Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs. (Matthew 19:14)
This is the season of the children: paternal children, step-children, grandchildren, and children of friends.
Based on the tradition of children having the lowest position in the community during Jesus time, Jesus made an important statement when he said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
There is a story about a little boy who came to his dad and said, “I wanna horsey ride!”
The dad who was stirring paint said, “I’m too busy.”
The little boy said, “You know, Dad, it won’t be long before I’m all grown up. One day you’ll wake up and wonder how all the years slipped by. You’ll look back and say, “Where has the time gone? My boy is so big. It’s hard to remember when he was small enough that I could give him horsey rides…” But those days will be lost forever.”
The next thing you know the little boy is on Dad’s back as they gallop toward a fence.
Dad says, I think I’ve worked through my potential guilt now.”
The little boy says, “Oh no you haven’t. Jump the fence!”
The best way we can show respect for our children is to spend time with them. Jesus did!
God of all, may I demonstrate my love for my children by giving them some of my quality time. In Jesus Name, Amen.
As all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.(1 Corinthians 15:22)
What is your hope today? Upon what are you planning and building your life? In 1 Corinthians 15:22, Paul states: “As all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.” In I Timothy 6:17, which speaks to the heart of many people here in America, Paul writes: “Instruct those who are rich in this world that they do not fix their hope on the uncertainly of riches, but on God who richly supplies all our needs in Christ Jesus.”
We have a choice. We can put our hope in the things of this uncertain world, or we can put our full hope in Jesus Christ who supplies all of our needs.
There is a church in Chester, PA which had a large cross on top of the facility but, unfortunately, all the lights had burned out. The church members decided not to fix it. So one day, the pastor paid for an electrician to come after hours to get the cross fixed and working again. The pastor wanted the people of Chester who drove by to see that the cross was the real hope of the world.
Is your cross lighted today? Do the people you live and work with know the cross that shines through you? Or, are your light bulbs all burned out?
Dear God, help me to allow the cross of Jesus to shine through me. In Jesus Name,Amen.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
We have a greater burden as God’s people than anyone else on earth. We must always lift up a higher standard of living and loving.
In one of Garfield’s cartoons he is shown resting droopy-eyed in his bed thinking to himself: “One of my pet peeves is people who never finish what they start.” As he cracks a knowing smile, he says, “I do not happen to be one of those people.” The last frame shows him under the bed covers saying, “My philosophy is, ‘Never start anything.’”
“Never start anything” cannot be our philosophy as God’s people. We must care about our world because God cares. We must care about people because God cares. We must care about those in need because God cares. God cared enough about us to send our Savior, Jesus Christ. We must care too. We must care enough to make our brotherhood and community stronger. What is God calling you to do? Are you being called to help tutor a child struggling in with his or her education? Are you being called to reach out to someone in pain? Are you being called to organize a neighborhood watch program or cleanup day? If you and I don’t do it, who will? God is counting on you and me. We also can count on God to give us the resources we need to accomplish His will.
God of all things, you can count on me! In Jesus Name, Amen.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17)
Paul had spent much of his life trying to save himself through strict adherence to the Law. But somehow, this was not enough. It never is.
Robert Ingersoll was a famous agnostic. He enjoyed arguing, particularly with Christian clergymen. One day Ingersoll was conversing with Charles Horace Talmage, one of the great preachers of the day, about Connecticut’s blue laws – laws forbidding certain activities on Sunday.
“Would you like to live in a community, Mr. Talmage,” Ingersoll asked, “where not one cigar could be smoked and not one drop of liquor could be drunk?”
“Certainly,” said Talmage, “that would be a social heaven.”
“And you would like to live,” Ingersoll continued, “where no one could play on the Sabbath day and where everyone had to go to church?”
“Yes, sir,” Talmage declared, “that would suit me. It would be paradise to live in a community where everyone was compelled to go to church on Sunday, where no one could drink a drop . . . and where the law would make every person good . . . “
“And you think such a person would be a good Christian?” Ingersoll asked, “A better man than I am?”
“Why, of course,” Talmage responded.
“Then,” said Mr. Ingersoll, “I advise you to go to the penitentiary. At Sing Sing there is a community of fifteen hundred men and women governed in precisely that manner. They are all good by law.”
Talmage learned a lesson that day. Being good simply because it is required has no saving power. That was a discovery that Paul also made – keeping the Law by itself would never fulfill his deepest need. Of course, Paul tried to keep the law, but he knew that true salvation comes from faith in Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, thank you for saving my soul, so that I may know of God’s incredible love. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
A man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. (Matthew 25:14-15)
Once there was a wealthy landowner, or “master” as he is called, who was about to go away on a long trip. Since he was going away for such a long time he decided to put his loyal staff in charge of everything he owned. Before he left he presented one of the servants with the unbelievable sum of five talents. To another servant he gave two talents and to the third servant he gave one talent. The servants weren’t given any instructions on what to do with the talents or when exactly the landowner would return.
A talent was a tremendous sum of money. It represented the earnings of twenty or more years. The servant who was given five talents held in his possession lifetime earnings of five people. The servant who was given two talents had the earnings of two people. Even the servant who was given only one talent had an enormous sum of money.
Immediately after the master left on his trip the first two servants went to work. The one with the five talents and the one with two talents soon had doubled the money of their master. The third servant who was given one talent, however, “went off at once and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.” At an unexpected time the master returned and called in his three servants to give an account of how each used the talents entrusted to him.
What kind of account will we give to our master on how we have used our talents?
Heavenly Father, forgive me for not using my talents wisely. Help me to give freely of what you have given to me. In Jesus Name,Amen.
Make vows to the LORD your God, and perform them; let all who are around him bring gifts to the One who is awesome. (Psalms 76:11)
If you were asked to buy the tackiest gift imaginable, what would you buy? Martin Marty was once invited to a postnuptial party. He was asked to bring “a gift in the worst possible taste.” The purpose was to embarrass the newly married couple. They would open their gifts standing in front of their family and friends and “ooh and aah” as they opened each tacky item.
Marty found a Dollar store and began his search for the tackiest gift. To his delight he discovered a yellow plastic dove with a silver beak hollowed to hold a small plant and chained so it could be suspended. This was the perfect gift for the occasion, he thought. No one would have a more ratty gift than his. Then, an amazing thing happened. Expecting to be embarrassed at the checkout counter, he was instead surrounded by shoppers. They wanted to know where he had found such a beautiful object. Several of those doves got sold that day.
We have lots of options on how we use our gifts, and talents, but none of our gifts are ugly. Just like the shoppers who admired the plastic bird, our gifts are beautiful in God’s eyes when our talents are used for good.
God of all gifts, bless me as I use my talents for sharing of your love. In Jesus name, Amen.
And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. (Matthew 25:10)
The foolish bridesmaids in our scripture reading today were not ready. They went to get more oil for their lamps. Meanwhile, the wedding had already started. Matthew 25:11 says, “Later the other bridesmaids came also saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” The bridesmaids were not allowed to enter the wedding celebration.
We also will not be allowed to enter God’s kingdom unless we are prepared. We have all heard the phrase–there are two things in life that are certain–death and taxes. In our American culture, it seems to be a taboo to talk about death. We often talk about people passing away. People don’t pass away. People die. Death is often is a gift. For some, death is a relief from a hard life. For others, death is freedom from physical pain. And for still others, death is a rebirth into a new life that is eternal.
Life is such a fragile thing at best. We should be ready to meet God in this life and the life to come. Matthew 25:13 says, “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
God of all things, may I not live in fear of death, but may I be ready for my time to come to you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Look! Here is the bridegroom! (Matthew 25:6)
Matthew 25:5-9, “As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” The foolish bridesmaids were not ready for the delay of the bridegroom. They were not prepared for the unexpected.
How about us? Are we prepared or ready to deal with the unexpected turns and twists of life? I am convined that if, as young people, we had written a book aount our life we could never have forseen the paths -both good and bad – we have ultimately taken. Life certainly has not gone as I would have predicted. Many of us can tell similar stories and many of us can share some very painful unexpected experiences.
Jesus Christ will help us deal with the unexpected if we allow him to walk with us everyday of our lives.
God of all people, please let me never walk away from your Son, so that I can have him at my side when dealing with the unexpected. In Jesus name, Amen.
Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? (Luke 24:38)
In a Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown and Linus are walking over the baseball field to make sure everything is ready for the new baseball season. Charlie Brown goes over to the pitcher’s mound and says, “My pitcher’s mound looks great.” Then Linus and Charlie Brown go to the back stop, “Our ol’ backstop seems to be in good shape.” Charlie Brown asks, “How about the outfield?” Linus replies, “All mowed, Charlie Brown, it’s beautiful! And we’ve raked the infield so it looks better than ever.” Charlie Brown says, “Then all we have to worry about is the sound system.” Linus says, “The sound system?” Just about that time Lucy belts out, “This year let’s try to get the ball over the plate, you blockhead!” Charlie Brown concludes, “The sound system is still working.”
I’m not sure that Charlie Brown and Linus really believed the sound system was working, and the disciples also had a hard time believing that Jesus was alive. Luke says, “While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and they thought that they were seeing a ghost.”
The disciples were having a hard time believing. The disciples were trying to sort out the meaning of Jesus’ death and the reports about Jesus’ appearances. Was it a hoax? They were not completely immune to superstition. Perhaps it was some kind of ghost. Suddenly it happened. Jesus himself stood among them. The disciples were startled and frightened. Then Jesus said to them, “Why are you troubled and why do doubts rise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself…”
The response of the disciples is a sermon in itself. Luke tells us that they “disbelieved for joy…” It was simply too wonderful to be true. He was alive and he was with them–right there. It was too good to be true.
Some of us may have a hard time believing. Will we allow Jesus to take the doubts away?
Heavenly Father, please take away my doubts. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 15:38)
In our scripture reading today, Jesus was at the height of his popularity. People were following him everywhere he went. It was difficult for him to get away even to spend some quality time alone in prayer or with his disciples. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and people flocked to him. This attention excited the disciples. Jesus’ ministry was booming. Everything was running smoothly. At least that is what the disciples thought.
The disciples had been with Jesus for a long time. Now, Jesus felt it was time to tell them what would happen next. He gathered the disciples around him. He said to them, “[I] must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering, be killed, and the third day be raised.” Wow! The disciples were not expecting anything like that. They just looked at each other, too shocked to say anything. The disciples thought Jesus would come to power, and they would hold positions of importance in his kingdom. They never thought he would suffer and die.
Leave it to Simon Peter to speak what the other disciples were thinking. Peter took Jesus aside and said, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” Peter spoke harshly to Jesus.
Has anyone ever said something to you that reminded you of someone else, or of another experience? When Peter rebuked Jesus, Jesus heard the voice of the tempter. trying to temp Jesus as he had done in the desert at the start of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block for me.” Ironic that Peter the Rock was also a stumbling stone for Jesus.
Do we help or hinder God’s work?
Heavenly Father, through your inspiration, may I do more to help than hinder your work. In Jesus Name, Amen.
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