith is small, Trusting Jesus, that is all.
	Trusting as the moments fly, Trusting as the days go by, Trusting Him, whate’er befall,   Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Edgar Page Stites 1836-1921

Ordinary 22

44 True Greatness

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), 271.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Jealousy

Matthew 20:20  Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. 21  And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." 22  But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." 23  He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." 24  When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. 25  But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 26  It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27  and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; 28  just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Matthew tells us that jealousy is eating away at the unity of the group. The mother of James and John had asked Jesus for special favour for her sons, and they were mad:   “When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers”.   Mark’s Gospel records the story as initiated by James and John, whereas Matthew remembers this as the request of a pushy mother. What is fascinating is that both disciples remember this story...and it rankles! I have the sense of both Mark and Matthew still fuming over this event thirty years later when it came to putting the story into text. 

The fact is that jealousy eats away at the soul. Whether it is a first generation follower of Jesus, or one of two centuries later, we all struggle with our fragile egos. Our jealousies spring from the perception that someone else has a greater advantage than us. Some seek to counter this with wealth and power; some -like James and John - think that they can regain status by sitting next to powerful people.  The fact is that none of these help strengthen an insecure ego. Jesus offers a way to counter this:  “whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant”.  The secret to being released from jealousy lies in service.

Let us – as a daily discipline - consciously dismantle our jealousy by choosing to serve the people we meet ‘with glad and humble hearts’.  

“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.” 
― William Shakespeare, Othello

Ordinary 22

44 True Greatness

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), 271.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

All who exalt themselves will be humbled ....

Matthew 23:1  Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2  "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3  therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4  They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. 5  They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6  They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7  and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. 8  But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. 9  And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father--the one in heaven. 10  Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. 11  The greatest among you will be your servant. 12  All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

It is thought that “to get ahead in life” an individual must find ways to be noticed. Useful avenues include occupying public office, association with the rich and powerful, or ostentatious donations to charity.  Twitter, Facebook and blogs are harnessed in pursuit of self-promotion, as the individual lets society know what an awesome person he or she is.

Matthew tells of Jesus’ criticism of such relentless self-promotion. He is scathing about the ego-gratifying strategies of the leadership of his day:  “They do all their deeds to be seen by others ... phylacteries broad and their fringes long... the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues ... to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces.”  It was all about being seen to be important.

Sadly, I am watching how the office of the President of my country is being dishonoured by one who has used it to promote his own selfish ego.  Remember, says Jesus, “all who exalt themselves will be humbled.”  If we want to get ahead in the estimation of Jesus, then we are to humble ourselves and become the servants of all.

Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant too

We are pilgrims on the journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load

I will hold the Christ light for you
In the night time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh, I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through.

The Servant Song,  by Richard Gillard of New Zealand,

Ordinary 22 / Pentecost +15

44 True Greatness

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), 271.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Psalm 84

To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.

1        How lovely is your dwelling place,

 O LORD of hosts!

2      My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

3       Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars,

 O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.

4      Happy are those who live in your house,

ever singing your praise. [Selah]

5       Happy are those whose strength is in you,

in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

6      As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs;

the early rain also covers it with pools.

7       They go from strength to strength;

the God of gods will be seen in Zion.

8      O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;

give ear, O God of Jacob! [Selah]

9       Behold our shield, O God;

look on the face of your anointed.

10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness.

11    For the LORD God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor.

 No good thing does the LORD withhold from those who walk uprightly.

12  O LORD of hosts,

happy is everyone who trusts in you.

Ordinary 21

43 Jesus is the Way

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), 266.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Only 'Sinners' are welcome....

Luke 5:27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. "Follow me," he said to him. 28 And he got up and followed him, leaving everything behind. 29 Then a Levi gave a great banquet in his house for Jesus, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. 30 But the Pharisees and their experts in the law complained to his disciples, saying,"Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31 Jesus answered them,"Those who are well don't need a physician, but those who are sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Jesus was not picky about the company he kept. He made friends with a range of people - from the holy teacher Nicodemus to this "sinner" Levi.

Because of this I have confidence to believe that I too will be welcomed. And because of this I am challenged to be as welcoming of people - irrespective of their class, culture or religious standing.

For Thought

“Whosoever will!” the promise is secure;
“Whosoever will,” forever must endure;
“Whosoever will!” ’tis life forevermore;
  “Whosoever will may come.”

            “Whosoever will! whosoever will!”
            Send the proclamation over vale and hill;
            ’Tis a loving Father calls the wand’rer home:
              “Whosoever will may come!”

Ordinary 21

43 Jesus is the Way

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), 266.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Adrift in the Storm

Matthew 8:18  Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19  A scribe then approached and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." 21  Another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 22  But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." 23  And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24  A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25  And they went and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" 26  And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27  They were amazed, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"

Matthew writes this at a time when the first Christ-followers were struggling for life. Following Jesus resulted in some of them losing homes as they fled persecution; others found themselves cut adrift from the traditional (Jewish) faith that had nurtured them; while most had to deal with the loss of Jesus’ company and direction. Matthew remembers a story told by Jesus – a story that tells of a moment when the first disciples were very afraid; and of how the presence of Jesus calmed their fears.

Two thousand years later we too can go to this story and discover courage for our own lives. Despite what some television preachers suggest, Jesus does not promise that fearful things will never happen to us. Bad things do happen to good people. However, despite the storms that toss our lives into disarray, we can discover the courage of Jesus steadying our frail vessel. Let us not be dismayed by the encounters with evil that come our way – instead let us learn to trust Jesus to help us navigate the storms of life.     

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

o    Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Horatio G. Spafford, 1873

Ordinary 21

43 Jesus is the Way

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), 266.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Provoking the very best....

Hebrews 10:19  Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20  by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21  and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22  let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23  Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24  And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The writer says that Jesus opened up a new and living way which releases us “from an evil conscience”.  This is described as: “true heart ... sprinkled clean ... washed with pure water”, which will result in lives that show “love and good deeds” and the encouragement of one another.

It is so sad that followers of Jesus often preach and practice ways that imprison people rather than releasing them. Instead of opening space for new life, we want to impose the limits of age-old prejudices; instead of inspiring true hearts, we cause people to hide their weakness behind false smiles; rather than encouraging the good in people, we find fault.   

Let us who follow Jesus commit ourselves to provoking the very best in the people around us.

I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night time of your fear.
I will hold my hand out to you;
Speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping.
When you laugh, I'll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we've seen this journey through.

Richard Gillard, the composer and lyricist

© Copyright 1977 Scripture in Song/Maranatha! Music 

Ordinary 21

43 Jesus is the Way

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), 266.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.