Triumphal Entry

Holy Week is a precious and distinct time in the Christian calendar. It begins with Jesus being hailed as King, as he rode into Jerusalem on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. But that proclamation and celebration were short lived - for just a few days later Jesus would be killed by the shouts of the very same crowd that greeted him.

   Jesus enters into the gates of the city that he had wept over - crying because he knew that they wouldn't get it - didn't get who he was and what his Kingdom was about. I wonder if Jesus weeps over us today? Weeps over us as we just want to celebrate the victorious days of the Church calendar - Palm Sunday and Easter, forgetting the pain of the way to the cross that is captured in the entirety of Holy Week.

    Take time this week to reflect - to reflect on the cost of Jesus' sacrifice. Reflect on his true kingship. Reflect upon the things that we just don't get - in order to more fully accept the call of Christ to choose to follow him. 

 Reblog: 03/2015

Triumphal Entry

 March 28th, 2021

Devotional

“Triumphal Entry” - Luke 19: 29-44

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: “The Lord Needs It” - Luke 19: 29-31

The disciples up to this point have had some pretty interesting experiences with Jesus. They have seen the dead raised life. People have been healed. He has been at the center of controversy with religious leaders whom they had been taught to respect. But now Jesus is sending them to do errands that make no sense.

Yet, even as Jesus is telling them exactly what is to place, and perhaps they scratched their heads in wonder, they did go and do as Jesus said. While the Gospel of Luke does not mention the words of the prophet Zechariah, maybe they were still playing through the disciples heads as they went that day. It’s not every day that you are asked to go and untie a strangers colt. 

As I was reading this week’s passage the though kept coming to mind - what is the oddest thing that Jesus has ever asked me to do and how did I respond? The truth is Jesus will all ask us to do things that do not make sense to us from human standards but make perfect sense in Kingdom time and standards where “the Lord needs it.”

what is the oddest thing that Jesus has ever asked you to do and how did you respond?

Prayer: God, we can get so caught up in our heads. We try to reason everything out instead of simply doing as you say at times. Lord, teach us to trust in you, your ways, and your Kingdom, so that we can go wherever you may send us. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Untying” - Luke 19: 32-34

If I had to craft a label for today’s passage I think I would have to go with “Grand Theft Colt.” Because it the eyes of the man whose colt was being untied, thats exactly what was happening. Here are these men coming and untying his colt! What would he have thought other than they were stealing it?

Yet, he asks a simple question, “why are you untying the colt?” 

Why?

Such a beautiful question full of grace. Often we think of the question ‘why?’ Being relegated to young children, who can ask it over and over again in one day. But really it is a question of wonder and curiosity, that ultimately led to the colt being lent for Jesus.

Where can we reclaim this sense of wonder and curiosity in our world today? And what may Jesus be inviting us to through it?

What causes you to ask the question ‘why?’ In a way that opens you up to transformation?

Prayer: Lord, we know that there are many things that we do not understand. Yet, in our lack of understanding is sometimes the possibility to encounter your love, mercy, and grace in new ways. Open up our eyes and hearts this day to recognize your Spirit moving amongst us. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Cloaks” - Luke 19: 35-36

Each of the Gospels tells the story of the entry into Jesus into Jerusalem on what has become know as Palm Sunday a bit differently. In Luke’s account, there aren’t actually palms being waved, but there are cloaks. And shouting. And other signs of respect.

The disciples piled their cloaks onto Jesus so he wouldn’t have to sit upon the colt. The people threw down their cloaks as a sign of respect so the colt’s hoof wouldn’t even need to touch the road.

We may not be throwing down our coats today, but I wonder what ways we make the way for Jesus to speak to our hearts. What ways to do show Jesus signs of respect by our openness to him and obedience to his leading in our lives?

What are some ways that you show respect to Jesus?

Prayer: Lord, while the disciples and crowds honored you in a particular way in this passage, you are not just worthy of honor and praise on this particular day. Instead, we are to always lift high your name. Show us how to do so in the coming days, all for your glory and honor alone, we pray. Amen. 

Thursday: “Blessed” - Luke 19: 37-39

The crowds start joining in reciting one of the most triumphal psalms, words that we still say today as we approach the communion table. And the Pharisees aren’t having it.

We like to pretend that Palm Sunday is this beautiful, albeit somewhat neutral day of celebration of Jesus, but really it was a radical act. Jesus knew that what he was doing had the potential to ruffle some feathers and get him in trouble, which is of course what happened. 

And this discomfort that the Pharisees were voicing, would soon become the shouts of the crowd by tomorrow to “crucify him!” For while the crowds are currently crying this psalm of blessing and peace, they want it on their own terms.

We, too, can experience disappointment when we only want Jesus to act in the ways that we find acceptable. Yet, when we try to put our expectations on Jesus we miss the radical gifts that he is trying to offer us.

How do you make sense of the crowd turning away from Jesus in just a few short days?

Prayer: Lord, we confess that we are a fickle people. We get caught up in our own wants and desires, and look for them to be met, instead of looking to you to provide what we truly need. Forgive us, O Lord. Set our paths right again, we pray. Amen. 

Friday: “Cry Out” - Luke 19: 40-44

While the Pharisees may be upset about this particular psalm being used to greet Jesus, Jesus responds to their disdain with words from another psalm, about even the rocks crying out.

For Luke, the crowds may be trying to silence Jesus’s voice, because they think that they can do that from one human being to another. But the truth is, they cannot silence Christ, who rules the heavens and the earth, for they cannot silence God. 

Even when people do not understand and area not receptive to the word of God through Christ, God still reigns and cannot be stopped or silenced.

When has someone tried to silence you and how did you respond?

Prayer: Lord, let our hearts cry out to you! Do not let our praise be silenced, but let it echo throughout the cosmos! Amen1

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Resurrection of Our Lord” - Luke 24:1-12

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve Taking the Sermon Into Our Week Scripture of the Week: Luke 19:29-44 From the Sermon: A ______________ must be able to ______________ but not every ______________ comes from a true ______________. Jesus is ______________, ______________, and ______________. Riding into Jerusalem we can hear the echoes of ______________. The people cannot recognize the peace that Jesus brings, because they are looking for peace as they define it, ______________________________. Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day ____________ in who he was and what he had to offer. Reflection Questions: In what ways are we like the multitudes? How do we pick and choose who we want Christ to be in our lives and try to contain him to our will and image? Prayer: Lord, for the times when we have tried to define you and your reign by our wants and wishes, forgive us. Let us not be swept up by the crowd, but instead sweep us up by your love alone. Amen.

Lost Sheep, Coin, Son - Luke 15:1-32

I have a bad habit. I know that something is important, so I say to myself "I'm going to put it here and I'll remember where it is." Only to have the inevitable happen. Of course I don't remember where I put something. So I start to scramble, tearing everything apart until I find it, of course in the absolute last place that I would ever think to look. While our memories may waiver from time to time and cause us to misplace items, God never waivers. God does not lose us. And when we wonder away from God, God does not give up on us. This past year we talked about these parables in confirmation class and how they related to the idea of "forgiveness of sins" that we find in the Apostle's Creed. What I find most compelling is the joy that each person had when what once was lost ends up being found. They didn't simply praise God and move on - they rejoiced. Friends, that is the same joy that God has over us, when we who were lost come back home to be with God. The question is if we act like that? Or if we find ourselves more like the pharisees - grumbling against the sinners flocking to Jesus instead of seeing the joy of salvation. Let us be people who rejoice! Let us be people who celebrate what once was lost is now found!

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve Taking the Sermon Into Our Week Scripture of the Week: Luke 15: 1-32 From the Sermon: Where we struggle is when we ____________________________________. Jesus was associating on a level marked by friendship and intimacy with people that others labeled the ____________. The teachings about the lost sheep, coin, and brother weren’t just supposed to be affirmations to those around him that others labeled sinners, that Jesus was here to love them and run after them, leading them to ________________________. Reflection Questions: What do you feel when you lose something precious? What do you feel like you are missing today? What brings you to the place where you can run to God? Prayer: Lord, there are times when we are quick to label others as sinners. To point out how others have strayed. Lord, we confess in those moments that we are slow to realize that we, too, are lost. Forgive us, O Lord, and call us back home we pray. Amen.

“Lament over Jerusalem” - Luke 13:1-9, 31-35

Part of the process of becoming a pastor in my particular traidition is writing and leading a Bible Study for your church community. I still remember the Bible Study I taught, even though it was over a decade ago - why suffering happens. The truth is that this is a really hard question. And our human minds cannot wrap around it. So we start to search for our own answers to the mysteries of God. Some people blame the sin of people -saying that they deserved tragedies to happen. Others blame God, saying that it must have been God's will. Other times, even our praise of God sounds like we are laying blame. Praise God that one person didn't become ill but another did. Or that one person made it to safety when they could have been in an accident while another was struck by a drunk driver. The truth is, we may never know why suffering happens. Jesus did not give us the answer to that particular question in this passage of scripture, but we do know this - Jesus understands our sorrow and suffering. Because Jesus has been there. Let us cling to this hope,. when we do not know where to turn.

“Lament over Jerusalem” Luke 13:1-9, 31-35 Devo

March 14th, 2021 Devotional “Lament over Jerusalem” Luke 13:1-9, 31-35 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: “Galileans” - Luke 13: 1-2 People were shocked. They were grieving. And they were looking for answers. Why had Pilate killed the Galileans? He had effectively murdered them and then used their blood for sacrifices. Notice that the people did not seem to be asking questions about why Pilate had done this. That they understood. It was a sign of his power. But they were wondering, at least in their hearts, if the Galileans had sinned against God that God would allow such a thing to happen. We, too, see tragedies around us every single day. It doesn’t take very long watching the news or reading a paper to see so much suffering in the world. We, too, can find ourselves asking why God allowed such a thing to happen. To which Jesus replies, this is not the question. Why do you think there is suffering in the world? Prayer: God, in our attempt to find answers to the questions of the mysteries of life, we sometimes place blame. We blame others. We blame you. And we fail to place blame where it is due - the fallen world we live in. Forgive us, O Lord, and speak to us once again of your truth and love and grace. Amen. Tuesday: “Repent” - Luke 13: 3-5 To this question of “do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?” Jesus answers no. These people were no better or worse than anyone else. They did not deserve to suffer. But he also takes the moment to call people to repent. To come to know the freedom and fullness of life that is found in God. Does that mean that if we repent, we will never suffer again? By no means. That is certainly not scriptural. Just look at the letters of Paul, the book of Acts, and the book of Revelation to hear accounts of how faithful saints have suffered throughout the ages. But it does mean that we know where our hope lies. Not in this fallen world, but in the arms of God. Where do you find hope in the midst of suffering? Prayer: Lord, we thank you that the worst thing is not the last thing - and that even in the face of tragedy we know the Good News of the resurrection. Let us live as resurrection people - even when it is hard, Precious Lord. Let us find our hope in you and you alone. Amen. Wednesday: “Fruit” - Luke 13: 6-9 The people around Jesus did not understand what he was saying about suffering. It did not make sense in their understanding of justice. So Jesus tries to explain it with a story - a story about a tree that did not do what trees are supposed to do. There was a fig tree that had not produced fruit for several years. So the owner of the tree decided that the only thing that could be done was to chop it down and start over. The tree wasn’t doing what it was intended to do - produce fruit. But a gardener, the tender of the tree, convinced the owner to not give up. To let him try again. To try to give it even more care. So it is with God. God does not give up on us or abandon us, even when we sin and lack fruit. Instead, God is like the gardener, doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves, and bringing us back to a place of vitality and life. How has God taken you from a season of not bearing fruit to bearing fruit? Prayer: God, we thank you that you do not give up on us. Even when we are far from you, O Lord, you are not far from us. Remind us of your mercy and grace, especially when it is hard for us to understand. Amen. Thursday: “Herod” - Luke 13: 31-33 Similar to Pilates plot against the Galileans, some Pharisees came to Jesus to let him know that Pilate wanted to kill him. He saw him as a threat he wanted to remove. We aren’t sure why the Pharisees, the same group that had their own complaints about Jesus in the past, were now reaching out to Jesus, but Jesus sends them back to Herod with a message - you are not in charge. I have a mission and it is in God’s timing. God’s will and God’s timing are hard for us to wrap our human minds around. And because of that it often seems like evil wins. Especially in the face of death. But Jesus reminds the Pharisees and us, that he is going to live each day he is given like it is his last, working for the mission of the Kingdom. What call do you hear in Jesus’s words? Prayer: Lord, we confess that we want to plan far into the future. But Lord, what we are promised is this day. Let us live it with zeal for you Kingdom and love for your people. Use us, we pray. Amen. Friday: “Jerusalem” - Luke 13: 34-35 Have you ever had a place where you feel deeply connected to God? Maybe it is a special camp sight. Or a family homestead. A place where you can just feel the love of God. For Jesus, such a special spiritual home may have been Jerusalem. Not the place where he was born or the place that he called home, but a place where he came to have deep experiences of God in community. Special celebrations, such as the Passover. Now, his heart is breaking for his spiritual home. They do not realize that they are the place that is so far from God that they now kill prophets. Now reject the compassion and love that Jesus has come to offer. It is hard when people we love do not accept the love of our Savior. But we do not give up on them, because Christ does not give up on them. Even in the midst of his lament, Jesus is turning his feet and his steps towards Jerusalem, to offer his very life for them and for many. How do you respond when people you love do not want to hear about Christ? Prayer: Lord, thank you for never giving up on us or those we love. Thank you, O Lord, for the example of both your prayer, your lament, and your actions, your steps moving towards the place that would reject you. Let us live life with the same commitment and love, we pray. Amen. Saturday: Preparing for the Word You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Lost Sheep, Coin, Son” - Luke 15:1-32

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve Taking the Sermon Into Our Week Scripture of the Week: Luke 13:1-9, 31-35 From the Sermon: Pilate killed some unnamed _______________. Jesus knew what was in the people’s hearts and it was a question - what did the Galileans do that _______________________________? Compassion is to ________________. Suffering is part of this _________________. God knows the______ of our lives. Reflection: When you turn on the news at night and you see another tragedy, what is the first thing that you think or feel? Why do innocent people suffer? Where is our hope during the hardest times? Prayer: Lord, we confess that there are times when we are quick to ask why something happened to someone. We want to know what they did. We want someone to blame. Forgive us, O Lord, and break our hearts open with and for compassion. Amen.

The Good Samaritan

Jesus responded to the religious lawyers questions with a story. I want to share with you a story that I have heard today as well: There once was a seminary ethics class that was preparing for their big final exam. It was a large chunk of their grade and students were stressing out about it - they needed this class to graduate from seminary. The day of the exam came and all of the students had to walk the same direction to get to the building the classroom was located in - past an ally. As each student walked past they heard loud moaning coming from the ally. It was clear that someone was badly hurt. But most students had the final on their mind - rushing past the ally, assuming that someone else would stop and check on that person. Who were they anyway? They didn't have medical training and they were going to be late. Some students thought about calling 911, but that would make them late for their exam, so they left that for someone else as well. A few students did stop and tended to the man, who indeed was in need of care. They knew that meant that they would be late, and possibly fail the exam, but this was too important to ignore. At the end of the class period, the professor told the students to rip up the exams they had been working so hard on, and explained that the real ethics exam was what happened in that ally that day. Those who walked past failed, while those who took care of the man in need passed. I can't remember where I heard this story from, but it is one that has often stuck with me. Jesus doesn't ask us to be good neighbors when it is convent or when it is someone we know and like. Jesus invite us to have a Christ like heart in all times and places- a heart that is open to respond. Reblog - 06/2018.

The Good Samaritan Devotional

March 7th, 2021 Devotional “The Good Samaritan” - Luke 10: 25-37 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: “Eternal Life” - Luke 10: 25 The story of the Good Samaritan is one that perhaps you already know. Countless Bible Studies and Sunday school lessons have been taught on it over the years, as well as numerous sermons preached. But I want to invite you to set aside what you may already know about this story today and explore it with open hearts and open ears. Let’s start back at the beginning of this story - the part that often gets left out. A lawyer came to Jesus and asked him a very specific question - “what must I do to gain eternal life?” A whole sermon could be preached just on this question. This lawyer, or legal expert as some translations call him, was an expert in scripture - thats what lawyers were back in that day. He was one who would have studied the scripture with meticulous detail, and guess what, he isn’t asking this question because he is truly curious or seeking. He is asking this question because he already has an opinion and he wants to justify what he already believes. What does he already have an opinion on - how to gain eternal life. As modern day Christians we may assume that he is asking how to get to heaven or how to obtain a life after death, but that isn’t what he is asking at all. Instead, eternal life, was here and now and it was the fullest, most richly blessed life that you could live. How would you answer the question of what it takes to inherit eternal life? Prayer: Lord Jesus, we recognize that we, too, come asking what we need to do to inherit eternal life. We confess, that sometimes we are asking so that we can create a list of the bare minimum of what you require of us, instead of seeing it as invitation into the fullness of your life. Forgive us, O Lord, we pray. Amen. Tuesday: “Right Answer” - Luke 10: 26-28 Jesus saw right into the man’s heart, and instead of giving him a pat on the back, he responds with a question of his own - what does the law say and how do you interpret it? Jesus wanted to engage the man further, seeing where his own justification lie. To which the man replied. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” - right of Deuteronomy and Leviticus. Jesus then answered that the man was right and that he should live into what the law says. But that answer didn’t satisfy the lawyer at all. He wanted to prove that he was the best of the best, and that he was going to get eternal life right here, right now - so he asked Jesus who his neighbor was - which enters us into the story commonly referred to as the Good Samaritan. What is the difference between knowing the right answer and living into it? Prayer: Lord, we confess that sometimes we get caught up in knowing the right answer instead of living into it. We think as long as we can recite your Word that we do not have to do the hard work of living it our. Keep working on our hearts, O Lord, for this is the seat of true knowledge. Amen. Wednesday: “A Man” - Luke 10: 29-32 There is a lot that we can miss in our modern day understanding of this story - so lets start with the road that ran from Jerusalem to Jericho. First, it was dangerous. It was not a road that you would want to travel alone, as it was often inhabited by thieves. Why? Because of the way that it was formed. The road was only a few feet wide - with a steep drop off on one side. Thieves could hide behind boulders and then ambush folks, because there was literally no place to run to. We can assume because Jesus didn’t give the man’s religious affiliation that he was a Jew. A man like the one who asked the question that led to the story in the first place. He was robbed, beaten up, and left for dead. And then other folks started to walk past him. Now I have heard plenty of justification over the years as to why those who walked by - specifically the priest and Levite - didn’t help the man. But saying that they didn’t see the man does not work. Remember - narrow road - only a few feet wide with no other side of the road - they literally almost had to walk right over him in order to be on their way. They had to choose to ignore him. Why do you think the priest and the Levite walked by? Prayer: Lord, there are so many reasons we walk by those in need today, just like the priest and the Levite long ago. Keep speaking to us of the compassion and love embodied for us on the cross and let us embody that same compassion and love for our neighbors. Amen. Thursday: “Samaritan” - Luke 10: 33-35 Thankfully, a third person stopped by, a Samaritan. Jews didn’t like Samaritans at all. They disagreed about teachings in scripture and as a result Jews were not to have contact with the Samaritans. Yet, it was this man, the one who wouldn’t have been treated kindly by the injured man in any other circumstance, who stopped what he was doing and took care of the man, going above and beyond to continue to pay for his needs until he was healed. Jesus ends the story by asking, What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves? And the lawyer couldn’t even bring himself to say the Samaritan - all he could say was the one who demonstrated mercy. What showed the Samaritan to be a good neighbor? Prayer: Lord, sometimes we write people off because they are not like us, like Jews did with Samaritans long ago. But just as your grace continually surprises us, so does the love of our neighbors in the world today. May we, too, surprise people with the love that we show, in your name. Amen. Friday: “Neighbor” - Luke 10: 36-37 Who are our neighbors? Perhaps those people who are most unlike us. Perhaps those people who we even dislike. We get this story even starting at a young age. But that doesn’t make it any easier. We need to keep coming back to this text that we are almost too familiar with, because it hasn’t changed us yet. We may still be the priest of the Levite - people who know the law to love God with all we have and all we are and to love our neighbor as ourselves, but it hasn’t really changed us yet. We still stick to our categories or who is in and who is out, and we keep pushing the people on the outside further and further away. But the truth of this story - the hard truth - is that God hasn’t given up on that person who may not be like us. God isn’t like the Levite or the priest, so we shouldn’t be either church. Instead, God binds us together. God transforms us together - if only we let Him. May we go forth from this place, not looking for who is in and who is out, but instead listening to the call of the God who invites us to love our neighbor, all our neighbors, even those most unexpected. How can this story transform us today? Prayer: Lord, your Word is living, which means we encounter new truths every time we come before it. Speak to us again this day, your word of truth, and give us the boldness of faith to live into your love. Amen. Saturday: Preparing for the Word You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Lament over Jerusalem” - Luke 13:1-9, 31-35

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve Taking the Sermon Into Our Week Scripture of the Week: Luke 10: 25-37 From the Sermon: A _________ has been listening to Jesus teach. What did the law say about what is necessary to inherit eternal life: 1. 2. Even as Jesus confirms that the man had ______ the right answer, tells him that he has to _____ into it. So who _________ is my neighbor? Jews and Samaritans had a long history of __________ relationship. Jesus reminds us that the neighbor is the one who shows _________. Reflection Questions: Who is my neighbor? Who do you identify with in this parable and why? Prayer: Lord, it makes us uncomfortable to think that we may be like the lawyer, looking to justify ourselves instead of looking to you to light our way. Forgive us, O Lord, and guide us again, we pray in your most precious name. Amen.

"Jesus Turns to Jerusalem" - Luke 9:51-62

I sometimes wonder where our excuses come from. And how many of them are rooted in a truth that has been transformed into a stumbling block. Case and point, the men who greeted Jesus along the road to Jerusalem. Some say they want to follow Jesus and others Jesus calls out to and asks them to follow him. But they all had excuses - things seen and unseen that were holding them back. Family, parents, waiting to say goodbye, wanting comfort and security. And those excuses made them all ultimately turn away. It takes an emotionally healthy person to pause before they give an excuse as a knee-jerk reaction and instead examine where that excuses may come from. What is behind it. And if it is something that needs to be set aside. That takes a lot of work. And work that quite frankly we are not equipped to do on our own. It is an awareness of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, setting us free from the excuses that bind us, and transforming them along the journey of living for the Kingdom mission. What excuses do you need the Holy Spirit to help you examine this week?

Luke 9: 51-62 Devo

February 28th, 2021 Devotional “Jesus Turns to Jerusalem” Luke 9:51-62 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: “Set His Face” - Luke 9: 51 Luke is setting the scene today for all that is going to follow along the path to Jerusalem. Jesus is nearing the time of his death - the time when he is going to hand over the work of the mission of God to his disciples. And so, he sets his face (or resolves to go) to the place where so much is going to happen during Holy Week - his last meal with his disciples instituting a new covenant, his arrest, trial, and ultimate death. And then all that is going to happen afterwards, from his resurrection to ascension. Only, Jesus isn’t there yet. Holy Week is not yet upon us. But he knows what the mission is al about, even if his disciples cannot fully grasp it, so he starts to head back to Jerusalem. This text makes me wonder what our face is set towards - what we resolve to do. I think for lots of folks, we resolve to simply make it through the day. Tend to family. Go to jobs. Pay the bills. And every moment between waking and going to sleep seems like a frantic rush. But for Jesus, the ultimate goal isn’t about just making it through, its about being about the mission and work of the Kingdom. Wherever we may find ourselves, and whatever our days may hold - as people who are committed to following Christ, this should be our ultimate goal as well. What is your face set towards? How is it helping you be involved in the mission of the Kingdom? Prayer: God, we thank you for both the teaching and example of Jesus in this passage. May you search us and know us in our truest of hearts to reveal to us what our faces are set towards. Amen. Tuesday: “Did Not Receive Him” - Luke 9: 52-56 This particular passage of scripture is one what I have wrestled with throughout the years. Every time I read it, I wonder why in the world Jesus sent his disciples to a Samaritan village to see if they would welcome them (or receive them). It is not shocking that Jesus and his disciples were not welcomed. They were Jewish and the Jews and Samaritans had tense relationship with one another throughout the years. That is part of what makes the women at the well so shocking in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John. But regardless of why Jesus sent his disciples to this Samaritan village, the lack of welcome is an opportunity for Jesus to remind his disciples what they are and are not about. The disciples are furious that they and Jesus and were not welcomed so they ask Jesus if they should condemn the city - sending fire onto it. Now have the disciples done anything like this before that we have seen in the Gospels? By no means! So why in the world would they think that it was something in their power to do now? But Jesus rebukes them, and they continue on the journey to Jerusalem. Jesus is essentially saying that what they are talking about isn’t the mission they are sent to be about in this world. What do we try to make part of the mission and work of the Kingdom that comes from us and not from Christ? Prayer: Lord, we confess that sometimes we let our thoughts, words and actions run away from us. We try to attribute to you things that are actually from us. Forgive us, Lord, and remind us of the mission, we pray. Amen. Wednesday: “I Will Follow” - Luke 9: 57-58 Being a disciple during the times of Jesus was not an unknown thing. It was considered to be an honor to follow someone, learning from them. You ate what they ate, slept where they slept. The saying was that you, as a follower, would have the dust from your rabbi’s sandals on the front of your clothes because you were following so closely. To be a follower was an honor. So when this man comes to Jesus saying that he will follow him, he already has all of these ideas of what that is going to mean for his life. Probably about how it is going to result in comfort and security for him. And Jesus sees right through all of that and states that he doesn’t have a set place. They end up each day where they end up. Even animals have dens, but each day takes him and his disciples to a new place. That is what it means to be a follower of Christ. What are some of the things that you associate with being a disciple or follower today? Prayer: Almighty God, we thank you not just for Jesus’s words, but his reminder that being a disciple is about following him, wherever he may lead. Let us wholeheartedly follow, as those who love you. Amen. Thursday: “Follow Me” - Luke 9: 59-60 There is a second man that Jesus calls out to, telling him to come and follow. But the man immediately says let me first take care of burying my father. Scholars pretty well agree that this man’s father is not dead. That he wasn’t even near death or sick. Instead, this man, as his son, was essentially saying that he needed to wait until his father passed. Needed to wait until he was his own man of the house before he could go. Keeping that context in mind, it opens up Jesus’s words to let the dead bury their own dead. It wasn’t about being cruel or denying someone the opportunity to grieve. Instead, it was an invitation to go his own way now - apart from family expectations and obligations. What expectations and obligations can hold us back from following Christ? Prayer: God of Grace, we know that there are expectations, seen and unseen that are upon us. We can feel the weight of them upon our shoulders. Set us free from the chains of those expectations so we can more fully follow you, we pray. Amen. Friday: “But Let Me” - Luke 9: 61-62 A third man said to Jesus that he would be willing to follow him but…. Anytime that there is a “but” that we see in this passage or that we lift up in our own lives, often an excuse is going to follow. Here, the excuse, in the form of a request, is to be able to say goodbye to his family. On the surface it seems reasonable. Let me go say goodbye and then come with you. But Jesus sees all that is tied up in that request, which ultimately for this man is a lack of resolve. Think back to the beginning of this week’s scripture that we explored together on Monday. What was Jesus all about resolve. Resolve and the Kingdom mission. So Jesus tells this man that there isn’t any looking back, there isn’t any going back when it comes to the Kingdom. There is only moving forward. What are some of things that make us look backwards instead of forwards? Prayer: God, we thank you for your ever present Kingdom and call on our lives to follow you. Embolden us to shed our excuses and follow you so closely, that others cannot help but know that we are your disciples. Amen. Saturday: Preparing for the Word You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic to prepare for worship: “Good Samaritan” - Luke 10:25-42