Week
3
(#15) 1/15
John the Baptist Replies to Questions
Luke 3:10-14
And
the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has
two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be
baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect
no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should
we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with
your wages.”
John’s message of “share
and be fair” is simple and clear. Following his advice makes room in our heart for God’s love.
Love is alive and vibrant; it can’t be stored or saved but must continually move through us to the rest of creation.
Opening our hearts to each other makes
us more accessible to God’ love. Opening our hearts to God makes us more accessible to each other.
It is a simple recognition of the interconnectedness of all creation as well as the living link between God and all
that he has created.
Principles of Love:
Unity; Compassion
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we love people we do not know?
Pray Through the Day:
Bring us together
In your love
(#16) 1/16
John Tells About Jesus
Matthew 3:11-12
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one
who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his
wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Mark 1:7-8
He
proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong
of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Luke 3:15-17
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning
in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you
with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize
you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and
to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
John 1:24-28
Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then
are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them,
“I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to
untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
John the Baptist points out the profound difference
between God and humans. We are about as far from being like God as a single cell organism is from being
human.
Jesus came to bridge that gap
and John’s purpose was to prepare us to receive him. It is significant that John defines himself
with humility, first, and foremost. Humility is the only realistic perspective once we acknowledge the
scope of God’s power and the depth of his love for us.
It is only through humility that we can even begin to know Jesus. To the
extent that we focus on our own self-interest, we fail to understand his teaching and are unable to open our heart to his
love.
Principles of Love:
Humility
Reflection/Discussion:
What is likely to interfere with a humble attitude?
Pray Through the Day:
Help us be humble
So we may love
(#17) 1/17
The
Baptism of Jesus
Matthew
3:13-17
Then Jesus came from
Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need
to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for
it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water,
suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:9-11
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized
by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and
the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved;
with you I am well pleased.”
Luke:
3:21-22
Now when all the
people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended
upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well
pleased.”
John 1:29-34
The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward
him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom
I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did
not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And
John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself
did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and
remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that
this is the Son of God.”
Jesus
is God’s love made human. As a human, he too needed to prepare to love more deeply. The
humble act of his baptism sets the stage for the spirit of love to descend upon him in a visible and public way.
God is well pleased with Jesus’ humility. May he also be pleased with ours.
Principles of Love:
Humility; Opening
Reflection/Discussion:
How does a lack of humility interfere with our ability
to open our hearts to Jesus?
Pray
Through the Day:
Help us be humble
So we may love
(#18) 1/18
Jesus is
Tempted
Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness
to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.
The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the
mouth of God.’ ”
Then
the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son
of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their
hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus
said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall
down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship
the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ ” Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came
and waited on him.
Mark 1:12-13
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.
He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and
was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those
days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One
does not live by bread alone.’ ”
Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And
the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and
I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus
answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ ”
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him
on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus answered him, “It is said,
‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” When the devil had finished every test,
he departed from him until an opportune time.
Jesus experienced many of the same temptations that we do: immediate gratification, power and authority, safety
from harm. But he maintained a clear view of the larger picture. After fasting
for forty days, he saw that waiting a bit longer to eat was not a huge problem. He saw that the power and
authority offered by Satan was only temporary and would remove him from the most powerful force in the Universe: the love
of his father, our creator. Jesus saw that insuring worldly safety and security would undermine his mission
to teach us that love is much more important than things that are temporary.
Evil always presents a partial picture. Jesus
teaches us to see what is true and lasting.
Principles
of Love:
Vision; Decision; Humility
Reflection/Discussion:
How does self-interest interfere with our ability to love?
Pray Through the Day:
Open our eyes
To deepen our love
(#19) 1/19
Jesus
Calls the First Disciples
Matthew 4:18-22
As
he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into
the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish
for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from
there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending
their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Mark 1:16-20
As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net
into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you
fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he
went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets.
Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
Luke 5:1-11
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret,
and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen
had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master,
we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When
they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled
their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down
at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all
who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee,
who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”
When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
John 1:35-51
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he
exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they
followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking
for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that
day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.
One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).
He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas”
(which is translated Peter).
The
next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now
Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We
have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward
him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked
him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called
you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things
than these.” And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Jesus is recruiting the first leaders of what is to become the largest and most far-reaching organization
that ever existed. He doesn’t check background, education, or qualifications. He
doesn’t ask for references or work history. He simply says, “Follow me.”
Jesus chooses disciples who
have no skills or experience to prepare them for his mission. The only requirement for following Jesus
is an open mind and an open heart. The disciples will struggle with this during Jesus’ time on earth
just as we struggle with it during our time here.
Following Jesus is different than following directions or instructions.
The disciples follow him as he opens his heart to those who are suffering. They follow him as he
confronts those who create obstacles to God’s love. They follow him as he suffers, dies, and is resurrected.
Jesus doesn’t tell us to follow
his instructions. He tells us to follow his footsteps, and his heart.
Principles of Love:
Opening; Learning
Reflection/Discussion:
How do we know we are following Jesus and not something
else?
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
(#20) 1/20
The Wedding
at Cana
John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus
said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His
mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now standing there were six stone
water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them,
“Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now
draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water
that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward
called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior
wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this,
the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
A wedding is the beginning of a love relationship.
There may be attraction, infatuation, and attachment before vows, but the marriage promise is a solemn commitment made
in front of everyone who is important to the couple (family, friends, and God). It is a solemn promise
that they will love each other no matter what happens.
It is fitting that Jesus would take part in a wedding
at the beginning of his ministry to teach us to love.
It is fitting that his first miracle involved creating
an abundance of wine. In the Hebrew scripture, Issac, Amos, and the writer of Proverbs predicted that there
would be enough wine for all when the Messiah came. (Amos 9:13-14, Genesis 27:27-28, Proverbs 9:4-5) But
the love of Jesus was not like any ordinary wine.
It is fitting that Jesus used
the jars of water for purification of the body to hold his wine. The traditional Jewish ritual of purification
has been replaced with purification of the human heart.
It is fitting that Jesus’ first public act is to change water to wine in celebration
of a commitment to love. One of his last acts took place at the Last Supper when he changed wine into the
blood that flows through his heart and touches all of us with his love. We remember this act as a celebration
of his commitment to love each one of us.
It is fitting because it all fits together. Love does that.
Principles of Love:
Commitment; Decision;
Reflection/Discussion:
What challenges must we face when we make
a commitment to love?
Pray Through the Day:
Help us to love
When our will is weak
(#21) 1/21
Jesus Spends Time With Family and Friends
John 2:12
After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there
a few days.
Capernaum is a beautiful place
on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. We can imagine Jesus enjoying a relaxing time for a few days
with his family and friends.
Artists, historians, and scholars have depicted Jesus as a stern and serious man throughout much of history.
But if we think about it realistically, it would be a great joy and a whole lot of fun to be around a person as loving
and charismatic as Jesus. He must have had a wonderful smile and a great laugh. A heart
open to love is also open to life and laughter.
Principles of Love:
Opening; Vision
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we create times that open us to life, laughter and love?
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To
your love
