Author: Betsy

Joseph Knew

Posted on by Betsy

Ann Weems is the author of a marvelous book of poetry called Kneeling in Bethlehem. It is one of my favorite Christmas reading resources. She looks at things from an angle that is unique and thoughtful. Of all the poems in her book, I like “Getting to the Front of the Stable” the best.

To set the stage for today’s devotional, take a look at your nativity set if you have one in the house. If not, remember or imagine ones you have seen in the past. Where is Joseph, the father of the son of God? Where stands this man who made the extraordinary decision to stay with Mary when the culture and the world said to divorce her and send her and the baby off to a life of shame? Most likely your Joseph is stuck at the back of the stable, upstaged by wise strangers, smelly shepherds, glory-blinding angels, and even barn animals.

Who put Joseph in the back of the stable? 
Who dressed him in brown, put a staff in his hand, 
and told him to stand at the back of the crèche, 
background for the magnificent light of the Madonna? 
(Ann Weems, “Getting to the Front of the Stable,” Kneeling in Bethlehem, pp. 52-53.)

We only get to talk about Joseph every three years in the lectionary cycle when we delve into Matthew’s account of the nativity. Read this with intention, as you won’t see it again for another 36 months:

Matthew 1:18-25 (Common English Bible)

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. 20 As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit.21 She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

Joseph had the right to outcast Mary and her unborn child. His decision to do so quietly speaks volumes of his integrity. The fact that he didn’t speaks to his faith in God.

One thing Joseph knew already was his own family lineage. Matthew gives us a neatly divided family tree from Joseph’s line, which includes women, of all things. Among those women listed were Rahab the prostitute and Bathsheba the adulteress. Perhaps Joseph knew that their inclusion in his family tree was evidence of God’s saving mercy and powerful forgiveness. Perhaps he knew that women hardly stood a chance in the patriarchal society that so easily cast them aside. Perhaps he knew God’s power and might in his own ordinary life and trusted that God would protect him and his little family if he just yielded this moment to the angel’s promise.

22 Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled:

23 Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son,
        And they will call him, Emmanuel.

(Emmanuel means “God with us.”)

24 When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he didn’t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus.

One thing Joseph knew for sure was his Scriptures. So when the angel promised that this unborn child was the long-awaited messiah, he already had a vision of what that meant to the world. Was he startled to find himself at the center of the fulfillment of that prophecy? You betcha. But isn’t God always working in mysterious and startling ways?

It’s time to give Joseph the prominence he is due. Get up from your chair and move him to the front!

God-chosen, this man Joseph was faithful 
in spite of the gossip in Nazareth, 
in spite of the danger from Herod. 
This man, Joseph, listened to angels 
and it was he who named the Child 
Emmanuel. 

Is this a man to be stuck for centuries 
in the back of the stable? 
Actually, Joseph probably stood in the doorway 
guarding the mother and child 
or greeting shepherds or kings. 

When he wasn’t in the doorway, 
he was probably urging Mary to get some rest, 
gently covering her with his cloak, 
assuring her that he would watch the Child. 
Actually he probably picked the Child up in his arms 
and walked him in the night, 
patting him lovingly 
until he closed his eyes. 

This Christmas, let us give thanks to God 
for this man of incredible faith 
into whose care God placed the Christ Child. 
As a gesture of gratitude, 
let’s put Joseph in the front of the stable 
where he can guard and greet 
and cast an occasional glance 
at this Child 
who brought us life.

Joseph knew that his trust in God would be rewarded, reinforced, and protected. Do you trust God the same way? Maybe it’s time to yield.

Let Mum Rest available at Catholic Supply

This is Christmas

Posted on by Betsy

Let’s talk about Christmas movies. Which one is your favorite? I love a lot of the old ones, and every year I especially enjoy Miracle on 34th Street (only the original!), It’s a Wonderful Life, and Christmas in Connecticut, if only for the marvelous outfits worn by Barbara Stanwick. Every once in a while a new movie will be added to my list, and this year I was pleased to add This is Christmas. I knew it would be good when my oldest daughter texted her dad and me emphatically recommending that we watch it. You can find it on Amazon Prime.

This is Christmas tells the tale of London train commuters who sit in the same railcar every day as they go to work. I read a review that argued that this is impossible. That lady has never been to church. You know you all sit in the same pew on the same side every Sunday! People are creatures of habit. But this is a necessary plot device. A young commuter named Adam realizes that he sees the same faces every day but knows nothing about his fellow travelers. He especially wants to know about a traveler named Emma. So one day he boldly stands up and addresses everyone in the car, inviting them to a Christmas party he was going to put together.

The story enfolds from there as we see people making real connections with each other and form a true community. The party takes shape as each one offers to contribute their unique gift to the event. Paul would have been pleased. They become a true Romans 12 community:

Romans 12 (Common English Bible)

3 Because of the grace that God gave me, I can say to each one of you: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Instead, be reasonable since God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of you. 4 We have many parts in one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function. 5 In the same way, though there are many of us, we are one body in Christ, and individually we belong to each other. 6 We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us. If your gift is prophecy, you should prophesy in proportion to your faith. 7 If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. 8 If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.

They become a “found family” for each other and actually get to know one other. Ask yourself this: How well do you know your neighbors? Your co-workers? The people who wait on you every day in the store, coffee house, or restaurant? I have been guilty of knowing every dog’s name on my street but not every dog parent. We can do better!

This ‘journey on a train’ story becomes a journey into what makes us truly human. Forgiveness, solidarity, understanding, and redemption play a big role in the movie, just as in life. Obstacles and hardships, old hurts and new pain are all overcome by the compassion and warmth of people who now identify as a group that belongs to each other. The writer of Hebrews captures this idea of interdependent community best, offering this suggestion:

Hebrews 10 (Common English Bible)

24 And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. 25 Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.

Let us make that our rallying cry today. Consider others carefully. Spark love. Spark good deeds. Meet with friends and neighbors and get to know them. Encourage others.

After all, this is Christmas.

Community Fountain

One More Candle

Posted on by Betsy

One more candle.

During the season of Advent, we mark off the Sundays by lighting candles in our churches that remind us of the hope, peace, joy, and love that Jesus came to bring. We have only one more to light before Christmas Eve. Are you ready?

Advent is a season of listening to the messengers. What have you heard so far? The prophets of the Old Testament wrote about a much-needed messiah who would come to save their people. Their prophesies set the stage for Jesus. Listen to Malachi’s words about a messenger who would come to announce the arrival of the savior:

Malachi 3:1-4  (Common English Bible)

Look, I am sending my messenger who will clear the path before me; suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you take delight is coming, says the Lord of heavenly forces. 2 Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can withstand his appearance. He is like the refiner’s fire or the cleaner’s soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. They will belong to the Lord, presenting a righteous offering. 4 The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in ancient days and in former years.

Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament and was written to address the religious, spiritual, and moral laxity that had overtaken the Israelites. The people had returned from their Babylonian exile seventy years prior, and the temple had been rebuilt. But they had fallen into laziness and cynicism about their relationship with God. Their disaffection led them to bring “polluted offerings” to the temple, breaking the covenant law about first fruits, which required that only the finest and unblemished offerings be presented. (Malachi 1:7). Malachi speaks directly to their powerless worship and warns that judgment is coming.

It was always the mission of the prophets to bring God’s message of God’s covenant relationship to the people and the expectations that came with it. God established a covenant through Abraham, reinforced it through Joseph, and defined it through Moses. The covenant promise continued through the major and minor prophets and always carried both warnings and hope. Their work involved warning against social injustice and the worldly powers that oppressed God’s people, but it also included words of hope about their future deliverance and a peace that would last. The prophetical writings breathed hope into humanity’s present condition, regardless of the century they were written. Malachi warned that in order for a righteous offering to be presented, a cleansing fire will occur first, beginning with the slack priests (the Levites) who should have been leading the people in true worship.

We see Malachi’s prophecy fulfilled in Jesus, who came and will come again to do the final and ultimate refining. Those who repent and believe in him will never perish but will become a righteous and pleasing offering to God through the unblemished First Fruit of the Son. (1 Corinthians 15:20).  Jesus is the final candle, bringing a light that cannot be extinguished by any darkness of the soul.

Only in this way can any of us endure the day of his coming.  Sound scary? Hang on … hope is also coming. John the Baptizer, the messenger chosen to clear the way for Jesus, shows us the way: repent, for the kingdom is at hand.

This call to repent sounds as though we have confused the season and are jumping to Lent. But the call to repentance is seasonless. Malachi reminds us that a refiner’s fire is coming and we need to be ready.

As we make ourselves ready in this last week, let us not neglect to make our hearts ready as well. “Suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple,” says Malachi.

As we light the final candle in our Advent wreath this Sunday, let us make the temples of our souls ready and waiting.

Advent Wreath by Becca Ziegler

The Pursuit of Happiness

Posted on by Betsy

Today we will dive into Psalm 146, the assigned lectionary passage for this week. As soon as I read the first sentence, it began to sound a lot like the preamble to the American Declaration of Independence. The phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” appears in the preamble, which describes the fundamental rights that governments are created to secure. While Jefferson’s words were aspirational, they did not carry the full weight and force of the law. However, the Constitution has such authority, and both the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments address this, guaranteeing equal protection of “life, liberty, or property with the due process of law.”

Surely our country’s founders understood what it takes to live a prosperous life. Constitutional guarantees were designed to protect those things with the backing of the law. When a nation turns its back on the law, everyone suffers.

The psalmist in today’s passage lived in a time when Israel had turned its back on the Law. In the midst of national suffering, he penned these hopeful words of praise, directing the people back to the true source of happiness. This is the first of the last five psalms, a collection known as the Praise Psalms.

Psalm 146 (New Revised Standard)
The person whose help is the God of Jacob—
    the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God—
    is truly happy!
6 God: the maker of heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
God: who is faithful forever,
7     who gives justice to people who are oppressed,
    who gives bread to people who are starving!

We have seen all throughout history that governments will deny rights to their own people in pursuit of personal agendas. The rich get richer and the poor deeply suffer. Only God can bring justice to our land. People will fail us miserably and spectacularly.

The Lord: who frees prisoners.
8     The Lord: who makes the blind see.
    The Lord: who straightens up those who are bent low.
    The Lord: who loves the righteous.
9     The Lord: who protects immigrants,
        who helps orphans and widows,
        but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!

10 The Lord will rule forever!
    Zion, your God will rule from one generation to the next!

We, including those in power, should straighten up those who are bent low, protect immigrants, help orphans and widows, give justice to the oppressed, and give bread to the starving. It’s right there in black and white.

What can you do in your community today to live up to this? Can you bring happiness to someone in the name of the Lord?

Lord, help us to help others. Then we can be truly happy.

Winter Berries by Kathy Schumacher

Wonderfully Made

Posted on by Betsy

A three-year-old received a beautiful Adidas track suit as a gift. It resembles the track suits of the past, making me think of the old show The Sopranos and the fellows’ affection for track suits. I remember loving track suits in that era and hope they come back in a big way. This particular three-year-old just loves his track suit and feels especially empowered when he wears it. He told his preschool teacher that his “twack soot” made him cool and went on to say that he was so sharp in it, he could cut cake like knife. Now that’s a kid with a healthy self-esteem!

I wonder when we lose that. Somewhere around the awful self-conscious years of middle school we begin to hear the whispers of our mean and insecure classmates, and we question whether we are still cool and sharp enough to cut cake with our looks. Somewhere along the way we lose sight of the fact that we are made in the image of God. Somehow we forget that we are part of God’s wonderful works.

Our psalm today comes from David. It is a beautiful expression of the wonder and awe he had about God, God’s creation, and the intricacy of the human body. He marvels at how God knows everything about him and that his presence is inescapable. There literally is no place we can go to escape from God’s spirit. Our bodies are stunning in their design, all wrought by the very hand of God.

Psalm 139 (New Revised Standard Version)

For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.

This is a reminder today that if you are feeling down about yourself, stop it. If your negative thoughts overwhelm you, shout this Scripture back into that darkness. If you feel unworthy, remember that it is by the blood of the Lamb that you are made worthy.

You are a child of God! Precious, holy, and valued. Hold on to that.

May you feel sharp enough to cut cake like a knife today.

Wonderfully Made by Jamie Mathis

Oh Tannenbaum

Posted on by Betsy

Is your Christmas tree up yet? I bet for the majority of us it is. Decorating a Christmas tree is such a time of sweet nostalgia. We decorated our tree with the help of our older grandchildren, hanging each ornament up with the story of where it came from. I almost cried when my granddaughter showed me a little gold teapot with sparkling crystals and said it was her favorite one. I gave that to my tea-loving mother decades ago and inherited it back when she died. To see a fourth generation daughter appreciate it blessed me so much, and we had a long talk about her great-grandmother and what a wonderful woman she was.

Have you ever wondered about the history of the Christmas tree and what it symbolizes? Take a look at the first sentence of today’s lectionary passage from Isaiah.

Isaiah 11 (Common English Bible)

A shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse;
    a branch will sprout from his roots.

Isaiah prophesies that a branch from Jesse’s roots will shoot up and receive the Lord’s spirit. Jesse was David’s father’s and of course Jesus was born of David’s lineage. So even back to the Old Testament we see Jesus’ birth associated with trees. We’ve been celebrating Christmas with trees for centuries.

I did some research and discovered that Christmas is a holiday especially suited to trees. Earl W. Count wrote a book called 4000 Years of Christmas (New York: Henry Schuman, 1948). Count reveals that using evergreens at Christmas was a medieval practice from Northern Europe. The green boughs served as devil-proof shields against all the evil forces of the universe, because evergreens refuse to die and never give up their green for the winter.

You probably didn’t realize that your humble Christmas tree is a devil-proof shield, did you? Unless you have a cat, in which case the devil-proofing function is null and void.

Count wrote: “Winter kills most of summer’s train but the greens remain steadfast. Where the greens are, it is not winter. They are the enemies of winter’s white death” (64-66).

According to our United Methodist Website, evergreens are understood as a symbol of the eternal coming to dwell among us as Word made flesh. They are a sign of life and growth overcoming and flourishing in the midst of the dead of winter, and also of the resurrection of Christ.  The symbolism of evergreens points to the unending life of the age to come when Christ returns, the dead are raised, and the righteous enter life in the new creation.

Isaiah goes on to describe the attributes of the impending messiah:

2 The Lord’s spirit will rest upon him,
    a spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    a spirit of planning and strength,
    a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.
3 He will delight in fearing the Lord.
He won’t judge by appearances,
    nor decide by hearsay.
4 He will judge the needy with righteousness,
    and decide with equity for those who suffer in the land.
He will strike the violent with the rod of his mouth;
    by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be the belt around his hips,
    and faithfulness the belt around his waist.

When you admire your own Christmas tree over the next few weeks, ponder these things. We are called to be like Jesus: wise and understanding, strong in our faith, non-judgmental, impervious to gossip, and generous to the needy. We are the lovely branches of Christ. How can you live that out today?

10 On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out, and his dwelling will be glorious.

May we stand as a signal to the people as well.

How Lovely Are Thy Branches

Self-Inflicted

Posted on by Betsy

Another sleepless night. The 4:00 wakeup call came with blaring regularity, calling me to prayer. This time I couldn’t fall back asleep and so I did what one does: After praying though the immediate issue on my mind, which involves an intercessory petition for a loved one, I began reviewing my life and all of the mistakes, missteps, missed opportunities, misdirected energies, and other untold miseries that I brought upon myself over the years. Replaying my “sin reel” seems to be a favorite middle of the night pastime for me. Do you ever do this?

The irony of this is that I know better. I know that my redeemer lives. I know that my savior has forgiven me. I know I have done due diligence in repentance and remorse and have received the blessing of having those sins washed away forever. So why do they continue to live in my mind?

It is some type of self-inflicted punishment, as it surely does not come from the Lord who forgives and forgets.

Somewhere around 5:45, I had an epiphany. If we believe God’s word to be holy and true, then we have to accept that our sins truly are cast as far away as the east is from the west. They do not exist in the mind of the Lord anymore.

Psalm 103 (Common English Bible)

Let my whole being bless the Lord!
    Let everything inside me bless his holy name!
2 Let my whole being bless the Lord
    and never forget all his good deeds:
3     how God forgives all your sins,
    heals all your sickness,
4     saves your life from the pit,
    crowns you with faithful love and compassion,
5     and satisfies you with plenty of good things
        so that your youth is made fresh like an eagle’s.

6 The Lord works righteousness;
    does justice for all who are oppressed.
7 God made his ways known to Moses;
    made his deeds known to the Israelites.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
    very patient, and full of faithful love.
9 God won’t always play the judge;
    he won’t be angry forever.
10 He doesn’t deal with us according to our sin
    or repay us according to our wrongdoing,
11     because as high as heaven is above the earth,
    that’s how large God’s faithful love is for those who honor him.

12 As far as east is from west—
    that’s how far God has removed our sin from us.

Do you know who benefits from our imprisonment to our sins? Satan. He revels in reminding us through images and whispers that we once strayed from God and should feel tainted and unworthy. But that, my friends, is his feeble attempt to undo the glory and power of what happened at the cross, and we should never, ever, buy into his lie. Get thee behind me, Satan!

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, I am forgiven.

Thanks be to God.

Midnight Moon by Michelle Robertson

Weird Uncle John

Posted on by Betsy

Today we continue to celebrate the first week of Advent. Advent is our four-week season of preparation for the nativity of Emmanuel, God-with-us. The first week is always spent talking about the prophecies that foretold Jesus’ coming, and today’s passage is one of those prophecies that leads us straight to Jesus. We begin with a word of warning from John the Baptizer:

Luke 7 (New Revised Standard Version)

7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. 

John’s startling appearance at the beginning of Advent always reminds me of someone’s weird Uncle John who shows up 4 days late for Thanksgiving and disrupts the tryptophan-induced coma that the family has been comfortably enjoying. He looks strange, he dresses oddly, and he eats some weird kind of keto-paleo-whole 30-vegan diet that only consists of locusts and honey. He barges in with a loud message of repentance and warns about the judgment that is coming. He interrupts the football games and calls the family a brood of vipers … basically killing the mood as you’re trying to get ready for Christmas.

John is a total buzz kill. John’s message was hard to hear then, and it is hard to hear today. What does he mean by bearing fruits that are worthy of repentance?

10 And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

Did you get that?

Share your resources with people in need.

Practice integrity in your work.

Treat people fairly.

Don’t cheat anyone.

Only speak the truth.

Be content with what you have.

Repent and return to God with your whole heart.

John’s “Getting Ready for Christmas List” was long, complicated, and had nothing to do with decorating, shopping, buying, and waiting for Amazon deliveries. Getting ready for Christmas really involves getting our hearts and minds ready to worship the Christ child in the manger, and bowing down our expectations, disappointments, hopes, ambitions, frustrations, and every other part of our selves before his throne.

How are you getting ready this Christmas? May we heed John’s words and share what we have while we adopt a life of Christ-like integrity. This is the best way to prepare for the birth of the baby king.

Are you in?

Be a Do-Gooder

Woke

Posted on by Betsy

We have finally landed in Advent, the season of preparation for the birth of our Lord. Preachers all said the same thing yesterday on the first Sunday of Advent: “As you are preparing your homes, presents, baking chores, and social events, be sure to be preparing your hearts and souls this season.” I bet if we took a survey of those of you who went to church yesterday, you heard something similar. I preached on Isaiah and still ended up saying the same thing. People get ready! Jesus is comin’.

Today’s lectionary Scripture offers a different approach to our beginning of Advent readiness plan. Paul focused on waking up from our sleep. What a marvelous twist! Have we, like Scrooge, been sleeping through the year? Is it time to wake up to the salvation that is impending with the birth of Christ? What does that mean?

Romans 13 (Common English Bible)

11 As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith. 12 The night is almost over, and the day is near.

Paul goes on to explain what he wanted the church to do. We can co-opt this list as we blink our way into morning’s light and think about what Jesus really wants for Christmas this year. You see, people can do many “religious” things yet still be asleep toward God.

So let’s get rid of the actions that belong to the darkness and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let’s behave appropriately as people who live in the day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene behavior, not in fighting and obsession. 

To be awake means to be active in casting off impure things in order to put on Christ. We are told to cast off drunkenness and inappropriate behavior. We are warned against desiring the “forbidden bed” and especially not to revel in and flaunt our sexual sins, acting as those who are without shame. We should cease our bickering and fighting and end our obsession with worldly things. Instead, Paul invites us to “dress ourselves in Christ.”

14 Instead, dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t plan to indulge your selfish desires.

Did you hear that? Make a plan. Make a plan to be a shining example of a follower of Christ this Advent. Make a plan to set aside all selfishness and be generous toward others. Make a plan to be faithful in your behavior and gentle with your words.

Make a plan!

Walking in Light by Kathy Schumacher

Stuffed

Posted on by Betsy

I’m guessing you’re probably stuffed today. I certainly am! Yesterday it was the turkey that was stuffed, today it’s us! Thanksgiving is a day to indulge and over-indulge with the nation’s approval and permission. As you sat down to feast, what was your favorite dish? I bet it was some form of bread. Crescent rolls, yeast rolls, cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole with breaded crispy onions on top, pumpkin pie in a lovely crust … bread is the star at many dining room tables at Thanksgiving. Move over, turkey!

Humankind has loved bread from the very beginning. The very first reference of bread in Scripture occurs in Genesis 3:19:

“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread.”

Poor Adam and Eve had just been expelled from the garden and learned that the thing they sought, bread, would now require a lot of growing, reaping, threshing, tilling, grinding, kneading, and then baking over an open fire. Sin, indeed, has its consequences.

In our lectionary passage today, John records a time when Jesus’ many followers demanded more bread. They had either been present or had heard about his miraculous feeding of the 5,000 and demanded that he perform his bread miracle again:

John 6 (New Revised Standard Version UE)

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” 

This occurred in Capernaum at a Sabbath service. Perhaps it was this setting that spurred Jesus to refocus their attention away from material sustenance to spiritual matters. He wanted them to be more impressed by his spiritual food than last week’s bread. But they were dull and they were hungry and demanded a sign.

28 Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us, then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing?

One of the problems in demanding a particular sign is that we can miss what God is actually doing in our midst. When we pray very specifically for something, we aren’t open to other possibilities of how God is answering. I have been praying without ceasing for a loved one to get a very specific job offer. Finally I realized that I should be praying for God to reveal his way and his will in this matter. It may end up that this opportunity wasn’t quite right, but the contacts made during the interviews will lead to exactly what God had planned all along. So while we are encouraged to pray the concerns of our heart to a Father who wants to hear our deepest needs, we should also add, “Thy will be done” as a way of acknowledging that God knows best. In our Scripture, Jesus is saying exactly that: The father is offering something so much better than a slice of bread that perishes. He is offering eternal life.

31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

I think the invitation is two-fold. We are invited to receive the true Bread of Life that is Jesus Christ our Lord. Then we are invited to go out and offer this bread to others. How will you be the bread of life to someone today?

Still looking for an Advent Devotional book? Take a look.

On A Roll by Becca Ziegler