Lent - Day 11: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

Now when Jesus saw the crowds,

He went up on a mountainside and sat down.

His disciples came to him, and He began to teach them.

Blessed are the poor in spirit

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3

The Beatitudes are eight blessings that Jesus taught His disciples while gathered on a hillside surrounded by crowds of people.  There are many different interpretations of what each blessing means.  I am going to tell you what they mean to me and encourage you to study each for yourself.

Matthew’s first blessing is for the “poor in spirit.”  I want to point out that Luke’s account of this teaching moment (Luke 6:20-26) is very different from Matthew’s: there are only four blessings, along with four woes, and he leaves off the “in spirit” of the first beatitude, proclaiming simply, Blessed are the poor..

I believe that someone who is “poor in spirit” is an individual who recognizes their own sinfulness, their inability to save themselves, and their need of a Savior.  I am not surprised that the first issue that Jesus tackles is our need to lay down the reins of self-control and place our lives solely in the hands of our Redeemer.

 

 

Lent - Day 10: Memories

The memory of the righteous will be a blessing...

Proverbs 10:7

It was on Facebook, while perusing my high school alumni photos, that I came across the above photo as I scrolled down the listings. It stopped me in my tracks. I would know this structure anywhere!  This is the old Phoenix Central Seventh-day Adventist Church - the church home of my childhood.  Sitting at the corner of Ninth Street and Garfield, this grand old lady looks better today than she did back when I raced down the hall in the basement to reach my Sabbath School room. 

Central Church was where I sang songs, listened to stories, and placed stick figures of Bible characters in the sand box.  It was where I was baptized, where I learned about Jesus, where I sang my first church solo at 2 1/2 years old, where I joined my first choir, and where I accompanied my first Messiah rehearsal.  So many memories are packed into that small structure. How wonderful it was to run across this picture and be reminded of the very beginning of my walk with the Lord.

I invite you to take a few moments today to think about the first steps of your journey with Jesus.  Was it as a child?  A youth?  An adult?  What are your memories?

Precious memories, how they linger
How they ever flood my soul
In the stillness, of the midnight
Precious sacred scenes unfold

 

Lent - Day 9: Losing Sheep

 

Suppose you had a hundred sheep and lost one.

 Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the pasture

and go after the lost one until you found it? 

When found, you can be sure that you would put it

across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home,

call in your friends and neighbors saying, “Celebrate with me! 

 I have found my lost sheep.”

Luke 15:3-6 

This parable had a lot of “punch” with Jesus’ listeners, because Israel at that time was an agrarian society.  His audience instantly identified with the story of a lost sheep.  The animals were a source of meat, clothing, and money—very important to a family’s survival. 

Losing one animal also hits very close to home for many of us. Whether it is a dog, a cat, or a bird – our pets become members of our family and beloved companions  I have owned many dogs and cats over the years, and am well acquainted with the feeling of panic when a pet is lost, and the euphoria when it is found safe and sound. 

In this parable, Jesus was illustrating for His listeners the value that God places on each human life.  We are His children, and He loves us individually and unconditionally.  You are His child, today and forever.

The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell.

It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell.

 

Lent - Day 8: Lamb of God

 

Behold, the Lamb of God,

Which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 1:29

As a child, Twila Paris released her first album, entitled Little Twila Paris, in 1965 when she was seven years old.  The album included songs drawn from those she sang with her family in their evangelistic meetings.

As an adult, Paris released her first full-length album in 1981, and four years later, wrote Lamb of God while sitting at the piano in her parents’ living room.  Twila Paris has had a highly successful singing career, written and published children’s music, and created wonderful hymns and worship songs.

In the early 90’s, when my husband was in seminary in Michigan, Twila Paris came to the university campus to give a concert.  Students and their families were given free tickets, and I’m not sure who was more thrilled – my children or me. As we left the gymnasium after the concert, my family all agreed that their hands-down favorite song was, Lamb of God.

 

Lamb of God - Twila Paris

 

Lent - Day 7: Come In!

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,

I will come in and dine with them,and they with Me.

Revelation 3:20 

We have a tradition in our family which dates back to when my kids were in early elementary school. We were always relatively poor during those years, and rarely had money to spend on entertainment or dining out.  But when something special occurred in the life of one of my girls, we would celebrate by pooling our pennies and going out to eat.  It might have been just Taco Bell, but it was a time for family to gather together over a celebratory meal.  That tradition continues today, even though my children are miles away.  They will call with their latest triumph and I will say, “Fantastic!  We need to go out to eat!” 

The Apostle John presents a beautiful picture of Jesus standing at the door of our hearts – our lives – knocking for entrance.  That thought alone is enough to warm my heart, but the text does not stop there.  Jesus has a purpose for knocking.  He wants to join us for a meal - to gather at a common table and eat with us in fellowship, celebration and love. 

Into my heart, into my heart,

come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Come in today, come in to stay,

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

 

 

Lent - Day 6: My Father's House

 

To those who sold the doves He said,

“Get these out of here!  How dare you turn

My Father’s house into a market!”

John 2:16

Our first pastorate after my husband finished seminary landed us in the beautiful town of LaPorte, Indiana.  The warm and friendly congregation took great pride in their church, and taught their children that it was the house of God, not just another building.  Our pastoral team worked hard to make each gathering an inspirational moment.

When Jesus returned from his time in the desert, he joined His mother and family in Capernaum and attended a wedding at Cana, where He turned water into wine.  After leaving that celebration, Jesus and the disciples went to Jerusalem and stopped by the Temple. Expecting to hear the sounds of music, prayers and praise, their eyes, ears and noses were assaulted by the sounds and smells of an animal market, and the shrewd trading of the money changers.

Jesus made a whip of cords to drive out the animals, then overturned the tables of the money mongers, proclaiming to all: “It is written:  My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers!” [Luke 19:45-46]

Familiarity often breeds carelessness. Whether it’s a Tuesday, a Friday or a Sunday, it matters a great deal to God how we treat His house.

Lent - Day 5: My Faith Looks Up to Thee

 

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfecter of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2

In 1832, Lowell Mason, well-known musician, hymn publisher and advocate for music education in public schools, bumped into Ray Palmer, a 24-year-old man who was burning the candle at both ends – holding down a regular job during the day, attending classes at Yale, occasionally teaching at a girl’s school, and trying to prepare for the ministry. 

Mason was looking for hymns for his latest project.  Palmer happened to have in his journal a copy of a poem he had written two years earlier.  Mason was so taken with the verses, he borrowed a sheet of paper, wrote down the words, then hurried home to his studio where he hammered out the perfect tune.  And thus, My Faith Looks Up to Thee was born.

 

My Faith Looks Up to Thee

Islington Baptist Church