Today’s Reading is Matthew 28 (click here for link)

Merry Christmas! Here we are at last, Christmas Eve. Perhaps it was the juxtaposition of Easter and Christmas this morning, but today I ask that each of you remember that you are of an entirely different order of things. You are not of this world any longer, but of the next. Whatever the world may celebrate today and tomorrow, remember what it is exactly that we observe. Our Lord—our meaning for life—is born, is risen, and is returning. We live for a very different reason than all the rest of this world.

I offer you this ancient Christmas prayer from the 10th century:

You are our eternal salvation,
The unfailing light of the world.
Light everlasting,
You are truly our redemption.
Grieving that the human race was perishing
through the tempter's power,
without leaving the heights
You came to the depths in your loving kindness.
Readily taking our humanity by Your gracious will,
You saved all earthly creatures, long since lost,
Restoring joy to the world.
Redeem our souls and bodies, O Christ,
and so possess us as Your shining dwellings.
By Your first coming, make us righteous;
At your second coming, set us free:
So that, when the world is filled with light
and you judge all things,
We may be clad in spotless robes
and follow in Your steps, O King,
Into the heavenly hall.
Again… in all that you do remember your true calling as a child of God made possible through the Son of God made flesh, Jesus Christ.

BLESSED CHRISTMAS,
Pastor Aaron

P.S. Taking seriously the command of God for Sabbath rest (and Pastor Aaron’s need for rest), we will not begin blogging through Mark until the first of the New Year. So sleep in for one week and then start the New Year right with gospel of our Lord.

Today’s reading is Matthew 27 (click here for link)

The Death of Jesus Christ is the acting in history of the very Mind of God. This was no accident. His death was not something that might have been prevented: His death was the very reason why He came. I invite you to meditate on these words from Isaiah 53:

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

It would be untrue entirely to build a theology on the premise that God forgives us our sins because he loves us. Yes, he does love us, but he hates our sin. Jesus Christ on the Cross is the proof of his hatred for sin. We must never believe that God has sympathy for us sinners. There is no sympathy from the perfect justice and righteousness of God; He does not sympathize with sin. He condemns it! If God does forgive sin it is only by the death of Christ. This is the mercy of God: that he sent Jesus to become the curse that was hanging over our heads.

Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 26 (click here for link)

It is a rather sobering coincidence that we will be reading the end of Matthew on the Eve of Christmas. However, while you might argue that on the one hand, juxtaposing in this way the two greatest celebrations in the Church year—Easter and Christmas—heightens the meaning of both; somehow, I don’t really feel it. Despite the Christmas parties and numerous cookies lying around the office, Matthew’s passion account keeps lingering in my thoughts even when I should be thinking Christmas thoughts (and thinking about my Christmas day sermon!). Unfortunately, reading the Easter story at this time of year seems a lot like watching The Grinch Stole Christmas.

But thankfully Christ’s death was not the end. Death is not the last word: as at both birth and resurrection, the creation's deep darkness is scattered by God's light. On Christmas day, we will read in church, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” We will hear how a particular moment in time and place becomes the "fullness of time." But we know this already. We have heard both ends of Matthew (also Mark, Luke and John) many times over. How many times can our faith be bookended by birth and death until we fail to really pay attention anymore?

It might take munching on a few more icing laced cookies to figure this one out. Or maybe some little fudge squares, instead!

Perhaps we might remind ours elves that despite the nearness of Christmas, we are not there yet. Advent is still upon us. We are still in Easter, even on December 22! Our Lord was crucified and was dead and buried. He rose and appeared to witnesses, and we testify of this and point to his return. But when will that be? How long must we wait? Much like the Pharisees in our text today, the world begins to plot all around us; the nations so furiously rage. Sin and immorality are everywhere, but even worse, there doesn’t always seem to be anything we can do about it.

I was considering such thoughts yesterday evening, as I made a quick run to Walgreens to pick up an overlooked grocery item. It was dusk outside, and the inky-black outline of two story houses and twiggy live oak trees made all the world seem grotesque and empty (Well... maybe not the whole world, but at least West Oaks Drive). In the car, the radio news was on and, as usual, it was announcing the same old story—the same old account of sin’s apparent victory over good, darkness over light. The economy, the wars in the Middle East, politics, a pro-golfer’s frequent adultery…

But as I drove, I was filled with a vision of hope; for on either side of me, beneath those live oak branches, in gaudy disarray, were countless yards filled with Christmas lights, each little bulb shining brightly. I was reminded that this is our Christmas task—waiting in the dark aftermath of Easter for the coming of the next Christmas. Our Lord has risen and ascended in to heaven. But he will return. Like the ten virgins from yesterday’s reading and the disciples outside Gethsemane in today’s reading, we must not fall asleep nor can our light grow dim. The bridegroom is near. The birthday we celebrate in a few days the birthday of the light of the world.

As I drove back from Walgreens, with red, yellow, green, and the new bluish-white LED lights shining all around, I couldn’t help but hear the strains of the Halleluiah Chorus. Advent is almost over. The fullness of time is near!

Halleluiah! Halleluiah! Halleluiah! King of kings and Lord of lords. He shall reign forever and ever. Halleluiah!

Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 25 (click here for link)

A major part of God’s will for our lives is that we simply be faithful with the day-to-day responsibilities he entrusts to us. Just as the master in the parable about the the talents, God entrusts us with talents, resources and relationships. He expects us to be faithful in employing them to further his kingdom.

Normally, our lives are lived in the ordinary. It is rare that God would call someone to abandon a current obligation so that they may pursue some higher calling. Trust me; you’ll know when God want you to do something bigger—just ask Isaiah or Paul. Both of these men were wrenched out of their day-to-day lives and put upon a new path chosen by God. However, for most of us, God wants us to honor our current obligations. Often he uses such things as a stepping stone to even greater things. As the master in the above parable told his servant, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:21 NIV).

We have many opportunities to prove our faithfulness each day. Ask yourself, “Am I being a good husband, wife, parent, child, employer, employee, friend, citizen, courteous driver, helpful neighbor?” Have you proven yourself faithful in such things?

Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 24 (click here for link)

Where yesterday’s reading seemed harsh, todays seems bleak. Jesus predicts the end. But the end of what, exactly?

Near the beginning of the chapter the disciples ask Jesus what appears to be three separate questions: When will the things you describe occur? What will be the signs that will herald your return? What will be the things that happen at the end of the age? Jesus supplies a lengthy answer; however it is difficult to determine in which order Jesus answers the disciples questions. Does he answer them in the order they were asked, or does he answer the last question first and first, last? In fact, at times, there doesn’t seem to be any ryhm or reason to his answers, one moment speaking about the near event and in next moment speaking about the remote future. Because of these difficulties, much confusion abounds as to the interpretation of this passage. As a result it seems as though whenever a major catastrophic event occurs somewhere around the globe there are those who cite this passage and raise the alarm that end must be near.

Word to the wise: Be wary of anyone who makes these claims!

Here are a few things of which we can be certain:

1. Jesus is speaking of at least two different events separated by a long period of time. The first event Jesus refers to is the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This is relatively clear because of various direct statements He makes, such as, that no two stones of the temple will be left standing together. He also says, “…this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” These references and others were immediately fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem—only about 40 years after Jesus’ crucifixion. Antiquity records this event as one of the most brutal sieges of any city in History. The historian Josephus, a man whom the Romans used to attempt negotiations with the Jewish rebels, recorded that about one million people died at the end of it all, many of them crucified. In fact, it is rumored that the Romans ran out of space to fit their makeshift crosses. Josephus even records the horrible account of woman roasting her own new born child for food. It seems almost too abominable to be true, but then we remember what Jesus said, “How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again."

2. The second event to which Jesus refers is the coming of the Son of Man riding on the clouds which will be the end of the age. However, exactly when this will happen, no one knows, apparently not even our Lord! It will simply be like lightening which comes out of nowhere, traveling from the east to the west. While there will be signs that that will point us to the coming our Lord, none of these signs will definitively tell us when this will take place. These signs will simply be a reminder that our Lord is indeed returning. Jesus says that such things are like “the beginning of birth pangs.” In other words, in the same way that a pregnant woman’s contractions tells her that she is about to give birth, so History will be filled with terrible reminders that our world is headed toward judgment. However, like that pregnant woman’s labor, no one can predict which contraction will be the last, bringing forth the long awaited baby. Thus, Jesus very carefully explains to his disciples that they are to always be ready, for they do not know when their master will return. So it is that we still wait—like an eager father by the side of his laboring wife—we watch the contractions of this world which began with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

3. Our Lord is vastly more patient than we are; and he uses his patients liberally. In the days of Noah, God waited patiently for 120 years for that sinful generation to repent. He did not bring destruction immediately, but instead set Noah to an incredibly long task, building the ark, which no doubt may have frustrated Noah at times, but nevertheless it gave him ample opportunity to preach. So too, our Lord waits. Even as sinfulness increases in this present age, he waits. He waits for you and me to be like patient Noah—to proclaim the good news while there is still time.

Have a blessed day,
Pastor Aaron

Today’s reading: Matthew 23 (click here for link)

Jesus’ words today are harsh. In many ways they seem a little out of character. But these words are perfectly fitting. The Jewish religious leaders were all of these things and more. It was not just simple lack of faith that led them to hate Jesus. Rather it is that Jesus stood against everything that they loved. These religious leaders had taken the law of God and turned it into a means of extortion. They had literally blinded God’s people to the fact that God was a loving God willing to do anything to save his people—even be born among them to die for them. The Jewish religious leaders were indeed those whom Jesus earlier referred, “If anyone should lead one of these little ones astray, it would be better for him to be cast into the sea with a millstone around his neck.” But the “woes” of this chapter are even harsher when we realize that we, too, are guilty of many of these same crimes. Just read through verses 1-30 again.

A couple of days ago we read about Jesus triumphal entry. When Jesus presented Himself to Jerusalem, it was the Sunday in which the families of Israel selected their lamb for Passover sacrifice. He came into town on a donkey as the kings of Israel did when they were coming in peace. The crowds seemed to be receptive, welcoming Him, but Jesus wept and uttered the lament that is our passage for today. He looked beyond the crowd, caught up in the moment, and could see their next enthusiastic shouts would be "Crucify Him!" He looked even further into the future and saw the Roman army leveling the city and the Temple.

His heart was to save them from the destruction they were bringing on themselves, both physical and spiritual. The crowd did not have ears to hear or understand. We look back and wonder how they could be so dull in heart. How could they see the miracles and yet insist on their own agenda? Yet, we tend to live in the same pattern. Jesus comes to give us new life and we welcome it with shouts of "Hosanna!" Before long we are making decisions against our Savior. We are all of like nature. That is why Jesus made this journey to the cross. He came to deliver us from our nature, not material difficulties or hardship.

He longs to gather us, too. What a beautiful picture! The mother hen sees the hawk and calls her chicks under her wings. She is willing to be the one that endures the talons to save her little ones. Won't you run under the wings of Jesus?

Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 22 (click here for link)

Happy Anniversary! It has been exactly one month since we began the adventure of reading through the New Testament Scriptures. I hope you have been as blessed by it as I have been; although, I must confess that there were times I dreaded waking up early to write the morning’s post. Yet, I have been amazed at how frequently I have found myself discovering and re-discovering bits of Scripture and learning new things based upon the greater context.

Today, I found myself thinking about Jesus words “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Jesus said this after taking a Roman coin and asking whose image the coin bore. I found myself suddenly thinking of these words also: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

If image determines ownership, then we must give back what is due. Jesus is pretty clear on that. If you ever find yourself believing that you are your own—doing things on your own time—recall these words: “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am…” (John 17:24). Perhaps also these words: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

I know how we all can at times balk at giving of our money for taxes and even our tithe, but money is nothing compared to what else God lays claim to in our lives. He has created us. He has given us his name in baptism. We are not our own. Indeed, we are his! Be entirely HIS.

How do I do this? How do I surrender everything?

Lord, help me to come to terms with such questions as I come to terms with my prayer, “Thy will be done…”

Blessings,
Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 21 (click here for link)

The withered fig tree… What an unusual account!

Nowhere does this text appear in any series of our Lectionary and therefore seldom will you ever hear a sermon on the withered fig tree. Matthew and Mark both record this miracle (if we want to call it that), however, Mark records that the fig tree was not in season and therefore there was no reason to expect figs in the first place. Also, Mark, unlike Matthew, records that this event happened in two parts with Jesus cursing the fig tree on Monday and the disciples discovering it withered on Tuesday. As for its interpretation, at first glance, the reader would think this to be a type of parable on judgment. After all, Jesus has just entered Jerusalem and is headed toward his passion. He will cleanse the temple. He will be crucified by a people in covenant with God, and yet, these very same covenant people will crucify God’s own Son, much like the wicked tenants in the parable Jesus tells at end of chapter 21. This interpretation fits well, because much like the Jews, who claimed to be in covenant with God, the fig tree seemed as though it might have fruit, being lush and well leafed. However, closer inspection revealed a tree that was figless and therefore useless. Much the same way were the Pharisees. They had all the pretense of godly people, but they had forgotten the real reason for the covenant in the first place—that through them, God would bless all nations with a savior/seed of Abraham.

Yet, while judgment may appear to be the reason behind Jesus’ act of cursing the fig tree, he goes on to give the application of faith and confidence in prayer. He says, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

So what do we make of the withered fig tree?

Granted, I am a young pastor and wouldn’t dare to claim the definitive interpretation for this enigmatic act of our Lord. Indeed, it may be that we must wait until the day of our Lord for the answer. But might I suggest, that until then, we meditate on the themes of judgment and faith. Perhaps we look for judgment too often, like the disciples standing amazed at the fig tree. But what does our Lord do? He points them to faith. Judgment is not for us, it is only the Lord’s business. We are called to faith.

There are examples of faith all around us. C.S. Lewis observed this too once when he commented on his propensity for judging his own Anglican church. He especially disliked the hymns. But it was through the very things he judged that he realized great faith. He wrote:

“I dislike very much their hymns, which I considered to be fifth-rate poems set to sixth-rate music. But as I went on I saw the great merit of it… I realized that the hymns (which, indeed, were sixth-rate music) were, nevertheless, being sung with devotion and benefit by an old saint in elastic-side boots in the opposite pew, and then you realize that you aren’t even fit to clean those boots. It gets you out of your solitary conceit.”

Perhaps too often we strut about, all leafed-out in our own pretense and judgments. After all, if God’s covenant people could fall into that trap, so can we. But such things are cursed. Our Lord points us instead to great faith. With God nothing is impossible. When we would rather stand by the withered tree shaking our heads in opinionated wonder, our Lord points us to a mountain and dares us to believe.

Blessings as you prune the withered branches that new, fruitful, shoots may appear.

Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 20 (click here for link)

There are times when living in faith will mean there is confusion, and there really isn’t any way around it, even if we believe there shouldn’t be confusion. It is not a question of right and wrong or black and white. Rather it is God leading you down a path that you just don’t understand. Perhaps like our discussion on Friday, things seem a little dark in terms of God’s plans for you. But be assured that God has you just where he needs you. For we know that the person who seeks will find and the one who knocks will have the door opened unto him. Consider these other verses:

The Shrouding of His Friendship. Luke 11:5-8. Jesus gave the illustration of the man who looked as if he did not care for his friend, and He said that that is how the Heavenly Father will appear to you at times. You will think He is an unkind friend, but remember He is not; the time will come when everything will be explained. There is a cloud on the friendship of the heart, and often even love itself has to wait in pain and tears for the blessing of fuller communion. When God looks completely shrouded, will you hang on in confidence in Him?

The Shadow on His Fatherhood. Luke 11:11-13. Jesus says there are times when your Father will appear as if He were an unnatural father, as if He were callous and indifferent, but remember He is not; I have told you - "Everyone that asks, receives." If there is a shadow over the face of the Father, with childlike faith trust that he will give clear understanding and justification for silence toward you.

The Strangeness of His Faithfulness. Luke 18:1-8. "When the Son of Man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?" Will He find the faith which banks on Him in spite of the confusion? We must fortify ourselves in faith believing that what Jesus said is true, no matter what; although in the meantime we do not understand what God is doing. He has bigger issues at stake than the particular things you ask.

Confusion is only human. Just ask those sons of Zebeddee all about it.

Pastor Aaron

Today’s Reading: Matthew 19 (click here for link)

Perhaps you remember how God appeared to his people upon Mount Sinai some 3500 years ago. That was his great theophany (which means appearance) of God, for the first time revealing himself to his people. It was a day of lightning and thunder and fire on the mountain. But it was also a day of darkness. God veiled himself in the darkness of a cloud. The interesting thing about this picture is that despite the fact that the people were literally in the presence of God, God was hidden from them. The closer they drew to him, the deeper they came into darkness. Exodus 20:21 says that “the people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.”

The paradoxical aspect of this picture intrigues me. The Paradox being that Scripture normally describes God as being in unapproachable light, yet often God hides himself from us, even in darkness. Luther would call this the “hidden God.” He would say that often when we are closest to God, he hides his presence from us. When what we want from him is light and clarity, he sometimes gives only darkness. This is especially the case for those of us on the spiritual path. Think about it this way: When one would normally expect that a closer relationship with God would grant certainty and clear vision for our often dark lives, it is usually the reverse. The closer we come to God, it more often means the more we leave everything that we control (or try to control) about our lives behind. We come to depend more on God. That is a scary experience. Thus walking by faith can at times seem like walking in the dark.

Now I know that in past posts we have touched on the hidden God as it concerns the existence of evil in the world. The question being, Why does God allow bad things to happen? Certainly, the answer to such things lies with the hidden God. Why? is generally always a mystery when it concerns the will of God. However, today I want talk about things on a more personal level. I want to talk about CONTROL. In our text, Jesus encounters a rich young man who cannot give up the riches he owns in order to follow his Lord. How do we interpret this and apply it to our lives?

This issues here are faith and control. Faith means giving up control and giving it to God. But doing so is like walking in the dark. When we are in control of our lives, life is easy in the sense that there are certain decisions we don’t have to worry about. For example, I don’t think any of us would argue with the fact that TV has become in many ways too sexually inappropriate for society’s own good. Adultery, homosexuality, lewd behavior and conversation all are common place in the plots of almost any TV show. Now what do we do as Christians? We all know what the Scripture says, “Thou shall not commit adultery.” “Flee sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18). So what do we do? There are many questions to answer. Do I need to change the channel from this TV show that I watch weekly which now, all of a sudden, has inappropriate sexual content? If I am faithful to my spouse, does watching such things really matter? Does innuendo matter? What if I am by myself? All of a sudden, things get complicated. I now have to decide what is faithful to God in this situation. When I’m in control of my life, this is not so much of a problem. It’s easy. I can control what’s good and bad in the situation. I can figure out a good excuse for such behavior. But when I walk by faith I must discern God’s will in the matter.

Yet, discerning God’s will, that’s very much a struggle; a struggle in the dark. God does not always spell everything out for us. He simply wants us to walk righteously before him. The difficult thing is that the path can seem shrouded in darkness. Life just gets more complicated the closer we come to God.

So what about that rich young man? Well… I think too often we judge him too harshly. We assume that since he wasn’t able to give up his stuff to follow Jesus he must not have been saved. However if that is the case, then we all have a very big problem indeed, because we are all in the same boat as that young man. Walking by faith and giving control of our lives to God was not easy then and is not easy for us now.

The Psalms say, “Thy word is a lamb unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Indeed, our Lord is the light of the world. But notice it doesn’t say “spotlight.” Faith means that more often than not we will not have the certainty that we so often desire. There won’t always be a spotlight on the clear and certain answer. When darkness seems to prevail, there won’t always be the quick miracle to rescue us. Faith takes more strength than that. Faith means trusting that God is in the darkness. Faith means we understand that we are spiritually blind and therefore must put out our hands to Jesus and let him lead the way. That is scary. But by faith we know and trust that he will never leave us nor forsake us. We can only pray that that rich young man continued to struggle with such things the rest of his life as he slowly learned to give up control of his life and draw closer to God, even when all his instincts told him to stay out of the darkness.

Thanks for exploring this paradox with me. Have a great day.

Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 18 (click here for link)

Chapter 18 deals with forgiveness and the gaining of a brother or sister for Christ. Jesus teaches, “Become like little children;” “Do not lead them astray;” “Seek out the lost sheep;” “Reconcile to your neighbor at all costs;” “Forgive without limits, even up to seventy-seven times;” “Have mercy on those who owe you debts.” These are tall orders to fill in our sleep deprived lives of high stress and go. We are more often inclined to be like that unmerciful servant in the end, seeking mercy but unwilling to give it.

Instead, Jesus calls us to change and become like little children. This is a bit ironic since children can sometimes be very selfish by nature. But then again, they are sinful just like us adults. They also learn by our example! However, children are also capable of extraordinary acts of selflessness and forgiveness. Little Children, for example, don’t hold grudges. How often have you heard a little child detailing an offense against them from years past? How often do children blow up in argument over the simplest of things, but in the very next moment are running and laughing together again?

I suppose we must all consider how far we are willing to go to heed Jesus’ words today. It won’t be easy! But, then again, it never is. We have so much baggage to let go of, I am afraid that sometimes we are too addicted to the weight of it all and no longer know how to be free.

But that is what makes Christ’s words today so refreshing. So often we think of our spiritual development as a steady progression in things done right. We ask, “Have I been good enough?” However, we learn today that spiritual progression is through forgiveness and not human activity. Are we living in forgiveness? Are we motivated by forgiveness? It is unusual that forgiveness should be so hard and yet so easy for each of us.

Jesus says be like a little child. Don’t hold on so tightly—forgive!

Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 17 (click here for link)

"But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

What an unusual story. Concerning Jesus’ teaching on taxes we would normally think of his words, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” But it is here as a reminder to us that we do live in an earthly world with earthly obligations and earthly influences. While our values and our Lord’s glory may not be displayed in a way that the world accepts or even understands, our responsibility to be good citizens and to participate in society is essential. We can’t just ignore the problems and the issues of the world—abortion, immorality, hunger, poverty, nor even our taxes. However, it is not just the big problems that we are called upon to address as the people of God. Everyday matters are important too. We can't influence people to come to Christ if they don't respect our desire to be people of integrity as we reflect the character of our Savior.

Ask yourself, “Does my unbelieving neighbor rejoice that he lives next door to a Christian? Is this a source of comfort for him knowing that no matter what I will deal with him honestly and in love?"

God’s peace as you bear the light of Christ today,

Pastor Aaron

Today’s Reading is Matthew 16 (click here for link)

Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”

Sometimes this passage is read too extremely, as though carrying the cross in our lives means martyrdom for us—literally losing our lives. But is that really how the process of our transformation as Christians normally plays out?

If you get a chance the next few days, page through your latest edition of The Lutheran Witness. There is a great article about a man named Joe Newcomb and a woman named Eleanor Mueller. I couldn’t help but think of their story as I read these words from Jesus this morning about losing our identity for the sake of Christ.

This story begins at an assisted living center where Eleanor was in residence. She was spending her final years mourning her husband’s death (a former pastor) at the age of 97. Eleanor, herself, was 99 years old and wheelchair bound. She was hoping the Lord would come for her soon. However, God had other plans. To her surprise, He sent her Joe instead.

Joe was a middle aged man who had recently lost his mother and had taken a job at the assisted living center where Eleanor lived. He was assigned to be her caregiver. The two of them did not get along, at all. Eleanor always wanted things just so and Joe was going through grief of his own and didn’t always have patience for his elderly charge. But over time the two of them warmed to each other, and they began to share their stories and their grief. Eleanor quickly realized that Joe was not a Christian and immediately set to work hoping to remedy that, but Joe resisted most of these attempts and claimed he didn’t have any real reason to go to church anymore, especially now that he was alone in the world. But Eleanor was persistent.

Of course, Eleanor also had her down times, especially as her health deteriorated. One Christmas Eve, Joe found Eleanor still in her room. He asked her if she was excited about spending time with her family for Christmas. She told him she wasn’t going to go out for Christmas. She said she was tired and didn’t really care anymore. Joe couldn’t stand to see his friend so down and depressed. Nothing he did could convince her to leave her room. Finally, he resorted to the one thing he thought might work—but the one thing he was most reluctant to do, himself. He made a deal with Eleanor that If she went to visit family for Christmas, he would agree to attend church on Christmas Day. Of course, Eleanor quickly agreed. But neither knew that that night would be a turning point in both their lives.

However, I’ll let you discover how this story ends, for yourselves. I found it a very personal account of how often we are called to bear crosses in life, following our Savior without always knowing where he is leading us. In Eleanor’s case, she was filled with grief and was tired of living. She didn’t want to spend her finale years in an assisted living facility. But God had plans for her. They were very definitely His plans and not hers. He had one last role for her to play. And of course, Joe lost his identity too, and as you will discover from the ending of the article, he received a new identity in Jesus Christ.

God reshaped this elderly woman and this lost man through the cross of Jesus Christ. Both Eleanor and Joe found a new life waiting for them in the process.

Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”

Have a great day,
Pastor Aaron

Today’s reading is Matthew 15 (click here for a link)

It is amazing the lengths God will go to care for his people. A church pulling through a financial crises when no one expected it; a missionary suddenly released after months of captivity by Muslim extremists and terrorists; a father being pulled back from an alcohol problem by the innocent words of his little girl. All these examples, whether big or small, common or extraordinary, are illustrations of God preserving his people. In our reading from Matthew, Jesus preserves the people through an extraordinary miracle—for the second time he feeds thousands of people with just a few loaves of bread and a few fish.

But how absurd the disciples question seems, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?" They had just seen Jesus do this exact thing. Where was their faith?

Perhaps we should pause right there. As a child I was told that anytime I point my finger at someone, there are four fingers pointing back at me. Where was their faith… Here is a better question: Where is my faith? Do we so easily accept the miracles of our Lord into our lives? He certainly does them—all around us. But have we spent enough time discerning his will to understand his work. How often are we more apt to say, “Why has he not done such and such for me, also?” Perhaps it is time to take that question to the Lord. He will give you an answer. However, be prepared for that answer to be according to his will and not your own.

Pastor Aaron

P.S. Don't forget to answer the survey questions on the right. Also any additional thoughts or suggestions can be made by posting a comment.

Today's reading is Matthew 14 (click here for link)

Have you ever jumped overboard in reckless abandon to go after Jesus? Peter did! He didn’t even seem to see the wind and waves. He simply obeyed when Jesus said, “Come.” Too often I think we pause to ponder the risk. We might think, “That ministry is just not for me, Lord. Someone else is better suited for that job.” If you are like me, the Lord will speak to you with urgency while you are driving in the car, but by the time I arrive at home or at the office, I have already explained to myself why I should not heed his voice. The truth of the matter is that as soon as we begin to question whether God has really spoken to us, it is precisely at that point that we have already lost the battle. Judge the merit of the calling. If you felt the urgency to do something good for the kingdom of God, then rest assured, Jesus spoke to you. So be reckless in serving him.

However, even Peter eventually wavered. Suddenly the waves and wind seemed too much for him to bear. He began to lose confidence in Jesus. It can happen easily, and when it does we will certainly sink. But notice that Jesus immediately reaches for Peter and draws him up.

This walking by faith is no easy task. It can cause even the most saintly to flounder at times. A few years ago, I met and prayed with a young woman who came to the church I was helping at. She was desperately seeking help. She felt she was sinking. She had recently moved from a nearby town. Her husband was a repeated drug user and it had become dangerous for her and her three boys to stay with him. She knew deep down that leaving him for the time being was the right option. She knew it was what God had put upon her heart. Yet, as soon as she moved away to live with some relatives (who were not so thrilled at the new arrangements) she began to doubt her decision. She had no job, no home, hardly any family. Now she was all alone. She told me she didn’t know what to do. In the past she had always just gone back, but then things would always get worse—dangerous. But fear was doing her in. She and I prayed. We prayed that the Lord might draw her up so that she can abandon her fears and reach out to grab hold of our Savior’s waiting arms.

The calling from our Lord is not always easy. It will take strength. Strength of faith!

Walk by faith and not by sight,
Pastor Aaron

Today’s reading is Matthew 13 (click here for link)

"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”

Perspective changes everything. It is funny how two people can stand in the very same spot and look at the same thing and each see something different. My wife and I are like this when it comes to the weather. I love when fall arrives and the big thunderstorms come crashing down, stirred up by the collision of warm and cold air in the atmosphere. In fact, whenever a storm approaches, I will sit by the window watching the awesome raw power of it all. Pam, on the other hand, hates it when I do that. She would prefer to batten down the hatches, close all the blinds, and have the flash light ready in case of a power outage. Our perspective of the coming storm couldn’t be more different.

The same is true for faith. Some see it, others don’t.
For those whose eyes are open, amazing miracles happen every day—all around us. I hear frequently about someone who was healed with no medical explanation for how or why. God simply intervened! But not everyone sees it that way. It is perplexing how the Holy Spirit gives the perspective of faith to some and not to others and it will always be a mystery. However, today’s reading assures us that this mystery is a good thing.

The reading for today is a series of parables about the kingdom of heaven. But there are two assurances concerning faith. First, the kingdom of heaven is already here. Our faith is not just for some distant future. No, the present reality of the reign of God now gives us assurance for the coming reign of God in the future. Notice how Jesus explains that the kingdom of heaven is like… well… he speaks about it terms of evangelism—sowing seeds. That is happening now. You and I are a part of that work of the kingdom.

The second assurance is that those who lack the perspective of faith will never overcome those who have faith. Remember, Jesus said, “Let the weeds grow up among the wheat lest you root up the good with the bad.” Perhaps you can identify with this parable if you are a gardener. Being one, myself, I understand perfectly well how overwhelming it can be to watch how easily the weed can dominate the garden, especially in the hothouse climate of South Houston. But this is the not the case in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus says there will be a harvest, which means that no matter how bad things become here on earth for the faithful, the gates of hell will never overcome. Therefore we can acknowledge the different perspectives all around us—some will see God and others won’t. But whether our perspective differs with a co-worker, a friend, a family member, or a fellow student, we can continue to sow the seeds of the gospel, and pray they land on fertile ground. Just remember, the mystery is God’s, so don’t fret about it.

Happy gardening,
Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 12 (click here for link)

It is amazing how Jesus changes everything. Even when we think we have got it down—this Christian thing we do—how often are we surprised to discover that we still have so much to learn about our Lord? In fact, sometimes our religion can get in the way. This is no unfamiliar problem, especially for a pastor (yours truly). This time of year can be very hectic, particularly in the church as advent services begin and various fellowship activities are scheduled. Of course, my regular schedule doesn’t change. There are always the regular pastoral duties of visiting the sick and comforting those who have lost a loved one, Sunday morning sermon prep, meetings of various sorts, Bible studies to prepare, confirmation classes. It can all become very stressful. Suddenly, it all becomes about work and it is very difficult to feel any of the “rest from our burdens” that Jesus offered yesterday in chapter 11.

Indeed, human beings are very good at being busy. The Jewish people were no exception. They had taken God’s law—a law established in love—and had added to it an amazing array of busy work. According to Jewish custom, a man could not spit on the ground on the Sabbath lest he step on it and roll up a ball of mud, which would then make him guilty of plowing. Neither could a woman look in the mirror on the Sabbath lest she see a hair growing on her face and be tempted to pluck it, which would make her guilty of cutting her hair. Even today, orthodox Jews must be careful never to enter an elevator on the Sabbath unless someone else has pushed the button for them, because pushing an electric button creates a spark, which would make a Jewish person guilty of creating fire on the Sabbath. And so it was that the disciples were accused of picking the heads of grain (the work of harvesting), rubbing them between their hands to extract the grain (the work of threshing), and then blowing away the chaff in order to eat the grain to ease their hunger (the work of winnowing).

On and on these laws go, and so you might imagine how stressful it could become.

When our lives get busy, how wonderful it is to remember that we have a Lord who promises that his love for us is enough. “ENOUGH!” That is a hard word for us to swallow! Remember yesterday’s psalm: “He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Our task as Christian people is not to be perfect—we can never quite accomplish that—rather, we do everything for the glory of Jesus, for his name’s sake. He will put you where you need to be. His love is enough! Today, do what you do for the sake of him who loves you.

Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 11 (click here for link)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

It is interesting that Jesus uses the word “yoke” and “burden” to describe what it means to be his disciple. These are words that are synonymous with slavery. Jesus wants us to be his servants or slaves. This means a change for you and me in our lifestyles. We are no longer free but burdened and yoked. Our purpose is another’s purpose.

Yet as undesirable as this might seem, our Lord invites us to “come” and replace our personal burdens with his burden. It is only when we leave our burdens behind and take up the yoke of Christ that we can find rest.

So, are you chaffing under the yoke? It is amazing how even when we think we are at our best in our living for Jesus, we suddenly find that we have cast off his yoke and are running as hard as we can toward our old burdens. We all have baggage and issues that follow us around in life. These issues can affect the way we work, mess with our relationships, and cause us more stress than is healthy. How often do you find yourself angry? But not angry at anyone in particular, just angry? What about stress? How often are you just simply stressed-out? Letting go of this baggage won’t be easy. We unfortunately wrap too much of our identity in such things. But if we ever hope to have rest, we must drop it all and come to Jesus. He will give us a new burden, a new identity.

If you ever find yourself angry at someone you love, but you know deep down it is not their fault, try this: Think of our Lord who said, “I am gentle and humble of heart.” Think of the psalm “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name sake.” It is that last part that is the hardest to swallow. To be in the throes of anger and broken by stress and to give it all up for the sake your new master will be the hardest thing in the world. But as soon as you do, you will find rest. The moment you set foot on that righteous path, the Lord is with you. The moment you seek forgiveness from your hurt spouse, the Lord is with you. He is bearing that burden with you. And on the other side is rest for your soul. His burden is light, because he is there with you. But it is a burden nonetheless. But then again, no wine has ever been made without first squeezing the grapes and no gold has ever existed that has not first been refined with fire.

Don’t turn to bear those old burdens alone. Let go. Stay with the Shepherd. Stay with the one who can give you rest.

Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 10 (click here for link)

“I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.” Jesus seems to have some harsh things to say in chapter ten. He does not come to bring peace but the sword. I suppose, on the one hand, this passage is a little frightening. We ask: Does following Jesus mean that I must give up my family? Well, hopefully not, but it could come to that. If they turn you away because of your faith, then you must go. You must choose Jesus even over your family.

However, it is not so often like this for us today. Our choices are much more subtle. Our battles are cloaked in the mundane, the day-to-day. We all have those members of our family that are outside the faith. We want nothing more than to reveal to them the light of Christ, but we don’t want to drive them away. Yet, no matter how much we love them, there are always those little reminders of just how divided they are from you—each time you fold your hands to say a prayer before a meal; every Sunday morning when you get ready for church; small talk at a family reunion. But don’t just give them up. Remember, that the sword of Jesus Christ is his gospel. You have that sword in your hand. It is sharp enough to cut away even unbelief. Use the sword even on those you love. Never allow the line of separation to be blurred. Oh... and pray about it whenever you can.

In addition, this chapter, as negative as it might seem, is a good reminder to give thanks to God for a godly family. It is also a good time to re-evaluate your role as a godly parent. Am I bringing up my children to be in the faith or am I allowing them to grow to be my enemies?

Wield Jesus’ sword liberally in all that you do.
Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 9 (click here for link)

Today Jesus says that new wine cannot be poured into old wineskins nor can you patch old garments with a new piece of cloth. Jesus is responding to some of John the Baptist’s disciples, who have come to him wondering why Jesus and his disciples don’t do the things that all other rabbis and great teachers do. Indeed, Jesus must have seemed a strange bird. Not only are his amazing miracles enough to set him apart from all other teachers, but also this man can forgive sins with authority and doesn’t abide by all the old Mosaic Law code of the Jews. Oh yeah… he also eats with sinners!!!

However, Jesus warning is true. There is a danger in taking something new—Jesus—and simply adding him or stitching him into our old way of life. Jesus cannot be a “patch,” something that simply repairs the old. Jesus comes to make all things new.

So what happens when the new intersects with the old? The old is burst apart. Each day you and I face the maker of new wine. Our lives—our old and sinful skins—try to “deal” with Jesus. We try to incorporate him into our old lives—patching things up. But Jesus is utterly new and he comes to burst our old lives and make us new in his name. Perhaps this sounds a bit heady or theological, but think about it this way: That sin you committed yesterday; that thing which has you so guilt racked; that thing which has so hurt your loved ones; Jesus has come to make that new!

In the name of Jesus the old is gone and his word creates you new. Your sins are forgiven you in the name of Jesus. Whatever the old has touched, it can now be healed with the new. It won’t be easy, but then again, destroying old wineskins never is easy. Bring Jesus into that part of your life and see the power of his name.

I pray God's blessings for each of you as you join with family to celebrate and enjoy with thanksgiving the gift of life in Jesus,

Pastor Aaron

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

No post today. Enjoy your time with family and friends. See you tomorrow.

Read Matthew 8 (click here for link)

What sort of man is this? It is amazing how quickly the modern reader reads right through the astounding things that this man, Jesus, does in chapter 8. How often have we read accounts of Jesus calming the storm, of his healing the sick, exorcising demons? We know exactly what kind of man this is—but do we, really?

Now… I hate being critical, but it seems to me that we sometimes read this more like a comforting parable than as bona fide history. However, Matthew is clearly determined to show us that this is no mere parable that Jesus told in general about the power of good over evil or faith over doubt. This really happened! Jesus really calmed a violent storm and the disciples didn’t know what to think about it—they were shocked, scared. Yet, too many times I have heard this text applied to the modern Christian life in an allegorical way. The allegory usually plays out like this: We are the disciples and we face our own storms in life and Jesus is the one who calms the storms. Does this sound familiar? Yet, something has always rubbed me the wrong way about this application. It is too easy. Where is the shock and the awe? Where is the exclamation point? To simply make the quick generalization that Jesus does the same thing in our lives grossly misses the point.

In fact, despite its familiarity, this account of Jesus calming the storm is actually one of the hardest things for us to swallow. After all — be honest — how many times has Jesus actually calmed a violent, thunder and lightning storm in your life? It has more often been my experience that in the storms of life Jesus has been strangely absent and has not always protected me—at least, not like he does in this text. Here, Jesus makes the danger go away, completely. But He does not always do that today, nor will he always do so for the disciples. They will go on to face many storms and dangers in the coming years. Indeed, even Jesus will not be spared in the end, when he submits to his Father’s will and dies on a cross. Therefore, to make such a general application of this text that Jesus will always calm the rocking boat of life, I believe, might insult the true experience of many Christians who today bear patiently with faith the burden of discipleship, despite the storms that rage around them. In fact, this is the persistent difficulty with the Christian message for so many, we follow a Lord who has the full ability to calm chaos with a word, but sometimes remains silent.


Of course, this is not to say that miracles never happen today. Nor is it to imply that God will not hear us when we turn to him in our fear in the face of the storm and cry, “Lord, save us!” Indeed, He has promised to be with us: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) But we must remember that the entirety of Jesus’ work here on earth during his life and ministry was a first fruits work of God—a sign and promise of what is to come. Notice, that in the account of Jesus meeting the two demoniacs in the region of the Gadarenes, the demons ask Jesus, “Have you come to torment us before the appointed time?” They are shocked to see God at work so powerfully before the last day.

Some two thousand years ago, the world groaned as with the pains of birth. Something had to happen. And so, at the right time, God broke into history, as he had so many times before (as testified in the Old Testament). However, this time, he did something that shocked everyone who encountered this miracle—even demons. God stepped into the flesh. Jesus Christ truly was “God with us.” Who is this man? Well… the winds and waves obey him! Sickness departs at his touch! Demons flee before him! This man rose from the dead. Whatever the plan of God may be for this groaning world, Jesus is the key to that plan. He is the Savior—the maker of heaven and earth. But our Lord is not always where we expect him to be. When the women came to the empty tomb on that dark Easter morning, the angel told them, “He is risen. He is not here.” Indeed, he is not here — not in the flesh! He has risen. He is sitting on his throne as Lord of heaven and earth.

Thus we walk now by faith whereas the disciples walked by sight. Faith is no easy thing; by its very definition it believes in something that cannot be proven or seen. But he has promised to return — at an appointed time — and he will bring all of heaven with him. Of course, this is a difficult hope to cling to when the dark storm clouds gather, but what else can we do but follow him as the disciples did — even to death. But this we know for sure: there is real hope now — even in the storms of life. Not even death can kill our hope, for it could not kill Him. We wait for the day when this God in the flesh returns to speak calm into the chaos, once and for all.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 7 (click here for a link)

In the middle the reading this morning, Jesus gives us assurance concerning our prayers. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” This seems easy enough, yet why is it that we always stop at the first step—with the “asking”?

What about “seeking” and “knocking”? How often do we ask and ask and ask, and when we don’t receive, we give up? Prayer is not a static one way conversation. In fact, Jesus goes on to compare it to the relationship between a father and son. Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? But God has more to say to us than simply “Yes,” “No,” or “Not yet.” He does not simply spoil us by giving us everything we want. Rather he seeks to shape us into his children through His own son, Jesus. This means dying to who we have been and living as new people—as sons and daughters of God.

However, living as a child of God is no easy task. For though the reality is that God has adopted me and claimed me absolutely in Jesus, how comfortable am I with that claim? How often do I live my life expecting bread, but everything I give and do for others is stones? I may pray for a blessed marriage, but I avoid my spouse by busying myself with work. I may pray for godly children, but I have no patience for teaching them how to behave. I may pray for the money to buy something new, but I have yet to pay for the things I already own. I may be asking like a good child, but am I living that way?

Don’t too quickly assume that it simply must not be the will of God for you have that for which you ask. Perhaps God’s not giving to you immediately is his way of saying, “Seek.” In other words, if God has not given you what you have asked for, then find out the reason why. Don’t just give up. Ask yourself: Am I right with my husband? Have I been reconciled to my wife? Have I been a good parent? Am I living as a good steward of my money?

Get out there! “Seek” and “knock.” Find the answer. God has much to teach his children. He will show you the way.

Have a great day.
Pastor Aaron

November 23, 2009

Read Matthew 6 (click here for link)

It is amazing how the darkness scares us, even long after we are grown-up. Although we have outgrown the need for night-lights and teddies, we are still terrified when we cannot see because of the darkness in life. What will happen tomorrow? What if I don’t do this now? Who is going to take charge of that? The answers to these questions and more are usually in the dark. We can’t see them and that scares us. But what does Jesus say?

“My word is lamp unto your feet and light unto your path.” (Psalm 119:105)”

Today our Lord admonishes us not to worry. Be like the lilies or birds, he says. They really don’t do much of anything except live and God takes care of them. Then Jesus points the finger at us. “You of little faith…,” he says, “What is your problem? Why can’t you just trust me like one of these little flowers?”

Yesterday, Pam and I had the opportunity to catch up with a dear friend of ours. She is an example of one of those rare Christians whose faith and clarity for living according to God’s direction is enough to make me covet. But it is inspiring to hear her story. Even from the beginning she possessed faith enough to listen to God when many of us would have balked. God had made it certain to her as a young girl that she was to leave her family in China and move to America so that she could study at a Christian school. Of course, doing this meant being disowned by her pagan family. She ended up studying at Concordia University in Austin, Texas. She graduated with an education degree. She moved to Hawaii to begin teaching in a struggling Lutheran School. Over the years we lost touch with her. However, yesterday, Pam received a phone call from Cynthia. The two friends rejoiced at hearing each other’s voices again.

We were surprised to learn she had quit her job a while ago and gone through a missionary school and had recently returned from a long trip to Africa. Her mission there was among some of the poorest and most pitiful people on that continent—to feed and care for those who were in hospice, dying from the AIDS virus. Many of these were children—rounded up from the streets; their parents dead from the disease and themselves also infected. These children (although still healthy in appearance) where told that they would soon die and therefore were placed in hospice by the government. But food is always in short supply there and a place like hospice (a place for the living dead) is the first to be denied. Cynthia told us how she watched in horror as one little boy peed on the ground to make some mud. Then stooping down, he formed that mud into a little pie, set it to the side to dry, and then returned to eat it. He had no other food for that day!

But Cynthia continued to probe the darkness for the Savior’s voice. She told us of the amazing ways that God worked through her and her missionary friends. Her stories can only be described as miracles—real miracles! She told us how before she and her friends left for Africa they had decided not to get any vaccinations because they were expensive and without them there would be more money for buying food to feed those dying children. To their surprise, (but not the Lord’s) not a single one of those missionaries came back with even a simple cold or flu virus. Cynthia told us how she was caring for one elderly lady, who the doctors informed her would be dying soon. But one day Cynthia told us that God told her to go over to that woman and ask her to walk. Cynthia, in her trusting way, obeyed, and soon the two of them were walking hand-in-hand down the hospice hallway. That dying woman was released from hospice a week later, healthy.

So what do we make of stories like these? I’ll admit my western, logical, take control, map-it-out, no nonsense approach to life has a hard time dealing with the simple trust Cynthia had that God would make things right. Certainly, I am not advocating that we should forgo vaccinations or make a mass exodus to Africa; rather, I am pretty sure that God wants us to put down roots just where we are. But what are we rooted in? Every future moment is a moment of darkness. Are you walking forward trusting in God or trusting in yourself? One thing is certain. If you continually seek to cover all your bases, then don’t always expect God to work for you, because you are doing God’s job for Him. Perhaps it is not so much as we normally think: that God helps those who help themselves; He helps those who need his help! Whose help are you going to seek when you are afraid of the dark?

In Christ,
Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 5 (click here for link)

Wow!!! How does a person sum up one of the most quoted chapters of Scripture in one little blog post? It would seem that doing so is about as hard as actually living out the text in our lives! How do you do these things? Cut off your right hand… Turn the other cheek… Remain pure in messy marital situations… Love your enemies… Be perfect as God is perfect…????

You would have to be Jesus to be able to do all of this. But maybe that is the point! In Galatians 2:20 the apostle Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Paul seems to be echoing Jesus words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” In fact, it is exactly this conclusion that one comes to (at least I do!) as one reads the Sermon on the Mount—you realize just how spiritually poor you really are because we all fail at pretty much everything Jesus mentions. Of course, we could try harder! Do better! Make better decisions! But the more I study the scriptures the more I realize that our Lord Jesus never really trusted our ability to decide anything (just remember where decisions landed Peter). So Jesus never really asks us to decide at all, but to yield to Him. These are absolutely very different things. When we hear the instructions from the Sermon on the Mount, the spiritually poor man or woman can see no alternative but to fall at Jesus feet. Furthermore, Paul makes it clear that as long as we have even a kernel of self-motivation or ambition that we can do it alone, we can never enter the kingdom of heaven. So it is that I must be crucified with Christ.

So, put that into practice in your life. Uhhh… well, that is not such an easy thing to do, because the Sermon on the Mount is not some practice of religion, it is a declaration of what will become of me when Jesus Christ has altered me and made me like himself. Jesus Christ is the only One who can fulfill the Sermon on the Mount. These words of Jesus are for the heart and not the head. If you try to understand them with your head you will only get a headache, and understanding them with your heart will always mean heartache (which is the law crushing us). That is what it means to be crucified with Christ.

So, what do I do about the man I saw yesterday holding the cardboard sign, whom I drove right by?

Well…

I guess I still have some struggling to do with these words. I plead the cross. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.

Lord, help me be poor in spirit. Amen.

Pastor Aaron

P.S. Thank you guys for your comments the other day. Remember, comments will always appear when the next day's devotion is posted. Also, remember that today is Friday, so no devotions until Monday (sorry... Pastors tend to be especially busy on weekends!).

Read Matthew 4 (Click here for link)

Yesterday a friend of mine sent me an email with a remarkable story attached. It is a report from CNN chronicling the humanitarian work of one man, Brad Blauser, who has given up almost everything to dedicate his full time to providing wheel chairs for handicapped children in that war torn nation of Iraq. The full story can be found here.

I kept thinking of this story as I read our text for this morning. Too often I think we read this familiar account about the temptation of Jesus and sort of just make assumptions about its application. Perhaps the most common assumption is that what Jesus does in this text provides us an example for how we can combat our own temptations in life. But how exactly does that work? How exactly is that going for you? How often do you find yourself winning the way Jesus wins that satanic encounter?

In fact, all too often, I fear that this is the way we read Scripture, as if it is an instruction manual for life and all I have to do is follow directions. However, if God intended his Word to be used as the great, cosmic how-to manual, then boy are we are in big trouble; because I think we have all been down that road a few times, and even though we may not always be the best at following instructions, Satan seems to have his way with us all too frequently. And since this is so often the case, I guess it must mean 1 of 2 things: God’s instructions aren’t working or we are just too dumb to follow them; either way, it doesn’t save anybody.

No, rather I see Matthew 4 as important for struggling Christians not so much for the example that Jesus set for our lives, but for the actual work that he accomplishes through this encounter. Jesus actually defeats Satan! John the Baptist had been preaching this all along, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We discover today that Jesus preaches the same message. A new kingdom is at hand, the reign of God is at work in a world dominated by a satanic kingdom and devilish rule. However the Prince of the new kingdom—God’s kingdom—is defeating the old satanic kingdom wherever he goes. Chapter 4 is sandwiched in this way. At the beginning of chapter 4 Jesus defeats Satan, himself, and then goes out into the world healing sickness and disease which are of Satan’s kingdom. And what does Jesus do in the middle of it all? He calls people to follow him. He calls people to come and do the work of the kingdom—people like the disciples and people like Brad Blauser!

Yes, Jesus' kingdom is about more than just forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness is where the kingdom starts. Christ’s work has saved you. You are in the kingdom. But God is concerned with this world, too—the physical, everyday aspects of this life—and defeating Satan in every way that he reigns here in the world. The conflict between two kingdoms is all around us. In the midst of this war members of our church gathered this week in the sanctuary to sort and deliver food for the hungry of Houston, and the kingdom of heaven was advanced. A few days ago my wife bought some clothes for a widow in our congregation who was in the nursing home and didn’t have anything to wear, and the kingdom of heaven was advanced. This morning, members of Epiphany’s prayer chain are waking up and kneeling and praying for the many lonely, sick, and scared in our extended church family, and the kingdom of heaven is being advanced. And thousands of miles away a little Iraqi girl is receiving the greatest gift in the world—her ability to smile as she moves with freedom for the first time in her new wheelchair and the kingdom of heaven is advanced.

Be bold today as you bring the kingdom to bear on this world.

Pastor Aaron

Read Matthew 3 (Click here for link)

Repent!!! This is always a word used in the active sense in the Greek Scriptures—never the passive. It literally means “change one’s mind.” Yet, maybe I have always had it all wrong! I’ve always thought of my repentance as a reminder of my sins, my past life—a heaping upon myself of guilt and shame for things done wrong. But repentance doesn’t point us to that sin; it points us, instead, to our utter unworthiness and helplessness before God for the future. It is a changing of one’s mind; a welcoming of Jesus into every part of us that is unclean where before we welcomed him not at all. It is not dwelling on the unclean acts, themselves, but trusting and welcoming the one who comes to make all things new—even in me, a sinner. Repentance then is forward thinking.

And, for sure, that is what John the Baptist is preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” He says, “Hurry! God is acting now! Change your mind before it is too late.” John preaches a repentance that is radically different than what was taught in his day—and perhaps in our day, too. The Baptist calls people to turn from being unfruitful trees that will be chopped down and cast into the fire into fruitful trees. John saw disaster in the making—a people who were like sheep gone astray. John did not see repentance as a daily activity that somehow was required in order for people to stay in covenant with God; rather, it signaled for him a changing of future status—changing from goats into sheep, from chaff for the fire into grain for the bakery.

So we come to that key verse, Matthew 3:11-12—John said, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." John would seem again to be emphasizing the future—a future that is still to come.

The “kingdom of God” is still near. The last days are at hand. John’s baptism was indeed for repentance—a changing of status. So is ours! Therefore we should not be too hasty to compare our baptism to the baptism of Holy Spirit and of fire by the Mighty One. That will come one day soon, when the Mighty One returns with is winnowing fork in his hand. But for now we live in repentance, a repentance/changing that was given us in our baptism. In this way baptism assures us of salvation on that future day. This baptism was a seal of Spirit—God’s own promise in His name— keeping us until that future baptism of fire and Spirit, when our mortal bodies will be transformed in a twinkling and we will be given “Spiritual” bodies at the coming of the King and his kingdom (see Romans 15). So we pray “Thy Kingdom come…” Yet we know that even now Jesus is at work in the world making old things new.

Wherever it is that He comes to you, are you prepared for Him to drag into the light every wrong thing you have done? For it is precisely there that He comes. Yet, ironically, it is this exposure that repentance welcomes. Wherever I know I am unclean, He will bring his fire; wherever I think I am clean, He will withdraw it. Whenever we dwell upon ourselves—either our badness or our goodness—we get in the way of the King. Instead, we repent—we change “forwardly”—because we are helpless on our own. We trust not in ourselves but in the coming King.

Have a great day of repentence, or should I say future joy realized now?

Pastor Aaron

P.S. I know some of you have asked about the ability to comment on various postings. After numerous difficulites, I want to say thanks to Nick for helping out. Feel free to post a comment. I will moderate them and make sure they are posted as soon as possible for everyone to read. Thanks for your patience.

Tuesday, November 17th

Today’s Reading: Matthew 2 (Click here for a link to the text)

I am not really sure what it is about this text that strikes me as odd this morning as I sit down to write. Maybe it is just the calendar distance from Christmas. Maybe it is the fact that I now have children of my own who are both under the age of two. But this morning I can’t get that mournful cry of Rachel out of my Head.

After all, this is supposed to be a Christmas text—happy and joyous and tingly. Normally, we just sort of skip past Herod’s horrible atrocity and concentrate on the quaint Christmas idea of chubby little angel messengers flitting around warning not-so-wise Wisemen and the new daddy, Joseph. But today, all I can think about is that needless slaughter of so many innocents. So… (even though it is only my second post, and perhaps a little too early for something so serious) this morning, I want all of you to slow down with me for a second. Don’t jump too quickly to that Christmas euphoria (besides, it is not even Thanksgiving yet!). I want to point out that haunting passage from verse 18:

A voice is heard in Ramah,
Weeping and great morning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.

There it is, a few simple lines; almost poetic in their beauty, if it wasn’t for the fact that they describe something so terrible. Yes, this passage does indeed provoke a few questions and concerns (no matter what time of the year we read it—Christmas or otherwise). After all, King Herod does something horrendous: He flippantly murders no telling how many innocent children in and around the town of Bethlehem. But, like I said earlier, we know that already; we are familiar with the text, and certainly, we’ve all learned long ago that the Bible simply has some gruesome details like this and we just need to keep reading—because it will all be ok in the end anyway. Right? But does that really silence the questions? Because, I don’t know about you, but I can’t get that image out of my head: That poor woman, Rachel, just weeping, weeping for something she couldn’t possibly understand or come to terms with. Her children are no more! Yet, here is the real kicker: Matthew says all of this happened to fulfill the words of Jeremiah. FULFILL!!! That means God knew this was going to happen. In fact, he prophesied it through the prophet Jeremiah some 600 years before! Matthew is, in a sense, saying this had to happen in order for Jesus to be the fulfillment of Scripture.

Now, my dear friends in blogger land, we have a real dilemma. After all, it is one thing to read the nativity story and hear about how God provides for the holy family a narrow escape out of the evil clutches of King Herod. But just how do we justify the needless slaughter of so many innocents? Couldn’t the angel have made a few more stops that evening? Couldn’t he have warned a few more fathers and poor mothers, like Rachel, along the way to Joseph’s house? By this I mean, you can hardly read this text without feeling more than a little desperation. Certain questions begin to loom large:

How can such evil herald such good?

How can the birth of the Savior of the world be the cause of the death of so many little babies?

Where is the salvation?

Where is the Gospel?

These questions, once asked, can’t just be pushed aside so easily. They beg—as we beg when we behold terrible things in our lives—for an answer. But are there any good answers out there?

A couple of weeks ago we heard about the tragic shooting in Fort Hood. “Why,” we asked as ran to our computers and turned on the televisions to catch the latest headlines. Here at Epiphany things are no different. It seems like almost every week, I grieve with some member of our church family who has just received that dreadful phone call from the Doctor, who says, “I am sorry, but your test results are back, it seems you have….” Every time I get that email, or talk to that teary eyed, scared but brave person, I relive the time when my own family members were diagnosed with… well… I guess the word can only be “EVIL.”

Now, I know I am digging myself a hole that I might not be able to crawl out off, especially in a blog post. (Maybe a good sermon on this subject is in order? Actually… count on it!) But isn’t that how we feel so often when we come face to face with real and genuine, up-close-and-personal evil? And I know what you are all tempted to say right now to provide the quick and easy remedy… but resist that temptation… don’t blurt something out prematurely… don’t any of you sit there in front of your computers and throw out the word “JESUS.” Not like that! Not in the face of poor weeping Rachel. If Jesus is the savior of the world, then why didn’t He save her little baby? To throw His name out there like that, at a time like that, just seems empty and generic. I mean… really… think about it… you put down the phone and turn to look into the eyes of your best friend in the whole world—your loving wife or husband—and you have to repeat to them the horrible words that were just told you, “honey, I am sick. It does not look good.” And in that moment, when all the world seems turned up-side down, when you feel weak and sick in your stomach, when anger and rage well up inside of you… in “that” moment your loved one says to you, “Don’t worry, Jesus loves you.” Well… it just sounds pretty insultingly generic, if you ask me. I think poor weeping Rachel would have agreed. I think the families of Ft. Hood might also agree.

Of course don’t get me wrong, Jesus certainly is an answer for evil, yes. In the abstract, general sense, we know that he came to die for sin, to redeem the world from evil. We know this abstractly, but what about personally? What about when king Herod comes knocking on your door, wanting to drag your children out into the night? How is Jesus the answer in that moment?

Well… friends, sermon or no sermon, there are some questions that can’t wait to be answered. This is an old, old problem—a very well worn question. But this I know for sure: In the midst of a world filled with evil things—in a little town at the mercy of merciless king--Mathew beholds something new!

What Matthew sees in these events described in Chapter 2 is not just an answer to the questions that are prompted in us when we see evil at work in the world. Rather what Mathew beholds in an answerer. This baby born to Mary and Joseph is not just some variable to balance the cosmic equation, as if God were x and evil were y and we needed a solution. There is no solution to evil, for evil was never intended by an all-powerful and good God. Sin, rebellion, and stubbornness on the part of man perverted the good God had made. So, God did a new thing—Jesus. Matthew sees this, and by his testimony, we too, can see that all of Scripture and history points to this. In our text alone, Matthew quotes three OT passages to prove it.

Later, this baby will grow into a man and will call out to Matthew, as he stands at his tax-collecting booth. Jesus will say, “Follow me.” Matthew, without understanding any of it, will recognize him as a man with an answer. Matthew will leave his booth and follow Jesus. But he will follow not because he has some abstract sense that Jesus is the counter balance or solution to evil. No, Matthew will behold a man, a man who has a purpose and a plan for the future. You see, for Matthew, it won’t be about the “why” but the “where.” Not about why (theologically speaking) he follows Jesus, but a much more important question: “Where is Jesus going?”

Jesus goes to face evil, and he says, “Follow me, I have a plan.” Jesus experiences evil in no less, and much more, ways than we can know. He dies for us on the cross. But this is not the end, for if it was, then Evil would win and Jesus would have no answers to give because he would be dead. No… Jesus lives despite the evil he experience—even death. HE LIVES!!! If there is an answer to the question of how a truly good God deals with evil, than Jesus must be the one who can give that answer. Evil couldn’t stop him!

So we too follow Jesus to the cross, not to lament but to remember that here is one who has faced evil and come out the other side with an answer. And he invites us to come with him. “Follow me,” he says. We now share the road with Jesus. He invites us to share his road, and we can be certain that he shares our road in life. No matter the evil we encounter. My mother knows this; and though her faith has certainly wavered in the face of such evil as Multiple Sclerosis, she knows that her Lord shares the road with her. He knows the answer, and he invites her to come along with him to discover that answer. Yes, indeed, we all will! Even old Jeremiah foresaw the day the answer would be made known. He prophesied of a day when all evil will cease and God will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. Jesus will wipe the tears from Rachel’s eyes, from all our eyes. He is the one who can answer. He is the one who has conquered. To whom else would we go?

I will see you all tomorrow.

Until then… Peace as you walk the road with Him.
Pastor Aaron

Today’s Reading: Matthew 1

Good morning everyone! Are you ready for this new venture—reading through the very word of God? Actually, this will be an “ad”-venture. Perhaps you have never thought much about this word, adventure. What exactly is adventure? When I was in college, me and some buddies of mine would periodically go on what we called “adventures”—road trips to Destine, Florida; Lake City, Colorado; Grand Canyon, Arizona; Rachel (Area 51) Nevada; and San Diego, California. For us, these trips were meant to be exciting and thrilling, leaving the boring humdrum of college life behind and driving off into the sunset. We would take turns driving through the night, always determined to make the next horizon. However, for our parents and girlfriends, our running off like that on “adventure” more likely worried them half to death. The truth is, adventure is always a mixed bag of emotions. Its technical meaning implies both thrill and hazard.

So here we find ourselves this morning beginning a new adventure. However, it is more than just a read through the New Testament (which, I admit, doesn’t make for much of an “adventure”). No… rather, today we read of God’s great adventure. How He took an incredible risk sending his Son into this world, into the flesh, to save you and me. We see the very history of the ancestry of Jesus; a history of real people, some of whom were a far cry from the holiness or righteousness that we would expect of the ancestors of God’s Son. In Mathew’s genealogy of Jesus we see prostitutes, liars, adulterers and more. However, the fulfilled prophecy in this list of names reminds us that God keeps His Word, even when it seems unlikely that he will do so. He promised that Christ would come, and He did!

It happened again in a small town in Palestine. A young couple committed to marriage suddenly finds themselves in an adventure not of their own making. No doubt the righteous individuals of Nazareth thought this to be just another example of ungodliness. Mary and Joseph face disgrace and shame. But true righteousness prevailed. Despite how it may have looked, Joseph took Mary home to be his wife and she gave birth to a son and he was given the name Jesus. Who would have thought that God’s adventure had been working all this time, even in the lives of such unlikely people?

… but the rest is history!

The adventure goes on and we are a part of it. It certainly is easy to look around today and wonder about God. Where is He? Why is he allowing such evil things to happen? However, we can read Matthew chapter 1 as an answer to these questions. God is not absent. He is working to bring about his promise—the coming of his Savior/Son, Jesus. God will work salvation today, tomorrow, and for all time—even in the most unlikely situations—even in the lives of you and me. And on some future day you and I will be able to look back, as we have today through the genealogy of Jesus, and see God’s adventure written across the pages of time.
I pray God blesses your day today as you live out your adventure in Christ.

Pastor Aaron