Contemplative Bible Reading

Matthew 20:13-15 (New Living Translation)

He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’

Jesus is speaking here, so I guess I should pay attention. The rewards belong to Jesus. Whoa, that may not be easy to accept as it means He is Jesus and I am little old me. He dispenses the rewards according to His kindness. Yeah, but didn’t I work or do something for the rewards? I am deserving of something, right? Well, sort of, right? Oh, well maybe not.

God, thank you for your kindness. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for rewarding me with far more than I am worth. Help me to do what I can when I can.

Luke 16:10 (New Living Translation)

If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.

Who said that? Oh, it was Jesus. I guess He knew what He was saying.

Of course this disagrees with today’s post (post(post)) modern thought. Some of us believe that if you heart is right on the big things, the little transgressions don’t matter. Hmm. Jesus didn’t think that way. Perhaps…

Luke 11:41 (New Living Translation)

So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.

This is Jesus’ conclusion to a lesson He gave to religious leaders about being clean on the outside (proper hygiene) and clean on the inside (proper love towards one another and Him).

Jesus provides one method of cleaning my inside: give to the poor. Well, uh, hmm, I guess. No, there is no ambiguity here. This is a simple instruction from Jesus. Are my insides clean?

Luke 11:8-9 (New Living Translation)

8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

I love this phrase. I believe that Jesus is encouraging a dogged persistence of seeking what we want in our lives. Seek to the point where others would be embarrassed and shamed, but keep seeking.

Have you ever been embarrassed by the amount of time devoted to prayer or Bible study or ministry for others? Shameless persistence. I think it is something worthwhile.

Mark 4:41 (New Living Translation)

The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

This is the reaction of the followers of Jesus. These men had been walking with Jesus daily for many months. Yet, they were terrified when they saw Him.

Is the appearance of Jesus terrifying or welcome. It is easy for me to sit here and say how overjoyed I would be if Jesus were to walk in, sit next to me, and drink coffee. Perhaps, however, I would have the same reaction as those men who knew Him. Perhaps I would be terrified.

Matthew 6:31-32 (New Living Translation)

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

What is in the minds of unbelievers? What consumes their thoughts? Conquering the world? Gaining power? Running over others?

No. How about:

• What to eat
• What to drink
• What to wear

That’s it? Not grandiose. Not lofty or ambitious.

That’s it.

Luke 5:3 (New Living Translation)

Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

Once again, note the position of the great teacher. As in many cases, Jesus sits while He addresses the crowds.

Perhaps this is a bad translation in to English. Perhaps I am putting too much emphasis on the verb. Perhaps I am missing the point.

I feel that Jesus assumes a humble position as a model to us. The message: spread the good news humbly.

God, help me to spread the good news humbly, gently, showing love to all about me.

John 1:46 (New Living Translation)

“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
“Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.

I have heard Philip described as, “The Apostle for the rest of us.”

Philip provides what may be the most powerful statement in spreading the good news about Jesus the Messiah, “Come and see for yourself.”

Once a person sees the work and works of the Messiah, the rest is written. Come and see for yourself what the Messiah does for us. Come and see for yourself how the Messiah changes the universe one person at a time. Come and see for yourself.

And once you have seen, fight the urge to forget.

Luke 1:78-79 (New Living Translation)

78 Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.

Words of poetry and promise too grand to be written by man alone.

These are the words of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. He is prophesying about his son John and the coming of Jesus the Messiah. The light of salvation is about to extinguish the darkness from the shadow of death. The path of peace is to be revealed.

I guess it would be easy to pooh-pooh this. What peace? What light?

Imagine the world today with this peace and light. Go to a disaster-hit area (flood, earthquake, etc.). See the light brought by Christians. Remove that light and imagine how much worse the human suffering would be.

Thank you God for the morning light from heaven.

John 20:22-23 (New Living Translation)

22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus changes the world. He imparts the ability for a bunch of average Joes to forgive sins. Up to this point, forgiveness of sins was something that Priests could arrange. Priests couldn’t do it, but they could perform ceremonies so that God would forgive sins.

Does this ability to forgive sins extend to the rest of us? Let the debates begin, but I believe it does.

Yes, Jesus changed the world and continues to do so. Thank you God.