Blog (Page 221)

Psalm 23:1-3 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” vs. 1 There are probably good reasons for this psalm being a favorite. Maybe it’s just  because it’s familiar…it’s one of the few scripture passages that many of us could come close to saying from memory. And it could be that we like the imagery evoked by the words…the calm pastoral scene with still waters and green grass. But most likely it’s because we like thinking of the Lord…

 Acts 2:42-47 “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.” vss. 44-45 We who have long worshipped at the altar of capitalism are befuddled by this description of life among the early Christians. To us it sounds like communism, or some primitive form of socialism, and it seems antithetical to our way of life. We’ve been taught from kindergarten that…

 Luke 24:28-35 “Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” vs. 35 Cleopas and his companion (maybe his wife?) had a scripture tutorial with the stranger on the road, and then at their table, in the breaking of the bread, their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Those two elements, the opening of scripture and the breaking of the bread, have continued until…

Luke 24:13-27 “Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” vs. 26 This was the great truth that everyone had missed! For centuries people had been waiting for the coming Messiah, the one who would bring the redemption of Israel and make it great again. And every time, just when it seemed the right leader had come along, their hopes would be dashed. As these two followers of Jesus walked back…

1 Peter 1:21-23 “Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.” vs. 22 We don’t often think of ourselves as having pure souls. It’s much more common for us to talk as though we are sinful to the core, and that all parts of our being have been tainted, including our souls. That’s a comfortable position…one that really doesn’t demand much…

1 Peter 1:17-20 “You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.” vss. 18-19 As the early followers of Jesus moved from place to place with the good news of forgiveness and life, those with a Jewish background used the language of sacrifice to describe what had happened on the cross.…

Psalm 116:12-19 “What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.” vss. 12-14 The psalmist knew that he owed the Lord big time for all the goodness that had come his way. He proposes to offer what sounds like a toast. He will lift the…

Psalm 116:1-4 “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” vss. 1-2 We’re out of Lent now, surrounded by Easter, and some of us are missing the psalms of lament. Misery loves company and it was strangely consoling to hear the psalmist complain about God and give voice to feelings of depression and forsakenness. But it’s Easter…