November 6

Ministry from Galilee to Judea -- Matthew 19:1-2; Mark 10:1; Luke 9:51-56, 17:11-19, 10:1-42; Matthew 11:20-30; Luke 11:1-13  In Jerusalem for Feast of Dedication -- John 10:22-42

Find this Christian comic here.

One of my favorite stories is in this reading -- the story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers and only one returning to thank him.  I think gratitude and expression of gratitude are such an easy thing, such a powerful thing and yet so overlooked.  I try to say thank you often.  I want the people I work with to know me as person that thanked them.

November 5

In Jerusalem for Feast of Tabernacles (continued) -- John 8:12-59, 9:1-41, 10:1-21

The Pharisees -- Muppet Style

The Pharisees continue to challenge Jesus again and again.  How frustrating is that?  He's come to save.  He knows the price He will pay because He's already talking about it.  I wonder at what moment specifically in His life did Jesus understand that saving the world would require a sacrifice and that sacrifice would be Him?  Did He regret leaving?  Had He grown so close to the people here -- to Peter, James and John, to Mary and Martha, Mary Magdalene -- that He was sad to go?  Did He fear the pain and the shame?  I would like to know the heart and soul of Christ.  I know -- that requires reading and prayer and serving, walking in His steps to know His heart.  But in addition to that, I would like a vision and a voice.  But wouldn't we all?

The essential story in this reading -- sad, funny and poignant -- is the story of the blind man healed by Christ.  It seems unfeeling that instead of asking Christ to heal the man born blind they seem to clinically ask whose sin caused him to be blind -- his own or his parents?  Are people just projects to Christians?  They are people to Christ.  Jesus says its not their sin, "this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."  A hard teaching...but there are some challenges in our life that are there to point to God.  So Jesus heals him.

The the fun begins.

The people can't believe it.  They don't think it's the same man.  The Pharisees question him and his parents.  The parents are afraid of the Pharisees and their motives.  The man is very, very cool.  He's bold, sarcastic even funny with the religious leaders.  I like this guy.

When they question him again, he says, "I have told you already and you did not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?  Do you want to become His disciples, too?"  [John 9:27] 

lol  I just love that.  He throws them into a conniption fit.  This lowly blind man against the establishment. And then what a testimony follow from this man blind from birth to the well-educated and powerful Pharisees who have lived with every advantage and, yet, who don't know where Christ comes from.

The man answered, "Now that is remarkable!  You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners.  He listens to the godly man who does his will.  Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.  If this man were not fro God, he could do nothing." [John 9:30-33]

For his faith and boldness, this former blind man will see not only the truth but the Truth.  Jesus will make another appearance to him and reveal to him who He truly is, let him see what the Pharisees are blind to see.

November 4

In Jerusalem for Feast of the Tabernacles -- John 7:2-53, 8:1-11

Today is election day.  I pray for the safety of our President and our country.  

November 3

Preparation of Apostles for the End -- Matthew 16:13-28, 17:1-27, 18:1-35; Mark 8:27-38, 9:1-50; Luke 9:18-50, 17:1-10

Jesus is never what we expect.

So much here.  I'm sure the apostles heads are in a whirl.  Jesus trying to explain His death and resurrection.  The transfiguration on the mountain with the mysterious appearance of Moses and Elijah and the second pronouncement of God that Jesus is His son.  Their attempts to heal a demon-possessed boy and failure because they don't believe.  And the everyday sorts of surprises that living with Jesus just naturally crop up.  Did they ever get used to Him knowing what they were thinking and saying?  He answers the question about the Temple tax before Peter asks Him about it.  He knows they've been arguing over who the greatest is and so He uses a child to explain.  I don't think He picks a child because of their humility and innocence as many have suggested.  I think He picks a child because they are insignificant and unimportant and overlooked.  That would be consistent with the way Jesus did things.  It would be surprising that He held something up someone non-important as important to Him.

But in all of this, the story that has always reached out to me is Jesus words on those outside the perceived chosen group -- the people driving out demons in Jesus name that John wants to put a stop too because "he was not one of us."  [Mark 9:38-41] Lol.  First of all, here's someone with enough faith -- a greater faith than the apostles -- because they had tried and failed to heal a demon-possessed boy and this person was succeeding.  Christ views them as one of His.  The way God views His people is different than how we view His people.  He draws His circle of the saved differently than we would draw it.  

Praise God that the decision is in His hands and not ours.

November 2

Extensive Tour Throughout Galilee -- Matthew 15:21-39, 16:1-12; Mark 7:24-37, 8:1-26

Is there some irony here that Jesus asks the deaf mute He heals not to talk to anyone about what has happened?  Surely He already knew they couldn't keep a secret.  So why does He say it?  Is it His human side trying to avoid the inevitable?  

There's a lot of faith shown on the part of the people here.  The woman who begs Jesus for the scraps from His table and the 4,000 who have been with Jesus for three days without benefit of food.   Jesus show compassion and feeds them.  

Then there's the curious story about the blind man who Jesus has to heel twice.  Why does Jesus have to touch him twice?  Why didn't He heal the man with one touch?  Why did it require Him to touch him twice?  Was it for the man's benefit?  To give him time to acclimate?  Did Jesus make a mistake the first time around?  There's a lot of scholarly debate about what's going on or not going on here.  Was it Christ's human side showing itself again?

I don't know.  But I love the line:

...Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"  He [the blind man] looked up and said, "I see people, they look like trees walking around." [Mark 8:23-24]

People looking like trees walking around.  Love that image.

November 1

Miracles and Multitudes -- Matthew 14:14-36, 15:1-20; Mark 6:34-56, 7:1-23; Luke 9:11-17; John 6:2-71, 7:1

There's a lot in this reading but I want to focus on just one miracle.  One of the often-cited miracles in Jesus' ministry, a miracle that continues to captivate and intrigue us -- Jesus walking on the water.   What was that like?  Did his feet fall the waterline or step along the surface of the raging, hilly, storm-tossed sea?  Jesus walks on the water for three or three and a half miles.  Were His feet wet when He finally climbed into the boat?  Wouldn't you like to walk on water?  It was so amazing, so shocking, so other-worldly, that the apostles in the boat think He's a ghost.  

You have to hand it to Peter, even though he eventually sinks and Jesus has to help Him back up, Peter shows incredible daring by stepping out of the boat in the first place.  

October 31

Sending Out Apostles -- Matthew 9:35-38, 10:1-42, 11:1, 14:1-13; Mark 6:6-33; Luke 9:1-11; John 6:1

Jesus sends his apostles out two by two without Him.  I wonder what they thought about that?  They came to follow Him and now He sends them away.  And I wonder what the people thought about all of these others doing miracles, too?  It couldn't have been commonplace for so much news traveling around about these men healing people.  

And for a time, Jesus is on His own.  Was He preparing the apostles for the time when He wouldn't be with them in the flesh?  Just trying to getaway Himself?  Or was it so that more people would be healed?  Was it all out of compassion for the crowds?  I wonder what sorts of miracles the apostles did?  And what did they think when the power that was in Jesus was now in them?  Is this, there ability to do miracles, why they'd later argue over who was the greatest?  They reported what the did to Jesus but that's all that is revealed.  We can only wonder.

October 30

Performing Miracles -- Matthew 8:18-34, 9:18-34, 13:53-58; Luke 9:57-62, 8:22-56; Mark 4:35-41; 5:1-43; 6:1-6

After the slow plodding and genealogies and lists of tribes and numbering of people and the enumeration of laws in the Old Testament, the story of Jesus is a whirlwind of activity.  Miracle after miracle and so many are probably not even recorded.  From time to time, there is a verse that says that Jesus healed the sick that were brought to Him and you wonder how long the line was.  

One of the miracles that has always intrigued me is the woman who reaches out and touches the hem of Jesus' garment and is healed.  

She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getter better she grew worse. [Mark 5:26]

Sorry, doctors.  But there's so much you don't know.  The language of your profession is poignant.  Medicine is a practice and we are described as patients.  Perhaps because we deal with your practice with all patience.

But Jesus is different.  Why does he note this woman's touch when He's in a crowd and obviously so many other people are touching him.  Why is her touch different?  Is it her desire?  Is it her belief that after seeking so many cures she has finally found someone who can actually heal her?  It's incredible that after spending so much time and money she still reaches out to Jesus.  I admire her for her determination.  It was just whose garment she touched.  It was also about her and a heart that was touched by Jesus.

Jesus feels the power go out of Him.  Was He genuinely startled to the feel the power flow out of Him undirected by himself?  Perhaps Jesus can't help himself in the face of real faith and desire to come in contact with Him.  In such instances, the power just naturally flows out of Him.

I can't but wonder, too, about all of the people who wanted to be healed, who wanted to touch and be touched by Jesus, but were unable to fight the crowds or travel to see Him or perhaps even to find him as He traveled from town to town and from side to side of the lake.  Is our opportunity to find and be touched by Jesus in life just a matter of being in the right place at the right time?  Or is there something more at work.

October 29

Teaching Through Parables -- Matthew 13:10-52; Mark 4:10-34; Luke 8:9-18, 13:18-21

Jesus taught in stories.  In fact, God's greatest teaching came in the form of His son who lived with us and became part of human history and story.  

As a writer and creative director at a public relations and advertising firm, I appreciate the power of stories.  In stories, we step outside of ourselves to see truths that might be to close to observe in our own lives.  In stories, the emotion is engaged as well as the mind.  In stories, we can paint a picture of things otherwise difficult to hold in the mind.  And so, Jesus tries to explain the Kingdom of God by telling story of weeds and a mustard seed and a lighted lamp and yeast and hidden treasure.  

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.  He did not say anything to them without using a parable.  [Mark 4:33-34]

Stories speak louder than statements.  And so actions speak louder than words.  From story, Jesus moves to miracles in the next reading.

October 28

Luke 11:37-54, 12:1-59, 13:1-17

Jesus really doesn't like hypocrisy which appears to be an occupational hazard of religious leaders.  We want to draw lines, pronounce judgements, have others live the way that we think is write and we're incapable of following the lines and judgements and way that we prescribe ourselves.  And so we're hypocrites.  We are better to point people to Jesus and let him lead then to stand between them and God.  People aren't stupid and God doesn't hide himself from those who seek.  Just point them to Jesus and let him sort out whether they need to wash their hands or if it's ok to heal on the Sabbath opt to worship with a guitar.

Lawyers get the shout out from Jesus in this reading, too.

"And to you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them." [Luke 11:46]

Do we use our knowledge of God's word to do the same thing?  Then we don't have knowledge of God's word, which isn't a book it's a person.