Daily Lesson for October 9, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 11 verses 28 through 30:

28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

This gentle word comes immediately after a very forceful and hard-edged word spoken against several unrepentant cities. It's as if whoever Jesus is speaking to in today's Lesson was witness to all the rejection from the cities and have become disillusioned. John the Baptist is in prison, the cities are absolutely determined to stay on their path of destruction, and Jesus' followers are on the verge of falling from disillusion to dismay.

It is here where Jesus borrows a lesson from his boyhood in the carpenters shop. He must have seen Joseph make many a yoke for many an animal, always considering their size and their shape, and usually making them for draught animal two by two. A good yoke could ease the burden of the load and take an animal a long, long way. A good yoke was easy on the shoulders, and when balanced right -- and especially when pulling with others -- could help the animal go a long, long ways. A good yoke can help the animal rest even while working.

It's so tempting now to fall into disillusionment and even dismay. But do not be dismayed. Come unto Jesus. Take his yoke. Rest your souls. Pull together.

If we try to do this alone it'll kill us. And the hardness of the ground will break our hearts. It'll be too much.

But Jesus isn't going to give us too much. It won't give us more than we can bear. And step by courageous step we'll keep ploughing, no matter how hard the ground is, because we're not trying to do this alone; but we're doing it with God and with one another.

In my study there's a wooden carving an old friend once gave me. It says: "It's a cinch by the inch; but it's hard by the yard."

Maybe we're just making it by inches; but we've made it his far. And we're going to keep on pulling . . .

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson will come from Luke chapter 11.

Daily Lesson for October 8, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 7 verses 36 through 50:

36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37 And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38 She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “speak.” 41 “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” 48 Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

I have to confess this Scripture both angers and delights me.

On the one hand I'm angered by the Pharisee's hostility towards the woman. He didn't have to say anything -- and didn't. But Jesus knew what he was thinking, and so too I'm sure did the woman.

And yet, here she is, showing up -- apparently uninvited -- bold before Jesus and just knowing he would let her in.

What's her story? She was "a woman in the city, a sinner." Does that mean she was a prostitute? Or was she just a woman with a past?

We all have a past. Even the Pharisee has a past. And his hostility in spirit says it all. It was his own unreconciled self he hated in this woman. It wasn't so much her life that was hostile towards, it was his own.

What was his story? We don't have the answer to that either. Maybe he knew her in ways the Bible does not say. Who knows? But one thing we do know, his open contempt for others was a sure sign of his secret contempt for himself. For the one who is forgiven little, loves little.

Jesus said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven; go in peace." But Jesus stayed there with the host, knowing full well that the hostility towards her would now turn to him.

And so it would be that Jesus would die-- not for hers sins -- but for his host's.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson will come from Matthew chapter 11.

Daily Lesson for October 7, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 5 verses 23 through 48:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Amidst this season -- era even -- of division it is so easy to allow anger to take over and hatred to take root. But we cannot allow hatred to grab hold of us. We cannot allow evil in others to destroy the good within us.

This morning Jesus gives us a simple practice to keep us from falling into hatred -- Greeting. A simple greeting, a shake of hands, a call or a card, all work to humanize both our enemies and also ourselves. It's a practice of grace. And it honors the dignity in all others and also in ourselves.

The Quakers have a saying, "If in fighting a beast you become a beast, then the beast has won."

We are not beasts. We are children of God. And God made the sun come up the morning on everyone, including our enemies. So, perhaps the least that we can do -- as children of God -- is open our mouth (or our email) and offer a simple, "Hello, I hope you are well."

It may not change their hearts, but it might ours.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow we will read Matthew 9 and Luke 7.

Daily Lesson for October 6, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Mark chapter 3 verses 19b through 30:

Then he went home; 20 and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

28 “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

This scripture has been greatly mistranslated, misinterpreted, and therefore misunderstood over time, but I like the way the NRSV reframes it.

The problem centers around verse 29, the idea of an unforgiveable sin, and the term "eternal sin".

The actual greek word translated "eternal" is "eanon", from which we get the word "eon". "Eternal" is a good translation. Or, it might also could be translated "ageless".

Jesus is saying that those opposed to him and his ministry are guilty of an "ageless" sin -- a sin of all ages and eons. It is the sin of blaspheme -- seeing the Spirit's good work and calling it evil.

This is the sin of every age -- calling healing on the sabbath, the inclusion of gentiles, the abolition of slaves, the suffrage of women, the marrying of gays, and all manner of other good things evil.

It is not an unforgiveable sin in that it can't be pardoned. God can pardon all things -- and we pray will!

But it is an eternal sin, because it happens from age to age and generation to generation, the people sometimes blindly but often willfully opposed to the work of the Spirit, calling evil good and good evil.

Be advised, friends. This comes with the territory. For as Jesus said, "If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!"

That's me and you; and that's-- not the unforgiveable sin -- but the sin that never, ever ends.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow we will read Matthew chapters 5-7.

Daily Lesson for October 5, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 8 verses 23 through 27:

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27 They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

If you are anything like me, you may feel that a giant storm has arisen upon your lives which threatens to undo us all. Frustrated, tired, and overwhelmed, we wonder how we'll get through -- if we'll get through.

But pay attention to the miracle -- not so much Jesus' stilling of the storm, but his sound sleep beforehand. Pay attention to his calm and his collectivity.

The storm was a symbol of chaos in ancient literature. It represents all that would wish to overwhelm and undo us. It was the first act of creation's ordering that the spirit went out upon the chaotic waters to bring stillness and calm.

In the spirit of Jesus there is calm, not only after but even in the storm. There is peace. There is tranquility. There is even sleep.

Be not overwhelmed, beloved. Be not afraid. Be of good courage. And be at peace -- even amidst this storm. For come what may, our Christ shall rescue the perishing, and we shall be saved.

"Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood

Upon the chaos dark and rude,

And bid its angry tumult cease,

And give, for wild confusion peace, peace,

O hear us when we cry to thee,

For those in peril on the sea!"

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow we will read Matthew 12; Mark 3; and Luke 6.

Daily Lesson for October 2, 2020

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 4 verses 20 through 30:

20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

The great rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said the prophets are those "one octave too high for our ears."

Jesus was more than a prophet, but not less. And in this brief encounter at his own home synagogue, he speaks one octave too high for his people.

Jesus dares to ask a question about God's judgment upon his own nation. Why was it a widow in Syria who received Elijah in the famine and not his own people? Why was it a foreign general cleansed of leprosy and not our own? The people are left to think on the answers. Because the foreign widow was the only one willing to share in generosity amidst an international emergency? Because Naaman the foreign general was the only one humble enough to get down and be washed in a little creek.

Those were the answers. But the people didn't want to hear the questions. They were one octave too high.

They always are.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Over the weekend we'll read John 2-5 and Matthew 8 and Mark 2.

Daily Lesson for October 1, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Luke chapter 3 verses 1 through 2:

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

The Lesson today begins with focus on all the leaders of the Roman world in ancient Palestine. These are the mighty and powerful, the rulers, and sons of rulers. Contemptible, cruel, and even incestuous, they were also guardians of the so-called Pax Romana -- the peace of Rome garnered and guarded by sword point and cross. And the high priesthood, which is mentioned here amongst the powers by intent, had itself become a handmaiden to these Roman powers.

So then, it is interesting that here appears John, a son of a priest, found not in the Temple at Jerusalem amongst the courts of the tetrarchs, but out in the wilderness. And there to John son of Zechariah the word of God came out in the wilderness.

We are living in a time when all eyes are on the main stage of history -- on prime ministers, and presidents, and vice presidents, and governors, and mayors. But watch for those in the wilderness -- those living, and working, and begging, and barely holding on, and just trying to survive amidst poverty and pandemic.

Watch for them. For the word of God is with them out there in the wilderness.

And so is the son of the priest John.

And Jesus is too . . .

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson comes from Matthew 4 and Luke 4-5.