Will My Eyes Let Me Hear Today?

Mark 6:1-6 

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place,
accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.

I read these lines and a couple things pop into my head. First there have been times in my life where I have tried to share things or thoughts and I was refused, because of who I was or how I was known (unknown). It is a true moment of heartbreak, you see things "out of place" and you know how to help, but your help is swept aside. I try to grapple with better words or examples, but no matter what I did it made no matter. The only thing that you can do is to just keep on loving. I realize that maybe I wasn't the right messenger at the time or that perhaps my job was to plant a seed for then next person to reap. What really strikes me about these lines though are the times where I refused to listen because of preconcieved notions. I refused to listen because of who or where the message was coming from. "How can I listen to _______, when they are a bigger sinner than myself", I have said to myself too many times. I forget at times that God is always speaking to me. Through events and others God's love is always trying to reach my ears so that I may live a better life, but am I listening. I have come to realize that listening is also loving, and that I can't often receive love if I don't open my heart and listen.

Jesus, 

We all want to talk to be heard, but so many times I don't shut up and listen when I need to. Help me to shut up today. Help me to help myself by listening and letting your love and the love of others flow into me. Help me to feel, see and here you through all that is to happen to me today. Your words are more precious than any other thing I could receive in life. Help me to see the golden gifts you have in store for me today on my path. I love you Jesus. I want to love like you do. Thank you.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen

Loss of a Child

2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14B, 24-25A, 30–19:3

Absalom unexpectedly came up against David's servants.
He was mounted on a mule,
and, as the mule passed under the branches of a large terebinth,
his hair caught fast in the tree.
He hung between heaven and earth
while the mule he had been riding ran off.
Someone saw this and reported to Joab
that he had seen Absalom hanging from a terebinth.
And taking three pikes in hand,
he thrust for the heart of Absalom,
still hanging from the tree alive.

Now David was sitting between the two gates,
and a lookout went up to the roof of the gate above the city wall,
where he looked about and saw a man running all alone.
The lookout shouted to inform the king, who said,
"If he is alone, he has good news to report."
The king said, "Step aside and remain in attendance here."
So he stepped aside and remained there.
When the Cushite messenger came in, he said,
"Let my lord the king receive the good news
that this day the LORD has taken your part,
freeing you from the grasp of all who rebelled against you."
But the king asked the Cushite, "Is young Absalom safe?"
The Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king
and all who rebel against you with evil intent
be as that young man!"

The king was shaken,
and went up to the room over the city gate to weep.
He said as he wept,
"My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom!
If only I had died instead of you,
Absalom, my son, my son!"

Joab was told that the king was weeping and mourning for Absalom;
and that day's victory was turned into mourning for the whole army
when they heard that the king was grieving for his son.

There is nothing worse than the loss of a child. I am a father of six, and just the other day I was watching a fictional film where a father lost one of his children. The idea of loosing one of mine immediately ran through my head and tears began rolling down my cheek. I don't consider myself a weak man, I consider thought of a loss such as that so great. I hope and pray that I never have to see any of my children pass away. I want them to live long and fruitful lives. Reflecting on these lines though, I have to realize that I am a child myself as you. I am a child of God. God is our father and he loves us all dearly as a perfect father. Seeing us in pain or dying in sin brings him great suffering. I don't think I ever really thought about that till just now. I get so wrapped up in my own will, desires and ego that I often forget the love of my Father in Heaven. So as I go out today I will try and love as God does. I will try and teach as God does in hopes that I will get to see my children in heaven after we are both gone off this earth.

Jesus,

I don't always appreciate and respect that I am a child of God. I am sorry. Help me to be more mindful of who I am and my place in this world. Help me to treasure each moment as the gift that it is. Help me to share my knowledge of everyone's preciousness in this world. Maybe if we all new just how loved and special we all are we would do a better making better of our time here. Help me to make the most of this life. I love you Jesus. Thank you.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen

Been Pelted With Rocks Lately?

2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13

An informant came to David with the report,
"The children of Israel have transferred their loyalty to Absalom."
At this, David said to all his servants
who were with him in Jerusalem:
"Up! Let us take flight, or none of us will escape from Absalom.
Leave quickly, lest he hurry and overtake us,
then visit disaster upon us and put the city to the sword."

As David went up the Mount of Olives, he wept without ceasing.
His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot.
All those who were with him also had their heads covered
and were weeping as they went.

As David was approaching Bahurim,
a man named Shimei, the son of Gera
of the same clan as Saul's family,
was coming out of the place, cursing as he came.
He threw stones at David and at all the king's officers,
even though all the soldiers, including the royal guard,
were on David's right and on his left.
Shimei was saying as he cursed:
"Away, away, you murderous and wicked man!
The LORD has requited you for all the bloodshed in the family of Saul,
in whose stead you became king,
and the LORD has given over the kingdom to your son Absalom.
And now you suffer ruin because you are a murderer."
Abishai, son of Zeruiah, said to the king:
"Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?
Let me go over, please, and lop off his head."
But the king replied: "What business is it of mine or of yours,
sons of Zeruiah, that he curses?
Suppose the LORD has told him to curse David;
who then will dare to say, 'Why are you doing this?'"
Then the king said to Abishai and to all his servants:
"If my own son, who came forth from my loins, is seeking my life,
how much more might this Benjaminite do so?
Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.
Perhaps the LORD will look upon my affliction
and make it up to me with benefits
for the curses he is uttering this day."
David and his men continued on the road,
while Shimei kept abreast of them on the hillside,
all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went.

As I read these lines a thought comes to mind. Recently in my study I came across the idea that everything that happens to you in life is a gift from God. God either purposely puts things in your path or allows things to happen to you for a greater good. I will admit that these are words that I could have used much earlier in my life. Many times on my journey I have had bad things happen. Many times I have chucked it up to bad luck, but I know now there is no such thing. I move forward in my days now trying to see "gifts" for what they are. 

Getting stuck behind that slow car in traffic, that's a gift?

Getting conked on the head at work, that's a gift?

My 2 year old ruining something I was working on, that's a gift?

God works in mysterious ways and he does all out of love. Often when I ponder events I see the wisdom. Other times I have to just keep praying, but when I take the time to try and find the love in what God has blessed me with I become a wiser, stronger and a more patient person.

Jesus,

I don't always understand your ways. I am a very opinionated man. Please forgive me and help me to love today. I am sure that you are going to throw things at me and I will have no clue why. Help me to see your genius in them. Help me to share that blessing with others. Help me to love. This world is in such dire need of love right now. I love you Jesus, thank you for another day.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen

Would You Chase After Someone Who Hurts You?

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Moses spoke to all the people, saying:
"A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin;
to him you shall listen.
This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb
on the day of the assembly, when you said,
'Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God,
nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.'
And the LORD said to me, 'This was well said.
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin,
and will put my words into his mouth;
he shall tell them all that I command him.
Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name,
I myself will make him answer for it.
But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name
an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak,
or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.'"

When I read these lines it just blows me away that God loves us so much. I mean, look at the world. We mess up so much stuff and love so little yet God keeps sending people to us so that we may turn off our path of self-destruction and start loving each other and Him as we should. Ever have a friend that stabbed you in the back? You used to be such great friends, but then they hurt you so bad you couldn't stand to be around them? Did you ever go back to them and try to repair the friendship? What if they kept hurting you over and over again? Could you still try and reach out to them. I am blessed with 6 children. I can't think of anything that they would do that would make me walk away from them, and I have gone pretty far down the dark "what if" hole. I guess that is how God is. Though is seems many don't connect with that idea. Most see God as a guy saying, "Nope sorry you can't do that, cause I said so and I don't want you to have any fun." I realize now that God says no because He loves me. Reading these lines I think about how I should never give up on anyone. Everyone is a brother or sister. I should love to no end towards everyone.

Jesus,

There are a lot of messed up people in this world. I know because I am one of them. I don't love the way that I should. I see most people as just passing by, unimportant. Help me to see the beauty in each person. Help me to love like you do. Help me to bring love and peace in this world. I know I can't save the world, that's your job, but I want to help if I can. I see how beautiful you are and how you put some of you in each and everyone of us. Help us to respect each other. Help us to commune with you and your Church. Help us all to love. It would do the world some good for sure. I love you Jesus, you are my hero. Thank you.

In Jesus Christ's name,

Amen

A Little Thing Can Go BOOM!

Mark 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”

He said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

This is one of those readings that just makes me smile. Often I wonder about my place in this world. I know that I am so amazingly blessed. Do I really make the most of all that God has given me? I am sure that I have missed out here and there, but I try and not focus on that so much. I worry about what is in front of me right now. When I feel my mind straying into sinful thoughts, I quickly refocus and move forward. Thing is most of us have no real idea of how much of an impact we have on this world. Most of us are like George Bailey from "It's a Wonderful Life". When I feel self-doubt I just keep going the best I know. I try my best to hear Jesus speaking to me.  For I know that the good seeds that I plant can grow mighty, but also so too the evil. 

Jesus, 

I am so grateful for the sacrifice that you surrendered to. I am not worthy of your gifts, but I gladly accept them because I know that I need them. Help me to not worry about today. Help me to just do the next thing the right way. Not just for myself but for others to spread love in this world like you do. I want your light in my heart today and everyday so that I can see the path well and be a light to guide others to you because you are so very awesome.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen

Dragging My Feet

Mark 16:15-18

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
"Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

This would probably be one of those moments when I would have lost it. I imagine myself as one of the Apostles, seeing my teacher arrested, tortured and crucified, knowing that I may very well be next. I would have been like the Apostles and would have been in hiding trying to figure out what to do next. I would have probably passed out when Jesus arrived in my midst. But what about today? Jesus says to go out and to proclaim the Gospel, do I do that? Sometimes I do, many times it is hard, mostly because of what I think will happen in my head. My faith lacks because I have never tried to drive out demons except when I presume their presence around me. Have I spoke in tongues or tried to learn a new language to share the Gospel? No, and I will freely admit that my reaction to seeing a snake is to grab a shovel or hoe to put them out of existence, not to grab and hold them. I haven't tried drinking poison or laid hands on anyone sick. 

Why, perhaps opportunity, but more than likely lack of faith. I live is such a scientific world that when one of my children are sick I don't even think about laying hands on them let alone try to lay hands on a stranger. I read these lines and find myself much in the world of today. I want to be in Jesus' world. I want to go home to heaven. Reading these lines I see that me and Jesus got a lot of work to do together.

Jesus,

I love you, but for some reason I don't fully trust you, or rather, I don't trust my faith in you. Heal me please. Help me to see that you are with me. I have seen so many glorious things that you have done in my presence. I know you exist. I know that you are the Son of God. I love the Father and the Spirit and you with all my heart. I work daily to love my neighbor as myself. Please give me the courage and the faith to be the man that you know I can be. Thank you Jesus for another beautiful day. Help me make it count.

Jesus, Can You Pump Up the Volume?

Mark 4:1-20

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him 
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables, 
and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, 
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. 
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it 
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."

And when he was alone, 
those present along with the Twelve 
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them, 
"The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that
they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven."

Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once 
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, 
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, 
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word, 
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, 
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, 
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

I cannot tell you how many times I have read these lines. It is a classic story and today I ask, "What does this mean to me?" I am each of the four seeds described here on different days, actually, sometimes I can be each of the 4 types of seeds in one day. Some days are just better than others. But today  this jumps out at me...

Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?

I read plenty, and I go to church often, but do I really listen? Do I take the time to build a relationship with Jesus. I mean, each of my friends comes from a different walk of life and I have seen strangers meet some of my friends and come away with odd impressions of them because they don't know them. I have to admit that it's hard for me to understand Jesus sometimes because I don't spend enough time with him. When I spend time with God I begin to understand his ways and can see his point of view. Do I always like it? No, but that is usually because I haven't taken the time to understand him and what he is trying to say. 

Jesus, 

I am not perfect. You know that but I don't admit it to myself often enough. I want to know that I am imperfect so that I can see my short falls and become better for you, your church and me. I don't always hear what you are trying to say because I don't listen very well. Please teach me to listen better. I love you. I love your lessons. I want to learn and share so that there can be more peace and happiness in the world.  Thanks a bunch Jesus.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,
Amen