Each of us can look into our own families and in our neighborhoods to see if older women and men are being treated with dignity. Are they being excluded because of their mental or physical frailties? Are they physically and socially isolated?
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Isaiah 1:10, 16-20
Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23
Matthew 23:1-12 Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. 4 They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. 11 He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; 12 whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Meditation by Pat Callone (Creighton)
“Hear the word of the Lord, …Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; Cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim; redress the wronged, Hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow…”
In this reflection I would like to address the exhortation of Isaiah: “…defend the widow.” In my work at Creighton, I study the treatment of older persons and am part of a team of persons working on the Creighton Study of Violence Across the Lifespan.
In 2009, society’s and families’attention to the mistreatment of older persons is generally avoided--not to be talked about. The attention to the mistreatment of older persons today is about where the attention to the mistreatment of children and youth was 25 years ago. In 2009, there are programs that are openly discussed and planned to try to halt the mistreatment of babies, youth, teenagers, young adults. But not so many for the treatment of older persons. Here are some statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice – Office on Violence Against Women (2004 and 2005):
“Every year an estimated 2.1 million older Americans are victims of physical, psychological, and other forms of abuse and neglect.
Older women are more likely to experience domestic violence for a longer time, to be in current violent relationships, and to have health and mental health problems. Elder abuse is underreported; it is estimated that only 1 in 5 cases are reported.”
Creighton faculty are studying “financial exploitation/abuse.” Older adults who have been financially exploited/abused are afraid to talk about it…especially if persons have experienced the exploitation in their own families.
So what do we do? Each of us can look into our own families and in our neighborhoods to see if older women and men are being treated with dignity. Are they being excluded because of their mental or physical frailties? Are they physically and socially isolated? Are they receiving the food, healthcare, socialization, and spiritual resources they need and deserve? Are their remaining skills and abilities being nurtured to their fullest extent so that St. Irenaeus’ quotation can be realized? “The Glory of God is man (and woman) fully alive.”
Lord, you ask us in this time of Lent to look around and see what our actions are doing to create your kingdom on earth. There are so many more older persons around us – some strong and some frail. Help us be aware of the dignity of each person – especially older persons – and make sure they are given the dignity they deserve because You are within them.
Help us be conscious that we are to defend the widow (and widower) and take actions to care for them. Amen.
Supplementary Reading
Be a Hope-A-Holic
"Be joyful in hope." – Romans 12:12
When asked, at the end of his career, what great lessons he had learned from history, the great American historian Charles Beard answered, "I've learned four: First—whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad with power. Second—the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceedingly fine. Third—the bee fertilizes the flower it robs. Fourth—only when it's dark are you able to see the stars."
Charles Beard was a hope-a-holic. So am I. I have an incurable, instinctive, impulsive tendency to surrender to hope. I know yesterday is a canceled check. Today is cash in hand to spend as I want. And tomorrow is a promissory note from God Almighty.
This hope will not disappoint. Our "hopes" may not all be fulfilled, but hope is its own immediate reward; it offers us the gift of unceasing optimism.
* * *
Think about all of the things in your life that give you a sense of hope. Next time you're feeling discouraged or disappointed, read through your hope list and you'll find renewed optimism.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
March 09, 2009 - Monday Meditation (Focus on Finding People's Strengths!)
It's a mistake to focus on the weaknesses of others. The self-proclaimed "experts" who spend their time telling others what's wrong with them never win with people. Most people simply avoid them.
Daniel 9:4b-10
Psalm 79:8, 9, 11 and 13
Luke 6:36-38 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.37 "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."
Meditation by Janine ter Kuile (Creighton)
I read a story from NPR (National Public Radio) this week, about a carnival in Brazil where 7,000 men in white turbans fill the streets, ‘a sea of white cloth on black skin, flowing and bobbing to the music of hand drums, cowbells and chants of praise’. Called the Filhos de Gandhy, peace is their philosophy, underlying everything they do, trying to bring it to the masses. They also forbid members to consume alcohol or drugs during marches. It is done to keep the peace… not a matter of keeping pure. (Did I mention that women come from all over to meet them, because they find that appealing?) Anthropologists speak to their ability to move between diverse cultures, taking international elements and transforming them into something local.
In Luke’s gospel, the points are clear: be compassionate, don’t judge, forgive, give to the poor. By whatever degree you do these things, it will be given back to you….maybe not here on this earth, but certainly when we meet God after this life. None of these things comes easy, we’re only human after all… Jesus asks us to love our enemy, but to love our enemy is not Natural. Why? Because it’s Supernatural! So the message is clear, don’t stop at the easier love, but go on to the harder and do it because God does it, even to the unthankful and evil.
I am leaving for a two week trip to Uganda, in an effort to get closer to the victims of war and abuse. I don’t expect it will help me understand violence or be mentally prepared to forgive those who have committed unconscionable atrocities. And because I understand that my beliefs are a function of past conditioning and experiences, I fear I will find it difficult to be open minded. But I know my reason for going there is to see the face of Christ; I am reminded of Fr.Gary Smith, SJ, author of “Radical Compassion”, who says, ‘the mystery of grace is mediated through concrete situations’; the more concrete, the more powerful.
“For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
Whether you are marching in the streets of Brazil touting peace, or travelling to third world countries to grapple with the incomprehension, the vision is, that what the whole world needs is love. We can do this in our everyday life when we start to think differently about someone we don’t like or when we hesitate to speak badly of another because we’ve been conditioned to do so from past experience. Transform something international and make it local…then maybe we can be more open to the kind of love that is God’s.
Supplementary Reading
Point out People's Strengths
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us." – Romans 12:6
People often make a mistake in their personal development when they focus too much on their weaknesses. As a result, they spend all their time trying to shore up those weaknesses instead of maximizing the strengths they possess. Similarly, it's a mistake to focus on the weaknesses of others. The self-proclaimed "experts" who spend their time telling others what's wrong with them never win with people. Most people simply avoid them.
Instead, we need to focus on finding people's strengths and pointing them out. Most people have strengths that they rarely get to use. Those strengths may be job skills, knowledge, general abilities, personality characteristics, or other attributes. I once read an interesting fact based on research, saying that every person can do at least one thing better than ten thousand other people. Think about that! You possess an ability that can't be matched by anyone in your town or neighborhood…or in your college or university…or in your company or maybe even in your industry.
Have you discovered that ability? If so, you are probably well on your way to pursuing your life's purpose. If you haven't, wouldn't you love it if someone came alongside you and pointed it out? How would you feel about that person? I bet you'd be pretty grateful.
Why not try to become that kind of person in someone else's life? When you do, you just might be helping others to discover the thing God created them to do.
* * *
Point out a great strength of someone in your life today.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "The Maxwell Daily Reader"
Daniel 9:4b-10
Psalm 79:8, 9, 11 and 13
Luke 6:36-38 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.37 "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."
Meditation by Janine ter Kuile (Creighton)
I read a story from NPR (National Public Radio) this week, about a carnival in Brazil where 7,000 men in white turbans fill the streets, ‘a sea of white cloth on black skin, flowing and bobbing to the music of hand drums, cowbells and chants of praise’. Called the Filhos de Gandhy, peace is their philosophy, underlying everything they do, trying to bring it to the masses. They also forbid members to consume alcohol or drugs during marches. It is done to keep the peace… not a matter of keeping pure. (Did I mention that women come from all over to meet them, because they find that appealing?) Anthropologists speak to their ability to move between diverse cultures, taking international elements and transforming them into something local.
In Luke’s gospel, the points are clear: be compassionate, don’t judge, forgive, give to the poor. By whatever degree you do these things, it will be given back to you….maybe not here on this earth, but certainly when we meet God after this life. None of these things comes easy, we’re only human after all… Jesus asks us to love our enemy, but to love our enemy is not Natural. Why? Because it’s Supernatural! So the message is clear, don’t stop at the easier love, but go on to the harder and do it because God does it, even to the unthankful and evil.
I am leaving for a two week trip to Uganda, in an effort to get closer to the victims of war and abuse. I don’t expect it will help me understand violence or be mentally prepared to forgive those who have committed unconscionable atrocities. And because I understand that my beliefs are a function of past conditioning and experiences, I fear I will find it difficult to be open minded. But I know my reason for going there is to see the face of Christ; I am reminded of Fr.Gary Smith, SJ, author of “Radical Compassion”, who says, ‘the mystery of grace is mediated through concrete situations’; the more concrete, the more powerful.
“For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
Whether you are marching in the streets of Brazil touting peace, or travelling to third world countries to grapple with the incomprehension, the vision is, that what the whole world needs is love. We can do this in our everyday life when we start to think differently about someone we don’t like or when we hesitate to speak badly of another because we’ve been conditioned to do so from past experience. Transform something international and make it local…then maybe we can be more open to the kind of love that is God’s.
Supplementary Reading
Point out People's Strengths
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us." – Romans 12:6
People often make a mistake in their personal development when they focus too much on their weaknesses. As a result, they spend all their time trying to shore up those weaknesses instead of maximizing the strengths they possess. Similarly, it's a mistake to focus on the weaknesses of others. The self-proclaimed "experts" who spend their time telling others what's wrong with them never win with people. Most people simply avoid them.
Instead, we need to focus on finding people's strengths and pointing them out. Most people have strengths that they rarely get to use. Those strengths may be job skills, knowledge, general abilities, personality characteristics, or other attributes. I once read an interesting fact based on research, saying that every person can do at least one thing better than ten thousand other people. Think about that! You possess an ability that can't be matched by anyone in your town or neighborhood…or in your college or university…or in your company or maybe even in your industry.
Have you discovered that ability? If so, you are probably well on your way to pursuing your life's purpose. If you haven't, wouldn't you love it if someone came alongside you and pointed it out? How would you feel about that person? I bet you'd be pretty grateful.
Why not try to become that kind of person in someone else's life? When you do, you just might be helping others to discover the thing God created them to do.
* * *
Point out a great strength of someone in your life today.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "The Maxwell Daily Reader"
March 08, 2009 - Sunday Meditation (Love is not Reasonable)
Love is not reasonable. When there are many verbal reasons, I suspect this is a transaction and not a transfiguration.
Genesis 22:1-2, 9, 10-13, 15-18
Psalm 116:10, 15, 16-19
Romans 8:31-34 Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Meditation by Larry Gillick, S.J. (Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality)
PREPRAYING
The grace we ask for has to do with our two senses of hearing and seeing. We pray to distinguish between the Word of God and projecting our selfish desires into God’s Word. Hearing differs from listening and we pray to allow the Word of God into the center of our lives where we can listen to it and to what that Word calls us.
We are invited also to pray for seeing better in Christ’s Light so to become familiar with the path that leads to true life. The light for which we pray is not the same as clarity of course. Our readings for this liturgy and the spirituality of Lent call us to a faith and a listening which lead to our trusting God.
REFLECTION
The First Reading and the Gospel for this liturgy present us with two experiences of liturgy, in a way. There is a going up, a preparation or calling together, a central act of faith, a “Word of God”, a surprising revelation of the “real presence of God, and a going onward.
We hear first of the terrifying story of Abraham’s being tested by God. He is called to take his only son, Isaac, to a distant place and sacrifice him by the knife and then burning him on an altar which Isaac would help build. Abraham takes his son who helps carry the fire and the wood and off they go in a journey of trust. Upon arrival at a divinely-pointed-out hill, the dirty deed is set in motion, no questions asked, except by Isaac who asks about the lamb to be slain.
At the point of the knife’s being about to enter Isaac who has been bound and placed on the altar, the voice of the Lord’s messenger calls for a timeout. Abraham has proven his faith so that he is not only the father of Isaac still, but the “Father of Faith” and the eternal model for the People of God. A ram is tangled up in a near-by bush and so God has provided the means for the sacrifice rather than Abraham. A promise is then made by the Messenger of God that, through Abraham, as he continues living in faith, his descendants who will increase through this same Isaac, will flourish and possess a land of blessing.
The Gospel presents us with the “Transfiguration”, or the “the Changing of the Garb”. Peter, James and John go up a hill with Jesus. They have a most intimate encounter with Jesus, God the Beyond, and of course, themselves. Jesus dazzles His followers with some state of glorification. Moses and Elijah are seen conversing with Jesus. Moses is the “man of the Law” and Elijah the “man of Prophesy”. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets and the “voice” again ordains Him as “My beloved Son.” The terrified trio is encouraged also to, “Listen to Him.”
Immediately, there they are, just the four again and nobody else, no other sounds. They leave with this experience and their questions about what all this was about. They are charged also not to speak about it until the “rising from the dead”, and they did not understand this either, but they kept on walking back down from this hill of intimacy.
Most of us orient our lives, in varying degrees, toward and from the Eucharistic liturgy. We try also to be women and men who pray, what ever that means. Abraham and Isaac have an extreme close calling with God. Peter, James and John experience an unusual convention and communion. All five go off into the regular, back-down-the-hill living of their lives. Their faith seems to be strengthened, but at the same time their understanding seems to experience befuddlement. They would naturally be asking themselves about the “realness” of what had just happened.
One of the great joys of human intimacy is that it goes beyond reason. I enjoy asking couples whom I have the privilege to be preparing for marriage, “Why do you love her/him?” The relationships I trust the most are those who fumble around for words which might express some good reasons. Love is not reasonable. When there are many verbal reasons, I suspect this is a transaction and not a transfiguration. Devotion, prayer, liturgy are such calls to simple and honest closeness, that to try to figure it out and explain it cheapens it and flattens it out into a practice rather than a delight.
As with Abraham, Isaac, Peter, James and John, we go toward a time of being met by the Holy, given something of ourselves by the encouragement and comfort of God’s presence and then sent away, but always the little question, “Was that really real?” “Was I talking to myself, comforting myself, judging myself?” Intimacy does not lead to comprehending, but to the sending, the living, the transfiguring, or changing, because we are so loved.
I love the Eucharist for so many reasons, but the very prime reason is that it defies adequate intellectual explanation and I love that freedom from the factual, the scientific, the demand of my arrogant mind. The Eucharist is more than a transfiguration; it is a total trans from a something to a Somebody. The Somebody’s changing of the other somebodies who gather around the Holy Place is also unexplainable, but real. The closer we allow Jesus to come toward and within us, the more we, individually and communally, are transfigured and re-presented to the world. The world cannot adequately explain our living as His New and Real Presence. We will never know if our prayer was real. Abraham is our Father of Faith and our brothers of faith walked down that hill with questions, doubts and wonderings about what in Heaven’s Name was all that about? Questions do not dampen faith, cheap answers do. Living the faith is the proof of intimacy, just as living out married love intensifies and proves the leap.
“I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living. I believed, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.” Responsorial Psalm, 116
Supplementary Readings
Simple Truths
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." – Proverbs 3:5
I'll never forget the story of the young boy who went to Sunday school and was taught that we're all made in the image of God. He also learned that God created the first man from the dust of the earth and that when we die the body once more turns to dust.
One evening as the little boy knelt by his bed to say his prayers, he suddenly stiffened with fear. His mother asked, "Tommy, what's wrong?" Looking under the bed he sneezed from the dust accumulated there and said, "There are hundreds of them under the bed. I just can't tell if they're coming or going."
Dust to dust. It's tempting to make God's word more complex than he ever intended. His truths are simple. They are redeeming. They give us God's timeless design for divine dignity.
* * *
Don't let the Word of God intimidate you. Choose and read a short passage of Scripture today. And as you read, simply note one truth you discover there.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
Genesis 22:1-2, 9, 10-13, 15-18
Psalm 116:10, 15, 16-19
Romans 8:31-34 Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Meditation by Larry Gillick, S.J. (Deglman Center for Ignatian Spirituality)
PREPRAYING
The grace we ask for has to do with our two senses of hearing and seeing. We pray to distinguish between the Word of God and projecting our selfish desires into God’s Word. Hearing differs from listening and we pray to allow the Word of God into the center of our lives where we can listen to it and to what that Word calls us.
We are invited also to pray for seeing better in Christ’s Light so to become familiar with the path that leads to true life. The light for which we pray is not the same as clarity of course. Our readings for this liturgy and the spirituality of Lent call us to a faith and a listening which lead to our trusting God.
REFLECTION
The First Reading and the Gospel for this liturgy present us with two experiences of liturgy, in a way. There is a going up, a preparation or calling together, a central act of faith, a “Word of God”, a surprising revelation of the “real presence of God, and a going onward.
We hear first of the terrifying story of Abraham’s being tested by God. He is called to take his only son, Isaac, to a distant place and sacrifice him by the knife and then burning him on an altar which Isaac would help build. Abraham takes his son who helps carry the fire and the wood and off they go in a journey of trust. Upon arrival at a divinely-pointed-out hill, the dirty deed is set in motion, no questions asked, except by Isaac who asks about the lamb to be slain.
At the point of the knife’s being about to enter Isaac who has been bound and placed on the altar, the voice of the Lord’s messenger calls for a timeout. Abraham has proven his faith so that he is not only the father of Isaac still, but the “Father of Faith” and the eternal model for the People of God. A ram is tangled up in a near-by bush and so God has provided the means for the sacrifice rather than Abraham. A promise is then made by the Messenger of God that, through Abraham, as he continues living in faith, his descendants who will increase through this same Isaac, will flourish and possess a land of blessing.
The Gospel presents us with the “Transfiguration”, or the “the Changing of the Garb”. Peter, James and John go up a hill with Jesus. They have a most intimate encounter with Jesus, God the Beyond, and of course, themselves. Jesus dazzles His followers with some state of glorification. Moses and Elijah are seen conversing with Jesus. Moses is the “man of the Law” and Elijah the “man of Prophesy”. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets and the “voice” again ordains Him as “My beloved Son.” The terrified trio is encouraged also to, “Listen to Him.”
Immediately, there they are, just the four again and nobody else, no other sounds. They leave with this experience and their questions about what all this was about. They are charged also not to speak about it until the “rising from the dead”, and they did not understand this either, but they kept on walking back down from this hill of intimacy.
Most of us orient our lives, in varying degrees, toward and from the Eucharistic liturgy. We try also to be women and men who pray, what ever that means. Abraham and Isaac have an extreme close calling with God. Peter, James and John experience an unusual convention and communion. All five go off into the regular, back-down-the-hill living of their lives. Their faith seems to be strengthened, but at the same time their understanding seems to experience befuddlement. They would naturally be asking themselves about the “realness” of what had just happened.
One of the great joys of human intimacy is that it goes beyond reason. I enjoy asking couples whom I have the privilege to be preparing for marriage, “Why do you love her/him?” The relationships I trust the most are those who fumble around for words which might express some good reasons. Love is not reasonable. When there are many verbal reasons, I suspect this is a transaction and not a transfiguration. Devotion, prayer, liturgy are such calls to simple and honest closeness, that to try to figure it out and explain it cheapens it and flattens it out into a practice rather than a delight.
As with Abraham, Isaac, Peter, James and John, we go toward a time of being met by the Holy, given something of ourselves by the encouragement and comfort of God’s presence and then sent away, but always the little question, “Was that really real?” “Was I talking to myself, comforting myself, judging myself?” Intimacy does not lead to comprehending, but to the sending, the living, the transfiguring, or changing, because we are so loved.
I love the Eucharist for so many reasons, but the very prime reason is that it defies adequate intellectual explanation and I love that freedom from the factual, the scientific, the demand of my arrogant mind. The Eucharist is more than a transfiguration; it is a total trans from a something to a Somebody. The Somebody’s changing of the other somebodies who gather around the Holy Place is also unexplainable, but real. The closer we allow Jesus to come toward and within us, the more we, individually and communally, are transfigured and re-presented to the world. The world cannot adequately explain our living as His New and Real Presence. We will never know if our prayer was real. Abraham is our Father of Faith and our brothers of faith walked down that hill with questions, doubts and wonderings about what in Heaven’s Name was all that about? Questions do not dampen faith, cheap answers do. Living the faith is the proof of intimacy, just as living out married love intensifies and proves the leap.
“I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living. I believed, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.” Responsorial Psalm, 116
Supplementary Readings
Simple Truths
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." – Proverbs 3:5
I'll never forget the story of the young boy who went to Sunday school and was taught that we're all made in the image of God. He also learned that God created the first man from the dust of the earth and that when we die the body once more turns to dust.
One evening as the little boy knelt by his bed to say his prayers, he suddenly stiffened with fear. His mother asked, "Tommy, what's wrong?" Looking under the bed he sneezed from the dust accumulated there and said, "There are hundreds of them under the bed. I just can't tell if they're coming or going."
Dust to dust. It's tempting to make God's word more complex than he ever intended. His truths are simple. They are redeeming. They give us God's timeless design for divine dignity.
* * *
Don't let the Word of God intimidate you. Choose and read a short passage of Scripture today. And as you read, simply note one truth you discover there.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
March 07, 2009 - Saturday Meditation (Liberating Love)
Letting go of someone you love is never easy. But unless you let go, they will never grow into mature adults. Real love liberates. That's what faith teaches and what Christ demonstrated.
Deuteronomy 26:16-19
Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
Matthew 5:43-48 "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 sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Meditation by Tamora Whitney (Creighton)
Today’s readings are all about commitments and responsibilities. In the first reading and the psalm, the people are told that if they follow God’s commandments, they will be blessed by God. But then in the Gospel reading, we get a new definition of what it means to follow God’s commandments.
It’s easy to love our friends and family. We naturally surround ourselves with people we like and whose company we enjoy. It’s easy to be nice to people who are nice to us. It just makes sense, and it’s human nature. But aren’t we all God’s children? We all share the planet. The sun shines and the rain falls on everyone: the ones we think are good and the ones we might think are bad. What makes someone good or bad? Aren’t we all made in God’s image? And if God loves everyone, and if we want to be more like God, we have to love everyone too.
It’s harder to love people who disagree with us. It’s not easy to be nice to people who are not nice to us. But there’s no reward for the status quo – being nice to people who we already like and who are already nice to us. If we get beyond our comfort zone and make friends with people we don’t think we’ll get along with, we make new friends. And if we make up with people we disagree with, we lose enemies. Those are immediate benefits. Plus, by loving our neighbors and reaching out to our enemies, we gain God’s blessings. Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but it has its benefits.
Supplementary Reading
Love that Liberates
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." – John 3:16
I grew up on a farm in Iowa. Every spring my father would get thousands of baby chicks. He raised them to become laying hens. Then he sold their eggs. Those baby chicks were the softest, cutest little creatures imaginable. But as a young boy my father would frequently have to remind me, "Bob, don't hold them so tight. You'll suffocate them." To which I'd reply, "But I love them so much!"
"If you love them," he would say, "let them go."
I had to be reminded of that when my first child turned eighteen, when my second child graduated from high school…as well as my third, fourth, and fifth.
Letting go of someone you love is never easy. But unless you let go, they will never grow into mature adults. Real love liberates. That's what faith teaches and what Christ demonstrated.
* * *
Is there someone in your life you are having a difficult time letting go of? Take one specific step to loosen your emotional grip and let the one you love go.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
Deuteronomy 26:16-19
Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
Matthew 5:43-48 "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 sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Meditation by Tamora Whitney (Creighton)
Today’s readings are all about commitments and responsibilities. In the first reading and the psalm, the people are told that if they follow God’s commandments, they will be blessed by God. But then in the Gospel reading, we get a new definition of what it means to follow God’s commandments.
It’s easy to love our friends and family. We naturally surround ourselves with people we like and whose company we enjoy. It’s easy to be nice to people who are nice to us. It just makes sense, and it’s human nature. But aren’t we all God’s children? We all share the planet. The sun shines and the rain falls on everyone: the ones we think are good and the ones we might think are bad. What makes someone good or bad? Aren’t we all made in God’s image? And if God loves everyone, and if we want to be more like God, we have to love everyone too.
It’s harder to love people who disagree with us. It’s not easy to be nice to people who are not nice to us. But there’s no reward for the status quo – being nice to people who we already like and who are already nice to us. If we get beyond our comfort zone and make friends with people we don’t think we’ll get along with, we make new friends. And if we make up with people we disagree with, we lose enemies. Those are immediate benefits. Plus, by loving our neighbors and reaching out to our enemies, we gain God’s blessings. Doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but it has its benefits.
Supplementary Reading
Love that Liberates
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." – John 3:16
I grew up on a farm in Iowa. Every spring my father would get thousands of baby chicks. He raised them to become laying hens. Then he sold their eggs. Those baby chicks were the softest, cutest little creatures imaginable. But as a young boy my father would frequently have to remind me, "Bob, don't hold them so tight. You'll suffocate them." To which I'd reply, "But I love them so much!"
"If you love them," he would say, "let them go."
I had to be reminded of that when my first child turned eighteen, when my second child graduated from high school…as well as my third, fourth, and fifth.
Letting go of someone you love is never easy. But unless you let go, they will never grow into mature adults. Real love liberates. That's what faith teaches and what Christ demonstrated.
* * *
Is there someone in your life you are having a difficult time letting go of? Take one specific step to loosen your emotional grip and let the one you love go.
* * *
Note: This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
March 06, 2009 - Friday Meditation (Learn to Forgive!)
Forgiveness happens in layers, especially when it is a huge or deep hurt. We can forgive him, or her, or them and years later a triggering event happens and the old wound resurfaces.
Ezekiel 18:21-28
Psalm 130:1-8
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. 21 "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; 26 truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you
have paid the last penny.
Meditation by Joan Lanahan (Creighton)
FORGIVENESS IS A GIFT FROM GOD
It is easy to get angry, to let hurtful words fly or commit hurtful actions. Then we are caught in a web. The psalmist speaks of God: "You do forgive us and for that we revere you ...for it is with Yahweh that mercy is to be found"
God, who loves us unconditionally, can easily forgive us. We, though made in God's image, have a hard time forgiving one another. It is really God's grace in us that enables us to forgive. We have heard of huge forgivings.
Remember South Africa's Forgiveness and Reconcilation work after the end of apartheid? Immaculee Ilibegiza of Rwanda tells a powerful story of horror and forgivenes in "Left to Tell". Tutsi-s had murdered her parents and brother and thousands of others in 1994. For 91 days she and 7 other Rwandan women hid in a sheltered bathroom of a Hutu Pastor. She could hear the murderers of her family searching the Pastor's house looking for her and others. She felt deep anger and hatred in her heart. She prayed for hours. In the darkness, she dug deeply into God within her and found the compassion to forgive them. It is fitting that she now travels the world telling her story of anger turned to forgiveness through God's love.
Us, and myself, with whom are we, am I angry? Do we want to forgive? Or, do we have a need to hold a grudge? Do we "want to be right or be happy"? To be happy, I am learning, one has to let go of old angers and forgive. Forgiveness happens in layers, especially when it is a huge or deep hurt. We can forgive him, or her, or them and years later a triggering event happens and the old wound resurfaces. Again, we pray to forgive, and it happens---until the next similar hurt.
Our hurts remind us that we are fragile human beings. We need God's love in our hearts that creates an openness to see and say "I am/was wrong". We need God's love to open us to forgiving and being forgiven. Is it time to forgive or to ask for forgiveness? This is Lent. It is a good time.
Supplementary Reading
God's Love Can Never Be Lost
"God is love." - 1 John 4:8
Have you ever lost something you treasured? Remember the sick feeling you had thinking you would never see it again?
What treasure would guarantee you heartbreak if you lost it? What would you be willing to do to replace it? Maybe it's the diamond in your engagement ring, or a photo of your parents.
Whatever it is-it is nothing compared to the love of Christ. Can you imagine losing his love? Actually, maybe you think you can or have lost his love because of something you did or failed to do. Maybe you fear you lost his love because you didn't spend enough time praying or worshiping God. Or maybe you think you lost his love because you haven't gone to church lately.
The truth is: You can never earn God's love-nor can you ever lose it. What a blessed assurance!
* * *
Be alert to God's love today. Make a list of the many concrete, tangible ways in which you experience God's love in your life.
* * *
Devotions taken from the
"Power for Life Daily Devotional"
Ezekiel 18:21-28
Psalm 130:1-8
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. 21 "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; 26 truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you
have paid the last penny.
Meditation by Joan Lanahan (Creighton)
FORGIVENESS IS A GIFT FROM GOD
It is easy to get angry, to let hurtful words fly or commit hurtful actions. Then we are caught in a web. The psalmist speaks of God: "You do forgive us and for that we revere you ...for it is with Yahweh that mercy is to be found"
God, who loves us unconditionally, can easily forgive us. We, though made in God's image, have a hard time forgiving one another. It is really God's grace in us that enables us to forgive. We have heard of huge forgivings.
Remember South Africa's Forgiveness and Reconcilation work after the end of apartheid? Immaculee Ilibegiza of Rwanda tells a powerful story of horror and forgivenes in "Left to Tell". Tutsi-s had murdered her parents and brother and thousands of others in 1994. For 91 days she and 7 other Rwandan women hid in a sheltered bathroom of a Hutu Pastor. She could hear the murderers of her family searching the Pastor's house looking for her and others. She felt deep anger and hatred in her heart. She prayed for hours. In the darkness, she dug deeply into God within her and found the compassion to forgive them. It is fitting that she now travels the world telling her story of anger turned to forgiveness through God's love.
Us, and myself, with whom are we, am I angry? Do we want to forgive? Or, do we have a need to hold a grudge? Do we "want to be right or be happy"? To be happy, I am learning, one has to let go of old angers and forgive. Forgiveness happens in layers, especially when it is a huge or deep hurt. We can forgive him, or her, or them and years later a triggering event happens and the old wound resurfaces. Again, we pray to forgive, and it happens---until the next similar hurt.
Our hurts remind us that we are fragile human beings. We need God's love in our hearts that creates an openness to see and say "I am/was wrong". We need God's love to open us to forgiving and being forgiven. Is it time to forgive or to ask for forgiveness? This is Lent. It is a good time.
Supplementary Reading
God's Love Can Never Be Lost
"God is love." - 1 John 4:8
Have you ever lost something you treasured? Remember the sick feeling you had thinking you would never see it again?
What treasure would guarantee you heartbreak if you lost it? What would you be willing to do to replace it? Maybe it's the diamond in your engagement ring, or a photo of your parents.
Whatever it is-it is nothing compared to the love of Christ. Can you imagine losing his love? Actually, maybe you think you can or have lost his love because of something you did or failed to do. Maybe you fear you lost his love because you didn't spend enough time praying or worshiping God. Or maybe you think you lost his love because you haven't gone to church lately.
The truth is: You can never earn God's love-nor can you ever lose it. What a blessed assurance!
* * *
Be alert to God's love today. Make a list of the many concrete, tangible ways in which you experience God's love in your life.
* * *
Devotions taken from the
"Power for Life Daily Devotional"
March 05, 2009 - Thursday Meditation (Ask, Seek, Knock)
He tells us those who seek will find, the door will be opened, and the Lord will meet our needs. When we truly believe and accept this in times of dire need and in the good times too, we are opening ourselves up to the possibility of the peace God promises us.
Est C:12, 14-16, 23-25
Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
Matthew 7:7-12 "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for
this is the law and the prophets.
Meditation by Katy Bolz (Creighton)
In recent years, it seems everyone is saying, "Faith is a journey" insinuating it can get tough along the way. But no matter how many times we hear this, we don't truly understand its meaning until we reach that point. The point where the bottom falls out and we are left to our own devices since we reached this point by choosing to be alone.
For some time, we decided to take matters in our own hands and not fully trust in Him. Usually, it is at this moment in someone's life that we become like Esther, asking for God's guidance and saving grace just as Jesus asks us to in the gospel.
I find it very fitting this reading is available to us as Creighton students are experiencing "midterms". The time in which students are loaded with tests, preparing for spring break, drama, and on top of that class-work too. It is usually in this time that we channel our inner Esther and beg for God's help to rescue us. In these times of need, this is a great solution. But what would happen if we ask help before we get to that point?
This semester, when talking with a professor, I gained insight that has kept me thinking a few weeks later: "slow down before you have to stop". Truthfully we were talking about my horrific driving skills but as he took it one step further to apply it to every aspect of life, I began thinking about it. Why do I rush through campus from one place to the other? Why do we all have to rush through conversations with co-workers, friends, and children so we can get our work done sooner only to sit at the end of the day with nothing to do or go to bed feeling unfulfilled? I think the answer is we don't have to; sincerely, we don't have to. At some point we, as a society and especially as a community of faith, we have to encourage each other to call on God in times other than those of need and furthermore, be there for one another in the good too. In doing so, it seems the bad isn't as bad any more because we have developed our trust in the Lord to provide for
our every need and brought people into our lives who bring us closer to God to help us along the way. In this, we are able to see we are not alone; we don't have to cry for help, but rather seek it as Jesus instructs us to do. He tells us those who seek will find, the door will be opened, and the Lord will meet our needs. When we truly believe and accept this in times of dire need and in the good times too, we are opening ourselves up to the possibility of the peace God promises us.
It is a great challenge to us all, especially me, but it is this hope that gets me through the day. How lucky are we to have this assurance and acceptance from the Lord always!
Supplementary Reading
Beauty of the Ordinary
"A poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Jesus said, 'Truly this
woman has put more into the treasury than all the others.'" - Mark 12:42-43
William Wolcott, a great English artist, went to New York City in 1924 to record his impressions of the city's architecture. One morning he found himself in the architectural office of a colleague for whom he'd worked years before. Suddenly he had an urge to sketch and said to his colleague, "Please, I need some paper." Seeing some paper on the desk, Wolcott asked if he could have it. His colleague replied, "That's not sketching paper, Mr.
Wolcott-that's just ordinary wrapping paper." Not wanting to lose the inspiration of the moment, Wolcott picked up the paper and said, "Nothing is ordinary if you know how to use it." He took the paper and on it drew two sketches. One sold for $1,000, the other for $500.
We can take the "castaways" of life and from them create something new and beautiful.
* * *
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Take a look around you today and find beauty in the ordinary things of life.
* * *
Est C:12, 14-16, 23-25
Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
Matthew 7:7-12 "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for
this is the law and the prophets.
Meditation by Katy Bolz (Creighton)
In recent years, it seems everyone is saying, "Faith is a journey" insinuating it can get tough along the way. But no matter how many times we hear this, we don't truly understand its meaning until we reach that point. The point where the bottom falls out and we are left to our own devices since we reached this point by choosing to be alone.
For some time, we decided to take matters in our own hands and not fully trust in Him. Usually, it is at this moment in someone's life that we become like Esther, asking for God's guidance and saving grace just as Jesus asks us to in the gospel.
I find it very fitting this reading is available to us as Creighton students are experiencing "midterms". The time in which students are loaded with tests, preparing for spring break, drama, and on top of that class-work too. It is usually in this time that we channel our inner Esther and beg for God's help to rescue us. In these times of need, this is a great solution. But what would happen if we ask help before we get to that point?
This semester, when talking with a professor, I gained insight that has kept me thinking a few weeks later: "slow down before you have to stop". Truthfully we were talking about my horrific driving skills but as he took it one step further to apply it to every aspect of life, I began thinking about it. Why do I rush through campus from one place to the other? Why do we all have to rush through conversations with co-workers, friends, and children so we can get our work done sooner only to sit at the end of the day with nothing to do or go to bed feeling unfulfilled? I think the answer is we don't have to; sincerely, we don't have to. At some point we, as a society and especially as a community of faith, we have to encourage each other to call on God in times other than those of need and furthermore, be there for one another in the good too. In doing so, it seems the bad isn't as bad any more because we have developed our trust in the Lord to provide for
our every need and brought people into our lives who bring us closer to God to help us along the way. In this, we are able to see we are not alone; we don't have to cry for help, but rather seek it as Jesus instructs us to do. He tells us those who seek will find, the door will be opened, and the Lord will meet our needs. When we truly believe and accept this in times of dire need and in the good times too, we are opening ourselves up to the possibility of the peace God promises us.
It is a great challenge to us all, especially me, but it is this hope that gets me through the day. How lucky are we to have this assurance and acceptance from the Lord always!
Supplementary Reading
Beauty of the Ordinary
"A poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Jesus said, 'Truly this
woman has put more into the treasury than all the others.'" - Mark 12:42-43
William Wolcott, a great English artist, went to New York City in 1924 to record his impressions of the city's architecture. One morning he found himself in the architectural office of a colleague for whom he'd worked years before. Suddenly he had an urge to sketch and said to his colleague, "Please, I need some paper." Seeing some paper on the desk, Wolcott asked if he could have it. His colleague replied, "That's not sketching paper, Mr.
Wolcott-that's just ordinary wrapping paper." Not wanting to lose the inspiration of the moment, Wolcott picked up the paper and said, "Nothing is ordinary if you know how to use it." He took the paper and on it drew two sketches. One sold for $1,000, the other for $500.
We can take the "castaways" of life and from them create something new and beautiful.
* * *
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Take a look around you today and find beauty in the ordinary things of life.
* * *
March 04, 2009 - Wednesday Meditation (Check Your Reactions)
When faced with persecution, we have the freedom to choose how we will react.
Jonah 3:1-10
Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19
Luke 11:29-32 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin'eveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nin'eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Meditation:
Do you pay careful attention to warning signs? Many fatalities could be avoided if people paid attention to such signs. When the religious leaders demanded a sign from Jesus, he gave them a serious warning to avert spiritual disaster. It was characteristic of the Jews that they demanded "signs" from God's messengers to authenticate their claims. When the religious leaders pressed Jesus to give proof for his claims he says in so many words that he is God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person. The Ninevites recognized God's warning when Jonah spoke to them, and they repented. And the Queen of Sheba recognized God's wisdom in Solomon.
Jonah was God's sign and his message was the message of a merciful God for the people of Nineveh. Unfortunately the religious leaders were not content to accept the signs right before their eyes. They had rejected the message of John the Baptist and now they reject Jesus as God's Anointed One (Messiah) and they fail to heed his message. Simeon had prophesied at Jesus' birth that he was "destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that inner thoughts of many will be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35). Jesus confirmed his message with many miracles in preparation for the greatest sign of all – his resurrection on the third day.
The Lord Jesus came to set us free from slavery to sin and hurtful desires. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit he pours his love into our hearts that we may understand his will for our lives and walk in his way of holiness. God searches our hearts, not to condemn us, but to show us where we need his saving grace and help. He calls us to seek him with true repentance, humility, and the honesty to see our sins for what they really are – a rejection of his love and will for our lives. God will transform us if we listen to his word and allow his Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Ask the Lord to renew your mind and to increase your thirst for his wisdom. James says that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity (James 3:17). A double-minded person cannot receive this kind of wisdom. The single of mind desire one thing alone – God's pleasure. God wants
us to delight in him and to know the freedom of his truth and love. Do you thirst for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14)?
"Lord Jesus, change my heart and fill me with your wisdom that I my love your ways. Give me grace and courage to resist temptation and stubborn wilfulness that I may truly desire to do what is pleasing to you."
Supplementary Reading
Frustration to Freedom
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." – Matthew 5:10
Victor Frankl, author of Man's Search for Meaning, conceived of his pioneering logotherapy while in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. When they took away his clothes and finally his wedding band, this thought came to him: "You can take away my belongings, you can take away my freedom, but you can never take away my freedom to react to what you do to me!"
When faced with persecution, we have the freedom to choose how we will react. We can react with depression, even thoughts of suicide, or we can react by asking, "What can we learn from this? How can we turn this into something beautiful for God?"
Blessed are those who see meaning in life and purpose in all things, for they are comforted knowing that God's hand is at work—even in the most distressing circumstances.
* * *
Are you currently facing some distressing circumstances in life? When you can't see God's hand, trust his heart. You'll find comfort in that.
* * *
Devotions taken from the
"Power for Life Daily Devotional."
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com http://www.mabuhayradio.com/Sections/SunSermon.html
Jonah 3:1-10
Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19
Luke 11:29-32 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nin'eveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nin'eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Meditation:
Do you pay careful attention to warning signs? Many fatalities could be avoided if people paid attention to such signs. When the religious leaders demanded a sign from Jesus, he gave them a serious warning to avert spiritual disaster. It was characteristic of the Jews that they demanded "signs" from God's messengers to authenticate their claims. When the religious leaders pressed Jesus to give proof for his claims he says in so many words that he is God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person. The Ninevites recognized God's warning when Jonah spoke to them, and they repented. And the Queen of Sheba recognized God's wisdom in Solomon.
Jonah was God's sign and his message was the message of a merciful God for the people of Nineveh. Unfortunately the religious leaders were not content to accept the signs right before their eyes. They had rejected the message of John the Baptist and now they reject Jesus as God's Anointed One (Messiah) and they fail to heed his message. Simeon had prophesied at Jesus' birth that he was "destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that inner thoughts of many will be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35). Jesus confirmed his message with many miracles in preparation for the greatest sign of all – his resurrection on the third day.
The Lord Jesus came to set us free from slavery to sin and hurtful desires. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit he pours his love into our hearts that we may understand his will for our lives and walk in his way of holiness. God searches our hearts, not to condemn us, but to show us where we need his saving grace and help. He calls us to seek him with true repentance, humility, and the honesty to see our sins for what they really are – a rejection of his love and will for our lives. God will transform us if we listen to his word and allow his Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Ask the Lord to renew your mind and to increase your thirst for his wisdom. James says that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity (James 3:17). A double-minded person cannot receive this kind of wisdom. The single of mind desire one thing alone – God's pleasure. God wants
us to delight in him and to know the freedom of his truth and love. Do you thirst for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14)?
"Lord Jesus, change my heart and fill me with your wisdom that I my love your ways. Give me grace and courage to resist temptation and stubborn wilfulness that I may truly desire to do what is pleasing to you."
Supplementary Reading
Frustration to Freedom
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." – Matthew 5:10
Victor Frankl, author of Man's Search for Meaning, conceived of his pioneering logotherapy while in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. When they took away his clothes and finally his wedding band, this thought came to him: "You can take away my belongings, you can take away my freedom, but you can never take away my freedom to react to what you do to me!"
When faced with persecution, we have the freedom to choose how we will react. We can react with depression, even thoughts of suicide, or we can react by asking, "What can we learn from this? How can we turn this into something beautiful for God?"
Blessed are those who see meaning in life and purpose in all things, for they are comforted knowing that God's hand is at work—even in the most distressing circumstances.
* * *
Are you currently facing some distressing circumstances in life? When you can't see God's hand, trust his heart. You'll find comfort in that.
* * *
Devotions taken from the
"Power for Life Daily Devotional."
GOD BLESS US ALL!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.
http://his-ways-better-than-our-ways.blogspot.com http://www.mabuhayradio.com/Sections/SunSermon.html
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