FRIDAY OF EASTER 7
Num 20:1-21; Luke 20:19-44

We get no response from Moses when YHWH informs him, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them" (Num 20:12).

We have to go to Deuteronomy for Moses' emotional response and YHWH's tough love: "And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, 'O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.' But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the Lord said to me, 'Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of his people, and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see'" (Deut 3:23-28).

Luther comments on this passage: "But why is the prayer of Moses not heard, since it is likely that he prayed in the Spirit? This is written for our example and consolation. For even though the Lord does not hear him and this causes Moses to realize that He is angry with him; nevertheless, He does not desert him. He commands him to climb the mountain and view the land, and to give orders to Joshua. So, since we do not know in what manner we should pray (Rom 8:26), let us not be surprised if we are not heard. At the same time, however, let us in no wise doubt that we are favored by, and dear to, God, and let us grasp at the favor beneath the wrath, lest we lose heart."


All of us will experience the earthly consequences of sin - "The wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23a). "But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus" (Rom 6:23b) - Like Moses, this consequence does not mean that God abandons us. Grasp at the resurrection beyond our death.

THURSDAY OF EASTER 7
Num 16:41-17:13; Luke 20:1-18

"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!"


The chief priests, scribes, and elders today display their disingenuousness, refusing to preach what they practice. Jesus only plays with genuineness. The preaching and the practice ought to equal.


As we push toward Pentecost this Sunday, I am thankful for what Jesus does when he comes into his temple and for what his Spirit does when he comes into our temples. It hurts a little at first, but it is for our good. Jesus turns over tables and hollers, "My house shall be a house of prayer, not a den of robbers." I think of all the times my own heart has been a disingenuous den of robbers rather than a heartfelt house of prayer. How many days do I determine to work only by the sweat of my brow rather than by the Word of God's mouth and the Breath of his Spirit? Thank you to all of you for reading the Bible devotionally with me, making room for the King to clean out our hearts daily, making room for his Spirit to soar.


"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!"

WEDNESDAY OF EASTER 7
Num 16:23-40; Luke 19:29-48

YHWH God,
When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram trespassed your boundaries,
The ground opened its mouth & swallowed them up.
When your son road into Jerusalem,
If the disciples had been silent,
The stones would have cried out.

As Aaron took incense into the assembly,
Making atonement for the people,
As Jesus road into Jerusalem,
Making atonement for us,
Send your Holy Spirit into our midst,
That we may praise you with a loud voice today,
That the stones may remain silent
And the ground remain shut.

"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Amen.

TUESDAY OF EASTER 7
Num 16:1-22; Luke 19:11-28

In the Old Testament lesson today, Moses warns, "You have gone too far."
In the New Testament lesson today, Jesus warns, "You haven't gone far enough."

In Numbers 14, the Israelites had a fear of heights. The tall Nephilim overshadowed their trust in YHWH, inducing again a desire to return to Egypt. Thanks again to Moses' intercession, YHWH pardons the eternal consequence of this sin, but there is still a VERY hard temporal penalty to pay:

"Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, who you said would become prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure (Num 14:29-34).

Instead of resigning to YHWH's restriction, the Israelites resolved to right their wrong by attacking the Amalekites and Canaanites without God, paying another penalty (14:39-45). They had "gone too far."

Today, Korah goes too far, coveting the priesthood God has not given him. Our reading today cuts us just short of Korah's consequences.

On the other hand, Jesus' parable of the ten minas warns about not going far enough. I remember studying the parallel parable in Matthew 25:14-30 in our Disciplined Disciples Sunday School class where we outlined 4 steps of God's stewards:

1. Receive Gratefully
2. Manage Responsibly
3. Share Generously
4. Return Joyfully with Increase

Let us resign not to go where God has not commanded.

Where God has commanded us to go, let us resolve to go all the way - all 4 steps.

MONDAY OF EASTER 7
Num 14:1-25; Luke 18:18-34

It is a pleasure to read the lectionary with you on a daily basis. I especially enjoy reading the books of the Bible as a whole, seeing them in their contexts.

I enjoyed reading the nameless Rich Young Ruler in Luke 18 yesterday back-to-back with Zacchaeus in Luke 19 today. Jesus says to the former, "Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me." But when the Rich Young Ruler heard this, "He became very sad, for he was extremely rich." Jesus says to the latter, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." And when Zacchaeus heard this, "He hurried and came down and received him joyfully." Without being asked in chapter 19, Zacchaeus does what Jesus suggests in chapter 18: "Behold, Lord, the half of my good I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."

Jesus answers, "Today salvation has come to this house."

HOW HOLISTIC!

A friend of mine in the PhD program at Concordia Seminary, Chad Lakies, wrote an article recently about a group of reflective Christians called "Emergents," who are helping the Christian church think and act more holistically. The following is from Chad's article, "The End of Theology? The Emergent Church in Lutheran Perspective," Concordia Journal 38 (Spring 2012): 120–21:

Emergents are concerned that the church "embody" its own tradition. To embody a tradition means that saying "I believe in the resurrection," is not simply communicating a proposition which one holds to be true. Emergents rightfully sense that there should be something more here. For emergents, believing in the resurrection means, for example, responding positively to the person asking for money who lives in the cardboard box and pushes the grocery cart full of his or her only possessions around the neighborhood (that could mean anything from giving money as one passes by to assisting in some way for the purpose of helping the person get off the street). For emergents, not doing so is tantamount to denying the resurrection. ... Believing in the resurrection as a Christian means living one's life in light of the reality of the resurrection.

SUNDAY OF EASTER 7
Num 14:1-25; Luke 18:18-34

Thanksgiving to Vicki, Ellen, Andy, Duane, & Joyce for authoring our Lectio Divina Blog this Eastertide. It is a joy to be in daily fellowship around and maturation through God's Word with all of you!

The readings today speak to nurturing a hunger that creates an empty space where God and only God is expected to fill in the blank. This empty space is the temple in which God dwells in our lives. But this temple becomes desecrated when it is filled by us with something other than God's Spirit and will.

Joshua and Caleb hunger and thirst for righteousness, expecting God to fill them with milk and honey, never mind the Nephilim standing in their way.

The Rich Young Ruler, while awesome at keeping the commandments, has Nephilim standing in his way, too. Ironically, his Nephilim turn out to be his own riches, reducing him to a grasshopper.

Take to heart Jesus' contrasts in the Sermon on the Plain and create space for God:

• Blessed are you who are poor now, for yours is the kingdom of God (6:21).
• Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied (6:22).
• Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation (6:24).
• Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry (6:25).

Easter 6 Saturday

Numbers 13:1-33

Luke 18:1-17

Pride will get me in trouble every time. It is foolish pride when I am cocky about my righteousness (like today’s Pharisee who uses his prayer to brag). It’s also foolish pride when I’m so sure of my own wisdom that I act without regard for God’s will and without acknowledging His promises (like today’s OT spies). God commended Moses for his humility, and we would do well to imitate him.

Look at Numbers 13:2 and notice the promise “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.” The Israelites had already witnessed God do the impossible by freeing them from slavery and delivering them out of Egypt as a mighty army with gold and silver in their pockets. The people had the constant sign of God’s presence among them in the cloud and the fire.  Was there any reason to doubt God’s promise? We have the sign of Jesus on the cross. Is there any reason to doubt God's love for us?

But when the spies go on their mission to see the richness of the land, they also see the obstacles that God will have to overcome before the land will be theirs.  In pride, they think it is the men of Israel who are going to accomplish this great thing. In a moment of panic, the Israelites analyze their abilities, and decide it can’t be done. Don’t embarrass yourself by taking on something that will make you look foolish, right? Protect your dignity and your pride. Don’t be humiliated. It sounded logical in their ears, but it wasn’t the right way of thinking, because God had already promised the land to His people, and He fully intended to keep the promise, with or without them.

I’m really convicted by this portion of scripture. In our NT lesson today Jesus says, “Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice and quickly!” (Luke 18:7).  Shortly after, in verse 16, He commands the disciples not to hinder the little children from coming to Him. I think about our ministry at Trinity and that commandment, and then I realize that I have not been earnest in prayer for those children.

Do we believe God wants the children of Fremont to come to faith? Yes! Has He blessed Trinity's Early Childhood Center, School, and Youth program? Again, yes! And yet, we sometimes talk of cutting back because of the building and operating debt. We get scared, just like the spies who saw giants living in the Promised Land. I personally haven’t been begging God, night and day, for help to eliminate the debt. I haven't prayed earnestly for the huge number of children perishing in our community because their families don't know the grace of Jesus. My faith has been weak and self-serving too. And the result of such foolish pride and paralyzing fear is that ministry is delayed. For the Israelites, it delayed their entrance into the Promised Land for another 38 years. Today I will pray for our ministry and for the courage to obey His command and to trust His promises.

 

Easter 6 Friday

Numbers 11:24- 12:16

Luke 17:20-37

Years ago, Pastor Levenhagen asked a Bible class if they would prefer God close up or far away. Most in the class thought close up was better, but I wonder if Miriam and Aaron felt that way in our OT lesson today? I suspect they would have preferred a little more distance.

It’s amazing to me that the nation of Israel has just been punished severely for complaining about food, and yet Miriam and Aaron have no fear of talking against Moses. They are obviously feeling like God isn’t giving them enough attention! Boy does He pay attention to them in verses 4-9. He calls them out to the tent of meeting where He stands at the entrance and summons Aaron and Miriam forward. Like naughty child facing the principal, they must have been terrified. God does not mince words as He announces His approval of Moses and his anger with them. As He departs, Miriam is discovered to have leprosy.

I wondered at first why only Miriam was afflicted. Maybe she was the one who was most guilty. She had no right to expect more; she already had an exalted position in the community, especially for a woman. Perhaps taking her away was severe punishment for Aaron too. Perhaps it was also that Aaron, as a fairly new high priest, would not be allowed to continue his priestly duties if he were also leprous. For whatever reason, God afflicts only Miriam, and in His great love for Moses and in His great mercy for His people, God allows Miriam to suffer outside the camp for only one week.

Notice how simply the story ends. “After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran.” God had a greater plan, and this foolishness would not distract Him.

There’s one more thing. Notice the comment in Numbers 12:3 that Moses was more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. Moses wrote these books, probably after becoming literate in Egypt at Pharoah's palace. These aren’t words which Moses would have written. As the high priest and the person responsible for the care of the Torah, Aaron seems most likely to have had the access and the audacity to make edits. Placing this comment in the middle of this story would seem to indicate that Aaron and Miriam learned their lesson well.

In the NT reading, the Pharisees seem to desire the kingdom of God to come close, but they don’t even recognize His presence among them. I think I also often neglect to notice God’s presence or to worship my Lord as I ought. In His mercy, God has a greater plan for us. He knows all of His children now. He knows our weakness and our faults. He tests us, sometimes sending hardship as discipline. But He punished Jesus instead of us. How I yearn for the day when paradise will be restored.... when the Lord will draw all of His redeemed children close to Him and we will feel no fear.

Easter 6 Thursday, Ascension Day

Numbers 11: 1-35

Luke 17:1-19

Most often the pictures of Jesus’ ascension are rather grand, with the Lord in white robes rising into a beautiful sky with golden rays all around. I think, though, the disciples below must have felt like I did when I lost my second parent.  I mourned the loss of my father of course, but I also felt the overwhelming responsibility to manage my world without his advice and presence. Our readings don’t cover the ascension today, but both Moses in the OT and the disciples in the NT seem overwhelmed by the weight of their ministry. 

In Numbers, the children of Israel are overwhelmed with homesickness.  They are remembering fish and fresh produce that was on their tables in Egypt and they are bored with the manna. In vs. 10, it says Moses heard the voice of every family wailing. Whoever started the pity party really got the whole community riled. Asking for meat was one thing, but wailing about their misery, as though God didn't care, was purely selfish and short-sighted.

God became angry. Moses became  irritable and depressed under the weight of that anger and cried out “Where can I get meat for all these people?  …If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me…” Before God gives the people the quail they desired, he first strengthens Moses with the aid of  70 elders who come to Moses and share the burden of the power of the Spirit (that could make quite a good study all by itself). Having comforted His servant Moses, God then gives quail to the people. The quail came in huge quantities, but while the people feasted, a plague struck, causimg many deaths.  God is generous, but He also rightfully expects thankful hearts .

In Luke, Jesus challenged the disciples with a warning to be careful not to cause those who are weak to stumble in their faith; he commanded near constant forgiveness if the sinner has repented. The disciples are overwhelmed by the responsibility for protecting faith and the challenge to love the unloveable.  They beg for enough faith to cope.  Jesus reassures them that the faith He has instilled in them is adequate to the task. But then He goes on to urge them to remember that any master expects his servants to work all day and then serve supper to the family before they sit down to their own meal, and to do it respectfully saying “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” The disciples were to find their strength in the proper attitude of service. The final story of the ten lepers is a perfect balance to the ungratefulness found in OT reading.

So as we await our Savior’s return, we also feel overwhelmed at times. We want to complain about our little troubles without remembering the bounty of care God has given us, especially in redeeming us from our sin by His own death. In fact, we, the faithful, are called to support our pastors (and our entire staff) when their burdens of ministry get too heavy for them. Whether it's blogging for a week, scraping windows at the ECC, helping with the school auction, or whatever else, we are all called to serve.  We want to think that we can’t possibly do all the work the God lays before us, but the Holy Spirit has filled us with faith that enables us to do amazing things. As servants, our work goes on. How can we help but be thankful for all the gifts, including the work assigned to us, which we receive from the hand of God. When He returns we will rest, but for now, it’s time to get back to work!

Easter 6 Wednesday

Numbers 10:116

Luke 16:19-31

In-between seems to define our readings today. As the children of Israel begin their travels they are in-between Egypt and the Promised Land; between their past and their future; between a life of slavery and a life of freedom. But for this day, life will be marching out in precise order at the Lord’s command.

In Luke, the string of Jesus' stories continues with the unique tale of the Rich Man and Lazarus. A little online research indicated that some believe this story to be a true account of real people rather than a parable of fictional characters. Whatever it is, it seems that Jesus clearly wants us to understand something about the time after death.  

I’ve struggled with this story. I want to understand what the in-between time will be like. In other parts of scripture, death is equated with being asleep until the righteous are awakened when Christ returns (1 Thess. 4: 13-18, 1 Cor. 15). On the other hand, Rev. 20:11-15 makes reference to Hades “giving up the dead” so that each person could finally be judged. But in our story today, Jesus himself tells us that Lazarus is at Abraham’s side and the rich man is in Hades. Lazarus isn’t necessarily awake, but he is certainly being tended. The rich man is very conscious of his fate and suffering. Does this mean that those who die without faith know no peace at all? I’d love to hear what Pastor Coe has to say about this.

Maybe I’m trying to take more from the story than Jesus intended. Perhaps we should simply recognize that there is a huge difference in the fates of those who die in faith and those who do not. There is a huge chasm that can no longer be crossed from either direction after death. And apparently, even in this life, the chasm that separates the faithful from the unsaved is pretty wide, since Jesus points out that the rich man’s brothers won’t believe even if someone returns from the dead. That’s a pretty direct prediction that many of the Jews at that time would not accept the truth even after Jesus’ resurrection. Their hearts had hardened and they would not change.

So now we’re back to the in-between time that we live in. Like the children of Israel, the future isn’t perfectly clear to us. We might like to know more about the time after our death and before Christ returns, but God only gives hints.  He tells us clearly that the faithful are safe. Like the children of Israel, the church today also has its marching orders: Matt 28:19-20, “Go and make disciples of all nations…” When God tells us to rest, we will. On that last great day, everything will be clear to us and every promise of God will be kept. And in the meantime, in-between time, God only knows for sure.

Easter 6 Tuesday

Trust and Follow

Easter 6 Tuesday

Numbers 9:1-23

Luke 16:1-18

What a year it has been for the children of Israel.  Precisely one year after leaving Egypt, they now celebrate the Passover. The ground rules have been established. The tabernacle has been constructed. The priests and Levites have begun to master their tasks. And now it is time to move toward their goal of the Promised Land. When the cloud lifts over the tent, the Israelites are to set out. When it settles back down, they are to camp. Did they walk through the night? How did the little ones cope with that? Did they prefer making progress or was it easier sitting still in the desert?

It’s easy to wish that God would show us what to do today.  I wish I remember who once said, “He does show us what to do! Read the Book!” It’s pretty good advice to study scripture, but following that cloud had to have been pretty awesome.  

We also read a parable today about the Shrewd Manager. It sounds like Jesus is praising him, but I think the key to the story is in the closing verses of the story “The Pharisees, who love money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.’” Luke 16:14-15.

Jesus recognizes that evil men are clever in order to succeed in their earthly kingdom. But it isn’t necessarily good. Note vs. 11 “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” In other words, the worldly rich never really achieve the riches they could have had if they had been utterly trustworthy in everything and thus received the riches of God. A trustworthy poor man is richer and more secure than this shrewd manager.

What is utter trustworthiness? It includes recognizing that our earthly wealth isn’t ours and that we are only managers. It would mean honest dealings in the tiniest detail. It would mean being a disciplined disciple. It would mean being a steward. But it also would have meant watching the cloud to know when it was time to move, even if you didn’t feel like moving that day. It would mean trusting God and recognizing that being trustworthy is the best and wisest course, even though a shrewd maneuver might bring temporary reward.

Easter 6 Monday

Choices

Numbers 8:5-26

Luke 15:11-32

The role of choice seems to be under the microscope. In the OT reading, the Levites are set apart for the Lord in a ceremony that is very similar to the consecration of Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. In the NT reading the familiar story of the Parable Son is another in response to the complaint that Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them (15:2). In the first there is no choice. In the second choice is allowed.

In Numbers, I found several verses to highlight.

·         Vs. 19 says “I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary”.

o    The Levites serve the Lord, but they are a gift and report to Aaron. There’s a definite administrative structure here.

o    They work on behalf of the rest of the nation sparing the redeemed firstborn.

o    Their service protects the nation from disaster. My commentary mentions the sin of trespassing. Perhaps the Levites served as a sort of separation or human curtain (similar to the fabric curtain in the Holy Place or later in the temple).  This must have been especially important when the nation was on the move in the wilderness and in camp. Trying to get a peek at the ark could truly result in death.

·         Vv. 24-5 says “This applies to the Levites: Men 25 years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting but at the age of 50, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.”  

o    My commentary compares this to an earlier verse (Numbers 4:3) where the age range was listed as 30-50, but the writer proposes that the first 5 years were probably a period of apprenticeship.

o    Why only 20 years of service? Perhaps there was a temptation to become careless or less spiritual over time. Maybe the physical work was too much for an older man.

o    There wasn’t any choice for a Levite man. This would be his work and that was determined from the moment he was born. This is the reality of having been set aside by the Lord.

I really see the Levites as a type of Christ here. They served the Lord in place of the redeemed; they sheltered the people from the wrath of God; they spent their life in training; they were born to do their sacred work. They had no apparent choice.

That takes us to the Gospel reading and the son who decided that he did not want to follow in his father’s footsteps. The number counting has grown smaller… not 100 sheep or 10 coins, but just 2 sons. Two who are deeply loved and valued by their father. But this time, when one son voluntarily chooses to become lost, the father allows him to go and even funds his exit.  

·        Why? Is this the free will that God gave us at creation? God doesn’t bind us in service like He did the Levites.  We are free to leave, but even better, we are welcomed to make  repentant return.

·        And exactly who is this story about? God is represented by the Father. The sons could be the Gentiles (who voluntarily left the Lord beginning with Cain) and the Israelites who, by Jesus time, had become quite arrogant just at the time when the church is about to expand dramatically to include the Gentiles once again.  It could also be much more personal, and I might be the child that consciously chose evil but found a Savior in Jesus to welcome me back.

I love this parable. Every time I read it, I’m cautioned by the foolishness of the parable and warmed by the love of the father, and then cautioned again by the hard-heartedness of the older son. This is one parable that isn’t mysterious or distant from my experience. Having just celebrated Mother’s Day, I can’t help but feel the heartbreak of seeing a son reject his family and I understand the complications of his return.  But I also know that a parent wants all of his or her children to be a part of the family and to live in peace.

What role does choice play in my faith? Praise God for the Holy Spirit who encourages me!

Easter 6 Sunday

Counting

Numbers 3:1-48

Luke 14:25-15:10 

The readings today seem to be all about counting. In Numbers the Lord asks Moses to count the Levite males who are one month old or more. Levites are those in the tribe descended from Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob.

 Here are the figures:

                The males in the family of Levi’s son Gershon numbered                  7,500

                The males in the family of Levi’s son Kohath numbered                    8,600

                The males in the family of Levi’s son Merari numbered                     6,200

                Total number of Levite boys over the age of one month   22,000

That’s an improbable even number and a lot of Biblical scholars have apparently discussed the accuracy and meaning of these numbers pretty thoroughly. The whole number thing in Hebrew tradition is mind-boggling. I don’t think that’s what God wants us to think about today.  

But there’s another significant number: the number of all of the first-born sons in the nation of Israel is 22,273 (vs. 43), a number remarkably close to our total above. Each of those first-born sons belonged to the Lord, but rather than take them from their families, the Lord claimed the Levites in their place.    

I’m struck by these numbers. God counted it very closely. Just as He numbers the hairs on our heads, He had carefully calculated these numbers. He knew the cost and difficulty of operating the worship, sacrifices, and care of the tabernacle and He provided the people needed by designating the Levites. He had made a rule about dedicating the first-born, and then He made it possible (by dedicating the Levites) for the rest of the tribes to meet their obligation. His numbers show His attention to the detail of the Law, but also His love in providing a way to satisfy that law.   

Our reading in Luke also refers to counting:

                A man building a house will count the cost (14:28-30).

                A king going to war will compare his troops with the enemy (14:31-33).

                A shepherd counts his 100 sheep and will search if one is missing (15:3-7).

                A woman who loses one coin of her ten, searches to find it (15:8-10).

What ties these short parables together? In the first two, Jesus seems to be saying that we should count before we proceed; that we should not confirm our discipleship of Christ without genuinely studying what that discipleship will cost us- it's the Law. But the second two stories represent God’s love and desire to seek for us when we fail- the Gospel. Just as in Numbers, the Lord pays attention to the details; He loves us intensely and expects a lot from us. But He’s ready to make sure we aren’t overwhelmed. He has counted every possibility and planned a strategy that will always make our discipleship possible.

The Lord never changes. The same Lord who watched over the Israelites also watched over the fledgling New Testament apostles, and He watches over me today. He expects me to be obedient. He counted the cost of dying for my sin and He still went to the cross, so that I could be His child. He now asks that I seek Him in every corner of my life as a good steward of all His gifts.   

Easter 5 Saturday

Lev 26:21-44   Luke 14:1-24

         God told the Israelites that if they hostle toward Him and refused to listen to Him He would correct them.   The correction was to bring the people back to the covenant realishship that He had with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  As sinners living in this world we also need to be corrected so that we can again be brought into the saint relationship.  This is accomplished through the gift He gives us, understanding it is all about Him and not us.

         God chose the children of Israel to be the nation of our Lord’s human entrance into the world on that first Christmas.  Unfortunately some of the chosen nation will not enter in the wedding feast of salvation because the world got in the way.  However He makes it very clear that the invitation is not just for the chosen nation but also for all people.  It is also clear that the individual’s station in life has nothing to do with the invitation.  One of the keys to the invitation is the humble servant way of life not the me, me, me attitude of the world.

Easter 5 Friday

Lev 26:1-20   Luke 13:18-35

          I am the LORD your God sets in place a series of things that He will do for his people if they follow His decrees and obey His commands and what will happen if they do not follow them.  One can ask the question what evidence is there that he can and will do these things?  Is He a God in name only and not active in the world?  All the evidence that is needed is found in verse 13.  He broke the bars of their yoke and enabled them to walk out of Egyptian slavery as a free nation.  It really says a lot about the Israelites and us about how hard headed we are because we just like the Israelites need to be reminded time and time again that He has brought us out of the slavery of sin to a new life in Him.

         All people are born into the slavery of sin.  God because of His love and mercy has provided all people the way out of that slavery just as He provided a way out of Egypt for the Israelites.  All it takes is a mustard seed of faith that the Spirit plants in us for us to receive that special gift.  Given time that mustard seed of faith can grow into something that can and will be the candle on a basket to help others.  The world and its rulers may think that there are many ways to get into His kingdom and even try to stop the church but God tells us that it is through the narrow door of Christ that we have an entrance to the feast.  

Easter 5 Thursday

Lev 24:1-23   Luke 12:54-13:17

         Blasphemy.  What a strong little used word.  Does the word mean anything in our world today or is it a word with only OT meaning?  Although we don’t often use the word to describe the action as found in this lesson the action still happens far to frequently today.  Our world and sometimes even the church is to willing to let some comments slide in the interest of “keeping the peace” than to test them in the light of what Scripture says.  We need to be in the Scriptures so that the Spirit can prepare us to be ready at all times to lovingly respond. 

         Part of our response must be in understanding where in time we are.  We have the preveliage of living after the first Christmas and the resurrection.  We can see so many of the prophecies of the OT filled in the NT we must “go and teach” so that Spirit can bring others to same understanding.  We must be like the caretaker of the vineyard and continue to share the Good News because the Lord says that all must bear fruit or be cut down.