Contemplative Bible Reading

Romans 16:20 (New Living Translation)

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Read this one a few times. Satan, a powerful entity, a fallen angel, a being of almost limitless power. One day, Satan will be crushed under the feet of those who follow Jesus Christ.

Do I live like I believe this will happen? If I believed this, how would I live? Would it make a difference in my life?

Luke 21:36 (New Living Translation)

Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.

Bad times will come. Bad things will happen in life. This verse is talking about a specific event. Allow me to extend it to life in general.

Not every day is wonderful. Loved ones decide poorly and go down the wrong path. That hurts. Loved ones die. Their absence hurts. Sickness hits me. That hurts. The list goes on.

Pray for strength. Give us this day our daily bread. Please God, provide what I need for this day, whatever the events of the day be.

Ephesians 5:8-9 (New Living Translation)

…So live as people of light! ⁹ For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

God puts a light within us. God asks that we merely live what he has given us, i.e., live the light. The result is a life that is good and right and true.

Who doesn’t want that? Who doesn’t want to live GOOD and RIGHT and TRUE?

I find it a shame that we ask that question. Of course everyone wants to live good and right and true? Don’t we all? The answer is, “No.” And why not? I believe that there are many among us who have not received the blessings I have received. Social commentators call it “social capital” or the things that my earthly parents gave me as a child.

Go to bed. Brush your teeth. Go to school. Do your best. Learn your memory verse. It’s time to go to the church building. Who is your Bible class teacher? What did you learn in Sunday School today?…and many more things that my earthly parents said.

Still, “good and right and true” must mean something to all of us? Don’t they? Perhaps it is left to me to offer a cool drink of water to someone who didn’t have social-capital-granting parents. Perhaps it is left to me to offer a smile, an encouraging word, an example of good and right and true.

God, bless me as I walk out into the world this day.

Luke 20:20 (New Living Translation)

Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus.

There is much happening in this (hi)story. Let’s focus on the spies. A group of respected religious leaders, and let us not reduce the importance of this fact—these were RESPECTED RELIGIOUS LEADERS—call me into a room. “There is this fellow named Jesus. He comes from backwoods no where, but claims to be the Son of God. He appears to be healing sick people miraculously, but that must be some trick or something. Anyways, follow him. Listen to everything he says. Watch everything he does.”

Hmmm, being hired to spend day after day with the Son of God. What would that job be like? We aren’t told anything about what happened to these “spies.” Did they become dedicated followers of Jesus? Did they go back to their old lives? Did anything matter to these persons?

I don’t have the chance to walk around with Jesus. I can read much of what Jesus said and did. Do I take that opportunity or go do something else with my day?

Luke 20:20 (New Living Translation)

Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus.

Jesus had told a story to illustrate what God wanted and didn’t want in our lives. The leaders were upset because they knew the story showed their, what shall we say, less-than-right lives.

The leaders sent “spies”—people pretending to be honest me, but who were really trying to find something wrong with Jesus. Something that would cause the ruling Gentiles, a.k.a. occupying army, to shut up this Jesus fellow once and for all.

Imagine being one of these spies. “Go spend a lot of time in the presence of the Son of God. Ask the Son of God questions. Listen carefully to what the Son of God says. Take detailed notes for the record about the Son of God living among us.”

In a few verses we are told that these spies were amazed by what Jesus said.

What else? We aren’t told. Were the spies so dedicated to their mission that they ignored Jesus? Were the spies human enough to be touched by the love and words of the Son of God? I suspect the latter. After all, billions of us have been touched and changed by the recorded words of Jesus. These spies heard them first hand.

2 Samuel 8:15 (New Living Translation)

So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people.

This is the start of the reign of David, King over all of God’s people. What words are used to describe it? Peace? Prosperity? Security? Military might? Health Care? Or one of today’s favorites…It’s the Economy stupid?

Just and Right.

What? Where did that come from? Some translation use the words “justice and righteousness.” In a short sentence we learn what God values and what God feels is important.

What do I value? When was the last time I told people that “just and right” were the qualities of candidates that I value? When was the last time I used the words “just and right” in any way? What do I value?

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (New Living Translation)

19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

This choice was given to God’s people several thousand years ago. I believe God gives us this choice today.

I manifest my choice by loving God, obeying God, and committing myself to God. That choice brings life and blessings.

Stated that way, it is a pretty simple choice. Still, it perplexes mankind. Oh God, help us in our unbelief.

Luke 2:8-9 (New Living Translation)

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,

This is part of the familiar (hi)story of the birth of Jesus and the shepherds with their sheep. A messenger from God appears. The reaction?

They were TERRIFIED.

Well, of course they were. The power of God is unimaginable when experienced first hand. Even in our post-post-post…modern world of computer generated movies and super duper heroes doing super duper hero stuff, the power of God is unimaginable. Let us not try to explain away the reaction of these ancient simpletons (who somehow figured out how to live full lives with none of our advanced advantages, who are the simpletons?).

When the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounds us, we are TERRIFIED.

Me? When I read this—when I read how the love of Jesus Christ has changed mankind—am I amazed? Is this, “yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve read this before, blah, blah, blah.” Do I realize the Lord’s glory? Am I numb? Is my heart seared hard and sealed to any feeling?

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (New Living Translation)

That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.

There is much that can be written about fearing God. For today, let’s consider it in light of the rest of the sentence: obey his commands.

I should be afraid of rebelling against the “commands” of God. I should fear the consequences of stealing. I should fear the consequences of murder. I should fear the consequences of worshiping other gods.

Now let’s move to the less obvious but more prevalent. I should fear the consequences of hating other persons instead of loving them. I should fear the consequences of a drunken and drugged life. I should fear the consequences of not caring for my spouse and progeny.

I can make a much longer list. I hope we all understand the concept. God has given commands, guidance, and just plain good advice to us. We don’t have to obey or heed these. We can do otherwise. I hope we consider the consequences of ignoring the Creator.

Please God, hope me to fear you and obey your commands. Help me in my unbelief.

1 Thessalonians 5:26 (English Standard Version)

Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

We usually joke about this verse. Then we dismiss it as something cultural that was done a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

I think we miss the key word in this little sentence: HOLY.

Throughout this letter to a church, the writer reminds the Christians again and again that they are different now that they are in Christ Jesus. They see things differently. They react differently. They treat people differently.

And they greet one another differently.

They don’t just kiss when they meet—the norm of the culture then—they give a HOLY kiss. A greeting that everyone can see is different; a greeting that shows everyone they live differently in Christ Jesus.

When I meet a new co-worker, we greet each other per the norms of our culture.

When I meet my granddaughter, we greet each other in a completely different manner.

When Christians meet, our greeting should show everyone that we live differently in Christ Jesus. Let us give HOLY greetings to one another. HOLY handshakes. HOLY hugs. HOLY smiles.