Sunday, March 12, 2017

LHM Daily Devotion - "I'm Not Washing"


Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"I'm Not Washing"

March 13, 2017

The Pharisee was astonished to see that He did not first wash before dinner (Luke 11:38, ESV).

Read Luke 11:37-54

Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem for the last time. One Sabbath He stops to teach in a synagogue. After the service a Pharisee invites Him to share His morning meal. Before they eat, the Pharisee and his other guests carefully wash their hands, according to Jewish traditions. They believe eating with unwashed hands would contaminate the food which, in turn, made the body unclean in God's eyes.

It was time for Jesus to confront that error. Knowing all humans are contaminated by the sinful nature they receive from their parents and not from eating unclean food, Jesus refuses to wash His hands. His host is astonished, but Jesus refuses to back down.

He then starts blasting the traditions they trust to earn their way to heaven. It may seem unwise for Jesus to turn up the heat, but it is the greatest act of kindness anyone could do for them. If they keep straining to wash a little uncleanness from their hands, they will never let God remove the uncleanness and sin from their hearts, minds and souls.

This brings a complaint from the scribes. When He attacks the Pharisees, Jesus is really attacking the scribes, whose traditions the Pharisees are following. Jesus turns the heat up again. He accuses the scribes of burying God's gracious Old Testament promises beneath their traditions, which deceive people into relying on their own works rather than God's free forgiveness as given through His Son, the Messiah.

The Pharisees and scribes strenuously object. They pressure Him to speak on more things, lying in ambush, hoping He will blurt out something carelessly.

THE PRAYER:  Almighty God, Your Son Jesus made clear there is only one way into Your presence, through faith in Him. Drive from my heart and mind the lie that there are many ways. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Devociones de Cuaresma - Cuando Dios obra, las personas se confunden


Devociones de Cuaresma  2017

Cuando Dios obra, las personas se confunden

13 de Marzo de 2017

Jesús estaba expulsando un demonio que había dejado mudo a un hombre, y cuando el demonio salió, el mudo comenzó a hablar y la gente quedó asombrada... Otros... le pedían alguna señal del cielo. Lucas 11:14, 16, RVC (11:14-16)

Cuando estuvo en la tierra, Jesús hizo muchos milagros. Todos ellos fueron extraordinarios, porque corrigieron las distorsiones que el diablo produce en la vida de las personas. ¿Te imaginas escuchar hablar a alguien que nunca antes había hablado? Es como si un niño que sólo balbucea incoherencias, una mañana se levanta y sostiene una conversación con sus padres como si fuera un adulto. ¡Qué asombro para esos padres!

Dios todavía sigue haciendo milagros. Él sigue viendo nuestra mudez, nuestra sordera y ceguera, y nuestras deficiencias. Y, porque nos ama, obra en nosotros para modificar esas distorsiones: nos perdona para que nuestra vida pueda estar libre de culpas y temores, nos asiste con su Espíritu para despejar nuestras incertidumbres, y nos capacita para que podamos hablar libremente de su grandeza, y de lo que ha hecho por nosotros en Jesucristo. ¿No es esto asombroso?

Sí, para nosotros es asombroso, pero para otros, que no tienen el Espíritu de Dios, es desorientador. Después que Jesús expulsó al demonio e hizo hablar al mudo, algunos se asombraron y otros quedaron confundidos. ¿Por qué la confusión? ¿Por qué no celebrar la buena acción de Dios? Porque muchas personas no reconocen que Dios quiere hacerles bien porque sus expectativas respecto de Dios están torcidas. Algunas personas no quieren lo que Dios desea darles porque sus mentes y corazones apuntan a cosas superficiales y pasajeras.

¿Cómo ves los milagros de Dios en tu vida? ¿Qué esperas de Dios? Jesús nos muestra aquí que Dios está dispuesto a asombrarnos una y otra vez con su amor. Él viene a nosotros en su Palabra y en la Santa Cena para expulsar al maligno y hacernos hablar con alegría acerca del perdón, el cielo, y la vida eterna.

Gracias, Padre, porque sigues asombrándonos con tu amor. Amén.

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones.  ¡U tilice estas devociones en sus boletines! Usado con permiso. Todos los derechos reservados por la Int'l LLL. Reina Valera Contemporánea (RVC) Copyright © 2009, 2011 by Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas

Our Daily Bread - Surprise Interview

Read: Acts 26:9–15 | Bible in a Year: Deuteronomy 20–22; Mark 13:21–37

The King will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:40 nlt

On a crowded London commuter train, an early morning rider shoved and insulted a fellow passenger who got in his way. It was the kind of unfortunate and mindless moment that usually remains unresolved. But later that day, the unexpected happened. A business manager sent a quick message to his social media friends, “Guess who just showed up for a job interview.” When his explanation appeared on the Internet, people all over the world winced and smiled. Imagine walking into a job interview only to discover that the person who greets you is the one you had shoved and sworn at earlier that day.

Saul also ran into someone he never expected to see. While raging against a group called the Way (Acts 9:1–2), he was stopped in his tracks by a blinding light. Then a voice said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (v. 4). Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The One speaking to him replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (26:15).

Years earlier Jesus had said that how we treat the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, and the prisoner reflects our relationship to Him (Matt. 25:35–36). Who would have dreamed that when someone insults us, or when we help or hurt another, the One who loves us takes it personally?

Father, forgive us for acting as if You were not present in our moments of need, hurt, anger, or compassion.

When we help or hurt one another, Jesus takes it personally.

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Cuộc Phỏng Vấn Bất Ngờ

Đọc: Công vụ 26:9-15 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Phục truyền 20-22; Mác 13:21-37

Vua sẽ trả lời rằng: ‘Thật, Ta bảo các con, khi các con làm điều ấy cho một người thấp kém nhất trong những anh em nầy của Ta, tức là đã làm cho Ta.’ (Ma-thi-ơ 25:40)

Trên chiếc tàu lửa đông đúc ở Luân Đôn, một người đi xe buổi sáng sớm đã xô đẩy và sỉ nhục một hành khách khác khi bị cản đường. Hành động ngớ ngẩn và không may như thế này thường không được giải quyết. Nhưng sau đó, điều không mong đợi đã diễn ra. Một giám đốc kinh doanh gởi một tin nhắn đến những người bạn trên mạng xã hội của mình: “Hãy đoán thử ai vừa xuất hiện trong cuộc phỏng vấn xin việc”. Khi giải thích của ông xuất hiện trên internet, mọi người trên khắp thế giới giật mình mỉm cười. Hãy tưởng tượng bạn bước vào cuộc phỏng vấn xin việc và khám phá rằng người chào mừng bạn là người mà bạn đã xô đẩy và chửi rủa trước đó.

Sau-lơ cũng đã gặp một người mà ông không bao giờ mong đợi sẽ gặp. Trong lúc đang nổi giận với nhóm người gọi là người theo Đạo (Công 9:1-2), thình lình ông bị chặn lại bởi ánh sáng gây mù mắt. Rồi có tiếng phán rằng: “Hỡi Sau-lơ, Sau-lơ, sao ngươi bắt bớ Ta?” (c.4). Sau-lơ thưa: ‘Lạy Chúa, Chúa là ai?’ Chúa đáp: ‘Ta là Jêsus mà ngươi đang bắt bớ.” (26:15)

Nhiều năm trước, Chúa Jêsus đã nói rằng cách chúng ta đối xử với người đói khát, khách lạ và người bị tù sẽ phản ánh mối quan hệ của chúng ta với Ngài (Mat. 25:35-36). Ai nghĩ rằng khi ai đó làm tổn thương chúng ta, hay khi chúng ta giúp đỡ hay làm tổn thương ai, thì Chúa coi đó là làm cho Ngài?

Lạy Cha, xin tha thứ cho chúng con vì đã hành động như thể Ngài không hiện diện trong những giây phút con thiếu thốn, tổn thương, giận dữ hay bày tỏ lòng trắc ẩn.

Khi chúng ta giúp đỡ hoặc làm tổn thương nhau, Chúa Jêsus xem đó là việc chúng ta đang làm cho Ngài.


© 2017 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày

Nuestro Pan Diario - Entrevista sorpresiva

Leer: Hechos 26:9-15 | La Biblia en un año: Marcos 13:21-37

… De cierto os digo que en cuanto lo hicisteis a uno de estos mis hermanos más pequeños, a mí lo hicisteis (Mateo 25:40).

Una mañana, temprano, un pasajero empujó e insultó a otro que se le cruzó mientras viajaban en un tren repleto de gente en Londres. Fue esa clase de situaciones desafortunadas y sin sentido que no se resuelven. Pero, al rato, sucedió algo inesperado. El gerente de una empresa envió un breve mensaje a sus amigos en una red social: «¿Adivinen quién apareció para una entrevista de trabajo?». Su explicación hizo que gente en todo el mundo se sonriera. ¿Te imaginas ir a una entrevista de trabajo y descubrir que la persona que te recibe es la que poco antes habías insultado?

Saulo también se cruzó con alguien a quien jamás esperó ver. Mientras perseguía a un grupo llamado Camino (Hechos 9:1-2), lo hizo detener en su trayecto una luz que lo encegueció. Entonces, una voz dijo: «Saulo, Saulo, ¿por qué me persigues?» (v. 4). Saulo preguntó: «¿Quién eres, Señor? Y el Señor dijo: Yo soy Jesús, a quien tú persigues» (26:15).

Años antes, Jesús había dicho que nuestra manera de tratar a los hambrientos, los sedientos, los extranjeros y los presos refleja nuestra relación con Él (Mateo 25:35-36). ¿Quién hubiese imaginado que, cuando alguien nos insulta, o cuando nosotros ayudamos o lastimamos a otra persona, Aquel que nos ama lo toma personalmente?

Señor, perdónanos por olvidar que siempre estás presente.

Cuando ayudamos o lastimamos a alguien, Jesús lo toma personalmente.


Unser Täglich Brot - Böses Erwachen

Lesen: Apostelgeschichte 26,9-15 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: 5.Mose 20–22; Markus 13,21-37

Und der König wird sagen: Wahrlich, ich sage euch: Was ihr getan habt einem von diesen meinen geringsten Brüdern, das habt ihr mir getan. Matthäus 25,40

Im überfüllten Morgenzug der Londoner U-Bahn rempelte ein Passagier einen anderen an und beschimpfte ihn. Es war ein unglücklicher, gedankenloser Moment, der meist keine weiteren Folgen nach sich zieht. Ein paar Stunden später jedoch schickte ein Geschäftsmann eine Kurznachricht an seine Freunde: „Stellt euch vor, wer gerade zum Bewerbungsgespräch hier war!“ Auf der ganzen Welt lachte man über die Geschichte und mancher war peinlich berührt. Stell dir vor, du kommst zum Bewerbungsgespräch und entdeckst, dass der Mensch, der dir gegenübersitzt, genau der ist, den du am Morgen geschubst und beschimpft hast!

Saulus begegnete auch jemandem, mit dem er nie gerechnet hätte. Während er noch gegen die Anhänger des „neuen Weges“ kämpfte und tobte (Apg. 9,1-2), wurde er vom einem blendend hellen Licht abrupt gestoppt. Dann sagte eine Stimme: „Saul, Saul, was verfolgst du mich?“ (V.4). „Herr, wer bist du?“, fragte Saul. Worauf die Antwort kam: „Ich bin Jesus, den du verfolgst“ (V.5).

Jahre vorher hatte Jesus gesagt, dass daran, wie wir Hungernde, Durstige, Fremde und Gefangene behandeln, deutlich wird, was für eine Beziehung wir zu ihm haben (Matth. 25,35-36). Wer hätte gedacht, dass der Eine, der uns liebt, es ganz persönlich nimmt, wenn uns jemand beleidigt oder wir einander helfen oder verletzen.

Vater, vergib uns, wo wir so tun, als wärst du nicht da in den Momenten unserer Not oder Angst, unserer Wut oder Anteilnahme nicht da.

Ob wir einander helfen oder verletzen—Jesus nimmt es ganz persönlich.


© 2017 Unser Täglich Brot

Notre Pain Quotidien - Une entrevue surprise


Et le roi leur répondra : Je vous le dis en vérité, toutes les fois que vous avez fait ces choses à l’un de ces plus petits de mes frères, c’est à moi que vous les avez faites. (Matthieu 25.40)

À bord d’un métro londonien, un passager matinal a invectivé un autre passager qui lui a barré le chemin. C’était le genre d’incident malheureux et irréfléchi qui reste généralement irrésolu. Plus tard ce jour‑là, l’inattendu s’est toutefois produit. Un gestionnaire a envoyé un mot à ses amis des médias sociaux : « Devinez qui vient de se présenter à une entrevue d’emploi ! » Lorsque son explication a paru sur Internet, des gens du monde entier lui ont envoyé des clins d’oeil et des sourires. Imaginez un peu vous faire accueillir à une entrevue d’emploi par la personne même qui vous a invectivé quelques heures auparavant !

Saul a également croisé le chemin de quelqu’un qu’il ne se serait jamais attendu à voir. Lancé aux trousses d’un groupe de « la nouvelle doctrine » (AC 9.1,2), il s’est fait arrêter net par une lumière éclatante. Puis une voix lui a dit : « Saul, Saul, pourquoi me persécutes‑tu ? » (V. 4), ce à quoi Saul a rétorqué : « Qui es-tu, Seigneur ? » Son interlocuteur lui a répondu : « Je suis Jésus que tu persécutes » (26.15).

Des années auparavant, Jésus avait dit que notre façon de traiter les gens qui ont faim ou soif, les étrangers et les prisonniers reflète notre relation avec lui (MT 25.35,36). Qui aurait cru que celui qui nous aime prendrait la chose personnellement lorsqu’une personne nous insulte, ou encore lorsque nous aidons ou blessons quelqu’un ?

Que nous nous entraidions ou nous blessions, Jésus le prend à coeur.


Хліб Наш Насущній - Несподіване інтерв’ю

Читати: Дії 26:9-15 | Біблія за рік: Повторення Закону 20–22 ; Марка 13:21-37

Цар відповість і промовить до них: Поправді кажу вам: що тільки вчинили ви одному з найменших братів Моїх цих, те Мені ви вчинили. — Матвія 25:40

Якось вранці в переповненій приміській електричці один чоловік штовхнув і образив іншого пасажира. Це був звичний епізод про який можна лише забути. Але пізніше того дня сталась несподіванка. “Скривджений” виявився комерційним директором. І він написав своїм друзям у соцмережі: “Здогадайтесь, хто тільки-но з’явився до мене для співбесіди стосовно роботи?” Коли він додав пояснення ситуації, люди по всьому світі посміхались і водночас кривились. Уявіть лише, ви заходите до директора з надією отримати роботу і впізнаєте в ньому людину, яку ще сьогодні вранці штовхали й ображали.

Савл також стикнувся з Тим, з Ким ніяк не планував зустрічі. Лютуючи проти тих, хто слідував за Ісусом, він одного дня був зупинений на дорозі осліплюючим світлом (Дії 9:1-2). Пролунав голос: “Савле, Савле, чому ти Мене переслідуєш?” (Дії 9:4). Савл у свою чергу запитав: “Хто Ти, Господи?” І почув у відповідь: “Я Ісус, що Його переслідуєш ти” (Дії 26:15).

Ще раніше Ісус, навчаючи народ, пояснював, що наше ставлення до голодних, спраглих та чужинців відображає наше ставлення до Нього Самого (Мт. 25:35-36). Чи вам спадало коли-небудь на думку, що коли хто ображає іншого, шкодить йому або, навпаки, простягає руку допомоги, Ісус – Той, Хто так полюбив нас – сприймає це дуже особисто?

Отче Небесний, пробач, що в момент прояву добрих або негативних почуттів ми інколи поводимось так, наче Ти не присутній поруч.

Ісус дуже особисто приймає наше добре й погане ставлення до інших.


© 2017 Хліб Наш Насущній

Хлеб наш насущный - Неожиданное интервью

Читать сейчас: Деяния 26:9-15 | Библия за год: Второзаконие 20-22; Марка 13:21-37

И Царь скажет им в ответ: «Истинно говорю вам: так как вы сделали это одному из этих братьев Моих меньших, то сделали Мне». — Матфея 25:40

В переполненном Лондонском метро ранним утром какой-то человек в спешке оттолкнул и вдобавок обругал другого пассажира, оказавшегося на его пути. Обычно такие стычки возникают и забываются как некое неизбежное зло. Но не в этом случае. Тем же днем менеджер крупной компании разместил в социальной сети сообщение под заголовком: «Угадайте, кто пришел ко мне устраиваться на работу». Происшествие вызвало интерес по всему миру, и было отчего. Представьте, что вы пришли на собеседование по трудоустройству, а вас там встречает тот самый человек, которого вы сегодня утром оттолкнули и обругали в метро.

Савл также наткнулся на Того, Кого совершенно не ожидал увидеть. Дыша яростью против учеников Христа (Деян. 9:1-2), он был остановлен на дороге в Дамаск ослепительным светом с неба. Затем голос сказал: «Савл, Савл! Что ты гонишь Меня?» Он спросил: «Кто Ты, Господи?» Говоривший ответил: «Я Иисус, Которого ты гонишь» (Деян. 9:4-5).

Несколькими годами ранее Иисус учил, что наше отношение к голодным, жаждущим, странникам, больным и заключенным влияет на отношения с Ним (Мф. 25:35-36). Кто бы мог подумать, что, когда кто-то обижает нас или когда мы помогаем другим христианам, любящий нас Господь принимает это на Свой счет!

Отче, прости нас, что порой ведем себя так, словно Тебя нет рядом в часы нужды или скорби. Помоги проявлять заботу и внимание ко всем верующим в Тебя.

Поддерживая или обижая друг друга, мы делаем это Христу.


© 2017 Хлеб Наш Насущный

The Readings for SUNDAY, March 12, 2017 - 2nd Sunday in Lent (Reminiscere)


The Old Testament Lesson

The Old Testament Lesson for today is taken from Genesis 12:1-4

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!


Psalms

Psalm 121 Levavi oculos
1   I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?
2   My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.
3   He will not let your foot be moved and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
4   Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep;
5   The LORD himself watches over you; the LORD is your shade at your right hand,
6   So that the sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7   The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; it is he who shall keep you safe.
8   The LORD shall watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth for evermore.


The Epistle Lesson

The Epistle Lesson for today is taken from Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations")-- in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!


The Holy Gospel Lesson

The Holy Gospel is written in John 3:1-17
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!


Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Here ends the Gospel lesson for today
Glory be to Thee ,O Christ!


The Apostle's Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.


New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

We Are Born Again Throughout Our Lives - The Readings for SUNDAY, March 12, 2017 - 2nd Sunday in Lent (Reminiscere)

Nicodemus (left) talking to Jesus, by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:1-17, ESV)

"We Are Born Again Throughout Our Lives"
by Ronald Harbaugh

Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, in our baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus, your beloved Son, you have redeemed us from sin and death, and claimed us as your own. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, help us to realize that our new birth in baptism continues to unfold throughout our lives, and that you will never abandon us. This we ask, in Christ’s holy name. Amen

In his commentary on our Gospel lesson for this morning, Thomas G. Long cites that the famed preacher, Fred Craddock, often described the tendency for us humans to try to shrink the Christian faith to a manageable size, to fit it into the tiny boxes of our impoverished religious imagination.

He says that with sharp wit, Craddock tells of people who have boiled the Christian faith down to slogans, of those who have taken the spacious and infinite promises of God and reduced them to bumper stickers. For example, he says that this shrink-wrapped faith is easy to identify when the back bumper of a car reads “God Is My Co-pilot,” to which Craddock adds, “So, Mr. Driver, that must mean that you are the pilot. I think I’ll take another flight.”

And how often these boiled down slogans truly miss the point of our faith.

For instance, Craddock describes a grinning seminary student who ambles mindlessly up to the theology professor, who had just delivered a passionate, sweat-drenched lecture on the mysterious depths of God’s unmerited grace. And what does he say? “Hey prof, I guess it boils down to ‘God helps those who help themselves,’ right?” [1]

This morning’s gospel is a familiar text. And like all familiar stories from the Bible, we often have this tendency to presume that, since we have heard it before, we already know what it means. And yet, as I have entered the last decade of my active ministry, I have begun to take a new look at these texts, in the hope that they might surprise me with new insight. After all, as I read some of my older sermons in preparation for preaching, I don’t very often find them very helpful.

And perhaps this is where we might enter our Gospel lesson for this morning. I have found over the years that God’s Spirit is continually challenging us to expand our preconceived understanding of Scripture, to help us grow in faith. In other words, God’s Spirit helps us to break open those tiny boxes that Craddock describes, to gain a glimpse of the infinite promises of God.

And to this end, we might do well to consider how we might identify with Nicodemus. Here was a man who was highly versed in the Scriptures. He was a leader of the Jews, perhaps a member of the Sanhedrin, the group that decided issues of faith for the life of Israel. Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, and says to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God’ for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.”

As Thomas Long puts it, “Nicodemus establishes the conversation on grounds save and comfortable to himself: a conversation between established authorities. He gives Jesus the title “rabbi…teacher.” But he speaks as one who has power and tradition on his side. “We know…” he says, speaking for and from the established group, confident. He brings to the table a fixed understanding of what can and what cannot happen in the world and in human experience.

Thus, the very opening lines of this story present Nicodemus as the spokesperson of a fixed, immutable world, confident of its knowledge and closed to the surprising and the new. The rest of the story, and of the whole Gospel of John, is about that tightly bound world coming unraveled. At each turn in the road, Jesus confronts Nicodemus’ boxed view of reality.” End quote.

And how does Jesus confront those closed boxes of Nicodemus’ fixed understanding of the Scriptures? He tells Nicodemus that “no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”

Nicodemus responds to Jesus by asking, “How can one be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be reborn? Nicodemus, it seems, is totally confused by Jesus’ statement. But then, we shouldn’t blame him. The Greek word that John records Jesus using here, “anothen,” can have two connotations. One spatial, meaning “from above.” The other temporal, meaning “again.” Thus, Nicodemus could easily have taken our Lord’s statement in earthly terms. Nevertheless, his box of preconceived ideas was shaken.

We mainline Protestant churches do not talk much about the idea of being “born from above.” And we have good reason not to dwell on it, because the New Testament does not dwell on it. The word “anothen” occurs only twice in the entire New Testament, and both of them are in this passage. But you would never know this by some Christians. They have turned this phrase into a box of their own, thinking they captured what it means.

Personally, I believe that the mainline Christian Church is correct in not emphasizing “being born from above” as an event in ones life that needs to occur in order to see the kingdom of God. And I say this, not because of the phrase’s double meaning, but because as it appears in the Greek in which this text was written, the phrase involves a present participle, meaning that it is an ongoing process. It does not describe a one-time event.

As a result, our church stresses the concept that John Ylvisaker captured in the hymn, “I Was There to Here Your Borning Cry.” The phrase is correctly translated “borning from above, or being born.” It implies an ongoing process of our rebirth by God’s Spirit, throughout our life.

Albert G Butzer, in his book Tears of Sadness, Tears of Gladness, picks up on the ongoing process of being born from above, as he relates it to the explanation Jesus gives of the phrase. Jesus says to Nicodemus, being born from above is a lot like the wind. “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Butzer writes: “The winds on the Chesapeake Bay where I sail, are not very predictable. One day they will blow down from the North, another day from the Southwest. On still another day, a sea breeze off the Atlantic will fill in from the Southeast. As a result, you never know what to expect.

The wind of the Spirit is like the wind on the Chesapeake: subtle, mysterious, always changing, rarely the same two days in a row. It is the wind – the wind of the Spirit – which can blow into your life and mine in ways that are so subtle that you hardly notice until one day you open your eyes and begin to see things differently.” End quote.

And this is what happened to Nicodemus. Even though he thought he had a deep understanding of what it meant to be a person of God, even though he was a theological scholar and a member of the Sanhedrin, the Spirit of God continued to challenge those tiny boxes in which he had put his trust, and at the end of John’s Gospel, Nicodemus again appears, as a disciple of Jesus, who worshipfully cares for his dead body.

As our hymn began, “I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old…” The Spirit of God is like the wind. It comes and goes, constantly challenging our attempts to confine and minimize our conception of the Gospel. It is the promise of God to walk with us throughout our life, ever opening new doors to understanding his grace at work among us. Thanks be to God.

Amen

[1] Pulpit Resource, Logos Productions, 1999.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

Verse of the Day - March 12, 2017


2 Peter 1:4 (NIV) Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Read all of 2 Peter 1

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Un Dia a la Vez - ¡Feliz!


Tu amor me ha alegrado y animado mucho porque has reconfortado el corazón de los santos.

Hoy deseo para ti y todos los tuyos un día muy especial. ¿Recuerdas cuándo fue la última vez que salieron de tu boca palabras de afirmación por alguien o cuándo le dijiste a esa persona que tanto amas que te equivocaste?

A veces no es solo una palabra tuya la que le dará felicidad. También lo hará una sonrisa a tu esposa, a tus hijos o a tus compañeros de trabajo.

Ya sabes lo significativo que es dar un abrazo al que hoy se siente solo o triste.

Da de lo mucho que tienes. No te conformes con ser feliz tú solo.

Extiende tu felicidad a otros y muéstrales ese Dios vivo que está en ti.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón. La Santa Biblia, Nueva Versión Internacional® NVI® Copyright © 1986, 1999, 2015 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. I Peter 2:21 (NIV)

In the old Museum of Atheism and Religion in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) during the cold war era, visitors upon entry were first subjected to a major display of pro-evolution propaganda. Then came the world religions section dominated by displays of the sordid history of Christianity such as the Inquisition and the Crusades.

Towering over that display area was a huge crucifix. The museum guides would explain it this way: “Christians love to suffer. Ever since their leader, Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross like this, they have had a persecution complex!”

While we are definitely not called upon to have a persecution complex, we as Christians are repeatedly reminded in scripture that our lot is indeed to follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Master.

When Jesus gave His last major teaching session to his disciples, he included a serious prediction about the reactions of the world. In what we now call the Upper Room Discourse (John 15-17), Jesus told his closest followers—probably as they were walking along (see John 14:31b)—that they were to remain [abide] in Him as a branch in the vineyard is connected to the main stalk.

He then reiterated his command that they were to love each other as He had loved them and was willing to lay down His life for them—the highest form of love. Little did they understand that prediction. Yet it would be fulfilled the very next day.

Then he contrasts that love of the brethren with the reaction of hatred from the world: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first…for they do not know the one who sent me” (John 15:18-21). A little further down in the discourse, He says, “…in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God” (John 16:2b).

Jesus was indicating that as He suffered, so would His disciples. Every human being endures some suffering in his lifetime. It may be the physical suffering of sickness or injury. It may be the inner suffering caused by the death of a loved one, rejection by friends, or simply loneliness. Whatever the cause may be, we all seek to avoid it as much as possible. The scriptures make it very plain that Christians are subject to all the causes of suffering common to men, plus the added persecution that comes with taking a clear stand for Christ.

RESPONSE: Today I will walk in the suffering footsteps of Jesus, my Lord and Saviour; no complaints.

PRAYER: Lord, give me grace to accept the responses of the world as Jesus did. As I abide in You, may I also show Your love to everyone.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.