Leadership is not about privilege, but sacrifice.

Morning: Psalm 105:1-22; Numbers 17:1-11; Romans 5:1-11

Evening: Psalm 105:23-45; Matthew 20:17-28

Jesus’ leadership contrasts starkly with our current trend towards egotism, authoritarianism and the offering of simplistic solutions for complex problems.  Jesus’ understanding of leadership is simple, but in no way simplistic:  “If anyone wants to be great, he must be your servant.”  Speaking about himself, Jesus says he: “didn’t come to have servants obey him, but to be a servant.”  When a leader says, without consultation, “This is what is going to happen …” I cringe.  When a leader asks, “Tell me how I may be of service to you,” hope springs.  Leadership is not about privilege, but sacrifice.

You cannot earn Love … you do not need to.

Morning: Psalm 101, 109:1-30; Numbers 16:36-50; Romans 4:13-25

Evening: Psalm 119:121-144; Matthew 20:1-16

“The last will be first and the first last”.  In yesterday’s Gospel, these same words pointed to the irony that riches make fullness of life elusive.  Today’s Gospel is a reality-check for any disciple of Jesus who thinks himself more worthy than the Johnny-come-lately who has done much less work.  How easily we fall into making comparisons – Jesus warns us not to.  Love extends gracious generosity to all, without distinction, and in equal measure.  Where Grace is found, there is no lasting human hierarchy of status, or wealth, or value. You cannot earn Love … you do not need to. 

Jesus’ great new world

Morning: Psalms 97, 99; Numbers 16:20-35; Romans 4:1-12

Evening: Psalm 94; Matthew 19:23-30

Jesus offers a ridiculously impossible image – a camel going through the eye of a needle – to explain how difficult it is for one burdened by the cares and preoccupations of wealth to experience fullness of life.  In fact, it does not work. Thus, he turns the priorities of the world upside down – the ones now at the back of the line will find they are served first, and the ones now at the front will have to wait until last.  Such is the unexpected newness of the great new world Jesus ushers in on the earth ... something completely different!

Am I so attached to my stuff that I can’t be free?

Morning: Psalm 89:1-18; Numbers 16:1-19; Romans 3:21-31

Evening: Psalm 89:19-52; Matthew 19:13-22

They try to keep children away from Jesus … children should be kept quiet; out of the way … They have too much unpredictable, bubbly, uncontrollable energy.  But that’s exactly what Jesus welcomes.  He relishes the freshness of children, because they are free, not attached to too many things that they can’t let go of.  Jesus tells the young man that he needs one thing if he is to be whole – he must stop clinging to his possessions.  But that is too much for him.  He can’t let himself be free.  So he cannot experience a truly full life.

John the Baptist: The Bridegroom’s Friend

Morning: Psalm 82, 98; Malachi 3:1-5; John 3:22-30

Evening: Psalm 80; Malachi 4:1-6; Matthew 11:2-19

In a lovely wedding yesterday, I witnessed Martin and Lesley pledge their hearts to each another.  How justly pleased the groomsmen were for Martin.  The Hebrew Bible tells that one day the Messiah will make Israel his ‘bride’ … this marriage metaphor shows God’s deep love for humanity, represented by one nation. For Christians, Jesus is this Messiah.  When Jesus the ‘bridegroom’ comes to his ‘bride’, Israel, his friend John the Baptist is anything but the jealous groomsman; John beams with joy as his friend comes to serve the people of Israel and finally to make all peoples his ‘bride’.

Keep your doubts to yourself; I have enough of my own

Morning: Psalms 87, 90; Numbers 13:31—14:25; Romans 3:9-20

Evening: Psalm 103; Luke 1:5-23

John Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer and politician, wrote: “Give me the benefit of your convictions, if you have any, but keep your doubts to yourself, for I have enough of my own.”  Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, doubted Gabriel’s news that Elizabeth, his wife, would bear a child – she had not been able to before.  You could understand Zechariah having doubts, right!?  But his reward for doubting was to become mute until John was born … he would now have to keep his doubts to himself!  Ouch! … hence the modern expression of disbelief, “Shut up!”

How hard it is to forgive, and how painful not to

Morning: Psalm 88; Numbers 13:1-3, 21-30; Romans 2:25—3:8

Evening: Psalms 91, 92; Matthew 18:21-35

A friend admitted how hard forgiveness is.  Jesus says, Forgive always!  If you don’t, you suffer – not as punishment, but because not being able to forgive is itself a painful, inner torture.  God does not inflict suffering; it comes from disturbances in the natural order.  When you cannot forgive, your world is off-kilter and you suffer turmoil. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus connects experiencing forgiveness with the ability to forgive.  When I cannot forgive, maybe it’s that I myself feel unforgiven in some way?  I pray my friend will be able to make peace and find relief.