The Narrow Gate

Devotion by: Antonia Siebert

Matthew 5:20-26

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

I smiled to myself as I read these verses, because I recognized a pattern of behavior that I witnessed many times in my years as a legal assistant in large, corporate law firms in Washington, DC. Person A is angry with Person B (vs. 22) and instead of resolving the matter directly with Person B (vs. 24b), Person A decides to publicly profess the dispute (“be liable to judgment”) and invoke the power of the law to resolve the matter. Then Person A inflames the dispute even further with ad hominem attacks (“insult”) and slander (“[y]ou fool”). Person B must of course mount a defense and again, instead of resolving the matter directly with Person A, responds in kind and with a vengeance. Faced with Person B’s vigorous response, Person A begins to negotiate (“on the way to court”) realizing that the judge will not take kindly to the conduct of the case and he is likely to lose. And of course, all of this legal maneuvering costs a lot of money (“you will never get out until you have paid the last penny”).

And what is gained by all this litigation? Nothing but acrimony on all sides. I worked on a lot of cases where I thought that a plaintiff was simply blaming someone else for their misfortune and / or outright stupidity. So many times the cases weren’t really a dispute over the law; they were really about someone who was angry or grieving, or felt insulted and unimportant, and who wanted someone else to hurt just as much – or who just wanted to receive a sincere apology. Hiding behind litigation is easy, and face-to-face confrontation is hard. But the personal approach, not litigation, is what Jesus advocates (vs. 24). The personal approach is the “narrow gate” of today’s title that we must pass through. (See Matthew 7:13-14).

Several years ago I had a simple, outpatient laparoscopic procedure that went horribly wrong. The surgeon made a mistake and I nearly died. In the two weeks that I spent in the hospital, I lost count of how many times someone said “You should sue!”. But I knew I would not. The surgeon was not overly-tired, drunk, or otherwise incapacitated or unfit. She was skilled at this procedure and had done it many times without any problems. She exercised reasonable care and caution. She did not injure me out of malice. She simply made a mistake – as any human can do (vs. 20: “ Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”).

She came to see me in the hospital, clearly apprehensive of how I might receive her. But I welcomed her in and we talked about what happened. I told her that I was aware of the risks of surgery, that mistakes are made, that I forgave her for her mistake – and that I wasn’t going to sue her for it. She was visibly relieved and, I think, surprised. I didn’t need to punish her for her mistake and I didn’t need to be compensated for my injury.

I did need to forgive her and to rid myself of any resentment. Bitterness and strife that you carry around with you gets in the way of your relationship with God. You can’t carry your grudges and your offerings too. You have to reconcile your disputes (whether you are the disputer or the disputee!), and then you can approach God in the proper frame of mind (vs. 24). Any effort or energy you expend on an argument is that much less effort or energy (i.e., “offerings”) you have to spend on God.

PRAYER: Dear God, help us to squeeze through the narrow gates on the path of life. Give us strength for the journey so that we may carry our offerings to you with a clean heart and a right spirit. Amen.

Again and Again

Devotion by: Bob Hummel

Psalm 34:17-21, 23

When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears,
and rescues them from all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the broken-hearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD rescues them from them all.
He keeps all their bones;
not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

I know someone who spent six years in a Prisoner of War camp. He was tortured. He felt abandoned. And last week, as we ate lunch together, he excused himself to go to the hospital, because his old internal wounds were again threatening his life. Surely he must have felt brokenhearted many times. How could one not feel bitter, over losing six years, and suffering so much? I too have had bad times, but never anything so trying. I cannot imagine what it would be like to endure such trouble. The Lord sustained me through my trivial troubles, but He performed a miracle in sustaining the POWs in that camp, and bringing them home to lead, in my friend’s case, an amazing and rewarding life. We do not know what became of those who tortured him, but his faith in his eventual release led him to a life that inspires me.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord, for giving us hope; hope that righteousness will overcome evil, hope that we can take refuge in your goodness, and hope given to us by your Son. Help us to keep our troubles in perspective, and hear our prayers, so we may realize Your redemption. Amen.

True Testimonies

Devotion by: Tammy Finger

John 5:31-47

‘If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.

‘You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept glory from human beings. But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?’

“Testing, testing, one, two, three! Are you there? Did you notice? Do you really care?” This is a game I have often played, as a parent, with my three children. They do things that make me sit up and pay attention, straining our relationship, making me a parent instead of a friend. I have a similar relationship with God and Jesus. I often question and have doubts. He has sent messengers to me and sent me to places that make me notice He is there and in charge, not me. He has shown me connections that only He could arrange. God has an interesting sense of humor!

When we were transferred to Northern Virginia in 2000 from Houston, Texas, we came with an unhappy attitude and a list of five ELCA Lutheran churches to visit. We were active members of Kinsman Lutheran Church for seventeen years. I doubted we would find a church we liked half as well. I had two criteria: a pastor with a good message and an active youth group for Susanna. She left the only home, church and youth group she had ever known. After visiting three of the five churches without much enthusiasm, we visited Christ the King, the farthest from us. God must have wanted to wow us that Sunday, because, when we walked into the vestibule, we were greeted by Joe and Greta Rymal and Pastor Gysan and LaVonne -- all from Texas! Our church home was found, without a doubt. The Texas connection has continued and grown, showing us we are at the right place. God is here for us and watching over our every move!

PRAYER: God of grace and mercy, guide us to put our trust in you and be patient and know you are in charge. Help us ask for strength when we are in trouble or doubt and to faithfully serve you, follow you and joyfully find you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Hear and Follow

Devotion by: Greg Maxwell

Isaiah 49:8-15

Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favour I have answered you,
on a day of salvation I have helped you;
I have kept you and given you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages;
saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out’,
to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
They shall feed along the ways,
on all the bare heights shall be their pasture;
they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.
And I will turn all my mountains into a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
Lo, these shall come from far away,
and lo, these from the north and from the west,
and these from the land of Syene.

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the LORD has comforted his people,
and will have compassion on his suffering ones.

But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me,
my Lord has forgotten me.’
Can a woman forget her nursing-child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.

In the first verse, I am drawn to what the Lord says: “In a favorable time I have answered you.” It made me think of how often my human impatience gets in the way of listening for God’s answer to my prayers. It made me realize that God answers my prayers in a favorable time, but that time may not be in synch with my human perspective. To me, this passage reinforces that we must be patient and listen for God’s guidance.

We often get God’s guidance filtered through our sins or the trappings of our secular world. How often we lament, just like Isaiah and Zion did in verse 14, saying: “the LORD has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.” At times when the going gets rough and things don’t turn out the way we planned or hoped, how quick are we to make the same lamentation?

We must trust and have faith in Jesus Christ and his Lord our Father, for they have promised not to forsake us. They will not break their covenant with us. We must remember to be patient, try harder to listen to God’s guidance, trust Him, and remember all the deeds God has done for us. Then we need to rejoice in gratitude.

PRAYER: Oh God, we know in our hearts that you will never forsake us. Help us to be patient and listen intently for your guidance. We rejoice in you always and give thanks to the blessings you have given to us. During this time of Lent, we patiently await the celebration of Jesus Christ’s glorious resurrection. We hear you and will follow you, trusting in the salvation of your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Cleansed

Devotion by: Bill Carbaugh

John 5:1-16

After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralysed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, ‘It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.’ But he answered them, ‘The man who made me well said to me, “Take up your mat and walk.” ’ They asked him, ‘Who is the man who said to you, “Take it up and walk”?’ Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.’ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath.

There are some who read this passage and focus on the law – Hebrew law precluded Jews from working on the Sabbath. Why, even the Ten Commandments ask us to “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” How could Jesus blatantly violate Jewish law?

My father (a pastor, I might add!) had two favorite quips about the law – (1) “The law is an ass,” and (2) “The law kills.” Jesus turned the law on its head. He worked on the Sabbath and healed the sick. This is certainly good news – that we have a Lord and Savior who works 24/7, doing the work that his Father sent him to do and fulfilling the promise of our baptism. We should go and do likewise.

PRAYER: Dear God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit: We all are afflicted with illnesses and infirmities of many kinds (both real and perceived). We desperately need your healing words, your healing touch and your healing waters – the promise of our baptism in your name. Be with us to open our hearts and minds to remain faithful and receive the healing that only you can give. Keep us strong in body, mind and spirit so that we may go forth and do unto others as you have done for us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Re-Creation

Devotion by: LaVonne Gysan

Isaiah 65:17-21

For I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice for ever
in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
and its people as a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
or the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

Many of you know why I often choose March 3 for my day to ponder the scriptures for the Lenten devotionals. Yes, it’s my Mom’s birthday (96 today!). Wow did God have a message for me!

The theme written on my assignment sheet is: “In God’s presence, all things are brought to fullness of life.” My Mom has had a full life – more blessings than tragedies. In this Bible passage, God has said, “the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.” Mom does not dwell on the tragedies, because God has filled her mind with love, forgiveness, and joy. She always focuses on God first. She continues to be a delight to people she meets.

One year ago tomorrow Mom chose to move to assisted living. One of her two regrets of downsizing was not being able to drive herself to church. But the Lord provided faithful drivers to take her to her new church. She continues to taste the “new heaven” (Is. 65:13).

In Mom’s 96 years, she continues to be in a faithful, joy-filled and “youthful” relationship with God, as in Is. 65:20: “… for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth…”

So on this special day, I say thanks to God and Mom for giving me a glimpse of the new heavens and new earth. Fullness of life is all about a Godly relationship!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Love. Help us remember the important things in life – You and our fellow man. Thank you for sending Jesus your Son to show us the way. In His name, Amen.

Open Your Eyes!

Devotion by: Jerry Teitman

John 9:1-41

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ Some were saying, ‘It is he.’ Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.’ They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.’ Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ His parents answered, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.’ His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.’ He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’ They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’ Then they reviled him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ The man answered, ‘Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’ They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out.

Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped him. Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains.

If this gospel is read and interpreted as a baptismal story, the blind man might be a proxy for baptism (told to wash in the pool of Siloam), and the man’s apology could symbolize the wisdom gained by confirmation. Thus, the theme, “Do not remain blind, but see the works of the Lord and believe,” comes alive for me.

I was baptized as a baby and welcomed as a Child of God. My parents took me to church, and with the help of the church, gave me much more knowledge of the Lord and His plan for me. I had an opportunity in Confirmation to reaffirm my baptismal vows and become an adult member of the church of Christ.

As with many young adults, I did not ever think about either the abundance of God’s graces that he continuously bestowed on me or about what my response should be to these graces. I was literally blind to God’s world and His gifts, often taking his many miracles, such as the gift of life, for granted. When I think about it, I had observed many miracles; some small and a few that were large. But they, too, were taken for granted. It was easy to say that Jesus was Lord as part of the liturgy. However, I never found the time or the right moment to testify to the world that He was at work in my life and had been at work since Baptism.

As I approach the final stage of my life, I have more time to reflect on the wonders of God and His constant presence in my life. Lent is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to make the time to reflect on what God has done for us and for our families. These reflections will help us to mature as Christians and deliver our own apology in defense of the Lord, to the blind of the world.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I do not thank you enough for all the graces and blessings that you have given me this day, all those that you have given in the past and all that you will in the future. In Jesus’ name I thank you.