Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Timothy 6:10 (New Living Translation)

10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

This is a well-known verse. The King James Version has the shorter, “for the love of money is the root of all evil.”

Let’s step back a moment into the financial realm of the 21st century. Money is a medium of exchange. We don’t carry gold coins in a sack. We have spreadsheets and bank accounts and cashless stores. I move “money” from my checking account through my credit card to my iPhone to Starbucks…or something like that.

Money is worthless. It does, however, bring me goods and services (a cup of coffee with a smile and free WiFi). I can allow my life to be ruled by the pleasures of goods and services. Craving them can pierce myself with many sorrows.

Money? Who cares? The goods and services I can have in exchange? Those are the stuff of ruin, if I love and crave them too much.

Leviticus 18:3 (New Living Translation)

3 So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.

God is speaking to the people through Moses. What follows is a list of basic, practical things that people do that God abhors. People back in Egypt did these things. People in the land of Canaan do these things. God’s people, however, were different. They were chosen. They were not to do these things. Don’t imitate these other peoples.

Read on in this chapter of Leviticus. Most of these practices are about sexual relations with a close relative. Those relations cause envy, hatred, strife, murder, and all sorts of things that destroy the lives of people. The short-term pleasure of some sex for one person is nothing compared to the long-term pain that will come to many persons. Don’t engage in it.

But, but , but…nothing. Don’t engage in it. It will destroy you and many others.

Such commands from God are typical. Yes, it is humanly possible to do this or that or the other thing. Yes, it might be “fun” for a little while. No, it isn’t good for you. God created mankind. God knows mankind. God does not want to see the creation destroy itself. God created us for a much better purpose than self-destruction.

Please God, help me in my unbelief.

John 10:10 (New Living Translation)

10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Jesus is speaking here. This is part of the tale of the good shepherd and the sheep. The purpose of the thieves is to steal sheep, kill them, and destroy everything. The purpose of Jesus is to give the sheep, i.e., me a rich and satisfying life.

Jesus was and is not a killjoy, i.e., someone whose sole purpose is to make the lives of persons miserable. Instead, the purpose of Jesus is to give us all a rich and satisfying life.

Why do we reject a person who wants us all to have a rich and satisfying life? I can understand how some persons place themselves between a person and Jesus. “You have to satisfy me before I will let you see Jesus!” No. Nope. Not possible.

If someone tells you that you have to go through them to find Jesus, go around that person. Wish them well, but go around them. They don’t represent Jesus.

God, please help me in my unbelief. Please help me go straight to Jesus for the rich and satisfying life. And God, please keep me from blocking another person’s way to Jesus in any and all ways. Don’t let me cause someone to move an inch to approach Jesus.

Leviticus 19:31 (New Living Translation)

31 “Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.

This is part of the law given to the people from God through Moses. It instructs people how to live. The instruction here is simple: stay away from those who consult the spirits of the dead. Well, that’s cute, and I guess it applied to folks thousands of years ago who weren’t nearly as smart as I am today, and …

Wrong. Look it up on your personal Google machine or whatever. There are plenty of mediums, palm readers, and those who consult the spirits of the dead within a half hour of my 21st century educated neighborhood.

Note, the verse doesn’t say, “Those who claim to consult the spirits of the dead.” It is, “Those who consult the spirits of the dead.” They actually consult the spirits of the dead. Maybe I am not reading this correctly. Maybe I am reading this correctly. Some people can consult some dead people some of the time. Stay away from those people. Stay away from those practices. Plain and simple.

John 6:63 (New Living Translation)

63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Jesus said the above words. The topic is eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. Hey, wait a minute. I mean, I try to be good and do good and avoid bad behavior. That has to be worth something, right? Yes, it is worth something in some respects, but concerning the topic of eternal life, well, nothing.

I don’t like that idea.

Only the Spirit of God gives eternal life. Hmm. Let’s think about that a while. I mean, that’s a deep subject and it sort of gives me a headache when I think too long.

One thing: being kind, loving, and forgiving with other persons is a good thing to be doing. Those actions bring blessings to others. Practice those daily.

Other thing: those actions bring me no closer to eternal life. God brings me eternal life. That is a gift from God.

We live down here on earth with one another. Our actions down here on earth help others down here on earth. Those actions don’t move us “up” to heaven. God pulls us up when we believe in God.

It seems like there should be a stronger connection in all this. That’s my way of thinking. I’m not God. That’s tough to accept on some days. Please God, help me in my unbelief.

Leviticus 20: 2b-5 (New Living Translation)

“If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death. 3 I myself will turn against them and cut them off from the community, because they have defiled my sanctuary and brought shame on my holy name by offering their children to Molech. 4 And if the people of the community ignore those who offer their children to Molech and refuse to execute them, 5 I myself will turn against them and their families and will cut them off from the community. This will happen to all who commit spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech.

God is talking to the people through Moses. God is talking about idolatry, the worship or adoration of anything or anyone other than God Himself, including images, created beings, or even worldly possessions. (Google’s Gemini provided this definition)

The worshiper of Molech says, “I believe that the god Molech will provide good things for me. To earn these blessings from Molech, I must kill my children. I will sacrifice my children in exchange for blessings from Molech.” The worshiper of Molech does as promised.

This is real idolatry. I often hear well-meaning people speak of the worship of money or a job or something as idolatry. I don’t see people killing their children at the altar of money or the altar of the job. No offense folks, but I don’t consider those things idolatry. I see them as terribly misguided priorities, but not worship and sacrifice.

John 6:29 (New Living Translation)

29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

This is Jesus speaking. Jesus tells everyone that there is only one work God wants from mankind. Pay attention to this one, folks.

Believe in the one God has sent. Believe that this Jesus fellow who came from Nazareth is the Christ, the one anointed to take away the sins of mankind.

That is the only work or action God wants from us, from me. Surely, there must be more, right? Wrong. Surely, this is just a little thing, right? Wrong. Believing that this poor fellow from a poor town is the Son of God is a huge thing. It is so big that many fail to grasp it. Many of us who do grasp it have our days when we just sort of mess up badly. Still, this is the only work God wants from me.

Please God, help me to do this one thing.

Numbers 6: (New Living Translation)

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing:

24 ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you.
25 May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.
26 May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’

27 Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.”

Verses 24 through 26 are something we can surely repeat on almost any occasion. Perhaps if we say these words, God will bless the recipients. It is worth the time.

Ephesians 2:7 (New Living Translation)

7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

I am an example. I am an example of the incredible wealth of God’s grace and kindness. I am an example of all God has done for me as a person united with others by Christ Jesus.

Whoa! Look at me! I’m so special. NOT.

Grace is unmerited favor shown to a person who has done not-so-good stuff and needs a big helping hand. That’s a pretty good description of me. In all my failings, God is still kind to me.

A kid walks into Starbucks and spills their hot chocolate all over the floor right next to the door. A stranger walks over with a hand full of napkins and cleans the mess and hugs the child. That stranger is so kind to the kid and the kid’s embarrassed parent.

That’s just a little example of a tiny bit of kindness God shows to me. Just a tiny bit.

Perhaps in generations to come, someone will say, “Remember that Dwayne Phillips? He tried to be a good guy, but good grief he wasn’t. Still, God was kind to Dwayne.” Hmm.

Ephesians 1:1 (New Living Translation)

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.

This begins the letter from Paul to the Christians in Ephesus. Paul says, “I am an apostle” of Christ Jesus. This is one of those introductions of letters. It is a long form of, “Dear Ephesus,” so we can just skip over it without reading or thinking. At least, that is how I usually treat these things.

Note, Paul does not call himself a “disciple;” he calls himself an “apostle.” Disciples are students who follow after a person. Apostles are those persons sent by a person with a message to others. In many ways, an apostle is a teacher.

This is quite simple, but often misunderstood. Paul never followed after Jesus like Peter, James, John, et al did. Paul was, however, sent by God with the message of and about Jesus Christ. Paul was an apostle, not a disciple.

Now I can disagree with others about my descriptive noun. Well, I didn’t follow Jesus around as Jesus walked through Palestine some several thousand years ago. Hence, I am not a literal disciple. If I follow the teachings of Jesus, maybe I qualify as a sort of disciple. I write these little posts sending a message about Jesus. That qualifies me as an apostle, right? Maybe.

Skip the titles for now. Do what I can. Love the people that walk into my path. Look to God. Pray.