Christmas 2014 Meditation Seven

Ruins of Bethesda (pool near the Sheep Gate)
John 5:1-14

Today we are in Jerusalem for one of my favorite Bible stories. Jesus goes to Jerusalem for a Jewish feast. While in Jerusalem, he passes the pools at Bethesda, where many people go to be healed. John tells us that many sick people were there, but Jesus goes to one particular man that has been sick for thirty-eight years. 

Jesus asks him if he wants to be made well. The man says there is no one to help him and someone else always gets to the water first. Without fanfare, Jesus says to him, "Stand up. Pick up your mat and walk." The man is made well immediately; he picks up his mat and begins to walk. 

What Jesus is really asking the man is, "Do you want to change?" The man's response is typical of us humans, "I can't. There is no one to help me." He doesn't actually answer the question, but gives an excuse for why he can't be healed. He's saying, "I'm here for healing, but I don't actually expect it to happen. My life is not going to change, I'm just going through the motions, doing what is expected of me." Notice he does not say, "Yes! Will you help me into the pool the next time the water starts moving?"

We are at the end of another year; many of us making new year's resolutions. Many of us are looking back on the year and reflecting on how we have succeeded or failed with last year's resolutions. Many of us are finding that we haven't really changed or that we didn't reach the goal we set for ourselves. We are like the man, "I want to change, but I've got a great excuse." Somehow we think it will happen without our participation. We think we can just make it look good and go through the motions, but not actually do anything. Or we think we must do it on our own and don't ask for the help or support that we need to succeed.

But, Jesus is asking each of us, "Do you want to change?" He is standing right next to us saying, "Stand up! Pick up your mat and walk." It is up to each of us to choose how we respond to Jesus' invitation. It is up to us if we will accept His healing. To accept that healing, we must be willing to walk away from what cripples us; fear, sin, pride, whatever it may be. What is your answer? Do you want to change in the new year? Will you let Jesus help you?

Ruins at Bethesda

Christmas 2014 Meditation Six

Jacob's Well
John 4:5-42

Today we are going to Nablus, the Samaritan town where Jesus met a woman at the well. The biblical name for the town is Sychar, Jacob's well is there. Jesus was on his way back from Judea to escape the Pharisees. As he headed back to Galilee he decided to travel through Samaria. He got tired around noon, so he stopped and sat down by the well. There he met a Samaritan woman and had a strange conversation.

According to John, this is the first time that Jesus talks to a person that is not Jewish. And this is no ordinary gentile, this is a woman and a Samaritan. Good Jewish men did not talk to women alone and good Jews didn't talk to any Samaritan. This is a forbidden conversation, but Jesus starts it anyway.

Not only does he talk to this woman, who had five husbands and was living with a man that wasn't his husband, but he offers her the living water. He tells this sinful, Samaritan woman that he is the Messiah! He did not tell Nicodemus, a Pharisee. He didn't tell John the Baptist or his disciples. He told an insignificant outcast!

Standing at the well, reading this story I cried. I cried because I am that woman. I am a sinner. I am insignificant. And at times, I am an outcast. Despite all that, Jesus reveals Himself to me! I come to the well, thirsty everyday. And everyday Jesus meets me there with the living water. He quenches my thirst, forgives me and heals me.

Then after revealing His love and grace, Jesus sends me out to share it with others. Just like the Samaritan woman, I need to go and tell everyone what Jesus has done for me. I must bring them to the well so that they can drink the living water too.

Icon in St. Photini Greek Orthodox Church in Nablus
(Photini means "the enlightened one")

Christmas 2014 Meditation Five

Peter's House in Capernaum
Mark 1:29-31

We are going to Capernaum today. This is where Jesus made his home-base during his ministry. Capernaum was also Peter's hometown. It is a beautiful place on the Sea of Galilee, quite a contrast from the desert in Judea. There is plenty of life here and the sea is filled with good water and plenty of fish.

Jesus spent a lot of time in Capernaum, thus there are many Scripture references to choose from. Each day thus far I have used the stories we read during the pilgrimage but today I'm doing something different. Visiting Peter's house made me think of the story of Jesus healing Peter's mother-in-law. 

It's a short story but powerful. Jesus went straight to Peter's house after teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Upon his arrival the others tell him that Peter's mother-in-law is "in bed with a fever." Jesus immediately goes to her, takes her hand and helps her up. The fever left her and she begins to wait on them.

I'm not sure what attracts me to this story, perhaps it is Jesus' immediate response to the news or perhaps it is Peter's mother-in-law's response to being healed. She just gets up and starts waiting on her guests. There is no fanfare, no wonder, no gratitude; just an acceptance of the gift of healing and going about her daily business.

Sure she waited on Jesus, but she was waiting on everyone. And this was expected; her role was to provide food, water and comfort to her guests. She didn't say, "there is the kitchen, help yourself. I've been ill for days and I'm still weak." Is that a sign that she was back to normal? If so, why didn't she or anyone else take the time to marvel at the quick recovery?

Were the disciples getting so used to the miracles of healing and forgiveness that they didn't think it was special anymore? How do you get used to that? When does it become an everyday occurrence that someone is sick one minute and then healthy the next? How is it that no one noticed the miracle?

Maybe that is the point, miracles happen everyday and we don't notice. We think that getting the job, or raise, our health, finding the lost keys, doing great at the presentation are OUR doing. We forget that we had help, we forget that we asked for these miracles and then we received them. We think we did it all by ourselves. Aren't we great!?

We fail to remember that we need Jesus in our lives. We fail to remember that He is the source of all light and life. When we forget all these things, we forget to take the time to be thankful. We forget to look for the miracles in our life, thus we don't see them. They become ordinary, boring, forgetful moments. Then we wonder where God is in our lives. We ask why hasn't He blessed us.

In those moments, we may lose hope. We forget that our response to those miracles should be to turn around and serve Jesus. Take a minute to look for God in the ordinary moments of your life. How have you responded to those miracles? What are you doing to serve Jesus?

The Sea of Galilee

Christmas 2014 Meditation Four

Judean Desert
Luke 4:1-13

Just like Jesus we are driven to the desert today. Luke calls it the wilderness, but it is not the wilderness many of us think of. I think wilderness and I see trees and animals scurrying around. This wilderness is dry, barren, hilly, and hot. There are no animals scurrying about because there is nothing for them to eat or drink.

This is not the place I would want to hang out for forty days before beginning my ministry. It is beautiful, but not comfortable. The Spirit led Jesus here, the same spirit we call Advocate, Counselor, the giver of life (Nicene Creed). This Great Comforter led Jesus to a place without life, without water, without shelter. God didn't send comfort right away, He let Jesus suffer for forty days; forty days is a long time!

There is no quick, easy comfort. God allowed Jesus to suffer hunger, thirst, pain and temptation. I wonder if Jesus cried out to God in moments of weakness. Did he recite the 23rd Psalm or another Scripture verse for comfort? Did he understand why this was happening? Did Jesus know that he would come out stronger, closer to God, ready to start his ministry? Or did his humanity get in the way and fear overtake him?

Then to add to the pain, the devil shows up and tempts Jesus. Luke tells us that Jesus answered all of the devil's temptations with Scripture. Did Jesus really remember those quotes or was it the Holy Spirit speaking? In one of his weakest moments Jesus finds the words to send the devil away. I'm in awe of that ability; perhaps this is Jesus' divinity shining through.

Maybe that is the message of Jesus' temptation - Jesus is human AND divine. He came on this earth and suffered hunger, thirst, pain and temptation like all of us, BUT he had the strength to send the devil away. Maybe we are to remember this story as a reminder that we need Jesus. Without Jesus we cannot fight the devil. Without Jesus we cannot find the strength, grace or forgiveness that we need to get through the pain of hunger, thirst, pain and temptation.

Standing at the top of the Mount of Temptation, looking down on Jericho and the Dead Sea beyond I was reminded of how small I am and how big God is. I was fortunate to have the "Rock of Temptation" to myself for a few minutes. I prayed that Jesus would take my temptation for me, because I can't handle it myself. I will stand in the desert, lonely and afraid but Jesus has already won the battle for me. He has won the battle for all of us!

Mount of Temptation

Christmas 2014 Meditation Three

The Jordan River
Matthew 3:1-17

Today we go to the Jordan River. There we meet John the Baptist, "the voice calling out in the wilderness." He must have been quite a spectacle in his clothes made from camel's hair eating locusts and honey. John was not interested in making friends and influencing people with statements like, "You children of snakes!...Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives." John said these things to the Pharisees and Sadducees who had come to him to be baptized. This is not usually how we welcome visitors!

Then Jesus, John's cousin, enters the scene. I think there may have been a bit of tenderness in John's voice when he said to Jesus, "I need to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?" One minute John is preaching fire and brimstone and warning those listening of the upcoming judgement and the next he is humbling himself before his cousin. Again I imagine a tenderness, soft-spoken but firm response from Jesus, "Allow me to be baptized now. This is necessary to fulfill all righteousness."

John did as Jesus requested (maybe commanded) but I wonder if he was still thinking, "this doesn't make sense." Did John dunk Jesus in the Jordan River while muttering "this is crazy?" What did Jesus expect to happen?

Well, what happened is amazing! "When Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him. A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son whom I dearly love; I find happiness in him."

I wonder what John and those who witnessed this were thinking. Did some run away or faint from fear? Did anyone fall to their knees to praise God? Matthew stops the story with the voice from heaven so I guess it doesn't really matter. But if I put myself into the story I think I would be scared, yet curious. I would wonder what all this means. Perhaps I would follow Jesus as he walked away. Maybe I would just keep track of what he did from a distance.

That leads me to standing at the Jordan River renewing my Baptismal Covenant. I stood at the bank of the river proclaiming my belief in God, the Father; Jesus, the Son; and the Holy Spirit. Not only did I proclaim my belief, but I also renounced evil and rejected sin. I said that I would turn from evil and turn toward God. I said that I would follow Jesus, live a life worthy of His sacrifice. But I can't do it alone, I need the help of the Holy Spirit and my Christian community. Standing there at the shore I never felt closer to or more sure of that community. I know that the other pilgrims with me will always be there to support me. But their job is not only to offer support, they must also hold me accountable for my actions.

Sometimes that means saying the hard things, telling me I'm wrong. They must point out when I have turned away from God. This is a really difficult part of the Christian life. No one wants to come across as judging another, especially since Jesus tells us not to judge others. No one wants to sound superior, but sometimes we must be the reminder of God's call to us. Maybe that is why John the Baptist is so important, he is a reminder that we must sometimes say the hard things to bring people back to God.

I'm not suggesting we should call anyone a "child of snakes," but perhaps we do need to remind others that they are children of God, followers of Christ and with that comes certain responsibilities. We must live our lives worthy of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us; we must follow His example of love, peace and forgiveness. And we must remember that sometimes another will bring us the message of God. Following Jesus means that we hear that message, prayerfully consider it and repent of our sin if necessary. We must turn back toward God and be thankful for the faithful servant who helped us see our way back.

Christmas 2014 Meditation Two

The Manger
Luke 2:1-7

Today we travel, just like Mary and Joseph, to Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph make this journey because they must; they must go to the City of David to be registered. However they are no ordinary travelers, Mary is nine months pregnant. The 80 mile trip on foot must have been incredibly difficult for the young mother-to-be. At the end of the exhausting trip, they can't find a place to sleep. Talk about a bad day! I can't imagine the exhaustion, fear and anger for having to make such a trip so close to giving birth. But someone takes pity on them and allows them stay where the animals sleep. While in Bethlehem, Mary gives birth to her first born son. She wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger.

The strength of Mary continues to amaze me. She walks 80 miles while nine months pregnant then gives birth to her first child in the back of a cave, where the animals sleep because there is no room for them anywhere else in the entire town! I remember the uncertain of giving birth to my first child, when I had the security of a hospital, doctor, nurses and all the medical knowledge and equipment we have today. Imagine traveling far from home, away from family and not even having a bed to sleep in as you prepare to give birth to your first child. Not that she had a choice, but I would have wanted to just sit down and cry! I don't know, maybe she did; I do know that it wasn't a clean, peaceful or romantic moment. It was like any birth; messy, painful and scary, just like any birth. 

What made this birth special was what happened next, at least according to Luke. "Then an angel of the Lord appeared to some shepherds that were tending their sheep at night near Bethlehem."

Shepherd's Field
Luke 2:8-20

Again an angel appears and scares those who see the angel. The angel tells them, "Do not be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you - wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David's city. He is Christ the Lord. This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger."

Those poor shepherds! They were just minding their own business, doing the lowly work of caring for sheep when out of nowhere this amazing light and strange being appears. I wonder how many times the angel had to say "Do not be afraid!" before they started listening. Did any of them start to run away? Or did anyone faint? What was the reaction of the sheep? They must have been startled by the light and the noise. It is not everyday that a multitude of angels start saying "Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors" in the middle of a field at night!

Here again God sends His messenger to the poor and lowly with great news and God's favor. Is God trying to tell us something? Why didn't the angel appear to a priest in the temple? Or perhaps a Sadducee or Pharisee? The message of the baby savior is not for the powerful, but for the meek and lowly. The message is for the "average Joe", that means you and me. Not only you and me, but the homeless, downtrodden, stepped-upon, sick, and afflicted!

What happened next? The shepherds went quickly to Bethlehem to see what had happened. They went to confirm what the Lord had revealed to them. But they didn't keep this great news to themselves. They told everyone who would listen what they had heard about the child. The shepherds returned home glorifying and praising God.

Now the question is, who will share this good news of great tidings with the lowly among us? I think we are charged with sharing the message, the light, that the angels shared with the shepherds, who then shared with anyone who would listen. I'm not one to shout from the rooftops, so I'm going to try to let God's light shine through me. If the light is bright enough, those around me will see the glory of God and "go to confirm what the Lord has revealed to them." How will you share the good news?

The Chapel at Shepherd's Field

 

Christmas 2014 Meditation One

Nazareth

Luke 1:26-38

Merry Christmas! This year I have decided to take you on a pilgrimage through the Holy Land during the Twelve Days of Christmas. I was blessed to be able to go on a pilgrimage in November so I will share some of my pictures and thoughts. Since I am still processing the experience I may be a bit disjointed; I apologize now for any inconsistencies or confusion.

I’ll start where it all began . . . in Nazareth. Nazareth is a small hilly town; at the time of Jesus’ birth there were about 200 people living there. Nazareth was an unimportant town where a young woman named Mary was engaged to a carpenter, Joseph. The first thing that is evident in the Holy Land is that there are not many trees, except olive trees and fruit trees. It is more likely that Joseph was a builder/mason rather than a carpenter (plenty of stone).

Mary's Well - Nazareth

Looking down Mary’s well and seeing her home. I can’t help but wonder what was going through her mind as she went about her daily business and suddenly a stranger, perhaps a scary looking being, shows up and greets her with “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!” I’m sure she was curious at such a greeting, did she think he was crazy? I might have been tempted to take off running!

Mary's Home

But she stayed. And she said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Mary may be the bravest woman to ever live! She said “Yes, here I am Lord” and put her life in danger. The consequences of premarital sex were extreme - death by stoning! Mary said “Yes” even though that might have been the end of her life. Mary said “Yes” even though that would have brought shame to her entire family. She said “Yes” despite the fact that even if she lived, she would be outcast from society. She said “Yes even though she would not be able to marry Joseph, or anyone. Mary said “Yes, here I am Lord” despite it all!

Was it simply because the angel said that “nothing is impossible for God”? How persuasive could he have been? Did Mary really think she would end up pregnant or was that her way of getting rid of this stranger? I don’t know if I could have said “Yes” even if I thought he was crazy. In the back of my mind I would be thinking, “what if he’s right, what if this really happens?” I’m not sure I have that much faith. I believe it, but do I live it? What would happen if I said “Yes, here I am Lord” despite it all?” What would happen if you said “Yes?”

Icon outside Church of the Ascension (Greek Orthodox)