Posts from 2021 (Page 2)
Daily Devotions
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” vs. 6 Isaiah 9:2-7 Coronations were a big deal in the nation of Judah. They were a time for celebrations and extravagant displays; the prophets proclaimed the glory of God and pronounced God’s blessing on the newly crowned king. Isaiah describes the new king as a child given from…
Daily Devotions
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” vs. 45 Luke 1:43-45 Elizabeth speaks from experience. In the first of Luke’s nativity stories she had been the heroine. Even though her husband Zechariah doubted, in her old age she had conceived and was very pregnant when Mary showed up at her doorstep. The story as Luke tells it is touching. Two women, one very old and one…
Daily Devotions
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.’” vss. 41b-42 Luke 1:39-42 Luke began his account of the life of Jesus with an exploration of his origins and includes two birth narratives that have been irresistible for artists and theologians for centuries. He wants his readers to know that what happened in Jesus was the work of the Holy Spirit, and…
Daily Devotions
And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” vs. 10 Hebrews 10:7-10 The writer of Hebrews recognized that the whole sacrificial system as laid out in the law had been invented by humans. Their intentions had been good; they had wanted to provide a way for people to receive forgiveness of sins. The guilt of sin had been debilitating and the periodic offerings had provided…
Daily Devotions
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me;’” vs. 3 Hebrews 10:5-7 After the destruction of the temple in 70 AD and its elimination as a place of worship and sacrifice, Jewish followers of Jesus scrambled to make sense of what had happened. Bit by bit, as they examined their scriptures, some of them began to understand Jesus’ death as a once for all…
Daily Devotions
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” vss. 52-53 Luke 1:51-55 Mary’s song gives definition to Luke’s vision of the peaceable kingdom. As he sees it, God is no unbiased bystander in the great scheme of things. Rather, God is intimately involved and has a pronounced bias for the poor and the hungry. Luke simply doesn’t buy the contemporary…
Daily Devotions
And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.’” vss. 46b-48a Luke 1:46b-50 Sometimes the words of scripture become so commonplace to us that we don’t quite recognize their significance. Here we have the gospel writer Luke beginning his account by giving voice to a woman! That didn’t happen with Matthew or Mark and is an introduction to Luke’s inclusive style…
Daily Devotions
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” vs. 2 Micah 5:2-5a When we read the books of the prophets in our scriptures the meaning of the verses is often obscure and virtually inaccessible. But when Micah drops the name of a little village near Jerusalem into his oracle, his…
Daily Devotions
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.” vs. 18 Luke 3:15-18 After recounting John’s vivid description of the brood of vipers and the burning of chaff Luke concludes by calling John’s message “good news” for the people. Now some might wonder how such harsh language could be good news for anyone, mostly because religious folks have gotten used to a less costly notion of grace. We’ve been so anxious to get to forgiveness and…
Daily Devotions
And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’” vs. 10 Luke 3:7-14 When John launched into his tirade about snakes and stones, axes and fires, the crowd was pretty much terrified. They all pretty much took what he said personally and responded much like any of us would have. “What then should we do?” they wanted to know. Any number of situations can spark those words. “What do you want me to do,” we say to an angry…
Daily Devotions
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” vs. 6 Philippians 4:6-7 One of the side-effects of living a joyous life is the absence of anxiety and worry. Some might question whether this is even a possibility given the current state of tension and uncertainty, but for Paul it’s a natural consequence of basking in the grace of God. In such a state, totally trusting in…
Daily Devotions
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” vs. 4 Philippians 4:4-5 As Paul brings his love letter to the Philippians to a close he says good-bye by encouraging them to be people of joy. This is the best way to show him honor and give him thanks, and he even repeats it. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” It’s doubtful that he’s telling them to be happy all the time. Being happy is…