“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:37-40

In the book of Matthew, chapter 25, Jesus is contrasting the responses of people who are seeking after his Kingdom. First, he cites a parable of wise and foolish virgins awaiting the bridegroom’s return. Then, he cites the story of three servants who have been charged with the stewardship of their master’s wealth. Finally, he gives a picture of the last day judgment where people are being evaluated for fitness for entrance into the Kingdom. All of these parables, to me, have one thing in common- they ask, what is our behavioral response to God’s message to us?    

At the end of the chapter, Jesus concludes with his powerful explanation of what it means to be a Jesus follower- “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” This succinct summary of his desire for his followers is unmistakable. We love God by loving others.

This is an amazing statement! He identifies with the poorest and most marginalized people. God loves us so much that he wants every person of his creation to be loved by others. This is what makes Him feel loved. All the theology in the world is summed up in that statement.

Prayer: Lord, help us to see you in others, Amen

I’ve kept my feet on the ground, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content.                                                                                               Psalm 131:2 (The Message)

Happy Mother’s Day to all my readers who are mothers. There is nothing like the love of your mother to understand the selfless sacrifice that is necessary to bring children into this world. We really cannot understand love well, until we have become parents, and we can then understand that love given away is love experienced.

As a father, I learned many years ago how gratifying it is to be a parent, and therefore to have a glimpse of God’s unconditional love for us.

So, dear readers, we have all experienced a relationship with a mother. Perhaps some of you have experienced some trauma from a mother who could not, or maybe would not, give the necessary love to her child. For you, I wish healing and hope.

The majority of my readers have indeed experienced a loving, caring mother, and for that we are grateful.

God bless the mothers who deserve recognition this day!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for our faithful, loving mothers, Amen

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free…                                                                                      Luke 4:18

A new Pope was elected the other day, and I think it is no accident that the newest head of the Catholic Church took the name Leo. He is Robert Francis Prevost, now Leo XIV, and he is the successor, it appears, of Leo XIII. Yes, he is the proximate successor of Pope Francis, but he is hearkening back to the first Pope of the industrial age, Leo XIII. Leo XIII had to grapple with the vast cultural and economic realities that beset the age in the late 19^th century. While it was called the “Gilded Age” in America, it was a bleak and volatile time in the changing world economy.  

Pope Leo XIII was a Pope who tackled the difficult transition of the world into the industrial age. He spoke of the rights of common people, and how the world must adapt justly to such changes.

At this current time of social and cultural change, the new Pope is asking people to consider how the Church responds to the plight of common people, common workers, in an age of ever increasing social and economic disparity.

Jesus took up the cause of those least able to speak for themselves- those who had no social or economic power. I think that Leo XIV, having spent much of his life and energy among poor people in Peru, will remind the world that the message of Jesus was preached to the poor.   

Prayer: Lord, help us to refocus on the message Jesus came to proclaim, Amen

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.  So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.  They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”                                                                                                                                                           Matthew 23:1-4

In this passage, Jesus said something very interesting to his followers. He told his listeners to “obey everything they (teachers and Pharisees) tell you to do, but do not do as they do”. This was both an indictment of the Pharisees, and also a warning that just because the Pharisees were hypocrites, it did not give permission to the people to disobey the law or not seek after God.

We see so many people today who are looking for an excuse to not follow the hard road that Jesus set out before us. People will point out the flaws of a pastor, the wrong behavior of “church people”, or some other perceived hypocrisy (and indeed, there is plenty of hypocrisy present) in order to justify their own failed walk with Jesus.

Teachers have a high calling, and all of us have the responsibility to care for our fellow travelers on this earth. Unfortunately, there are times that all of us fail, to some degree or another, in this calling. I note in verse 4 of this passage, Jesus says, “They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”                                                                                                                                                            This means to me that the Pharisees were quite ready and able to point out the heavy burdens of the law and the times when people failed to conform. They also failed, however, to give people practical tools to help in the journey, and they showed no grace when people failed. The essence of Christ’s message is grace.

Yes, we will fail to live up to even our own standards, let alone God’s standards; yet God loves us and forgives us as we are willing to come to Him to ask for forgiveness. Our job is to be examples of grace and vessels of it as we minister to other people.

Prayer: Lord, we all have the tendency to miss the mark, just like the Pharisees, and we thank you for your sublime grace. Help us to extend it to others today, Amen.

Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.                  Ephesians 4:26-27 (The Message)

I recently spoke with a client about an anger issue, and he had a very open and accepting view of his anger. He realized that anger was his “default” emotion- the one most easily accessible to him. So, if he were feeling sad, or scared, those emotions often came out like anger. Anger was an emotion he knew, and it was more acceptable than showing fear or sadness. We also discussed the idea that anger was energizing for him. Anger gave him the energy to move forward- it felt empowering somehow.   

This dynamic is common, especially with men. It is more culturally acceptable for men to be angry than scared. Also, if that anger gave him the energy to express himself, so much the better.

The more we discussed such emotional expression, the better he understood himself. He began to get more insight into how he sees the world, and also how he reacts to it. Such honest discussions are good for the soul and mind. Anger is not inherently bad, but if we do not understand where it comes from, and then find acceptable ways to express it, it can become a problem.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us a range of emotions. Help us to understand them and accept them, and use them well, Amen

Therefore, since we are encompassed with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.  Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.       Hebrews 12:1-2

I am not a motorcycle driver, but I have ridden bicycles quite a lot in the past. The saying is that where your head goes, there goes the bike. I even notice that in driving a car. If I look down for just a second or two, my car starts to drift a little bit. Hence the reason for no texting and driving! The point is, if we start to look in another lane, we might just drift into it.

The same might be said for worrying about, or weighing in on, things that are not ours to worry about. If we stay in our own lane, we can save ourselves a lot of worry, and even potential harm. The apostle Paul reminded his readers to keep their eyes on Jesus as we complete the race that is set before us. Keeping our eyes ahead of us, in the lane in which we are running, keeps us focused.

That does not mean that we ignore the needs of other people- not by any means. What it means is that we are not to be distracted by things that we cannot influence or control. Keeping our eyes on the prize is the best way to compete, and to run our race in this life faithfully and honorably.

Prayer: Lord, help us to keep our eyes on the prize you set before us, Amen

 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples  to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:  The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.  Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Matthew 11:2-6

We are told in the passage above that Jesus answered John’s question with the results of his presence on earth. Jesus did not reply, “Yes, it is me, the one whom you have been prophesying abut for years”. Jesus replied essentially, “See the results, this is what has been my mission from the beginning!”

In other words, Jesus proves his claim as Messiah from what he had been producing as he walked among the people. In a court of law, people expect proof, not promises of good behavior. Jesus knew there were sceptics, and even John the Baptist asked the question, “Are you the one?” Indeed, John was in prison when he asked the question, so he was well aware that proof was needed in that hostile environment. So, Jesus gave proof of his ministry.

Jesus started his ministry with the words from Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor.” Jesus came to give hope and healing to a broken world. He comes to the poor and broken, and he gives proof that he is the Messiah.

John the Baptist was convinced, and so am I.

Prayer: Lord, we know the truth because you have delivered on your promises, Amen

Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.

 Psalm 31:9

I have had occasions, in recent years, to discuss the idea of “anticipatory grief” with a number of my clients. This is a common, but often unexpressed phenomenon whereby we are witnessing the decline of a loved one and having uneasy and sometimes inexplicable feelings associated with such decline. It is a form of grieving, but it is often not labeled as such.  

Clients may feel anger toward their loved one, and sadness, but may feel guilty for such thoughts. I explain to them that they are grieving a loss. They are experiencing all those feelings of loss before their loved one passes away. They are, sometimes unwittingly, preparing themselves for a devastating loss. They begin to understand that this is a protective feature, preparing them for the eventual, inevitable actual loss of the one they love.

Once we can explain and reframe this idea, they can see that such grieving is really a measure of how much they love their friend/relative/partner. The anger that they may feel of losing such a dear person is actually a form of grief. Grief almost always includes anger of some type, sometimes an inexplicable feeling, but anger nonetheless.   

Being able to label such feelings can be very helpful in accepting them. We feel loss, even before our loved one actually passes from this earth.

Anticipatory grief.

Prayer: Lord, you have made us to love deeply, and that involves all of our range of emotions. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, Amen

 

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!    Mark 9:24

Sometimes we make definitive statements which are too black and white. Sometimes, in order to try to understand the world, we break things into “either/or” categories. That often is too simplistic. Life is nuanced, and there are simply areas of life that cannot be broken into such clear categories.

An example I see is in the area of “certainty”. Living in a certain amount of ambiguity is uncomfortable. We want an answer. In our faith journey, we often want simple yes or no, black or white answers. Yet, I think there are plenty of things which do not lend themselves to easy answers.

Having faith does not mean that we have no doubts. I would argue, that without doubt, there is no need for faith. If everything is simply a matter of blind faith, we leave no room for the discomfort of doubt, the challenge of doubt, that can actually strengthen our faith. I believe that our faith can stand the scrutiny of sincere questioning.

In an earlier post, I made this statement relative to prayer: “We all have doubt, I take that as a given. However, it confirms our faith each time we pray. It affirms our faith, however shaky it may be. Faith, even as small as the mustard seed, is shown when we open our mouth to utter His name.”

The principle here is that we act on faith, even if we are not fully on board. No faith is perfect, but whatever faith we do have must be exercised to become real. It is a counseling principle that we “Do, then feel”- meaning, if we do good and right behaviors, we will begin to feel better. We cannot wait to feel better to start acting better.

So, you have doubt, I have doubt. Let’s not let that get in the way of exercising that small faith that we do have. “I believe, help my unbelief”

Prayer: Thank you Father for giving us the mind to have doubt. Thank you for the grace to give us such space. Thank you for the gift of faith and the room for doubt. Amen

As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

Psalm 103:13-14 (NKJV)

I love Psalm 103 where the writer indicates that God “pities us like little children”. That language from the New King James translation is so poetic and poignant that it bears repeating to ourselves. The truth is, God is like the loving father of a toddler who is just taking her first steps. She is tentative and awkward, and she falls frequently in trying to get to her waiting daddy who is on his knees beckoning her.

He does not scold her for falling, or not having the competence to walk correctly yet. He encourages her “c’mon honey, you can do it, come to daddy!” That is the picture I have of our heavenly Father. He pities us like little children, he knows our failures and weaknesses, yet he encourages us toward him.

Yep, that is the Daddy we all need.

Prayer: Lord, we are grateful for your love and patience, Amen