Beating Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48

Steve Siebert

Every day, and in everything we do, we are faced with the decision to turn to Christ or to run away from Him. In this portion of Matthew, Jesus asks us to unburden ourselves from the perpetual sins of anger and bitterness by releasing us from the responsibility of retribution. In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes, "Loving my enemies does not mean thinking them nice...we must try to feel about the enemy as we feel about ourselves--to wish that he were not bad, to hope that he may...be cured...That is what is meant in the Bible by loving him: wishing his good, not feeling fond of him nor saying he is nice when he is not."

In his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus has shown us full commitment to humanity and perfect forgiveness. In a world where so many things conspire to take our happiness away, our one true comfort is the knowledge that God made us, loves us, and forgives us completely. Jesus tells us to forgive and love others, because we need to release ourselves from sin to grow in his love.

PRAYER: Dear God, Thank you for your example of total forgiveness through your son Jesus and for the gift of the Holy Spirit working within me to forgive and love others. Strengthen me in my weakness and share with me the joy that comes through love. Amen.

Never Down

Ezekiel 18:21-28

Julianne Benson

What an encouragement we have in Ezekiel 18. God tells us that if we turn away from our sins and become obedient to God's perfect plan for healthy living, as told in the Bible, not only can we live, but we can THRIVE! God says He will remember our sins no more. How awesome is that?

But... God also gives us a WARNING. He tells us NOT to start sinning like the wicked or He will remember our righteousness no more. Surely we don't want that!

The moral of this scripture is: do the right things by following God's will as laid out in His Word, and God will be pleased with us and all will be well with our soul. Be encouraged today ~ I know I am!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, How merciful you are. Thank you for helping us to strive to be the people you made us to be and want us to be. Thank you for your promise of remembering our sins no more as long as we walk in your ways. You give us grace which we don't deserve but are grateful for. Help us also to extend that grace to others in your name. Amen.

Ask

Matthew 7:7-12

Ellen Lokker

Jesus gives us two important lessons in this passage of Matthew. The “Golden Rule” found in verse 12 directs us to treat others the way we would want them to treat us. This instruction is simple and could lead to such fulfillment, yet we struggle to live by it. Indeed, we confess weekly that we have “failed to love our neighbors as ourselves” and quietly resolve to do better in the days ahead. But how can we do better? Can we adhere more closely to the Golden Rule simply through willpower, as we would a New Year’s resolution to get more exercise?

On our own, we will never be able to live the Golden Rule. We need God’s help (lesson number 2). In verses 7 through 11 of this passage in Matthew, Jesus instructs us on the power of prayer. Jesus promises us that God will respond to our prayers and that He will give us what is good and appropriate for us, just as a parent responds to the needs of his child.

God knows what we need and will provide it. However, by telling us to “ask,” “seek,” and “knock,” Jesus calls us to be active participants in our relationship with God. When we spend time in prayer “asking,” “seeking,” and “knocking,” we grow in our relationship with God. We learn to know God better and to discern His will for us. We learn to depend on Him as our ally and source of strength. Whatever impediments we face in our efforts to love others as ourselves, God will help us overcome those obstacles and will enable us to love more fully when we raise our concerns to Him through prayer.

For a long time, I viewed God as a lofty figure who spoke through the Bible and through ministers and priests to His people. Our role was simply to listen and follow the directions. Later in life, I learned to appreciate the fact that God created us to be in relationship with Him. He is waiting for us to “ask,” “seek,” and “knock.” And how much more fulfilling life is when we do!

PRAYER: Dear God, thank you for creating us to be in relationship with you. Thank you for listening to us. Enable us to humble ourselves and bring our worries and concerns to You and to rely on You in all that we do. We want to live by Your Golden Rule but know we cannot do it on our own. We ask that You give us the grace to treat everyone we encounter today as we would want them to treat us. Amen.

Rise

Luke 11:29-32

Art Evans

“Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.” Benjamin Franklin was a wise man, and I would never argue with him. And when it comes to the world we must live in each day, I do put some credibility in his words. But with the Lord’s help, I put my faith in the Living Word. It was not always so. I too was like the people of Nineveh; genuine faith came with great reluctance, and I asked for a miraculous sign to build my faith upon or maybe to simply ignite it.

One day, less than four years ago, instead of asking and doing all the talking, I decided to simply listen. I think the people of Nineveh did the same thing. They listened to Jonah and repented. No, I didn’t have a flesh and blood prophet preach to me; I had it a lot easier. I had the Bible. The Bible is the exact amount of “data” the Lord is pleased to hand us. It is the risen Christ that is the miraculous sign we seek.

The repentant people of Nineveh had so much less on which to base their faith. Who are we to ask for more? As believers, it is our sacred duty to strive to do the Lord’s will (see Mark 3:35). Of course, at some time in our lives we are all reluctant about our faith. Like they say, “we are only human.” But in the final hour, I am in His hands (see 1 John 3:19-20). Old Ben Franklin has another quote which is all too true, “You may delay, but time will not.”

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help us rise above human frailties to glorify your name. Give us the strength to do your will in whatever form you desire. Lead us forward to an ever stronger faith. In Your name. Amen.

Our Father

Psalm 34:4-7, 16-19

LaVonne Gysan

This year the ELCA (of which our church is a member) decided to emphasize more Bible reading and study. Our adult Sunday School study book mentioned various ways of studying the Bible: devotional, historical, literary, Lutheran Way. What caught most of our class off guard was “the Lutheran Way.” What was that?! Simply put, as Lutherans we are to ask “what is Law and what is Gospel? What is condemnation for us and what is grace or forgiveness?” We need to ask, “Where is Jesus in the Scriptures?”

This is how I am going to approach my Lenten assignment. I want to answer the question, “Where is Christ in today’s reading?”

When we stray from the Lord or are living for ourselves, are we really fulfilled, really happy? Verse 8 says, “O taste and see the Lord is good, happy are those who take refuge in Him.” Jesus is always here –we are the ones who stray! When we are in need, Jesus is here for us. Verse 11 states, “when the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.”

One might say, “God will drop from the sky all the money I need for my financial debts.” Wrong! When we are plugged into the Lord, God will show us what is important in life, how we can problem solve our difficulties, and He keeps us among His family. We do not live problem-free lives, for verse 19 states, “many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all.” We can live with that promise!

So what is the Lutheran Study of Law and Gospel for our text this day? The Law condemns us when we do not fear the Lord. (I like to define “fear of the Lord” as: reverence, respect, reliance, trust, obedience.) The Gospel is that God loves us, hears us, and walks with us during our trials and joys of life!

PRAYER: Thank you, God, for hearing my prayers. May I always stay close to you and seek your guidance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

P.S . I couldn’t let this day pass without saying “Happy 97^th Birthday, Mom!” Thank you and Dad for being such Godly examples in my life.

Blessed Are They

Matthew 25:31-46

Tim Zimmerman

Sheep on the right, goats on the left; I wonder which herd I will be put in? The scene is a glorious one. The Son of Man on his heavenly throne with all the angels around him and all the nations throughout time gathered before him. Even more glorious is the blessing that he is about to bestow on the sheep to the right. After all, it is a kingdom prepared by his Father. The kingdom’s description is especially interesting to me. No flowery words describing earthly wonders. Rather, the kingdom is described as something God prepared for us when he created the world. That is almost too grand to comprehend, but it sure sounds like something I want to be part of.

I know that my actions do not earn my entrance to this kingdom. But in this verse, I’m reminded that if Jesus loved us enough to die for our sins, then, as a believer, I should at least be able to help and show kindness to the same people he gave his life to save.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I know that you see all that is in my heart. Strengthen my faith so that what is in my heart shines through for those around me to see. Help me to remember that true faith in you should naturally result in me loving my neighbors as you love us all. Create in me an appreciation for acts of kindness, no matter how small, as a means to do God’s will as you’ve taught us. Amen.

Speak, Lord

Mark 1:12-15

Lori Fredette

The events in these passages of Mark quickly unfold as they do in an action movie – baptized, torn open, descended, sent, tempted, etc. No lingering! No contemplative pro and con discussions! Just act (with the guidance of the Holy Spirit)! In reality, Jesus had to be fast. He only had about three years to minister to the people.

So why is that path so difficult for us to follow? Why do we hesitate to do all to the glory of God (I Cor. 10:31)? Could it be that we dwell on Satan’s thoughts (II Cor. 2:11)? Why can’t we “just say no” to the bad and cling to the good? Why do we analyze and doubt? Could it be that we have become slaves to our quest for scientific knowledge? Questions, questions ad infinitum!

The Old and the New Testament are replete with examples of Satan’s powers – his deceptions, jealousies, killings, etc. What is astonishing is that most of these evils are present in the midst of goodness, as in the Garden of Eden. Good choices often become tainted. But good does triumph over evil when individuals repent and turn to God. King David is often cited as such an example. And who guides the misguided to change? The prophets? The priests? God? More specifically, I believe, the Holy Spirit intervenes.

After John was incarcerated in these verses from Mark, Jesus taught the good news of God in Galilee. Imparting the good news was more important than disagreeing with the authorities about John’s unfair imprisonment. Instead, Jesus focused on the message and spoke these simple words to the people, “The time has come … the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” The good news won out over the evil choices of King Herod and his queen.

It is imperative for us to be aware of how evil is imbedded in the midst of good. It is also necessary for us to be able to discern evil masquerading as good. The Garden of Earthly Delights, by the 16^th century painter Hieronymus Bosch, vividly depicts both concepts. It is equally important for us to fight evil, no matter how difficult a task. Some of Bach’s cantatas attest to the fight of good versus evil in a most profound way. More currently, the Narnia films, based on C.S. Lewis’ stories, portray the same theme. When one is aware of the truth, when one can see or feel the evil for what it is, as the artists did, one is no longer mesmerized by its tantalizing hold. One can, with the help of the Spirit, rise above it and act to proclaim the good news of God in a myriad of ways.

In December Rene and I visited Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Along the beach, we watched a class of elementary school children marching two by two toward a simple amphitheater on the public square, whose backdrop was formed by five tall arches in front of the magnificent blue harbor. The children wore white costumes with some colorful accents. There were many “angels and shepherds”, three “kings”, “Mary and Joseph”, and a child clad in red. Simply an adorable sight! These little darlings then enacted the Christmas story, with the red kiddo snaking through the scenes. The “actors”, however, focused on their presentation and simply ignored the “red nuisance”.

The bus driver asked me, “Who is that boy in red?” When I answered, “The devil,” he looked pleased, and remarked, “Yes, evil is always present, even with the innocents.” “True,” I agreed, “One always has to be on guard.”

Our experience at the beach had an unforeseen impact. It was the filter through which I read the Mark 1 Bible verses, where Jesus “ignored” the tempter and temptations by focusing on the good news of God. What we can learn from children! Indeed, the Spirit moves in mysterious ways …

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, fill my heart with God’s word; tell me to speak what should be heard. Amen.