Day 69: It's So Hard!

Mark 10:21-25

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Comments

Jesus loved this man and spoke to him not out of anger, but out of a loving concern that the man’s wealth was not bringing him true life, but keeping him from it.

Such an attitude was as preposterous to the disciples as the idea of a camel going through the eye of a needle. Their perspective, shared by all in that culture, was that wealth was a blessing from God and poverty a curse. Surely, they thought, those who were blessed by God would be the first to enter the kingdom.

Reflections

Jesus taught that the advantages of wealth in this world were disadvantages when it came to God’s kingdom. In what way does your understanding of wealth fit in with or stand against what Jesus is teaching here?

If this rich man had the wrong attitude toward wealth, what would a right attitude look like?

Prayer

Help me, Lord, not to be so blinded by the pursuit of wealth that I lose all sense of the problems it creates.

 

Day 68: It's So Easy!

Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Comments

In today’s world, where children are so often the focus of attention, it is hard to imagine there was a time when women and children counted for little.

The disciples were at the point where they had begun to realize that Jesus was the promised Messiah, someone who was far too important to be bothered by mere children.

Jesus not only failed to share the disciples’ perspective, he was indignant with them. A child’s humility, simple faith, dependence and sense of awe were exactly what was needed for anyone wishing to enter God’s kingdom.

Reflections

There is a world of difference between being childlike and being childish. How would you explain the difference? Which one fits what Jesus is saying?

Which positive characteristics of a child are most difficult for an adult to emulate?

Children understand concrete realities much better than abstract ideas. How would you tell a child about the kingdom of God?

Prayer

Help me, Lord, always to have a childlike sense of awe and wonder about your kingdom.

 

Day 67: Strange Guests #3

Luke 14:12-15

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

Comments

The kingdom of God has often been referred to as the “upside down” kingdom because it is in so many ways the opposite of our own world.

The social custom in Jesus’ day (and in ours) was based on “one good turn deserves another.” Such thinking encourages us to help those who expect our help and who we expect to return the favor.

The closing comment by “one of those at the table” was a way of saying, “Surely such wretched people will have no part at the feast in the kingdom of God!” Read the rest of the story (Luke 14:16-24) to see Jesus’ response.

Reflection

How many gifts (birthday, Christmas, etc.) have you given in the past year? How many people have you entertained in your home? What portion of these are in the category of “friends, relatives and neighbors?”

What would it look like for you to take literally what Jesus says to do here? What barriers would keep you from inviting those who could never return the favor?

Prayer

Help me break through cultural norms, Lord, to glimpse what your kingdom could look like in today’s world.

 

Day 66: Strange Guests #2

Matthew 2:1-2,10-11

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Comments

The only thing more amazing than lowly shepherds getting a special invitation to the birth of the Christ Child was the invitation extended to the Magi.

These “wise men” were certainly not lowly as their extravagant gifts were fit for a king. The Magi were Zoroastrian astrologers from Persia (Iran on today’s maps) who would be criticized on all accounts by many Christians today.

Reflections

There were countless pious Jews whom God could have invited to visit the Christ Child, but he chose to invite these Magi from a different land and a different religion instead. Do you think it possible that God speaks to people in different religions today?

Have you ever had a serious conversation with someone from a non-Christian religion? Did it quickly turn into an argument about who’s right and who’s wrong, or were you able to find common ground from which you could show respect to their beliefs without setting aside your own?

Prayer

Forgive me, Lord, for the arrogance that says only those who believe like me can be touched by you.

 

Day 65: Strange Guests #1

Luke 2:8-14

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

     Glory to God in the highest heaven,
     and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

Comments

It is not surprising that shepherds out in the fields were terrified when the night sky began to glow brightly and an angel appeared to them. Shepherds were not known for being particularly religious. In fact, the responsibility of caring for their sheep made it virtually impossible for them to attend Temple or participate in Jewish festivals. They couldn’t even observe the Sabbath properly by not working because their sheep needed to be taken care of every day.

Reflections

The shepherds were lowly people chosen by God to join the Holy Family as the Christ Child was born. Do you think of yourself as a lowly person God has chosen to be part of carrying out His plan for the world?

The angel announced peace “to those on whom his favor rests.” In what ways do you think of yourself as someone on whom God’s favor rests?

Prayer

Help me remember, Lord, that being lowly in no way disqualifies me from being chosen by you for a special purpose.

 

Day 64: Family Memories

Give thanks today for those who have parented you:

·   For your mother and father, who brought you into this world and did their best to prepare you for it; extend grace to them for their failures and shortcomings; be grateful for their strengths, persistence and endurance

·  For neighbors, teachers, employers, mentors and others who have been surrogate parents for you, caring enough about you to point you in the right direction and being willing to confront you when you were headed in the wrong one

·  For your Heavenly Father, who has been with you through all your doubts and fears, who knows your faults like no other and yet believes in you enough to entrust you with responsibilities, who loves you and guides you in every good way your parents ever did and in every good way you wish they would have done

Day 63: Prayer Challenge #9: Inviting into God's Family

The prayer challenges so far have been focused on building relationships with people through seeing God’s image in them, listening to their stories, putting love into action, and praying about their concerns. The final four prayer challenges will focus on helping people in their relationship with God.

To begin this week’s challenge, pray, “Heavenly Father, lead me to someone in whose life you are already at work. Help me understand where they are in their spiritual journey and whether they are ready to enter your family as your beloved child. Give me the courage to invite them to new life and the grace to accept that they might be ready to hear, but not yet ready to respond.”

When the opportunity comes, how do you begin such a conversation? A friend of mine simply asks, “So how are you and God getting along these days?”

Another approach might be something like this:

Everybody relates to God one way or another.

1. Some have no interest in God and doubt that God even exists.

2. Others believe in God, but don’t think much about him until problems come and they need God’s help.

3. Still others are angry with God because of something bad that happened to them or to a loved one. They may have felt close to God at one time, but not now.

4. And then there are those who have an intimate connection with God, seeing themselves as the beloved child of a Heavenly Father who is everything they wish their own father had been.

Do any of these descriptions fit you? If not, how would you describe your relationship with God?

Would you like to see God as your Heavenly Father and yourself as God’s beloved child? John 1:9-14 explains how this can happen. Let’s look at it together.

Do you believe Jesus is the light of the world who reveals God fully and clearly to us? If so, you have the right to become God’s child.

Is there anything in your life right now that is coming between you and God? If so, tell God what it is, receive God’s forgiveness, and be born anew as God’s beloved child. This new birth is not something you can do in your own power, but something God wants to do and will do in you.