Matthew 14:15-16 - When evening came, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." But Jesus said to them, "They need not go away. You give them something to eat."
So props to the disciples who were compassionate and wanted to make sure everyone had food. I know had I been there I would have worried about this myself. It would have distracted me from listening, in fact. Especially if I were hungry also.
They go to Jesus with their proposed solution. But Jesus does not respond the way they think. He challenges his disciples to be more than they are - individually and corporately. His response must have confused them! Yet, their solution kept each family apart from the others and created competition among them. Can you imagine the stampede? The subways are similar here in Chicago. People rushing to get their preferred seat. In this atmosphere, there is no community, no family. There is only competition and every person for themselves.
Jesus challenges us to think in a new way. Rather than competing with others, maybe we could try cooperation and community building? Maybe we could solve everyone's problem at once rather than having individuals solve their own problems. This is why we have government and when those in government do their jobs, all our needs get filled. But sometimes we have people who have not yet learned Jesus's challenge to think communally. And people get hurt.
How am I resisting thinking in terms of community and how is that harmful in my life today?
B
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Monday, March 28, 2016
One of the Crowd
Matthew 14:13b-14 - When the crowd heard of it, they made their way to him by foot from the towns. When Jesus got out and saw the crowds, he had compassion on them and healed all their sicknesses.
I often think about Jesus's reaction when reading these kinds of stories. I think about the vast chasm that exists between Jesus' compassion and my own. I recognize that I could always do better. Yet, today I want to talk about being one of the crowd. Am I willing to follow Jesus to "the other side of the lake?" And what does that lake represent for me? Is it trouble at work? Is it feeling lost? Is it grief? Is it illness? Is it death of a loved one or even our own ...? So many lakes! My lake today is discernment of my next step in ministry. What to do? Go for a PhD? Go for the Greek classes? Go for another CPE unit? Join with Dudley? So many things. That is my task today.
What does it mean to follow Jesus in our context? Does it mean praying more often to stay connected? Does it mean reaching out to that one person we least want to reach out to? Does it mean forgiving others or ourselves? Each lake will have a different path around. We know we need healing and we know where to get it. How to get to a place we can receive it?
For me, I think it is just sitting with myself and asking hard questions: questions about what I want, where i feel led, what is my goal for each of my choices, do I have to choose or can I do them in sequence. Is there someone I can talk with for clarification?
Once we have an idea of our path, we can ask Jesus to inspire us to follow him around the lake as he inspired the people in our story.
B
I often think about Jesus's reaction when reading these kinds of stories. I think about the vast chasm that exists between Jesus' compassion and my own. I recognize that I could always do better. Yet, today I want to talk about being one of the crowd. Am I willing to follow Jesus to "the other side of the lake?" And what does that lake represent for me? Is it trouble at work? Is it feeling lost? Is it grief? Is it illness? Is it death of a loved one or even our own ...? So many lakes! My lake today is discernment of my next step in ministry. What to do? Go for a PhD? Go for the Greek classes? Go for another CPE unit? Join with Dudley? So many things. That is my task today.
What does it mean to follow Jesus in our context? Does it mean praying more often to stay connected? Does it mean reaching out to that one person we least want to reach out to? Does it mean forgiving others or ourselves? Each lake will have a different path around. We know we need healing and we know where to get it. How to get to a place we can receive it?
For me, I think it is just sitting with myself and asking hard questions: questions about what I want, where i feel led, what is my goal for each of my choices, do I have to choose or can I do them in sequence. Is there someone I can talk with for clarification?
Once we have an idea of our path, we can ask Jesus to inspire us to follow him around the lake as he inspired the people in our story.
B
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Jesus' Reaction
Matthew 14:12-13a - His (John's) disciples came and carried away the body and buried it and went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard this, he went away to a secluded place alone.
What do we/I do when I hear tragic news? I get sad and maybe even angry. I often forget to bring my sadness and pain to God. God cannot fix it, yet God shares it and that lessens my burden. This is just what Jesus did - he went away to be alone with God, to pray, to lament and to mourn.
I think the key is that he acted with intention instead of reacting out of his emotion. I need to act intentionally today as well.
B
What do we/I do when I hear tragic news? I get sad and maybe even angry. I often forget to bring my sadness and pain to God. God cannot fix it, yet God shares it and that lessens my burden. This is just what Jesus did - he went away to be alone with God, to pray, to lament and to mourn.
I think the key is that he acted with intention instead of reacting out of his emotion. I need to act intentionally today as well.
B
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
John's Head
Matthew 14:10-11 - He sent and had John beheaded in prison. And it was put on a platter and brought to the girl, who brought it to her mother.
Life was cheap then and it is still cheap today. Especially in some areas of the world - like Chicago. Especially in America if one is black or brown. In the Middle East, Europe, Latin America. The world is struggling with labor pains as Paul said. Sometimes we go backward.
John was beheaded in prison, yet his head was displayed to the company. How gruesome was that? Were these people used to such gore in their lives? Or was it just business as usual?
What about Herodias' daughter? Clearly she is not innocent in the ways of the world and the court. She would have grown up in such surroundings. How does she feel about being used in this way by her mother? She is a pawn and yet she had the power in that moment. In what ways have I used my own power for cruelty rather than encouraging life? How can I then move from violence to life in my actions and words?
B
Life was cheap then and it is still cheap today. Especially in some areas of the world - like Chicago. Especially in America if one is black or brown. In the Middle East, Europe, Latin America. The world is struggling with labor pains as Paul said. Sometimes we go backward.
John was beheaded in prison, yet his head was displayed to the company. How gruesome was that? Were these people used to such gore in their lives? Or was it just business as usual?
What about Herodias' daughter? Clearly she is not innocent in the ways of the world and the court. She would have grown up in such surroundings. How does she feel about being used in this way by her mother? She is a pawn and yet she had the power in that moment. In what ways have I used my own power for cruelty rather than encouraging life? How can I then move from violence to life in my actions and words?
B
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Ruled by Others
Matthew 14:9 - The king was grieved; on account of the oath and the guests, he ordered that it be given.
So to being ruled by fear of the crowd and the prophet we have added the opinions of others. On account of the guests who heard his oath, he orders John to be beheaded.
Herod's fear and worry about appearances - he wants to be seen as a man of his word - make him weak rather than strong. Having no center, no core values, no ethos keeps us reacting rather than responding. I have learned this from my latest round of CPE. Responding requires a center and knowing what that center is and honoring it in ourselves and others.
Herod cannot do that. As a ruler he must be seen as tough and as good for his word. Yet, in worrying about appearances he gives his power, his internal and external power, over to others. First his wife and then the crowd. He doesn't want to kill John yet his fear puts him in the position of having no choice if he wants to keep up appearances.
So, in what ways do I myself keep up appearances? In what ways do I give my power to others rather than using it?
B
So to being ruled by fear of the crowd and the prophet we have added the opinions of others. On account of the guests who heard his oath, he orders John to be beheaded.
Herod's fear and worry about appearances - he wants to be seen as a man of his word - make him weak rather than strong. Having no center, no core values, no ethos keeps us reacting rather than responding. I have learned this from my latest round of CPE. Responding requires a center and knowing what that center is and honoring it in ourselves and others.
Herod cannot do that. As a ruler he must be seen as tough and as good for his word. Yet, in worrying about appearances he gives his power, his internal and external power, over to others. First his wife and then the crowd. He doesn't want to kill John yet his fear puts him in the position of having no choice if he wants to keep up appearances.
So, in what ways do I myself keep up appearances? In what ways do I give my power to others rather than using it?
B
Friday, March 18, 2016
Ruled by Emotions
Matthew 14:6-8 - But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and so pleased Herod that he promised an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother she said, "Give me, now, the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
Fear is not the only emotion Herod is ruled by, although it might be the strongest. Under the emotion of lust and enchanted by her, Herod tells Herodias's daughter that she may have anything she asks for. This is a perfect instance of being careful what you say! Clearly Herod knows his wife is out to get John the Baptist. Why does Herod give her such an opening? Ruled by emotions. Saying in the moment whatever comes into one's mind. Kind of like Donald Trump.
Unlike Donald Trump, Herod's words have consequences. Now he is between a rock and a hard place - his fear of John and his fear of his wife and his fear of what his guests might say. Herod has no center except himself and so he gets himself into trouble by going along with whatever comes into his mind.
Who is my center? Is it me? My best self? God? How do I live that out in my life?
B
Fear is not the only emotion Herod is ruled by, although it might be the strongest. Under the emotion of lust and enchanted by her, Herod tells Herodias's daughter that she may have anything she asks for. This is a perfect instance of being careful what you say! Clearly Herod knows his wife is out to get John the Baptist. Why does Herod give her such an opening? Ruled by emotions. Saying in the moment whatever comes into one's mind. Kind of like Donald Trump.
Unlike Donald Trump, Herod's words have consequences. Now he is between a rock and a hard place - his fear of John and his fear of his wife and his fear of what his guests might say. Herod has no center except himself and so he gets himself into trouble by going along with whatever comes into his mind.
Who is my center? Is it me? My best self? God? How do I live that out in my life?
B
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Fear - Herod
Matthew 14:3-5 - For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodia, his brothers Phillip's wife. Because John had said it was not lawful for Herod to have her. And he wanted to kill him, and feared the crowd because they held him to be a prophet.
Herod's first two fears. He fears the power of John's voice, his authority. He wants to kill John so John cannot turn people - Rome - against him. His reaction to this fear is violence; get rid of the person causing him trouble.
His second fear is of the crowd - the ordinary people of Israel. They think of John as a prophet and they have enough power to get Herod to think twice about killing John. So he merely puts John in prison. Both are violent actions.
That is the thing about fear; it leads to violence. When our brains are overwhelmed by fear we want to flee and if that is not possible we want to fight. It is a survival mechanism, which is why we teach our children other ways to handle fearful situations. Fleeing and fighting are sometimes appropriate. Yet there are other tools. John was showing people some of those other tools. Jesus too. Herod fears the people having other tools.
In the US, we are living in an environment stoked by artificially exaggerated fears. These fears are stoked by the rich so that they can steal our rights. Bush did this for 8 years and the Republicans continue to stoke the fears of ordinary Americans for political and financial gain. In addition, we are encouraged to give in to the fear and begin to hate those not like us (white, cis, hetero, men). And it is leading to actual violence on top of the violence our police departments are showing themselves capable of. I am not sure about my ability to use those tools and I am sure that I need to learn - we all do. However, I can only control myself.
B
Herod's first two fears. He fears the power of John's voice, his authority. He wants to kill John so John cannot turn people - Rome - against him. His reaction to this fear is violence; get rid of the person causing him trouble.
His second fear is of the crowd - the ordinary people of Israel. They think of John as a prophet and they have enough power to get Herod to think twice about killing John. So he merely puts John in prison. Both are violent actions.
That is the thing about fear; it leads to violence. When our brains are overwhelmed by fear we want to flee and if that is not possible we want to fight. It is a survival mechanism, which is why we teach our children other ways to handle fearful situations. Fleeing and fighting are sometimes appropriate. Yet there are other tools. John was showing people some of those other tools. Jesus too. Herod fears the people having other tools.
In the US, we are living in an environment stoked by artificially exaggerated fears. These fears are stoked by the rich so that they can steal our rights. Bush did this for 8 years and the Republicans continue to stoke the fears of ordinary Americans for political and financial gain. In addition, we are encouraged to give in to the fear and begin to hate those not like us (white, cis, hetero, men). And it is leading to actual violence on top of the violence our police departments are showing themselves capable of. I am not sure about my ability to use those tools and I am sure that I need to learn - we all do. However, I can only control myself.
B
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