The Great Reversal

Posted on by Betsy

Today we get to dip our toes into the parable pool and see what we can learn. Jesus used parables to teach his listeners about what the kingdom of heaven was like. They probably had a lot of different ideas about that. For example, we can assume that a Pharisee would have a different idea than a pagan. Jesus tried to dispel all the preconceived notions and bring everyone to a singular vision without being confrontational (to the Pharisee) or too vague (to the pagan). When it came to understanding an audience, Jesus was a master of framing a story so that everyone could catch a glimpse of the topic while still keeping it a mystery. Surely, none of us will understand the kingdom of God until we get there. But in this parable, we learn that the kingdom’s version of what is fair will not be what we expect.

Matthew 20:1-16 (The Message)

20 1-2 “God’s kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work.

3-5 “Later, about nine o’clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went.

5-6 “He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o’clock. At five o’clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?’

7 “They said, ‘Because no one hired us.’

“He told them to go to work in his vineyard.

8 “When the day’s work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.’

9-12 “Those hired at five o’clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.’

Oh, they groused angrily! And who can blame them? Can you imagine how it felt to those who had been picking grapes in the blistering sun since daybreak to see those who sauntered in at sunset get the same wage? Unfair!! Call the Union! Organize a protest!

13-15 “He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?’

What a beautiful response. Can’t I do what I want with my own things? It’s mine to give. Should I not be generous because you are stingy?

You see, the workers were using the wrong measuring stick. They measured fairness by the length of time it took to work. The manager measured fairness by what he was able to give. Grace and mercy always outweigh any other measurement you can come up with.

And it was his to give.

16 “Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”

There will be many Great Reversals in heaven. You may be surprised to see who is seated at the great banquet next to you. On the other hand, they may be surprised to see you there, too!

God is the author and creator of fairness. Thank God he thought it was fair to send his son to redeem every single one of us, whether we confess him from birth or with our dying breath.

After all, it is his to give.

Escape Time by Michelle Robertson

Mind Your Own Business

Posted on by Betsy

There is a popular meme going around right now that says that if Paul were alive today, we all would be getting a letter. I laughed when I first saw that and wondered what he would say. His letters are filled with encouragements, exhortations, admonishments, admiration, and not a little rebuking. Each one was tailored to specific group and situation. Which topic would he choose for the modern day reader? Obviously the letters he wrote to Corinth, Thessalonica, Rome, Galatia, Philippi, Colossea, and to specific people contained issues and problems each recipient of that letter was experiencing. Which of the many issues facing modern Christians would Paul address if he were to write to us today?

1 Thessalonians 4 (Common English Bible)

4 So then, brothers and sisters, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to keep living the way you already are and even do better in how you live and please God—just as you learned from us. 2 You know the instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 God’s will is that your lives are dedicated to him. This means that you stay away from sexual immorality 4 and learn how to control your own body in a pure and respectable way. 5 Don’t be controlled by your sexual urges like the Gentiles who don’t know God. 6 No one should mistreat or take advantage of their brother or sister in this issue. The Lord punishes people for all these things, as we told you before and sternly warned you. 7 God didn’t call us to be immoral but to be dedicated to him. 8 Therefore, whoever rejects these instructions isn’t rejecting a human authority. They are rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

This chapter clearly gave instructions about sexual immorality, and Paul laid out an expectation that the people were to control their bodies in a pure and respectable way. He warned them against being controlled by sexual urges and placed a special emphasis on not mistreating or taking advantage of another person in this issue. While he never used the word “consent,” verse 6 clearly implies that lack of respect, lack of control over one’s urges, and taking advantage of someone without consent is immoral. At the heart of this teaching was the Gentile practice of taking on prostitutes, slaves, and mistresses. Paul implies that sexual relations outside the covenant of marriage are to be avoided. The Gentiles didn’t know God and they didn’t know any better. Paul sets a higher standard for his people.

I suspect this topic would make it into today’s letter as well.

And then in typical Pauline fashion, he flipped to the positive and talked about how they already knew how to love each other and praised them for performing loving deeds throughout Macedonia.

9 You don’t need us to write about loving your brothers and sisters because God has already taught you to love each other. 10 In fact, you are doing loving deeds for all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. Now we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do so even more. 

Then, in the midst of Paul already being up in their business, he said something startling in verse 11:

11 Aim to live quietly, mind your own business, and earn your own living, just as I told you.12 That way you’ll behave appropriately toward outsiders, and you won’t be in need.

Live quietly and mind your own business! Obviously this would result in people living in harmony and peace together, but I have to admit that in all the times I have read Paul’s writings, I don’t remember him saying to mind our own business!

How much better would things be if neighbors didn’t feel the need to report every little annoyance on Facebook? How much easier would church work go if people didn’t congregate at the coffee pot to gossip? What difference would it make in your child’s school day if the other students didn’t talk about them behind their back? What would your workplace feel like if everyone minded their own business and behaved appropriately toward each other? I think Paul is on to something here.

Then he ended with this beautiful promise of what is to come. The Lord will come down at the sound of the trumpet and those who are dead will rise, joining those who are still living. This last bit of encouragement about the Second Coming was precious to the church, and it is precious to us as well.

13 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about people who have died so that you won’t mourn like others who don’t have any hope. 14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose, so we also believe that God will bring with him those who have died in Jesus. 15 What we are saying is a message from the Lord: we who are alive and still around at the Lord’s coming definitely won’t go ahead of those who have died. 16 This is because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with the signal of a shout by the head angel and a blast on God’s trumpet. First, those who are dead in Christ will rise.17 Then, we who are living and still around will be taken up together with them in the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air. That way we will always be with the Lord. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

We will always be with each other. We will always be with the Lord. We can be encouraged by these words as we mourn and wait.

And in the meantime, mind your own business!

Be Encouraged by Kathy Schumacher

Parental Anxiety

Posted on by Betsy

It is that time of year when parents are taking their children back to school. From the newest kindergartner to the returning college senior, each of these separations is hard and many are even gut-wrenching. A mother in my church delivered her oldest son, a new college freshman, to a large university over 600 miles away. She described leaving him there as the “worst day of my life.” Her faith is strong, and her perspective is balanced, and she gave God the glory and said that she knew she has been tremendously blessed if this indeed was the worst day. Many other people have much worst-worst days. Having done the same with my two daughters, who attended a large university nine hours away, I can completely relate to her parental anxiety. I have felt it. Every parent feels it on the first day of school. What a terrible trick parenting plays on us! We work all their lives to help them grow up to be independent and sure of themselves, and then they repay us by utilizing all those skills and leaving the nest.

As we continue to dive into Paul’s letter to his church in Thessalonica, we can feel his parental anxiety coming through the pages. They were dealing with problems and persecutions for their faith, and Paul just wanted to run to their side. But like that Mom who can’t turn the car around and sit in her son’s dorm room for a semester, Paul can’t discontinue his own work to come back to check on them. So he sent his trusted friend Timothy to render assistance and encouragement.

1 Thessalonians 3 (Common English Bible)

3 So when we couldn’t stand it any longer, we thought it was a good idea to stay on in Athens by ourselves, 2 and we sent you Timothy, who is our brother and God’s coworker in the good news about Christ. We sent him to strengthen and encourage you in your faithfulness. 3 We didn’t want any of you to be shaken by these problems. You know very well that we were meant to go through this. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept on predicting that we were going to face problems exactly like what happened, as you know. 5 That’s why I sent Timothy to find out about your faithfulness when I couldn’t stand it anymore. I was worried that the tempter might have tempted you so that our work would have been a waste of time.

I love how Paul repeated himself when he said, “I couldn’t stand it anymore.” Have you ever felt that way when you were worried over a child? Have you ever wanted to get in the car and go and peek in their window just to assure yourself that they are alright? Have you ever called or texted too much, just to put your anxiety at ease? I have. You know, there is an antidote to this kind of worry: it’s called prayer.

6 Now Timothy has returned to us from you and has given us good news about your faithfulness and love! He says that you always have good memories about us and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. 7 Because of this, brothers and sisters, we were encouraged in all our distress and trouble through your faithfulness. 8 For now we are alive if you are standing your ground in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you, given all the joy we have because of you before our God? 10 

When the weight of parenting gets too heavy, it is good to let it press you straight down to your knees. By turning our loved ones over to God’s care, we know we have reached out to one who loves them even more that we do and has the power to protect, guide, and save in ways that we never could. 

Night and day, we pray more than ever to see all of you in person and to complete whatever you still need for your faith. 11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus guide us on our way back to you. 12 May the Lord cause you to increase and enrich your love for each other and for everyone in the same way as we also love you. 13 May the love cause your hearts to be strengthened, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his people. Amen.

May the Lord guide us back to each other.

May the Lord increase us and enrich our love for each other while we’re apart.

May this love strengthen us and make us holy.

Amen.

Go With God by Kathy Schumacher

Man Overboard

Posted on by Betsy

I’m finding it hard to concentrate on my writing today because a Youth Sailing Camp is happening right outside my window. There are 9 small white sailboats, a low, red motorized safety boat that is carrying the instructors, and three adult-manned jet skis making their way around the harbor. It is fascinating.

Today is the first day of camp, and earlier this morning I circled the parking lot at the marina on my run and saw the camp kids lining up in their life vests on the pier. The first thing the instructor did was to have them jump in the water. I think this was a way to get them used to being in the water before they even stepped into a boat.

Later this afternoon, I looked out and was horrified to see a sailboat laying on its side in the water. I squinted to see if a child was in the water and frantically searched to see if the red rescue boat was on the way. Where were the jet skis??? Is everything okay? Then I noticed another sailboat fall over, and one by one, they all capsized. It seems that the first day of school includes a capsizing drill, and everyone followed the instructions on how to get back in their boats and get them flipped upright again. But these classes should come with warnings for the onlookers!

As we continue our reading of Paul’s letter to his church in Thessalonica, I see the same kind of intentional training going on in his writing. He was getting them used to negotiating the often turbulent waters of this new faith community set in the middle of other faith and anti-faith communities that were not accepting of their good news. We can imagine him checking out the rigging of their boats and tightening their life jackets as he assured them that from the beginning of his relationship with them, everything had been above board and was ship-shape:

1 Thessalonians 2 (Common English Bible)

2 As you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, our visit with you wasn’t a waste of time. 2 On the contrary, we had the courage through God to speak God’s good news in spite of a lot of opposition, although we had already suffered and were publicly insulted in Philippi, as you know. 3 Our appeal isn’t based on false information, the wrong motives, or deception. 4 Rather, we have been examined and approved by God to be trusted with the good news, and that’s exactly how we speak. We aren’t trying to please people, but we are trying to please God, who continues to examine our hearts. 

By reminding them that he and his companions Silas and Timothy had been examined and approved by God, Paul took any human factor out of the equation. The church needn’t be concerned, because Paul’s motives were pure, and he spoke no falsehoods or deceptions to them. So when they were opposed, they knew they had the backing of God.

5 As you know, we never used flattery, and God is our witness that we didn’t have greedy motives. 6 We didn’t ask for special treatment from people—not from you or from others— 7 although we could have thrown our weight around as Christ’s apostles. Instead, we were gentle with you like a nursing mother caring for her own children. 8 We were glad to share not only God’s good news with you but also our very lives because we cared for you so much.9 You remember, brothers and sisters, our efforts and hard work. We preached God’s good news to you, while we worked night and day so we wouldn’t be a burden on any of you. 10 You and God are witnesses of how holy, just, and blameless we were toward you believers. 11 Likewise, you know how we treated each of you like a father treats his own children. 

12 We appealed to you, encouraged you, and pleaded with you to live lives worthy of the God who is calling you into his own kingdom and glory.

I love Paul’s use of parental imagery here. He spoke of being as gentle as a nursing mother and said that they treated the Thessalonians the same way a father treats his children. His language is not patronizing, but paternal. There is an inherent familial love that comes through his words, and by addressing them as brothers and sisters, he established the kind of relationship he wants to build and maintain with them. He was growing a great big family of followers. In verse 12, he finally made his appeal: he wanted his new family to live lives worthy of God, who calls us all into the kingdom.

What does that say to you today? Are you living your life as someone who is in training for the kingdom, or are you close to capsizing with no rescue boat on the way? What do you need to do to get back in the boat and pull it upright again?

Our Christian life together is a journey of practicing drills so that we not only survive but thrive. There is always someone in a boat nearby, ready to extend a hand when the water gets too rough. Paul, Silas, and Timothy were there for their new church. May we, the church, be there for others.

Come Sail Aweigh

The Phone on the Wall

Posted on by Betsy

Younger readers probably have no concept of what a phone on a wall is, but for the rest of us, the image is clear. It was probably beige, pink, or possibly mint green (if you grew up in a “mod” house) and it had a corkscrew coiled cord that was likely to be twisted a few times over. In my childhood, push buttons had already replaced a rotary dial and we thought we were fancy. The phone functioned properly as a means of communication, but a phone on a wall meant one thing: anyone could answer the phone, and everyone in close proximity could hear your conversation because you were stuck there.

My father was active in the local masonic lodge and as he “rose in the chairs” i.e. moved up in the tiers of leadership, the phone calls to our house increased as men called for guidance or information. One such fellow introduced himself and asked to speak to the “Worshipful Master,” which sent my sister and me into giggling fits. To this day she swears that he asked to speak to the “Wash Your Old Mustard.” It must have been that heavy south Jersey accent. In any case, nobody had any privacy in our house at all!

The first chapters of all of Paul’s letters to his churches are like standing in the kitchen, overhearing greetings and salutations at the beginning of a phone conversation. Paul was a master rhetorician, and his letters quickly set the tone for what was to follow. Take a look at the beginning of his letter to his church at Thessalonica:

1 Thessalonians 1 (Common English Bible)

2 We always thank God for all of you when we mention you constantly in our prayers. 3 This is because we remember your work that comes from faith, your effort that comes from love, and your perseverance that comes from hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.

Paul certainly knew how to set a table, didn’t he? The spirit of thanksgiving and appreciation is the first thing he laid out, reassuring them that he was aware of their great work and their greater faith. At this point he hadn’t seen them for months, but he jumped right back into the relationship with the first sentence. Flattery got Paul everywhere.

4 Brothers and sisters, you are loved by God, and we know that he has chosen you. 5 We know this because our good news didn’t come to you just in speech but also with power and the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know as well as we do what kind of people we were when we were with you, which was for your sake. 

By reminding them of the power of the Holy Spirit and the conviction it brings, he may be using this as a teaching moment in case they had fallen off the track. It is like a parent saying, “I’m sure you remembered to clean up your room, didn’t you?” to their child.

6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord when you accepted the message that came from the Holy Spirit with joy in spite of great suffering. 7 As a result you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The message about the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place. The news about your faithfulness to God has spread so that we don’t even need to mention it. 9 People tell us about what sort of welcome we had from you and how you turned to God from idols. As a result, you are serving the living and true God, 10 and you are waiting for his Son from heaven. His Son is Jesus, who is the one he raised from the dead and who is the one who will rescue us from the coming wrath.

This affirmation is strong and sincere. Paul was genuinely grateful for their ministry and the impact it has had throughout the land. Their work was so impressive, he heard about them as he continued to travel. He praised not only how they were serving the living God, but how they were waiting for the Second Coming. Paul truly loved this church.

I think this passage invites us to consider how we approach people. Are we open and winsome, or do we take relationships for granted? Are we keeping up with our friends even when we are apart? Do we take the time to encourage and praise the people around us?

All of this takes effort. It took Paul a lot of effort to write these letters by hand and it took a lot of effort to see that they reached their final destination. I bet you have your phone within reach right now. It might even be in your hand. You don’t even have to get up and walk to the wall in the kitchen. Why don’t you take a moment and share a word of grace with someone right now? Maybe just a quick text that says, “Thank you for being part of my life.” They’ll be glad you did.

And so will you.

Share the Love by Michelle Robertson

True Vine

Posted on by Betsy

I am working on a writing assignment for a publisher that has me exploring the seven “I am” statements of Jesus. You may have noticed this already! These statements are all found in the book of John and were Jesus’ way of revealing God to his followers in manageable metaphors. They speak to our spiritual needs as we seek to understand our Savior. In practical terms, these statements represent a kind of resume, or CV, that quickly outlines the attributes of our Lord. Of course as you experience each one, you delve farther and farther into the very heart and mind of God. Here are the seven “I am” statements:

I am the bread of life.

I am the light of the world.

I am the open gate.

I am the good shepherd.

I am the resurrection and the life.

I am the way, the truth, and the life.

I am the true vine.

When I read that last one, I immediately thought of the vines that keep threatening to overtake our house. We have a neglected and abandoned raised flower bed that grows vines and weeds with great purpose and vigor. Over the winter, I considered cutting it all back but then I noticed that it seemed to be filled with sleepy bees. I read that such places are wonderful habitats for bees in the cold weather, and you shouldn’t cut them back until after the temperature is over 50 degrees and the bees have somewhere to go. I even thought about getting a sign that read, “Betsy’s Bee Garden” to explain to the neighbors why this eyesore of a mess was bee-ing left alone. I’m not lazy, I’m simply doing my part for the environment!

Thinking of my wild and wayward vines as a dwelling place for the bees gave me comfort. It also falls into line with today’s Scripture. Notice that as Jesus described being the true vine, he invited us to remain (or dwell) in him:

John 15 (Common English Bible)

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit. 3 You are already trimmed because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything. 

Jesus is very clear about what our purpose is. We are to produce fruit. If we stay attached to the vine, if we dwell with Jesus, we will perform our function as the branches from which the fruit grows. But woe unto us if we don’t remain in Jesus:

6 If you don’t remain in me, you will be like a branch that is thrown out and dries up. Those branches are gathered up, thrown into a fire, and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples.

And what fruit are we to be producing? Paul gives us a beautiful list in Galatians 5:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this.

Notice that love is the first thing on the list. Everything begins and ends with love. Read the rest of Jesus’ “I am the true vine” statement:

9 “As the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. 12 This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I don’t call you servants any longer, because servants don’t know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because everything I heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you could go and produce fruit and so that your fruit could last. As a result, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 17 I give you these commandments so that you can love each other.

“I give you these commandments so that you can love each other.” In a world that spends so much time spewing hate, we need to grow the fruit of love everywhere we can, like a wild vine that has gone completely out of control. Where can you be the branches of love for someone today?

Go and bear fruit.

Bee-utiful by Kathy Schumacher

The Way In

Posted on by Betsy

This summer was a wonderful time of family visits for me. Both daughters came to the Outer Banks for a week and we re-enacted their childhood vacations. We took their children to all of their favorite places: the Currituck lighthouse, the sound beach in Colington, the Jolly Roger restaurant, the aquarium on Roanoke Island, the Christmas Shop … I lived those days through the present lens of introducing my grandchildren to their mother’s favorite spots while looking through the lens of the past, remembering their mothers as little girls all those many summers ago. It was heaven. I pray that no matter where my grandchildren live when they grow up, they will always return to the Outer Banks and bring their own children.

As I prepared the house and their bedrooms for their visit, I was washed in the nostalgia of my time as a young mother. I still have the bedsheets and some of the furniture from my children’s rooms growing up, and making the beds and decorating the rooms for their visit brought me such joy.

John 14: 1-14

14 “Don’t be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me. 2 My Father’s house has room to spare. If that weren’t the case, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you? 3 When I go to prepare a place for you, I will return and take you to be with me so that where I am you will be too.4 You know the way to the place I’m going.”

Thinking of Jesus preparing our rooms for our trip to heaven is a glorious thought. I wonder if it brings him the same joy it brought me as I anticipated my family’s summer visit. Does he smooth out the comforters and carefully arrange the throw pillows? Is he humming while he vacuums?

One thing is for sure … I bet the Son of God knows how to fold a fitted sheet.

5 Thomas asked, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you have really known me, you will also know the Father. From now on you know him and have seen him.”

Jesus is the way to the Father just as surely as the front door is the way into the house. Because of that one, single, profound action of taking the sins of the world upon himself, Jesus is the only way. Without that moment on the cross, our sins would never be forgiven. In its essence, sin is separation from God. Without Jesus, there is no entryway of repentance/forgiveness/grace/faith. All who believe in him will be saved.

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father; that will be enough for us.”

9 Jesus replied, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been with you all this time? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I have spoken to you I don’t speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Trust me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or at least believe on account of the works themselves. 12 I assure you that whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. They will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father can be glorified in the Son. 14 When you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.

We can see in this passage that even toward the end of his ministry, Jesus still struggled with his disciples for understanding and acceptance. He was not the Messiah they had been looking for, and so they still were unsure about exactly who Jesus was. The mystery of the incarnation was still confusing to them. How could Jesus really be the Son of God?

The disciples didn’t yet know the end of the story, but we do. We see all the promises of God, the foretelling of the prophets, and the works of Jesus himself come together in this passage and we know without a doubt that Jesus made good on his word. He returned to the Father to get the house ready for our arrival.

And because he lives, we shall live also.

I hope that brings you a moment of joy today. Even when things seem very dark in this world, knowing that Jesus is holding the front door of heaven wide open gives us strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. What is God asking you to do before you go? Is there someone you need to forgive, a friend you need to witness to, a task yet undone, or a loose end to tie up? Best get to it. You know the way.

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow by Rena Farrelly

Gated Communities

Posted on by Betsy

I live in a gated community. Every day, people drive past a guard shack and chose either the right lane, where residents can trigger a green light with a bar code attached to a side window, or the left lane, where you have to stop and get a paper pass from the guard that allows you to enter. There is no actual physical gate, however, so anyone with a fast car could just blow right through. It seems in this situation, the “gate” is more for appearances than for providing an actual barrier to prevent someone from coming in. Perhaps its real benefit is in making people feel safe rather than actually keeping people safe. But it is a false sense of security.

When Jesus declares that he is an open gate, he is offering himself as a real place of refuge and security. The sheep who follow him know that when threatened, he would actually lay down his life to defend and protect them. Indeed, that is exactly what happened on the cross.

John 10 (Common English Bible)

7 So Jesus spoke again, “I assure you that I am the gate of the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and outlaws, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief enters only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest.

The safety of entering through Jesus’ gate is an eternal promise of salvation. If you consider this illustration as referring to the gates of heaven, it makes sense that Jesus is the gate. In John 14:6 we read: 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” But for his first followers, he was offering himself as the way back to understanding the Father, something that the outlaw Pharisees could not do. They had forgotten about God in their never-ending pursuit of the Law. They were the thieves who were bent on destroying the abundant life that Jesus offered.

We understand verse 10 to represent Satan for modern readers. The Evil One hovers above us with the sole intent of stealing, killing, and destroying. Jesus is the only gate that can keep Satan out. Only the Good Shepherd can protect us.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 When the hired hand sees the wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. That’s because he isn’t the shepherd; the sheep aren’t really his. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 He’s only a hired hand and the sheep don’t matter to him.

Sometimes we put too much trust and hope in hired hands. When we elevate politicians, news commentators, television personalities, and even pastors to positions of leadership and influence, we risk putting our lives in the hands of someone who will easily leave us to the wolves.

This illustration of gates opens up a question for us today. How open are the gates of the church? Do people feel as though they can come in, just as they are, or do the “gatekeepers” of doctrine and tradition prevent people from entering? What does Jesus, our Open Gate, want?

May our lives reflect the openness that Jesus offers the world.

Live Life to the Fullest by Michelle Robertson

The Lightness of Life

Posted on by Betsy

Many years ago I had an opportunity to go spelunking. For those who don’t recognize the word, spelunking means cave exploration. I was a student at Penn State and had just been hired as a Resident Advisor for a women’s dorm. The team of RA’s from my dorm and the nearby men’s dorm RA’s were taken on a “team building” weekend that included exploring one of Pennsylvania’s famous caves. We dropped down a large hole on a rickety ladder and begin walking, squatting, crawling on all fours, and finally belly-crawling through underground passages that got tighter and more narrow as we proceeded.

Did I mention I am claustrophobic? This is actually where I found that out.

I was struggling to hold my panic at bay as we approached the last “room,” which was accessed through a slender crevice in the rock that was so narrow, you had to go in feet first and twist your shoulders to fit. A larger male RA was right in front of me, and he got stuck for a moment and had to wiggle around a few times before he made it through. That did me in. I turned to the advisor behind me and told her I was done, finished, caput, and bloody well over it. We backed up a bit so that she could shimmy past me, and she told me to wait in the passageway while they explored and returned.

As she left me, I only had my tiny head lamp to illuminate that cold, black space. I felt that I could hang on a few more minutes until they came back out and we could go back through the passages up to the surface. My logic was that since I had made it that far, going back would easier because the passages would get larger rather than smaller. All of that reasoning worked in my brain right up until the moment that my headlamp went out.

There is nothing darker than a cave. The black is the blackest black I have ever seen, and my brain was confused by the fact that I had my eyes wide open and could not see even a sliver of discernible light anywhere. It was like being in a waking nightmare.

We continue our study of John’s “I Am” passages where Jesus used beautiful metaphorical language to teach the people about his true nature. In today’s passage, he explained that he is the light of the world:

John 6 (Common English Bible)

12 Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

What a word of hope for us today! We don’t have to live and walk in the darkness of sin and death but have a guarantee of eternal life that will illuminate our way through even the blackest moments.

Of course the Pharisees objected. They defaulted to their faulty understanding of the law and claimed that his testimony wasn’t valid.

13 Then the Pharisees said to him, “Because you are testifying about yourself, your testimony isn’t valid.”

14 Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, since I know where I came from and where I’m going. You don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. 15 You judge according to human standards, but I judge no one. 16 Even if I do judge, my judgment is truthful, because I’m not alone. My judgments come from me and from the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the witness of two people is true. 18 I am one witness concerning myself, and the Father who sent me is the other.”

The truth of the matter was that Jesus stood in the witness box with his Father as co-defendant.

19 They asked him, “Where is your Father?”

Jesus answered, “You don’t know me and you don’t know my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” 20 He spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple area known as the treasury. No one arrested him, because his time hadn’t yet come.

The Pharisees’ love of order, law, and the minutia of little rules had led them far astray from the love and grace of the Father. Because they had lost touch with their creating and sustaining God, they could not recognize God’s redeeming son. They walked in spiritual darkness, blinded to their own blindness.

I obviously made it out of the cave and into the light and don’t ever want to be in such a dark place again. How about you? Are you in a dark place of despair, sin, hopelessness, abuse, or grief today? Do you need the light of the world to come in and show you the way?

Jesus is the light of the world, a light no force on earth can extinguish. Open the eyes of your heart and behold him.

Let There Be Light by Michelle Robertson

Everyday Bread

Posted on by Betsy

My husband and I switched to a low-carb diet several years ago, which means we don’t eat bread. We are actually quite fond of bread, so this was a major adjustment. We used to eat bread every day, and bread is something that makes life a little easier. Think about how easy it is to make toast in the morning and then throw a sandwich in a lunchbox and get on with your day! Bread is life. Occasionally we will allow ourselves a day off from our low carb adherence, and bread is the first thing I want. I recently had a wonderful pretzel roll in a restaurant and I was pretty sure I had expired right there at the table and gone straight to heaven. That roll was a taste of the bread of heaven, I’m telling you!

Bread plays a very important role in the Scriptures. It was something that sustained the people in the desert and in the towns. Bethlehem was known as the “house of bread” and look what it produced! Manna played a huge role in the Exodus story. Elijah gave a poor and desperate widow a miracle of a never-empty jugs of flour and oil so that she would have bread for the rest of her life. (1 Kings 17:7-16). Communion is a sacred act of remembrance where we break the bread just as Jesus’ body was broken, and drink from the cup, remembering his blood that was poured out for the forgiveness of sin.

In his first “I Am” statement in today’s reading, Jesus declares that he is the bread of life. John records seven “I am” statements that help us understand exactly who the son of God is. In Jesus’ time, it was not safe for him to speak too often about being the Messiah, as it riled the authorities. So as their rabbi, their teacher, and the Son of God, Jesus used these seven statements to reveal God to them, beginning with “I am the bread of life.” How clever to speak about something as essential as bread.

Jesus is essential to life.

John 6 (Common English Bible)

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

26 Jesus replied, “I assure you that you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate all the food you wanted. 27 Don’t work for the food that doesn’t last but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Human One  will give you. God the Father has confirmed him as his agent to give life.”

The crowd had followed him to Capernaum just after he had fed the 5,000 with bread and fish. Jesus knew exactly what they were asking for. They wanted material bread from him. He was offering spiritual sustenance instead.

28 They asked, “What must we do in order to accomplish what God requires?”

29 Jesus replied, “This is what God requires, that you believe in him whom God sent.”

30 They asked, “What miraculous sign will you do, that we can see and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

How clever of them to quote Psalm 105 to him. They were hoping to manipulate him into providing daily bread as Moses had in the wilderness in the form of manna. But Jesus wasn’t having it. Bread wasn’t a thing; it was a person.

32 Jesus told them, “I assure you, it wasn’t Moses who gave the bread from heaven to you, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 The bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 They said, “Sir,  give us this bread all the time!”

35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I told you that you have seen me and still don’t believe. 37 Everyone whom the Father gives to me will come to me, and I won’t send away anyone who comes to me. 38 I have come down from heaven not to do my will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 This is the will of the one who sent me, that I won’t lose anything he has given me, but I will raise it up at the last day. 40 This is my Father’s will: that all who see the Son and believe in him will have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

What does this mean to you today? Jesus being the bread of life is a sign of God’s sustaining and providing presence in our lives. It means we will never go spiritually hungry if we fill ourselves from his bread basket. We are assured that if we drink of his Living Water we will never thirst again. This is the word of hope this starving, parched world needs!

And to know that he won’t send anyone away who comes to him is a reminder that there is nothing that can separate anyone from God’s love. All we need to do is come. This is a reminder to the church to keep the doors open to everyone.

So today, when you have a bite of bread, think of Jesus, the bread of life. He is the only one who will fill us, satisfy us, and sustain us. Thanks be to God!

Heavenly Bread