May 5th, 2019
Devotional
“The Second Blessing” -
Matthew 5:4
Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com
Monday: “Mourned” - Genesis 37:34
The stage has been set. Joseph’s brothers have done the unthinkable. They intended to kill their brother out of jealousy, but instead they sold him into slavery. But of course, they couldn’t go home and tell their father that. Joseph was his favorite son. So instead, they went home and said that he had been killed by a wild animal in the fields, bringing part of the coat of many colors smeared in blood and animal hair as proof.
And Jacob mourned.
There were very particular ways that people mourned in Jewish culture during this time, just as there are particular ways that people mourn today. When people were deeply grieved, they tore their garments (some translations say rend their garments) and replace them with sack cloth, sometimes marked themselves with ashes, and mourned. Jacob did this as a sign to the world that he was in mourning for his lost son.
What are some of our traditions around mourning today?
Prayer: Jesus, all too often, we try to hide our mourning from the world. We want to pretend that everything is fine. That we can get back to life as normal as possible as quickly as possible. Yet, in the scriptures we see examples of deep mourning and grief. Lord, teach us how to grieve again, we pray. Amen.
Tuesday: “Comfort” - Isaiah 61:1-2
The prophet Isaiah is traditionally thought to be written in sections, some of which call Israel to repentance and others of which usher them into celebration for freedom anew. Isaiah 61 is found in the celebration section - the time when the people are looking forward to deliverance. What is the one who is going to bring deliverance bringing with him? A spirit to preach good news to the poor. To proclaim liberty to the captives. To bring release to the prisoners. To proclaim the year of the Lord is upon them.
And to bring comfort to those who mourn.
Part of what comes with the breadth and depth of the freedom and deliverance of God is comfort. Comfort that God provides. Comfort that we are tasked to share with others as followers of Christ.
There is an old quote about preaching that has been passed around so many times that I do not even know who originally said it. But the quote says that we comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. In other words, one of our primary tasks as the body of Christ is to offer comfort in a variety of ways to those who are suffering, but we also shake up the comfortable.
How do we offer comfort as the body of Christ?
Prayer: Lord, we confess that when we are comfortable, we sometimes forget to reach out to those who are in need of comfort. Free us, O Lord, to bring your comfort and love to those in the world who are hurting, we pray. Amen.
Wednesday: “Provide” - Isaiah 61: 3
Isaiah continues on to say that during those days of freedom and deliverance, there will be provision for those who mourn. It doesn’t quite go as far as the popular passage from Revelation read at funerals about how there will be no more crying, no more pain. But Isaiah does say that those who are mourning, those who are deeply grieving in ways similar to Jacob in our passage from Monday this week, will find healing.
They will find life anew. Their ashes, a sign of mourning, will be replaced of garlands, often associated with joy. There will be an oil of gladness, an anointing similar to that of those stepping into new positions and seasons of life. A mantle passed on to them of praise.
When we are deep in grief, it is so hard to image the newness that this passage presents. It’s hard to believe that there will ever be joy in our lives again. Or we try to rush to this stage, so quickly trying to burry and move past our grief, that we do not take time to fully mourn that which we have lost.
Think of a time of mourning in your life. How did God start to restore your joy?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for promising us that even in times of grief that you will provide for us. Thank you for being with us through the darkest moments of our life and walking with us. Let us share your power and presence with others hurting in this world, we pray. Amen.
Thursday: “Blessed” - Matthew 5:4
It is hard to even begin to imagine the blessing in mourning. The blessing in the comfort that we receive from God when we are mourning. Yet, that is what this particular Beatitude promises.
I think we all know someone who is so advises to pain that they try to cut it off in the first place. They try to root out the people and situations that may cause them pain, but in the long run, they end up trying to cut themselves off from love and being loved.
There is no such thing as a risk-free life. When we take risks and reach out to others in love, yes, we will mourn someday, but we also get the blessing of the moment.
What do you think a risk-free life would look like?
Prayer: Lord, keep us from cutting off from one another out of fear of what is to come. Instead, free us to love as you loved, deeply and sharing the hope of the Kingdom of God with those around us. Amen.
Friday: “Embraced by God” - Matthew 5:4
The Message is a translation of the Bible that tries to put scripture into words that everyday people can understand and connect with. Matthew 5:4 in the Message reads, “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.”
We have all experienced loss in our life, but part of our hope as Christians is that even in the midst of our loss, we believe that God is with us. That God will not leave us or forsake us. That we can feel the touch of God even in the midst of sorrow.
It is sometimes hard to put that hope into words. But we trust that God will not only offer us this hope, but enable us to share it with the world through our testimony.
How have you experienced the embrace of God?
Prayer: Lord, it seems funny to think that there is joy even in the mist of sorrow. But our joy, our hope, our strength is in you, Precious Lord. No matter what we may face. Be with us, we pray, and use us to share your hope and joy with the world. Amen.
Saturday: Preparing for the Word
You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “The Third Blessing” - Matthew 5:5
No comments:
Post a Comment