For Hilary, and anyone else who has lost a friend.

A couple weeks ago my friend Hilary was riding a tandem bicycle with her boyfriend Rob when they were struck by a pick-up truck. Rob was pronounced dead and Hilary was taken to the hospital. My assumption was that Hilary has been recovering in the days that have passed since the accident; I guess ignorance is bliss. The truth, as I read last night on Facebook, is that she hasn’t recovered and last night she, it’s hard to even write it, last night she died.

I first met Hilary when I working as a counselor at Stony Lake Lutheran Camp in the summer of 1999. She was tall and loud, just like me. She was on crutches which made it hard for her to get around camp, but she never stopped smiling. She came back to camp in the summer of 2000, and it seemed like she never left. I think she was at camp for 6 or 7 weeks that summer. I got to know her as more than just a camper, but as a friend. Our paths crossed a number of times since then, and she would always greet me with a smile and say, “Hi friend!”

But now she is gone and it sucks.

It sucks because her life, which she lived to the fullest, was cut short.

It sucks because she was a good person who was just riding her bike.

It sucks because I didn’t know Rob at all, but if Hilary loved him, he must have been an awesome guy.

It sucks because she was working as a Youth Director and using her God-given gifts to change lives.

It sucks because I can’t remember the last time that I talked her. We lost touch a few years ago, which was probably my fault, and now we can never re-connect. I used to have her phone number, but somehow lost it over the years. Somehow, we weren’t even Facebook friends anymore.

It sucks because I can never make up for being a bad friend.

It sucks because I assumed she was doing better and stopped praying for her.

It sucks because I didn’t and couldn’t do anything to help.

It sucks because I never got to say “Goodbye friend.”

It sucks because it hurts.

It sucks because it sucks.

I feel like I should be comforted knowing that she is in heaven. I should tell myself that “I will see her again someday as we all gather for a campfire in a place far more beautiful than Stony Lake,” (if such a place can even be imagined.) I should try to learn from this and become a better person, a better friend.

But I’m not ready for any of that. I’m not ready to be comforted. I’m not ready to be over it. I want to stay sad for a little while; I want to stay angry, because it sucks.

Hosea 1

Verse 2: "When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, 'Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.'”

I was at dinner last night with a friend who is getting married soon. He told us how he proposed to his fiancé and how he can't wait to be married. It was easy to see love in his eyes as he shared his romantic story. He's excited because love is exciting.

This verse from Hosea is not very exciting. This verse is actually pretty disturbing. God commands Hosea to marry a promiscuous woman because Israel has been unfaithful. Hosea will be stuck with a wife that will cheat on him, because that's what God wants. God wants Hosea to know what it feels like to be betrayed and miserable. I wonder if God made a deal with him, maybe something like; "I know your life is going to be miserable, but you'll get a book of the Bible named after you."

Hosea marries a woman named Gomer and they have a couple kids who are given names (by God) that when translated mean "not loved" and "not my people." Can you imagine naming your child "not loved"? Every time they heard their name they would be reminded that they weren't loved. That's the worst name a child could ever be given.

At this point I want to ask "how is ruining Hosea's life and the lives of his children going to make God feel better?" But I think that would be missing the point.

We all, like Gomer, turn from the love of God. We all say and do things that are hurtful. At times in our lives we are unlovable, every day we could change our name to "sinner."

Yet God looks at us, His children, and calls us "precious," "holy" and  "beloved." That's exciting!

Luke 24

The resurrected Jesus meets two people walking on the road to Emmaus. He asked them what they were talking about. One of them, Cleopas, responded, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (Verse 18)

Jesus was crucified during the Festival of Passover. There were millions of Jewish pilgrims that were in Jerusalem at the time. Apparently the news of Jesus’ death and resurrection had spread throughout the whole city. This was before the internet, television, and the telephone. Everyone was talking about what happened! This news was worth talking about.

It must have brought Jesus incredible joy to know that people were talking about him; they were telling his story.

An innocent man was killed. Three days later he was back alive! That is crazy news. If that happened today, everyone in the world would be talking about it. Every television station would be talking about Jesus and fighting for a chance to interview him.  

Just because it happened 2,000 years ago, doesn’t make it any less real; it doesn’t make it any less newsworthy.

This story is still worth telling.

Luke 23

Jesus went before Pilate, but Pilate sent him to Herod since Jesus was from Galilee. Herod was excited to meet Jesus, but found no reason to punish him, so he sent him back to Pilate. Finally Pilate decided to have Jesus crucified.

This back and forth must have been exhausting for Jesus, but Herod and Pilate actually got something out of it; they became friends! “That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.” (Verse 12)

I will always remember the day that my wife and I made the seating chart for our wedding reception. We tried our best to put people together that might have something in common with each other. Family was easy, but putting friends together was a challenge. Some of it was easy, my college friends sat at one table, my old work friends sat at another, and my seminary friends were at another. But then it got challenging.

People naturally get along with other people when they share a common interest. My best friendships have either started over a common interest in sports or in God.

I don’t have any friendships that started over a common enemy. But I don’t think these kind of friendships are uncommon. Hate groups are the easiest example of this, but even the United States and Russia got along in the 1940’s while they were fighting Hitler. I think that politics is full of this today. People are joining parties not for what they believe, but for who or what they are against.

That being said, the crucifixion of Jesus has to be the worst reason to start a friendship in the history of friendships. The common interest they share is the love of power and doing anything necessary to keep it.

Jesus was killed because two men wanted to stay in power over people.

Jesus was killed because Adam and Eve wanted the power that comes with knowledge.

Jesus was killed because we want power over our lives.

We all need forgiveness; maybe the crucifixion of Jesus is actually the best reason to start a friendship.  

 

Luke 22

Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane waiting to be betrayed and arrested. He prayed to the Father, “Take this cup from me.” (Verse 42) Jesus didn’t want to do this.

In life we are asked to do things we don’t want to do. We are asked by our loved ones, by the people we work for and by our friends. Sometimes we say “no”, but other times we are stuck doing it.

Sometimes we are asked by God, and saying “no” is not an option. My call to ministry was a lot like that. I told God “no” for a couple years, but God won in the end. God always wins in the end. 

Jesus knew what he had to do. In my Matthew 26 blog I wrote about how love motivated Jesus to follow through. In this chapter we find out where he received the strength to finish the job. “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.” (Verse 43)

Jesus needed help. Jesus needed strength. Jesus needed an angel.

I have heard stories where people are certain that an angel has come to them in their time of need. I don’t know that I have ever come in contact with an angel. I don’t know whether there is one guarding me right now or not. I don’t really know what I think about angels.

Jesus believed in angels. An angel announced his birth to a young Mary. Angels tended to him after he was tempted in the wilderness. And an angel gave him the strength that he needed to die with love and forgiveness in his heart, instead of hate.

Maybe angels can help us love more and hate less. Maybe angels can give us the strength to do what we think is impossible. Maybe angels are with us every day.

If Jesus needed angels, Lord knows we do too!

Luke 21

“As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’” (Verses 1 – 4)

A friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago. She had already battled the same cancer more than 10 years, but now that she has gotten a little older, wasn’t sure how the battle would go. Then came the crushing news from doctors; the prognosis was worse than expected; probably just a couple months. 

A couple months later our church ran a capital campaign to raise funds for our new home. As a congregation we prayed together, ate together, and dreamed together. Then we asked our members to make a three year financial pledge to our building project.

My friend came up and made her pledge. She has been a widow for a very long time. I wouldn’t classify her as “poor,” but she is certainly not wealthy. I have no idea what she pledged, but I know that it made God happy. 

Not only did she make a pledge to give, she pledged to give for three years! She was not going to let cancer control her faith.

A couple weeks later, my friend returned to the doctor. To her surprise, and the surprise of the doctor, the cancer had vanished.

I wish there was a formula to follow to guarantee a miracle like the one my friend received. I know a lot of faithful people that have believed God would heal them, and it just didn’t happen in this life. And I don’t know that my friend will live to finish the three years; but I know what I have seen.

She gave what she could, and God gave her life.  

Luke 20

The Sadducees have a question for Jesus. They give an example of a woman who, because she is widowed six times, dies after having seven husbands. They ask, “In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will she be?” (Verse 33)

Actually, this scenario was not uncommon back then. Well, having seven husbands might have been a stretch, but many women had more than one. It was Jewish law that if a man died, his brother would marry the widow. The purpose of the law was to protect the family property.

Jesus replied, ““The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.” (Verses 34 – 35)

I love my wife Michelle more than words can say, and my love for her grows every day. She is my best friend. This verse saddens me. I don’t think heaven will be heaven if we are not there together, as a family. Well, it definitely won’t be the heaven that I picture in my dreams.

That’s exactly the point Jesus is trying to make.

Heaven is not going to be like we imagine it. We cannot think of heaven in earthly terms, because it is going to be different than what we know; it is going to be better than what we know.

Nothing will be the same in heaven as it is on earth, except an abundance of love.

Which is why I have to believe that I’ll be with Michelle in heaven. We may not be married anymore, but we will still be best friends and our love for each other will continue to grow. Maybe we can sing next to each other in a choir of angels.

I have no idea what heaven will be like, but it is going to be wonderful.

As long as it will have Jesus and Michelle.

 

 

 

 

Luke 19

Jesus was walking through Jericho and saw a man named Zacchaeus perched in a sycamore tree. Zacchaeus climbed the tree because he wanted to see Jesus, yet he was too short to see over the crowd. Jesus decided to go to Zacchaeus’ home for a visit.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector, which meant he was not a very popular guy. Tax collectors had a bad reputation, they were often accused of stealing and lying. The best modern profession to compare them to would be a lawyer. Not to say that lawyers are sinners, but for some reason they have a reputation for being dishonest.

Zacchaeus though, is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. Upon meeting Jesus he said, “Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (Verse 8)

Zacchaeus gets it! When Jesus entered his life, his life changed.

So often in life we offend others and offer a simple, “I’m sorry.” We ask forgiveness, but that’s as far as we are willing to take it. On a rare occasion, we will buy our wife flowers.

Zacchaeus isn’t just going to say he is sorry, he is going to pay back anyone he cheated. And not just pay them back, he is going to pay them back four times the amount! Those people who he defrauded are lucky! It takes a long time for your money to quadruple in the stock market!

I have a friend who has a policy we should all adopt. If he offends someone, he buys them lunch. He has been doing it for over fifty years. Over the years, I’m sure that has been a lot of lunches, but his friends know how much they mean to him. He is not only willing to admit he is wrong, he actually does something to make up for it!

Have you lost friends over disagreements?

Was it worth it?

Is there more you can do to seek forgiveness?

Luke 18

Jesus told his disciples, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” (Verses 31 - 33)

Imagine hearing this as a disciple, it was devastating news. Maybe, if I were one of Jesus’ disciples, I’d say something like, “Let’s not go to Jerusalem then, I hear Jericho is nice this time of year.” But that’s not how the disciples responded. Actually, they didn’t respond at all.

“The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.” (Verse 34)

They didn’t understand? The meaning was hidden from them? What does that mean?

This wasn’t a parable or a story. Jesus was very straight forward. I don’t understand how it was hidden from them, who hid it from them? Jesus, the Son of God, was telling them this information; he wanted them to know! Clearly, God would not be hiding it from them if Jesus was telling them.

Maybe they were hiding the truth from themselves. Maybe they were only hearing what they wanted to hear.

It is human nature to want to believe something is true, even if it’s not. We often ignore the truth so that we can continue to live in our fantasy world.

This is true in many ways.

When I was in college, I had a girlfriend that was dating someone else at the same time. I saw the signs that this might be happening, but chose to ignore them because I thought I was happy. Looking back, I can’t believe I was such a fool!

Scientific evidence has convinced me that it would be better for the world if we all used less oil to power our lives. I feel like I should be driving a vehicle that gets very good gas mileage, but I love my pick-up truck. Maybe one day, we will all look and think we were fools.

I’m sure the disciples felt like fools on Good Friday. Jesus told them it was going to happen, and it did. 

We may all be fools, but Jesus died because we make bad decisions. That is the truth.

Luke 17

Jesus said, “If the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.” (Verse 4)

This verse kind of bothers me. I think it can be used as an excuse to keep for repeated bad behavior.

It is natural that we will sin against other human beings. It’s just part of being broken people in a broken world. It makes sense then that the ones we sin against most often will be the ones that are closest to us, such as our family. It’s not that we intentionally try and hurt the ones we love, but we spend the vast majority of our time with them.

One of the marks of a healthy relationship is the ability to see when you hurt each other, to seek forgiveness, and to give forgiveness. And then learn from your mistakes so that they don’t happen again.

Unfortunately, many relationships are unhealthy. They often include one person repeatedly sinning against the other. Abuse is real and takes many forms: verbal, sexual, and physical. All of them are damaging and sinful.

If you are in an abusive relationship, don’t read this verse and think you need to stay. Jesus is not giving permission to be abusive.

If you are abusing someone else, stop right now! Beg their forgiveness, promise to never do it again and get help.

If you are being abused, get away from the abuser. Get as far away as you can. I know sometimes it is easier said than done, but you were not created to live in fear and pain.

Jesus does want us to forgive each other. That doesn’t mean we have to forget what happened and it doesn’t mean we need to be friends with each other.

Forgiveness is a process. It will not happen overnight.

And the process can start with 500 miles between you and the abuser.    

Luke 16

Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and money.” (Verse 13)

I think this is a hard verse for us to read. Or maybe, it should be a harder verse for us to read than it is.

As a capitalist society, money is the motivation for much of what we do. I am not saying this is evil, I’m just saying it is true. Do you check the stock market once a week? Every day? Have you taken a job just because it paid you well? Have you chosen a profession because it pays better than something you might have enjoyed more?

The reality is, we need money to live. And the more money we have, the more comfortable life can be. At least that’s what we have been told our whole lives.

I don’t think it’s a sin to have a job that pays well nor do I think it’s a sin to have nice things. But I do think it is difficult to resist the temptation of serving money.

I watched this happen to one of my friends. He got a little money, he wanted a little more, and then he wanted a lot more. It didn’t take long before he started to plot and plan ways to get more money. Eventually money was the last thing he thought of when he went to bed and the first thing he thought of when he woke up. He got what he wanted, but ruined his marriage.

I have another friend who loves his job. He is very good at it and has climbed the corporate ladder to a point where money isn’t a concern. The crazy thing is, I think he would do the same job for half the money. He loves his job and he loves his wife; he doesn’t love or serve money. Instead, his money serves him; he gives it away to charities and family members. He uses his money to make a difference.

I don’t think Jesus has a problem with us having money. As long as it serves us, and we serve him.         

Luke 15

Luke 15 is known for the Parable of the Prodigal Son. This is one of the most famous parables in the Bible.

It is the parable of two sons and their father. The youngest son asks his father to give him his inheritance early. The father does, and his son moves to a foreign land. While there, he blows all his inheritance and when a famine comes, he has nothing to eat. He decides to go home and beg his father for a job on his land.

When his father sees him coming, he runs to meet him and throws a huge party to celebrate his son’s return.

I have heard this parable referenced when someone is trying to explain God’s love and forgiveness, because we have all been the younger son.

But I don’t think that is what the parable is about.

The chapter starts with some Pharisees complaining that Jesus spends time with sinners. So Jesus tells this story loud enough for the Pharisees can hear. The ending of the story is the important part.

The older brother is angered upon hearing that his younger brother has returned. He can’t believe that his father threw his ungrateful brother a party and refuses to go.  

The Pharisees could not believe that Jesus was hanging out with sinners. They could not believe that God would care about sinners. They thought they knew who God loved and who God despised.

Have you ever been invited to a party, and upon hearing someone was invited, decided not to go? Is there anyone that would make you stay home?

We have all thought that there are people on this earth who God can’t love, right? Bin Laden and Hitler are the first names that come to my mind.  

When God throws a party, He alone decides who gets invited. When we get there, I’m sure we will be surprised by who is there with us, maybe even angered.

We have all been the younger brother.

And we have all been the older brother.

Luke 14

Jesus tells the parable of a man who invites many people to come to a banquet. Many who are invited reply with an excuse for why they were unable to come:

"The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ (Verses 18-20)

I don't think it is a stretch to say that the man throwing the banquet is God and we are all invited. This tells us a lot about who God is and the gift of free-will that we have been given.

First of all, banquets are fun, there is good food, music and usually dancing. So God likes to have fun with the people that He loves! All that He asks from us, is to show up, He has the rest covered.

Second, God does not force any one to come to the banquet, but He invites everyone. It's up to you whether or not you are at the banquet. Through Jesus, God has provided the invitation and the directions.

Finally, the gift of free-will means that we have the power to say "no"... We have the freedom to give our best excuse for why we don't want to be there. I love the excuses that these guys in the text had, they were too busy with work and family.

Does that mean that work and family will keep us out of heaven? No, this isn't about heaven. It's about living the good life right now, right here, by being in relationship God. The banquet is here, it's all around us!

Let the good times roll! 

Luke 13

Jesus said "unless you repent, you too will all perish." (Verse 3) He went on to say the same thing in verse 5.

I am a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which is a mainline denomination. Lutherans follow the liturgical year and seasons; right now we are in Lent. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and continues 40 days until Easter Sunday. It is a time of the year when many people give something up as an act of repentance.

For instance, members of my church have given up soda, alcohol and sweets. The hope is that when they crave any of these things, they will remember their sin and be thankful for the grace that they have been given by God.

I have been thinking about repentance a lot lately. I've come to the conclusion that true repentance is a great way to grow in faith. (By true repentance I mean giving up something out of love for God and not the desire to lose 5 pounds.) The deeper we understand our sinful selves and how unworthy we are of God's love, the more we can see how far God has gone to save us.

If I'm being honest with myself, I realize that I'm not that good of a person. My hearts desires are not the same as God's. If I had my way, I would spend most days golfing and sitting on the beach. I get too caught up in things that don't really matter, like professional sports, cars and my motorcycle. And, like everyone else, I want to do what I want to do.

I wasn't put on this earth to satisfy my own longings and desires, I was put here to do God's will. Somedays I'm pretty good at it, and other days I fail miserably. Which is why I need to know that God's love is strong enough to forgive me at my worst.

Repentance will help me be my best, so I need to stop thinking it and actually do it.

Luke 12

Jesus said "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three." (Verses 51-52)

This is a surprising verse. I think we have all heard Jesus referred to as the Prince of Peace, it's one of his nicknames. We send Christmas cards that say "Peace on Earth" because we think that is what Jesus came for. So then where does this verse come from? Why would Jesus say this?

I do believe that peace is Jesus' hope for humanity. But getting to that point is not going to be easy.

Jesus did not come to tell people what they wanted to hear. He didn't look them in the eye and say "God thinks that your sins are really cool, keep up the good work!" He actually did the opposite, he told people what they didn't want to hear.

He told a rich young guy to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor.

He chastised a man because he wanted to bury his dead father.

He called the religious leaders "unmarked graves."

Jesus didn't sugar coat what he was trying to say. Some people were offended by him, while others understood that being a disciple meant leaving behind their selfish desires. Jesus must have been a polarizing figure. Imagine owning a small fishing company and having both of your sons drop their nets and quit with no notice to follow a wandering preacher. You'd probably be pretty upset and your family might get into a little bit of an argument.

Maybe we have made Jesus out to be too nice. Most non-Christians I talk to respect Jesus for the man that he was and the things that he said. But Jesus didn't come to make friends, he came to make disciples; he didn't come to be liked, he came to challenge the status-quo... And he was pretty good at it.

If he said what everyone wanted to hear, then he never would have been crucified.

Luke 11

Jesus said “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find.” (Verse 11)

When I read this verse I immediately thought of playing hide and go-seek when I was a kid. We’ve all played this game right? Everyone would go hide while someone closed their eyes and counted to fifty. Once they reached fifty, they would start looking for everyone else.

I always preferred to be the one hiding. It was fun to find the best hiding spot and watch people walk right by without seeing you.

But no matter how good my hiding spot was, I always wanted to be found eventually. It's no fun to be alone for too long, plus I always wanted someone to appreciate my creativity.

Jesus promises us, if we look for him, we will find him.

Jesus wants to be found.

Ready or not, now is a good time to start looking for him.  

Luke 10

In Luke 10 Jesus told the parable of the Lousy Priest, otherwise known as the parable of the Good Samaritan.

There was a man that was beaten and robbed while traveling on a road. He was lying half dead in the road when a priest saw him. Instead of stopping to help the man, the priest chose to walk around him. Then came a member of the Levite tribe, which is the Hebrew tribe that God set aside for religious work, Moses was a Levite. This Levite, like the priest, chose to walk around the man lying in the street. No one stopped to help the man except a Samaritan.

The Israelites looked down on the Samaritans, claiming their religion wasn't good enough.

The priest walked around the man in the road. The Levite walked around the man in the road. But the Samaritan, with his inferior religion, stopped to care for this man in his time of need.

It has been two months since a murderer walked into an elementary school in Connecticut and killed innocent children and adults. It has been two months of grief and pain for a community that is hoping to wake from this nightmare. It has been two months that this community has been lying in the road.

What have we done as a church? What have we done as a nation?

As a church we have argued over the involvement of Lutheran pastors in inter-faith worship services. We have pointed fingers at each other and said, "I'm glad I'm not one of them!" (This actually happened on my Facebook page!)

As a nation we have argued about our rights to own guns. We have talked about the Second Ammendment and what it really means. Did the founders of our nation believe that American citizens have the right to own a semi-automatic assault rifle with a 30-round magazine? I don't know the right answer, but I don't think that now is the best time for the conversation. 

As this community looks for support we are talking about who should be allowed to pray and when.

As this community looks for healing we are talking about who should be allowed to own a gun and how many bullets it can hold.

As this community looks for love we are talking right around them.

Lord, help me to be less like the priest and more like the Samaritan.

Luke 9

Jesus said "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Verse 23)

I would imagine that a few of Jesus' followers went home after this statement.

Jesus calls us to deny ourselves daily, he actually calls us to pick up our cross, which means to die to ourselves, and then follow him. I don't know about you, but I can only deny myself to a point and I can only follow Jesus to a point. Sometimes I need to take care of myself. There are things that I want to buy or do, so I buy them or do them. I'm not saying that buying a new pair of shoes or going on vacation is a bad thing, but they are motivated by my desires, not God's. (Although God did send Jonah on a cruise, but I don't think a whale's stomach makes for a very relaxing experience.)

This is the great paradox of a Chrsitian, we want to live the life we have, and we want live the life that Jesus has to offer. We want both!

We want our toys and we want God's grace.

We want to be popular and we want God's forgiveness.

We want to be wealthy and we want God' mercy.

We want to hate our enemies and we want God to love us.

We don't want to die and we want to go to heaven.

I'm sure Jesus wanted things too. I'm sure Jesus would have loved to trade his old sandals for a new pair of Nike's and I'm sure Jesus wanted to keep living. Our Lord never calls us to do something that He isn't willing to do first.

Jesus calls us to pick up our cross and follow him, because he picked up his cross first.

On the days when our wants and needs are stronger than our desire to follow him, we too can pick up his cross and know that we are loved.

Luke 8

Jesus was sleeping in a boat with his disciples when a storm came. The boat was taking on water and the disciples thought they were going to die, so they shouted at Jesus, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" (Verse 24)

I imagine the disciples were doing everything they could to get water back out of the boat. They probably were filling up buckets and dumping them overboard... and they needed Jesus to help. They needed Jesus to grab a bucket and help keep the boat from sinking.

There are moments in life that we just need to survive. Moments when the water is coming over the top, when relationships are strained or when there is too much month at the end of the money and we just need to find a way to get to the shore. So we beg Jesus to help us... Help us get to next Friday or help us get through this argument... Help us survive.

Jesus didn't pick up a bucket, he told the wind to stop blowing, and it did.

I wonder if we are so focused on our boats that we've lost sight of God's ability to calm the storm.

God doesn't just want your marriage to survive, God wants it to thrive. If that's not the case, what changes need to be made? Do you need to meet with someone to help?

God doesn't want you to live paycheck to paycheck, God wants you to be at peace financially. Are you willing to admit you need help?

Calming a storm is hard work, but God can do it... if you're willing to get in the boat with Him.

Luke 7

A centurion, an officer in the Roman army, sent for Jesus to come and heal his servant. Jesus was on his way to the centurion's house when he was met by him on the road. He said to Jesus, "just say the word, and my servant will be healed." (Verse 7) This Roman soldier believed that his servant would be healed if Jesus just said the word.

The faith of the centurion amazed Jesus, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." (Verse 9)

The people of Israel had been waiting for the Messiah to come for a long time, and here he was, in their midst, and they didn't believe. A Roman soldier, who was not waiting for a Messiah, heard about Jesus, met Jesus and believed. How is that possible?

Maybe it is easier to see Jesus when we aren't expecting him to be a certain place or look a certain way.

I have recently become addicted to twitter. I'm not very good at tweeting yet, but I love how quickly information is now being shared. I especially like following sports reporters that are at the games that I wish I was at. They often attach pictures to their tweets from the sidelines right after the game. I open the tweet and while the picture is loading, I imagine what it will look like. I am never right... Nothing ever looks like I pictured it in my mind.

Maybe our culture has become too familiar with what we expect Jesus to look like, a white guy with long hair and a Chuck Norris beard, that we miss his presence in our lives.

Maybe you've heard a pastor say something stupid and you are convinced that God is unforgiving, quick to condemn and hates gay people. I understand why many have turned away from that God, but that isn't who Jesus is.

The truth is, Jesus probably doesn't look like Chuck Norris, heaven probably isn't in the clouds and God is more loving than any of us could ever imagine.

I think, if we could throw away our expectations of who we think God is, and burn the imaginary box that we have put God in, we will be freed to experience God in surprising and exciting ways.

Maybe we will learn to see Jesus through eyes of a Roman soldier.

Luke 6

Jesus said to a large crowd: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?" (Verse 39)

When I was a kid, I went to summer camp with my church. While we were there, we did all kinds of trust-building activities. One of them included wearing blindfolds and trusting our friend to guide us around the camp. It was hilarious to watch, but terrifying if you were the one wearing the blindfold. 

It was less terrifying if you trusted the person leading you, it was less terrifying if you believed the person leading you didn't want to see you run into a tree or a ditch. Life is like that.

I have worked for bosses that I've trusted and bosses that I haven't trusted. The bosses that I trusted pushed me to do my best and made work an enjoyable experience. The bosses I didn't trust had me constantly looking over my shoulder and made life miserable.  

Americans may be divided politically, but I think we can all agree that it's hard to trust our leaders... All of them. It's hard to trust them because it doesn't feel like they are concrened about us, instead it feels like they are concerned about themselves. When we can't trust our elected leaders, the anxiety level in our communities increase and people _______ . (You fill in the blank... Today my friends and neighbors are buying guns. In the 1960's people built bunkers in case Russia sent a nuclear missile at us. In the late 1920's everyone ran to the banks to withdraw their money.) 

Life can be terrifying when we don't trust the people leading us, but it can be even worse when we trust them and they let us down. We look back through history and wonder how we let Vietnam happen like it did? How did we let this recession happen? Why did we ignore the warning signs leading to Pearl Harbor or 9/11?

Our leaders are imperfect. They have always been imperfect because they are human, and without exception, humans are imperfect. When we put our faith in a human, we are the blind being led by the blind.

As Christians, we vote for and trust the leaders that we think will do their best for our community or country.

But our hope for a better future lies within. We must keep our eyes open to what is going on and our faith in the one whom we can always trust, Jesus. 

Bosses come and go. Elected officials come and go. Crises come and go. Wars come and go. Life comes and goes.

Jesus remains. 

Luke 5

The Pharisees were giving Jesus a hard time for eating with sinners, he responded, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." (Verse 31)

My respect for doctors has grown exponentially in the past month. My father in-law Bill had double by-pass surgery the week before Christmas and my mother had part of her thyroid removed last week.

Bill was in serious trouble, if he hadn't had emergency surgery he could have gone at any time. Bill went to see his doctor on a Monday and had surgery 3 days later; he was a ticking time bomb.

My mother's surgery was less life-saving; she wasn't a ticking time bomb. The purpose of the surgery was to explore what was going on and see what further treatment was needed. Don't get me wrong, she was feeling lousy, but there was less urgency. Her surgery was 6 weeks after her initial visit.

Both of them were sick, but Bill was more sick. Bill needed a doctor immediately.

There are times in life when we need Jesus more than others. There are times when we are overcome with guilt or grief and need to feel the presence of God surround us... and we need it now. In those times, Jesus is there for comfort.
There other times when we feel spiritually lousy. Maybe you have gotten so lost in work that you have lost touch with friends and family, then one day you realized that you are alone. Maybe you feel distant from God because you haven't worshipped or prayed in months... or years. Maybe you look back on the last couple years and feel like you were just existing, instead of living. In those times, Jesus is there to give us purpose, to give us life.

But what about when life is going good? Everyone in your family is healthy, you've got good friends, and you've got a good job where you make more than enough money to survive. Do you need Jesus?

My wife Michelle tells me that I'm supposed to get a physical every year, even if I'm feeling great. I need to give the doctor a chance to look at my numbers and tell me what I can do to be a healthier person, and tell me what I need to change to avoid getting sick.

When things are going good, Jesus is still there for us. He is there to guide us and stop us from making bad choices that could hurt the ones we love most. He is there to love us when we make mistakes so that we can learn to forgive our loved ones when they make mistakes. He is there to make life the best that it can be. (If Jesus doesn't make your life better, you might want to talk to your pastor or try a new church)

In reality, we all need a doctor.

And we all need Jesus.


(I better make an appointment for my physical, this blog is going to remind Michelle to remind me.)

Luke 4

Jesus went to the local synagogue to tell his neighbors that he was the messiah, but they didn't listen. Instead they chose to do this:

Verses 29-30: "They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.  But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way."

This may be the most anti-climactic story in the bible. They drove Jesus to a cliff, they were about to throw him off and murder him, but instead Jesus walked right through the crowd and went on with the rest of his day. This wouldn't make a very exciting movie.
I imagine that a group of church people got excited enough to drive him to the cliff, but no one had the courage to push him to his death. There they were, at the edge of the cliff looking at each other wondering who was going to be the one to finish him off, but no one stepped up. They were all talk, and instead they let Jesus walk right through them.

I'm glad that no one pushed him off the cliff... I think that would have been a bad decision. I am not surprised that they thought about it though, and almost acted on it. Small groups of people make bad decisions all the time, we call them riots and mobs today. At some point, the members of riots and mobs realize that what they are doing is a bad idea, so they stop. Maybe it's after a coulple days in jail, but no American riot has ever been permanent. 

Permanent riots have a different name... Revolution.

For a riot to turn into revolution, the members of the revolution have to be committed and courageous. I am humbled by the sacrifice of people like Martin Luther King and Mahatma Ghandi, who led non-violent revolts and were so committed to their cause that they paid the ultimate price. Their courage changed the lives of millions of people.

While his neighbors didn't have the courage to take Jesus' life, he had the courage and commitment to give it.

His courage changed the world, and the world to come.

His courage started a revolution of love, a revolution that has grown every day since.   


  

Luke 3

Jesus went down to the river to be baptized by John the Baptist.

Verse 22: The heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

Jesus was around 30 years old when he went to be baptized by John. His birth in a stable was a distant memory. He had been working as a carpenter, and probably lived like every other normal guy. Then he was baptized and the voice of God spoke, claiming Jesus as His son.

In the Lutheran church, we believe that God claims us all at our baptism... We all become God's children.

Or do we miss the point?

Jesus was God's son long before he was baptized. He was God's son when he was born.

What about us then, do we belong to God only after we are baptized? Maybe we belonged to God the moment that we took our first breath. Maybe we belonged to God before we were even born.

If that's the case, then baptism is not when we are claimed by God, but it is the moment that we accept the role of being God's child. It's the moment we decided, or our parents decided for us, that there had to be more to life, that there had to be a larger truth than a world full of empty glory.

So we went to the river, or the baptismal font and claimed God as our Father.

And God, who guided us there and gave us faith said, "welcome home."

Luke 2

Merry Christmas... Again!

Luke 2 is the story of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. He was born in a stable and laid in a manger. The first people to come see him were a couple of dirty shepherds that came straight from their fields after an angel appeared to them. When Mary heard about the angel coming to them, she was amazed. 

This couldn't have been the story Mary was hoping for... No one looks forward to giving birth in a stable, while traveling. She didn't have family around to help; she didn't even have a place to put her baby, which is why they put him in a feed box. She was outside, among farm animals and the only people to come visit her were some smelly strangers. (I'm guessing that the shepherds were smelly, they came straight from the fields.)

It wasn't what she hoped for, it wasn't what she expected...

But it was holy, it was amazing... It was beyond words. Verse 19: "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

Sometimes life happens in such beautiful, majestic, awe-inspiring ways that there are no words to explain what we are feeling, so we treasure the moment in our heart and try to figure what just happened.

That is the essence of love. A mother's love for her child. A husband's love for his wife...

And God's love for us.

Luke 1

An angel of God visits a girl named Mary and tells her that she is going to have a son. You may have heard this one before...

But have you ever thought about it from Mary's perspective?

She was young, maybe 12 or 13. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. She must have thought that he would dump her when he found out she was pregnant. He would probably go on to tell everyone that she was unfaithful and she would forever be known as a fornicator or an adulterer. She was poor and had no way to support herself or her child. This was devstating news.

Mary may not have had much, but she had some standing in society. She had her reputation and would soon have a husband. She was looking ahead to a better life, to a higher place in society. No matter how bad people have it, they never want life to get worse.

Despite all this, she said to the angel, "I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled." (v.38)

Mary either didn't have a choice, or she had enough faith to put her life in God's hands... I think it was her faith.

Then miracles started happening. Joseph didn't dump her, instead he cared for her son like he was his own. Shepherds and wisemen showed up to see her baby boy. Her son Jesus went on to heal people, feed people, and teach people. He even rose from the dead after he was beaten and murdered by the Romans.

Mary grew from a girl to a wife and a mother. She watched her children struggle and succeed, she knew grief and she knew joy. She was like any other mom. Except she wasn't.

She was Jesus' mom. She gave birth to God in the flesh, the most famous person that ever lived. For that, she will be remembered as the most famous woman that ever lived. She was once poor and young, but now billions of people know of her... I mean, you have heard this one before, right?

All it took was faith.

What could God do with us if we had enough faith to put our lives in His hands?

John 21

Jesus appeared to the disciples again while they are fishing. He called them to shore and said to them: "Come and have breakfast." (Verse 12... This is one of my favorite verses in the bible, I love breakfast!)

Jesus then turned his attention to Peter. He asked Peter "Do you love me?" Peter had denied Jesus three times while Jesus was on trial, so he asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" And three times Peter said "Yes Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus responded the first time by saying "feed my lambs," the second time by saying "take care of my sheep," and finally by saying "feed my sheep."

I am fascinated by what Jesus doesn't say. He doesn't tell Peter to go to church and he doesn't tell him to preach the gospel. He tells Peter to serve others.

I don't think Jesus would say worshipping God is a bad thing, and we certainly need to preach the gospel. I do think Jesus is saying, "if you want to prove that you love me, serve others."

It's hard to find time in our lives to serve others. We are busy serving our families, our employers and ourselves. We serve our families because we love them, we serve our employers because we need a paycheck and we serve ourselves because we need to.

Jesus doesn't call us to serve others so that we will feel better about ourselves or be more thankful for what we have... He calls us to serve others because we love him.

I need to get better at loving Jesus, actually, I want to get better at loving Jesus.

All I need is for him to love me.

John 20

Jesus was crucified in John 19... He was dead, the story was supposed to be over. The disciples were in hiding and trying to figure what would be next for them. The Jewish leaders were proud of what they had done and celebrating the Passover.

But the story wasn't over.

In John 20 Mary Magdalene goes to Jesus' tomb, but he isn't there. She thought someone had taken his body so she runs to get a couple disciples. They don't understand where his body could have gone. While she is crying, Jesus appears and calls her by name. She runs to tell the disciples what she saw. Jesus then appears to some of the disciples, but not all of them.

Thomas didn't see Jesus. Thomas was one of Jesus' disciples, he traveled with him for years, saw him perform miracels and listened while he taught. Thomas believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but he didn't believe he had come back from the dead. No matter what the other disciples said, Thomas was not buying it.

Thomas, a man that was in Jesus' inner-circle, doubted. If Thomas can doubt, so can we.

A week later Thomas was with the other disciples when Jesus appeared; Jesus showed Thomas his scars. Thomas believes because he has seen. Thomas saw because although he doubted, he still showed up to meet with the other disciples.

We all go through periods of doubt in our life. Some periods last longer than others. Sometimes we want Jesus to appear and show us his scars. In those times, the most important thing we can do is continue to surround ourselves with disciples... We need to continue to show up at church or bible study or wherever we find Christian community.

And we ask God to show up... Even though God is already there.

John 19

It seems strange to be blogging about Jesus' death so soon after Christmas. As I walked in to my office today I passed the beautiful Christmas tree that still stands in our sanctuary... which made me want to hold on to Christmas a little longer. But I can't.

In John 19 Jesus is sentenced to be executed and murdered on a cross. Nails are hammered through his wrists and ankles, and a spear is thrust in to his side. He doesn't fight back, his only plea is for something to drink.

He was taken down from the cross following his death and his body was carried away by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus... They placed his corpse in a tomb.

It's interesting that Jesus wasn't buried by his disciples, who were all in hiding. He was buried by a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council! We first met Nicodemus in John 3, when he came to Jesus and wondered how someone could be born again. Jesus tried to explain it to him, but Nicodemus did not understand... He didn't get it and walked away confused.

Until he sees Jesus on the cross.

Jesus said a lot of things and he did a lot of things. Some of it we understand and some of it leaves us scratching our heads... actually a lot it leaves us scratching our heads. God is bigger than Nicodemus could understand, and God is bigger than we can understand.

But we can all understand the cross.

Jesus died because he loved us, all of us, every single one of us. And whether we realize it or not, we needed him to die for us.

It wasn't until Nicodemus saw Jesus on the cross that he got it.

If you want to understand God, look to the cross.