John 15:20 – Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

John Stott said in “The Cross of Christ” that, “The concept of substitution lies at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man.” From the beginning, when Adam and Eve were tempted to eat the fruit that would make them like God, humans have been trying to substitute themselves for the Creator.

The irony is that, when God comes to earth and offers us the chance to walk in his sandals and carry his cross, no one seems ready to step forward and volunteer. What we have learned from Jesus is living a life of faith is no picnic in the park. If wetruly strive to live as Christians first, we make our lives much more difficult than if we would simply forego belief and take life as it comes.

Jesus reminds his disciples of this hard truth: if you want to be like me, be prepared to be treated like me. If the mock me, they’ll mock you. If they spit on me, they’ll spit on you. If they kill me…well, let’s not go there, shall we? All of a sudden having a Messiah complex doesn’t seem like as much fun.

But with trials come triumphs; with struggles come sacred moments. Yes, as Christians we can expect our faith to invite persecution, or at least cause some awkward silences at dinner parties. But as Christians, we are also vested with an authority far greater than anything this world has to offer. We are called to speak the Good News as if Christ himself were saying the words. This is not imitation or mimicry; this is God’s words come from our mouths.

When you speak the name of Jesus, what tone of voice do you use? Is it timid, halting, almost apologetic? Or is it bold, confident, and spoken with a certain tenor that conveys authority and commands reverence? No servant is greater than his master, but with the power of the Holy Spirit poured out on us, we are called to speak on the Master’s behalf. When you speak of the Good News, say it like you believe it.

Empowering God, I don’t understand why You have granted me the authority to speak Your words. And yet, You have. Give me the courage to endure the hardships of my faith so that I may find the strength to speak Your name. May every word that comes out of my mouth give You glory and praise. Amen.

Isaiah 50:4-9
The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.

Before I was called to ministry, I spent a few years in journalism. It was a rigorous way to make a living, but I came out of it with a valuable lesson in how to take criticism. I would submit what I thought was a great story, only to see my editor take to it with chainsaw and hatchet, chopping it up and rearranging it until it was hardly recognizable. It didn’t take me long to learn not to take it personally, it was just part of the business.

Still, it’s hard not to take criticism personally. When we put ourselves into something, a bit of us dies with the first negative word or disapproving frown. It’s especially hard to be criticized when we did what we thought was right and good in the eyes of God. The Hebrew prophets knew all about this (they would have made good journalists!). Almost every time they spoke God’s word, they were met with rebuke and criticism (being ignored is often the most insidious form of criticism). Luckily, that did not stop people like Isaiah from doing God’s will.

Some people just aren’t happy if they are happy. They have to find someone to criticize, and sooner or later you’re going to be their target. When that happens, and it will, I suggest following Isaiah’s advice: Keep your ears open to God’s word, don’t sink to their level by fighting back, and let God handle the rest. Remember, it is the Sovereign Lord who helps you. Who can condemn you?

Patient God, help me to tune my ears to Your voice, and not to the shrill din of my accusers and critics. Help me to act with dignity, so that I may honor the gifts You have given me with faithful service, and so that my attackers may be silenced by my faith and not my anger. Amen.

Ps. 118:19-29

Open for me the gates of righteousness;
       I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.

 20 This is the gate of the LORD
       through which the righteous may enter.

 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
       you have become my salvation.

 22 The stone the builders rejected
       has become the capstone;

 23 the LORD has done this,
       and it is marvelous in our eyes.

 24 This is the day the LORD has made;
       let us rejoice and be glad in it.

 25 O LORD, save us;
       O LORD, grant us success.

 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
       From the house of the LORD we bless you.

 27 The LORD is God,
       and he has made his light shine upon us.
       With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
       up to the horns of the altar.

 28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
       you are my God, and I will exalt you.

 29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
       his love endures forever.

Another day. The alarm goes off, seemingly hours earlier than it should. We stumble to the bathroom and begin our morning routine, and already our mind moves to the duties and responsibilities of the day ahead. There are meals to be made, meetings to be attended, endless errands to be run. We wince at the station-to-station routine that awaits us once we put on our clothes. We’ve lived this way for so long that not only does our day become rote, but even the parts of it that are supposed to bring us joy become mechanistic. Give the spouse a peck on the check, ask the kids about school, skim the newspaper, and ignore anything else – our flower garden, the sweet smell after last night’s rain, a letter from a friend – that might distract us from our rat-race mission.

We sometimes are so beaten into submission by the rigors of daily living that we forget one very important thing: This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Whatever the day holds for us, from the mundane to the miraculous, from the lackluster to the life-changing, it all is a gift from God. The warmth we feel shouldn’t end when we turn off the shower. Each day presents both challenges and opportunities; we’ll never have a day with only one or the other. But God promises to walk beside us through it all, so that there will be no such thing as “just another day.” Do we wake up and say, “Good morning, Lord!” or “Good Lord, it’s morning”?

Gracious God, Creator of each new day, help me to see the possibilities that lie in front of me with each new rising of the sun. Help me to accept both the trials and the triumphs as gifts from You, so that I may grow stronger in my love for You and my service to others. Amen.

Luke 13:31-35 – At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’

Poet Robert Frost once wrote, “The best way out is always through.” Perseverance was a hallmark of Jesus’ ministry. In the face of evil, in the face of challenges, in the face of human stubbornness, he pressed on. It’s a theme Paul picks up in his writings, the idea of running the race to reach the goal set before him. Although Jesus knew of the perils of staying in
Jerusalem, he did not let that deter him: “I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day (NIV).” When the going got tough, Jesus didn’t get out, but to get through. He persevered and stood up to all that awaited him, knowing that he would reach his goal. His steadfast perseverance is an example to us. As we face the trials and tribulations of life, as we come up against our own Pharisees and High Priests, we already know the best way through, because our Savior has already walked the path. No obstacle is so tall that our Lord can’t conquer it through us. And we know what awaits us on the other side. As we keep going today, and tomorrow, and the next day, we keep in front of us the divine goal of a life lived in the presence and praise of Jesus Christ. With Christ as our guide, we will make it out by making it through.

Holy God, You know the walls I have to climb in my life just to keep on keepin’ on. Illuminate my path with Your love so that I can run the race set before me, knowing that You not only run beside me but await me at the finish line. Amen.

Mark 12:41-44 – Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

When I played Little League baseball, one of the encouragements my mother used to shout (much to my embarrassment) was, “Give it your all!” We often hear about athletes “giving 110 percent” on the field. Sometimes the church even implores us to “give until it feels good” because, as we are often reminded on Stewardship Sunday, “God loves a cheerful giver.”

But in all of those cases, the completeness of the giving is only temporary. The athlete rests and recuperates, the church member’s bank account replenishes, and Mom always rewarded my effort with an ice cream cone.

In contrast, the widow gave her all without any foreseeable restitution. The rich gave large amounts, then rode home on their BMW camels to the swanky suburbs of
Jerusalem. When the widow left the temple after dropping her last two coins in the offering plate, she probably didn’t know where her next meal would come from.

She is often lifted up as the model of giving, but in reality, she is the model for financial irresponsibility. Debt consolidation companies would have a field day with her! Who gives everything they have without some sort of backup plan – and to the church, no less! Could there be a less sound investment?

In our risk-averse culture, we are persuaded to horde our resources, lest we face the situation of needing them and not having them. But in reality, most of us live with just the opposite: we have them, but we really don’t need them. Jesus calls us to give them away, to restore a sense of balance to our society where the rich do indeed only get richer.

But the widow gives more than just her money; she gives herself. She puts her future into the hands of God, trusting that provision will be made. Are we more likely to trust God or Charles Schwab? Are we banking on Jesus Christ, or only banking with Smith Barney? Christ calls us to give all of ourselves to the work of the kingdom. If we make that commitment, the rest will fall in line: “For where your treasure is, there your heart is, also” (Matthew 6:21).

Holy God, I acknowledge that everything I have comes from You. Help me move from closed fists to open hands as I strive to be a good steward of all my resources, most especially the life with which you have blessed me. May the way I live and the choices I make bring You glory. Amen.