Teach me Lord!

Psalm 25:1-9
Prayer for Guidance and for Deliverance

Of David.
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 
O my God, in you I trust;
   do not let me be put to shame;
   do not let my enemies exult over me. 
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
   let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. 


Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
   teach me your paths. 
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
   for you are the God of my salvation;
   for you I wait all day long. 


Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
   for they have been from of old. 
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
   according to your steadfast love remember me,
   for your goodness’ sake, O Lord! 


Good and upright is the Lord;
   therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 
He leads the humble in what is right,
   and teaches the humble his way.

Reflection

This portion of psalm reminds me to trust in God and to seek his guidance and teachings all through my life. It reminds me that I am a sinner and in need of God's mercy and forgiveness. This psalm reminds me that my life is not about me, or only for me, but is also for God and those God gives to me in life daily.

This psalm reminds me that God will show me the way that I am to act out God's love towards God and towards my neighbor. 

In my sinful nature God comes to me as a teacher I can trust and learn from. God opens up to me the lives of so many people from the Old Testament thru the New Testament that are examples of God's hand in the lives of his sinful people as they attempt to do God's will, learn God's teaching and seek to understand God's salvation.

I think God also makes a story out of my life and the lives of so many people that I am personally familiar with, that shows me God's action of love in their lives and God's direction towards salvation.

Prayer

Lord, as I trust you in this life you have given me, may I do your will and walk in your way as you desire for me to do with all of the people you give to me day after day. Create a life in me that has it's own unique story of the glory you deserve. Forgive me when I fail and teach me in my wrongs all along the way... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

It's Just Not Fair!

Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge"? 3 As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.

25 Yet you say, "The way of the Lord is unfair." Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? 26 When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. 27 Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. 28 Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, "The way of the Lord is unfair." O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?

30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live.

Reflection

It's just not fair! I've heard this before. I've probably said this before. But wait! What is fair?

The only thing that is fair in life are the meadows and the woodlands. (That's a joke)

If I think of life from my perspective; sure things are not fair. But who promised that things would be fair? I don't remember this being a promise by anyone. If I think of life from God's perspective (which I can't really do... but let's just pretend a minute), things aren't fair either. God created me and you and all that exists. God gave all to us. And I ruined it, you ruined it and so did everyone else. So, God sent Jesus into this world in flesh and blood to clean up the mess I made and to save me from my sinful self. That's not fair.

Really we all deserve eternal damnation and hell for our turning from God's perfectly fair ways towards our sinful unfair and selfish ways.

I cant' point my finger at you or anyone and say that all of this unfairness is due to you. I'm the one that sinned. It's not fair because of me. Likewise, you can't point your finger at me or anyone who lived before me or after me and blame the unfairness on me or them. I must take responsibility for my own sin and confess and repent before God.

But, thanks be to God that God is gracious and loving and merciful and wants me to have a new heart and a new spirit. So loving is God that Jesus came to take on my sinfulness that I am responsible for and saved me... you... and all of us.

Prayer

Lord, you are more than fair. Forgive my sin and create in me a new heart and a new spirit... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

Think before you Click

Matthew 21:23-32

23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" 24 Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

28 "What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Reflection

It's like I tell my grandson, and remind myself so many times; think before you act. How many times do I not take my own advice. How many times have I said something or texted something or posted something in a case where I did not think before I acted? How many times have I not considered another point of view? How many times have I not thought of the other person and how they would take my comment? How many times have I acted, only to find out that my actions did not help but rather hurt. I really don't think I'm alone in this sin. I think this sin is one of those sins, that, if we all paused to reflect upon, would find ourselves guilty. This sin is one of those sins where we come together and before God to confess and seek forgiveness.

This passage makes me think of how we can be so political in our actions. We want to get the angle or some behind the scene purpose of a question and carefully craft an answer that will keep us out of trouble or lead the outcome to some outcome that we desire. Politics plays into so many things these days, that we are suspect of spin all of the time.

Jesus! Of course John was sent from God to proclaim the way. Of course, I want to be the person that does the will of God. Sure, I may pause to think about it and seek to know what God's will and call for myself in this life consists of and follow that will. But... my sinful self holds back. I want to answer yes and run the other way. I want to sound good and Christian, but my weak backbone chickens out and I pause or delay or procrastinate myself into total inaction.

This passage of scripture points out the difference between actions and words. John acted on God's will and way in his life. John went and proclaimed and baptized. John may have questioned God at some point, I don't know. But I do know that God acted on God's will in his life. John respected God's authority in life and went and did what he was told. Did John do it all perfectly? I suspect not. But God has a way of using our imperfections to God's glory and to God's plan.

John wasn't about tricky questions but about action. The chief priests and elders seemed to try to trick with words but Jesus responded with action. Jesus responded in his life, ministry, word, teaching, suffering, death and resurrection. Thanks be to God that Jesus was sent for action to save all of us from sin, death and the devil not with political stunts, spin and deception.

May my life and your life and the lives of all God's people be a faithful response to what God has planned for each and all of us. May we think through the love we have been given, one for another, before we respond. May we all be sure to respond to the greatest gift of all through Jesus, our Savior.

Prayer

Lord teach me your will and your way. Teach me to think before I respond. Teach me to love the other. When I fail... forgive me... correct me... send me into this world to do your will in my life... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

We're all grapes hanging from the Vine

Matthew 20:1-16

1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, "You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, "Why are you standing here idle all day?' 7 They said to him, "Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, "You also go into the vineyard.' 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, "Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' 9 When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, "These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' 13 But he replied to one of them, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Reflection

On first impression I think of how thankful I am to be even given a daily wage for my work.

On first impression I associate the landowner with God.

But then...

Perhaps the landowner is not God. Perhaps the landowner is a person that wants to rule over the workers of the day. Perhaps the landowner is just another arrogant person of power and riches that humbles the workers who have spent all day in the vineyard by showing them that they are no more than peasants who can easily be paid just as much as the workers who only worked a short period of time. Perhaps the landowner is showing the peasants that money is no object and the peasant life can easily be paid for by the vast difference in the rich style of the owner verses the poor wages of the needy peasant lifestyle.

That view kind of turns it all around. It brings to light passages of the disciples playing out the status of who will sit on the right and left of the seat of Jesus in the kingdom to come. It brings to light the view of Christians today who lord it over other Christians that only their viewpoint is the correct and godly viewpoint. It brings to light how all of us try to lord our positions and opinions in life over another of God's creation's position and life.

I tend to think now of my status among the peasants and the workers of this world. We all are in need of the salvation that only God can offer. My position if landowner or peasant, first or last to work, doesn't depend on what wages I think I deserve, but depends on what wages Jesus, my Savior has given to me on the cross.

Yes, Jesus took on my sin and the sin of all the world to make all peasants and landowners righteous before the sight of God. We are not made righteous  through our power, prestige, wages, or even being first or last. We are made righteous by the blood, the suffering and the death of Jesus on the cross to take away our sin and free us to live a life of grace with God now and forever. May all people come to live in this harmony and common confession before God in this life we live, here and now. At least... live in the grace of God happy and joyous with our place in God's kingdom.

Prayer

Lord, so many times I take my position and opinion and force it upon another. So often I want that gap over another person that makes me feel that I am more powerful or richer than that sill peasant. Stop me in my tracks to see that all people are created in your glory and that I am here to live the gracious love you have given to free me through Jesus. Forgive me for the times that I separate myself from those you give to me and lord my religion, my opinion or my monetary place over another. Renew me and send me into your world to live in harmony and grace today, tomorrow and forever. --- Amen