Matthew 15:21-22 - And Jesus withdrew from there to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Behold, a Canaanite woman came crying out, "Have mercy on me, Lord, son of David. My daughter is badly possessed by a demon."
The Canaanite woman is bold. I'm not sure but she may be the only woman to come to Jesus rather than him initiating contact. This would have been bold even if she had been Jewish. Her cry along with her actions signals the depths of her despair. She knows who Jesus is and knows he can help her. She boldly does what she must for the benefit of her daughter.
How am I advocating/pleading for others or myself?
B
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Unclean hearts
Matthew 15:18-20 - But it is what proceeds from the mouth, from the heart that defiles a person. For out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander; these are what defile a person. But what goes into the mouth can never defile a person.
So, this seems obvious to me. Rather than talk to much about the mechanism, I want to take it further. Jesus says it is in our hearts that we are defiled. I would argue that for a great many of us, it is in our subconscious hearts. Most of us, and maybe I am giving a lot of credit, understand that racism is bad and yet we still sometimes say racist things or think racist thoughts. Even though our conscious minds are not racist. I think it is our unexamined thought that bring troubles. We like to think, like the Pharisees, that we have all the answers, that we have it all figured out. We even watch news tailored to how we have discerned our world. Yet, all of us have unexamined thoughts and feelings that give rise to defilement. I think the Jewish people understood this. We have all fallen short, we none of us can do the 10 commandments on our own. We need help.
This is what Jesus was saying about being blind - we are blind to our own faults. We need to listen to others and examine our lives in order to discover these hidden faults. Sometimes we are the hiders, we hid them and only we know where they are. It is part of maturing both in our faith and in our world. Without this examination, we remain functional children. This examination starts with being honest about the fact that we have bad impulses sometimes. It starts with that recognition that we are fallible and that is okay! That is what amends are for - when our fallibility rears its head.
Today I choose to keep an open mind about the direction I am being called toward and my faults, my fallibles, that keep me from going there joyfully and eagerly.
B
So, this seems obvious to me. Rather than talk to much about the mechanism, I want to take it further. Jesus says it is in our hearts that we are defiled. I would argue that for a great many of us, it is in our subconscious hearts. Most of us, and maybe I am giving a lot of credit, understand that racism is bad and yet we still sometimes say racist things or think racist thoughts. Even though our conscious minds are not racist. I think it is our unexamined thought that bring troubles. We like to think, like the Pharisees, that we have all the answers, that we have it all figured out. We even watch news tailored to how we have discerned our world. Yet, all of us have unexamined thoughts and feelings that give rise to defilement. I think the Jewish people understood this. We have all fallen short, we none of us can do the 10 commandments on our own. We need help.
This is what Jesus was saying about being blind - we are blind to our own faults. We need to listen to others and examine our lives in order to discover these hidden faults. Sometimes we are the hiders, we hid them and only we know where they are. It is part of maturing both in our faith and in our world. Without this examination, we remain functional children. This examination starts with being honest about the fact that we have bad impulses sometimes. It starts with that recognition that we are fallible and that is okay! That is what amends are for - when our fallibility rears its head.
Today I choose to keep an open mind about the direction I am being called toward and my faults, my fallibles, that keep me from going there joyfully and eagerly.
B
Friday, May 27, 2016
Clean
Matthew 15:17 - "Do you not understand that every thing that goes into the mouth and into the stomach passes and is cast out into the sewer?"
Here Jesus is redefining cleanliness. The Jewish idea was ritual purity, meant to remind them that food was God's gift and they were to be pure while eating. Jesus flips this idea and states that food is not unclean. What is put into the mouth is not unclean. Tomorrow he will state that it is our attitudes - shot through with original sin - that are unclean. We may get sick from not washing our hands before we eat, but not washing our hands does not make us unclean.
B
Here Jesus is redefining cleanliness. The Jewish idea was ritual purity, meant to remind them that food was God's gift and they were to be pure while eating. Jesus flips this idea and states that food is not unclean. What is put into the mouth is not unclean. Tomorrow he will state that it is our attitudes - shot through with original sin - that are unclean. We may get sick from not washing our hands before we eat, but not washing our hands does not make us unclean.
B
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Understanding
Matthew 15:15-16 - But Peter answered and said to him, "Explain this parable to us." And he answered him, "Are you also still without understanding?"
It is the also thrown in there that is important to me. Jesus, in adding that word, that also, places Peter on the same level with the Pharisees. Here is a man who several chapters/verses ago walked on water by Jesus' command and yet, he too, cannot understand what Jesus has been saying.
I am not ragging on Peter, only pointing out how difficult it is for us to understand that which will radically change our lives. I went to a film about climate change recently and was struck by how putting the deniers - not the businesses but the individual people they pay - in context made them somewhat sympathetic. They are afraid of the word socialist because they are cold-war warriors who are still concerned with the bogeyman of communism. They have been told that socialism and communism are the same. Spoiler alert; they're not. They are still objectively wrong about climate change. They know this - however, they cannot countenance communism or anything close to it. Therefore anything that involves regulation is right out.
The problem is that, like the Pharisees in Jesus' time, they are abetting the duping of ordinary Americans and the (now) Republican desire to get rid of regulation on things they don't want regulated - they're fine regulating being gay or transgender and abortion. They lie to people who have very few means of researching the truth. And because they have cast into doubt the media - any news that actually gets reported is not believed. They have taken an issue that is 100% true and by casting doubt have created teams. It is the same with the Pharisees. Both groups are all about winning. They don't care about anything else, even human lives or hardship. They just want to win. It is just as dangerous an attitude now as it was then.
So today my prayer is for better understanding - not just of Jesus' parables but also of those who would use lies and distortions to get what they want. They are just as much loved by God as I am. I pray for ways to find the common ground.
B
It is the also thrown in there that is important to me. Jesus, in adding that word, that also, places Peter on the same level with the Pharisees. Here is a man who several chapters/verses ago walked on water by Jesus' command and yet, he too, cannot understand what Jesus has been saying.
I am not ragging on Peter, only pointing out how difficult it is for us to understand that which will radically change our lives. I went to a film about climate change recently and was struck by how putting the deniers - not the businesses but the individual people they pay - in context made them somewhat sympathetic. They are afraid of the word socialist because they are cold-war warriors who are still concerned with the bogeyman of communism. They have been told that socialism and communism are the same. Spoiler alert; they're not. They are still objectively wrong about climate change. They know this - however, they cannot countenance communism or anything close to it. Therefore anything that involves regulation is right out.
The problem is that, like the Pharisees in Jesus' time, they are abetting the duping of ordinary Americans and the (now) Republican desire to get rid of regulation on things they don't want regulated - they're fine regulating being gay or transgender and abortion. They lie to people who have very few means of researching the truth. And because they have cast into doubt the media - any news that actually gets reported is not believed. They have taken an issue that is 100% true and by casting doubt have created teams. It is the same with the Pharisees. Both groups are all about winning. They don't care about anything else, even human lives or hardship. They just want to win. It is just as dangerous an attitude now as it was then.
So today my prayer is for better understanding - not just of Jesus' parables but also of those who would use lies and distortions to get what they want. They are just as much loved by God as I am. I pray for ways to find the common ground.
B
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Blind leaders
Matthew 15:14 - "Let them go; they are blind leaders of the blind, and when a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit."
Let them go - think no more of them or their feelings on this matter. It seems the disciples are still set on making the Pharisees and scribes authorities. Jesus advises them against it. I feel the disciples here. All their lives they have looked up to the Pharisees as authorities. Giving that up isn't easy. It must be somewhat like finding out my parents did not know everything ... It shook my world as this must have shaken the disciples's world. Jesus is telling them that everything they thought they knew must be examined again. Who wants to do that much work? And it is work, necessary work for each of us to separate ourselves from parental authority in order to gain our own. IN the same way, we need to separate from religious authority (and rules) in order to struggle with what we believe. It is work and in the end it is worth it because that is the only way our faith can be authentic and grow.
Jesus says that much more succinctly of course - "they are blind." They have not done their work and are hanging on to the artificial tradition they inherited rather than struggling with God's word. Jesus then tells us the end of that endeavor - falling into a pit or a ditch. If they're lucky it will be a wake up call.
So letting them go, let us look at our own lives and ask, 'Where am I blind?" Now, we cannot answer this question on our own, of course. If we knew where we were blind, we wouldn't be blind. So, how do we find the answer? We could ask our friends and family. However, they may not tell us or they may tell us too much! We could seek therapy but that might get expensive and may not be the answer for everyone. We could also seek spiritual direction. That would be a good start as well. In fact any of these approaches might work as long as we don't forget to ask God. In my experience, asking God about these things gets results. Usually results I don't like. I asked for patience once, thinking I needed peace in my life. What I got was opportunities to practice patience. So be warned! When we ask God where we are blind, the lessons are not automatically pain free. If they were we wouldn't hesitate to do the work. But without lessons, pain-free or not, we cannot grow our faith. Their must be struggle, even a short one as we adjust our eyesight.
B
Let them go - think no more of them or their feelings on this matter. It seems the disciples are still set on making the Pharisees and scribes authorities. Jesus advises them against it. I feel the disciples here. All their lives they have looked up to the Pharisees as authorities. Giving that up isn't easy. It must be somewhat like finding out my parents did not know everything ... It shook my world as this must have shaken the disciples's world. Jesus is telling them that everything they thought they knew must be examined again. Who wants to do that much work? And it is work, necessary work for each of us to separate ourselves from parental authority in order to gain our own. IN the same way, we need to separate from religious authority (and rules) in order to struggle with what we believe. It is work and in the end it is worth it because that is the only way our faith can be authentic and grow.
Jesus says that much more succinctly of course - "they are blind." They have not done their work and are hanging on to the artificial tradition they inherited rather than struggling with God's word. Jesus then tells us the end of that endeavor - falling into a pit or a ditch. If they're lucky it will be a wake up call.
So letting them go, let us look at our own lives and ask, 'Where am I blind?" Now, we cannot answer this question on our own, of course. If we knew where we were blind, we wouldn't be blind. So, how do we find the answer? We could ask our friends and family. However, they may not tell us or they may tell us too much! We could seek therapy but that might get expensive and may not be the answer for everyone. We could also seek spiritual direction. That would be a good start as well. In fact any of these approaches might work as long as we don't forget to ask God. In my experience, asking God about these things gets results. Usually results I don't like. I asked for patience once, thinking I needed peace in my life. What I got was opportunities to practice patience. So be warned! When we ask God where we are blind, the lessons are not automatically pain free. If they were we wouldn't hesitate to do the work. But without lessons, pain-free or not, we cannot grow our faith. Their must be struggle, even a short one as we adjust our eyesight.
B
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Offended
Matthew 15:12-13 - The disciples came to him and said, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended by your words?" And he answered them and said, "Every tree that is not planted by my father in heaven will be rooted up."
Offended. The Pharisees were offended I get offended when people tell me the truth about how they perceive me and I don't want to face it. The Pharisees knew that Jesus, in talking about uncleanliness coming from within was talking about them and their traditions. They were offended and angry! Angry because they were caught. The word used is skandalizo, which means to cause to stumble but has the idea of being caught, being offended or becoming angry in the tense used. The Pharisees were probably all three: Caught, offended, and angry. They were trying to follow as best they knew and Jesus showed them, over and over, how hollow that way had become.
Then Jesus tells his disciples that every tree not planted in the good soil of God, the father, will be uprooted. Unless we, too, are rooted in the word and root our actions in GOd's love and mercy, we will feel uprooted. Our actions become willy-nilly rather than thoughtful. Our hearts become greedy and envious rather than grateful and joyful. We lose our strength, the living water is rejected for the stagnant water of our own wills. I am reminded of the tree that the gardener pleads for. The owner wants it cut, but the gardener has faith and nourishes the tree. The story doesn't say what the end result is and i believe that the tree lives - because Jesus' love gives life rather than death. Which brings us back to the origin of the offense - Connecting with God rather than performing rituals without thinking or feeling is what brings us life. Mindless rituals bring only death of love.
B
Offended. The Pharisees were offended I get offended when people tell me the truth about how they perceive me and I don't want to face it. The Pharisees knew that Jesus, in talking about uncleanliness coming from within was talking about them and their traditions. They were offended and angry! Angry because they were caught. The word used is skandalizo, which means to cause to stumble but has the idea of being caught, being offended or becoming angry in the tense used. The Pharisees were probably all three: Caught, offended, and angry. They were trying to follow as best they knew and Jesus showed them, over and over, how hollow that way had become.
Then Jesus tells his disciples that every tree not planted in the good soil of God, the father, will be uprooted. Unless we, too, are rooted in the word and root our actions in GOd's love and mercy, we will feel uprooted. Our actions become willy-nilly rather than thoughtful. Our hearts become greedy and envious rather than grateful and joyful. We lose our strength, the living water is rejected for the stagnant water of our own wills. I am reminded of the tree that the gardener pleads for. The owner wants it cut, but the gardener has faith and nourishes the tree. The story doesn't say what the end result is and i believe that the tree lives - because Jesus' love gives life rather than death. Which brings us back to the origin of the offense - Connecting with God rather than performing rituals without thinking or feeling is what brings us life. Mindless rituals bring only death of love.
B
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Unclean Mouths
Matthew 15:10-11 - And he called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth."
Jesus is turning the Jewish Purity Laws regarding cleanliness on their head. Ritual purity is not enough is a good encapsulation of this passage. However, it also seems to imply that other forms of uncleanness - sickness, bleeding, being near death - are also not defiling to people. I'm not sure if one could look at it like that though. He is expressly talking about not washing hands before eating. How far does he take this idea? How far can we in the 21st Century take this idea?
Here I am reminded of the Good Samaritan. Jesus clearly advocates following that example and helping even though one will be ritually unpure. In fact, the actions of the priest and the levite are denigrated rather than being held up. So, there is some chance that uncleanness in other ways falls under this rubric.
I'll have to think about this in relation to disabilities. So only men who were perfect in body were allowed to be priests in Israel. I do not think they thought of those not perfect as unclean.
B
Jesus is turning the Jewish Purity Laws regarding cleanliness on their head. Ritual purity is not enough is a good encapsulation of this passage. However, it also seems to imply that other forms of uncleanness - sickness, bleeding, being near death - are also not defiling to people. I'm not sure if one could look at it like that though. He is expressly talking about not washing hands before eating. How far does he take this idea? How far can we in the 21st Century take this idea?
Here I am reminded of the Good Samaritan. Jesus clearly advocates following that example and helping even though one will be ritually unpure. In fact, the actions of the priest and the levite are denigrated rather than being held up. So, there is some chance that uncleanness in other ways falls under this rubric.
I'll have to think about this in relation to disabilities. So only men who were perfect in body were allowed to be priests in Israel. I do not think they thought of those not perfect as unclean.
B
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Hypocrisy
Matthew 15:7 - "Hypocrits! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you when he said, 'This people praises me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.'"
Ouch. I know in my own life I am as often as not far from God. It is we who turn away however, not God. It is we who praise with our lips and our actions show the true desires of our hearts. Yet, God accommodates us. He comes to us where we are and gives us grace in the struggle. Here Jesus is confronting the Pharisees and scribes with their behavior, showing how it is not a reflection of their words. Their behavior says they (we!) are far from God, but their lips say otherwise.
Today my prayer is to have my thoughts match my words and both be oriented toward following Christ. I know I will fail, yet I know I will have grace anyway. Grace to try again. Grace to make amends.
B
Ouch. I know in my own life I am as often as not far from God. It is we who turn away however, not God. It is we who praise with our lips and our actions show the true desires of our hearts. Yet, God accommodates us. He comes to us where we are and gives us grace in the struggle. Here Jesus is confronting the Pharisees and scribes with their behavior, showing how it is not a reflection of their words. Their behavior says they (we!) are far from God, but their lips say otherwise.
Today my prayer is to have my thoughts match my words and both be oriented toward following Christ. I know I will fail, yet I know I will have grace anyway. Grace to try again. Grace to make amends.
B
Monday, May 16, 2016
Dishonoring God's word
Matthew 15:5-6 - But you say, "Whoever says to his father or his mother, 'Whatever profit you might have had from me is given to God' need not honor his father." For the sake of your tradition you invalidate the word of God.
Here we have a clue as to how we honor our father and our mother - supporting them as they get older and can no longer work. However, for some of us this is not an issue yet. How do we support them when they need no financial support? Again, what about those of us whose parents are toxic and dangerous to our welfare? How do we honor them? These are questions that each of us must answer for ourselves. It might be a daily struggle or one we have already answered. Yet this passage makes clear that no matter how bad our parents were, we must come to some way to honor them as our parents.
And, if we can help them and it is not dangerous for us physically, mentally or spiritually to do so, helping them out financially and with other things as they age is what God and Christ call us to do.
Obligatory reminder: it does not say we must love them. For many of us that is not a realistic goal.
B
Here we have a clue as to how we honor our father and our mother - supporting them as they get older and can no longer work. However, for some of us this is not an issue yet. How do we support them when they need no financial support? Again, what about those of us whose parents are toxic and dangerous to our welfare? How do we honor them? These are questions that each of us must answer for ourselves. It might be a daily struggle or one we have already answered. Yet this passage makes clear that no matter how bad our parents were, we must come to some way to honor them as our parents.
And, if we can help them and it is not dangerous for us physically, mentally or spiritually to do so, helping them out financially and with other things as they age is what God and Christ call us to do.
Obligatory reminder: it does not say we must love them. For many of us that is not a realistic goal.
B
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Parents
Matthew 15:4 - For God said, "Honor your father and mother." and "The one who speaks ill of their father or their mother shall surely die."
Jesus has just asked the Pharisees why they do not follow God's commandments. Here are the commandments he has in mind. In what way are the Pharisees not following? We'll see. Right now the more important question is: are we honoring our parents? Or are we putting our own traditions (concerns) above God's commandments?
There may be good reasons why we have no contact with our parents; Jesus doesn't say to love them. If so, how can we honor them and protect ourselves?
B
Jesus has just asked the Pharisees why they do not follow God's commandments. Here are the commandments he has in mind. In what way are the Pharisees not following? We'll see. Right now the more important question is: are we honoring our parents? Or are we putting our own traditions (concerns) above God's commandments?
There may be good reasons why we have no contact with our parents; Jesus doesn't say to love them. If so, how can we honor them and protect ourselves?
B
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Upside Down
Matthew 15-3 - And he answered them and said, "Why do you transgress God's commandments for your tradition?"
In so saying, he refuses to play on the same level as the Pharisees and scribes. Rather than making distinctions about doctrine and practice, he points to God, reminding his audience that the ways of men are less important than God's commandments. We are all on the same level in relation to God. There is no "us" and "them" for Jesus. There is only we. And we are called to follow God, not the traditions of people.
B
In so saying, he refuses to play on the same level as the Pharisees and scribes. Rather than making distinctions about doctrine and practice, he points to God, reminding his audience that the ways of men are less important than God's commandments. We are all on the same level in relation to God. There is no "us" and "them" for Jesus. There is only we. And we are called to follow God, not the traditions of people.
B
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Skeptism
Matthew 15:1-2 - Then some Pharisees and scribes came to him from Jerusalem asking, "Why don't your disciples practice the traditions of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before eating bread."
Jerusalem, where the main temple was. These scribes and Pharisees were "authorities." They were sent to determine whether Jesus was one of them or not. They asked a test question, pointing out a difference in practice between his disciples and the elders. In effect, they are asking "are you one of us?" This question exposes their focus on the rules and traditions of the elders rather than on love and compassion.
Compare this response to the response from the townspeople of Genessaret. They recognized him immediately, whether they recognized him as a healer or the Son of God is not clear. They responded out of compassion for their neighbors. They do not care whether Jesus is one of them. They want to be with him because he has something they want. They do not care that he does not abide by every jot and tittle of the Law. He loves them and they respond to that love with love in return. They welcome Jesus into their community and their pain. They welcome him into their hearts.
B
Jerusalem, where the main temple was. These scribes and Pharisees were "authorities." They were sent to determine whether Jesus was one of them or not. They asked a test question, pointing out a difference in practice between his disciples and the elders. In effect, they are asking "are you one of us?" This question exposes their focus on the rules and traditions of the elders rather than on love and compassion.
Compare this response to the response from the townspeople of Genessaret. They recognized him immediately, whether they recognized him as a healer or the Son of God is not clear. They responded out of compassion for their neighbors. They do not care whether Jesus is one of them. They want to be with him because he has something they want. They do not care that he does not abide by every jot and tittle of the Law. He loves them and they respond to that love with love in return. They welcome Jesus into their community and their pain. They welcome him into their hearts.
B
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Knowing and Healing
Matthew 14:34-36 - And crossing over they came to the land at Genesaret. When the people of that land recognized him, they sent to the neighboring countryside and brought to him all that were sick, beseeching that they might only touch the fringe of his robe and all who did so were made well.
One thing stands out to me immediately - how did they recognize him? There are so many ways this could play out. He could have started preaching, or someone knew him from before, or even they could just tell. Jesus must have been very charismatic and people like that attract people without really having to try. Or a combination of all three. In any case, they did not ask for him but he came to them and they recognized him. That is how my coming back to the church happened - I didn't ask, but God came anyway and I recognized him.
The verb that is translated "recognize" is the verb to know. In fact, it means to know completely. The implication is that they recognize his face but also who he is. They also recognize how he can help them. And they act accordingly! They let the whole region know that he is there and they brought all the sick people. They respond out of love for their neighbors.
I think that's a good example for us. God comes to us every day. Do we recognize her? Do we know and understand as completely as the people of Genesaret? Do we feel the love God offers us? Do we then act on that love? Do we then love our neighbors?
My second observation flows from this - healing happens in community. If the people who recognized him had done nothing, no one would have been healed. They would not have been healed. Yet they did and we do an'd we are healed by doing the least that we can for others, by touching Christ's garment. IMagine what could happen when we open ourselves up to Jesus touching our hearts.
B
One thing stands out to me immediately - how did they recognize him? There are so many ways this could play out. He could have started preaching, or someone knew him from before, or even they could just tell. Jesus must have been very charismatic and people like that attract people without really having to try. Or a combination of all three. In any case, they did not ask for him but he came to them and they recognized him. That is how my coming back to the church happened - I didn't ask, but God came anyway and I recognized him.
The verb that is translated "recognize" is the verb to know. In fact, it means to know completely. The implication is that they recognize his face but also who he is. They also recognize how he can help them. And they act accordingly! They let the whole region know that he is there and they brought all the sick people. They respond out of love for their neighbors.
I think that's a good example for us. God comes to us every day. Do we recognize her? Do we know and understand as completely as the people of Genesaret? Do we feel the love God offers us? Do we then act on that love? Do we then love our neighbors?
My second observation flows from this - healing happens in community. If the people who recognized him had done nothing, no one would have been healed. They would not have been healed. Yet they did and we do an'd we are healed by doing the least that we can for others, by touching Christ's garment. IMagine what could happen when we open ourselves up to Jesus touching our hearts.
B
Friday, May 6, 2016
Wind and Worship
Matthew 14:31-32 - And when they got into the boat the wind stopped. And they worshiped him in the boat saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
So all that time Peter was in doubt, the wind was blowing and the waves were still high. We know why he doubted. It seems like my life is a little like that right now. Yet, Jesus comes, grabs me, stills the wind and brings me to mental safety when I call him. The overarching point of this passage, in addition to Jesus being powerful and the Son of God, is Jesus' compassion for us. And by extension, God's passion for us. When I regularly pray and worship, I feel Jesus beside me, I hear him asking me why I doubted, and I sense the peace when the wind stills.
Jesus cares about God's creation and I must also care if I choose to follow him. My question for today is how can I follow and care as I go along my way?
B
So all that time Peter was in doubt, the wind was blowing and the waves were still high. We know why he doubted. It seems like my life is a little like that right now. Yet, Jesus comes, grabs me, stills the wind and brings me to mental safety when I call him. The overarching point of this passage, in addition to Jesus being powerful and the Son of God, is Jesus' compassion for us. And by extension, God's passion for us. When I regularly pray and worship, I feel Jesus beside me, I hear him asking me why I doubted, and I sense the peace when the wind stills.
Jesus cares about God's creation and I must also care if I choose to follow him. My question for today is how can I follow and care as I go along my way?
B
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Faith and Doubt
Matthew 14:31 - Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him up saying to him, "You of little faith; why did you doubt?"
Why, indeed? We doubt even though we have faith! Jesus commends Peter's faith, even though it's "little." We, too, have faith even when we also have doubts. In this case, doubt helped build Peter's faith! When he doubted Jesus rescued him immediately. He risked, doubted, and was saved. His faith, and that of the others grew. I do not think there is no room for doubt in faith. Our doubts are important and need to be voiced and struggled with. Israel means one who struggles with God. The meaning and mystery are revealed in the struggle. Let's not quench our doubts but rather examine them, struggle with them, and work our way through them with God's help and grace.
B
Why, indeed? We doubt even though we have faith! Jesus commends Peter's faith, even though it's "little." We, too, have faith even when we also have doubts. In this case, doubt helped build Peter's faith! When he doubted Jesus rescued him immediately. He risked, doubted, and was saved. His faith, and that of the others grew. I do not think there is no room for doubt in faith. Our doubts are important and need to be voiced and struggled with. Israel means one who struggles with God. The meaning and mystery are revealed in the struggle. Let's not quench our doubts but rather examine them, struggle with them, and work our way through them with God's help and grace.
B
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Doubt
Matthew 14:30 - But seeing the wind, he became afraid and began to sink, crying out, "Lord, save me!"
This is me with regard to doing a PhD. I see that I am doing it or I feel energized and then I go back to my old concept of self - I cannot do it. THis is what Peter does. He sees what he is doing and his brain cannot compute this new reality. It is too foreign. He made a good start only to let his own doubt get in the way.
Doubt is neither good nor bad; it depends on how we use it. A good question to ask is why. Why are we doubting? and what are we doubting? Was Peter doubting himself or God or both?
B
This is me with regard to doing a PhD. I see that I am doing it or I feel energized and then I go back to my old concept of self - I cannot do it. THis is what Peter does. He sees what he is doing and his brain cannot compute this new reality. It is too foreign. He made a good start only to let his own doubt get in the way.
Doubt is neither good nor bad; it depends on how we use it. A good question to ask is why. Why are we doubting? and what are we doubting? Was Peter doubting himself or God or both?
B
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)