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Good Samaritan United Methodist Church 19624 Homestead Road, Cupertino, California 94087 - 408-253-0751 - goodsam.info |
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Saturday, February 16, 2008
Matthew 7:13-29 Curtis and Lela Wilson
The Narrow and Wide Gates, verses 13, 14
It’s easy to lead a life of separation from God because we can decide for ourselves what’s good and what’s bad. The harder but much more satisfying path is accomplished by doing God’s will. Leading a Christian life can sometimes be difficult but the blessings are numerous. Life has many temptations but giving in only feels good a very short while. We must continually work hard at doing God’s will.
A Tree and It’s Fruit, verses 15 – 20
A prophet is one with a message from God. A false prophet is a person with a message not sent from God but who claims it was. “They come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” It’s hard to tell who’s a false prophet unless we look at what they do, not what they say or claim to be. “By their fruit you will recognize them.” Look for “good fruit” by observing what others do. Let’s not forget the evil of Jonestown and Jim Jones.
Asking to Enter the Kingdom of Heaven, verses 21, 22, 23
Does prophesy in God’s name, performing miracles and driving out demons automatically guarantee entrance to the kingdom of heaven? Not unless those doing so are truly doing the will of God. “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
The Wise and Foolish Builders, verses 24 – 29
My daughter’s father-in-law has a home on top of a mountain in Marin. Several years ago they had severe rains which caused landslides. The father-in-law’s house was built on bedrock but his back yard was sandy soil. The back yard slid down the mountain but the house did not move.
“Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man building his house on rock.” But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.”
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us as we strive to be a truly good Christian. We know that life will sometimes be difficult but we also know that we will be blessed by doing your will. Help us not mislead others or be misled ourselves. Amen
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Matthew 8: 1-17 Cliff & Gretchen Ludwig
My kids are heavily into fantasy fiction. One says, “I’ll read any book with dragons in it.” When I was their age, I watched Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie on TV, but also studied the Gospels in my new KJV Bible. I equated magic with miracles and figured if I couldn’t be a witch or a genie, I’d go for Disciple.
Far from making life easier, working miracles is a tough job. Jesus is taking big risks in this passage. He touches a leper. He offers to enter a Gentile’s house. He is doing all this on the Sabbath. Each of these acts is prohibited under Jewish law. He comes to Peter’s house, presumably to rest from a full day of preaching and teaching, driving out demons and healing the dying. There, Jesus finds Peter’s mother-in-law suffering what may well have been typhoid or malaria. Rather than relaxing, Jesus calls up the strength and love necessary to “take up her infirmity” and make her well.
Even then he is not through. Once the sun goes down and the Sabbath officially is over, many more emerge carrying the lame and the ill and still Jesus musters the reserves of compassion inside his heart to heal them. 2000 years later, we still call on the love, strength, patience and determination of Jesus to carry us through those moments when we can’t manage alone.
Gracious God,
You’ve shown us, through Your son, how much one person can do. We know that we possess the necessary talents and strength to live out Your vision for us. We also know there are temptations, challenges and distractions that lure us off course. You never said it would be easy; there’s no magic spell that will do it for us. Better than that, You’ve provided the example, the enduring love and compassionate sacrifice of Jesus Christ to guide us, support us, forgive us, love us. Thank You for entrusting us, stumbling and tired, selfish and distracted, to further Your work in this world. Amen.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Matthew 8:18-34 Dave Paulson
The first five verses in today’s reading caught my attention. Jesus’ words “follow me” suggest that obedience to his call must take precedence over every other duty or love. The footnote in my Bible suggests that “let the dead bury the dead” refers to the spiritually dead who are not alive to the demands of the kingdom of God.
As Christians, Jesus’ command to “follow me” is what we want to do, but it is not always clear how to do it. When my family was young I remember trying to balance time and attention between work, church, spouse and children. I tried to follow Jesus, but that didn’t always give me clear guidance about how to use my time. It’s not the choice between good things and bad things but the choice
between several good things that is most difficult
Sometimes we find answers by remembering that prayer is to be a conversation between ourselves and God. We talk to God, say amen and go on our way instead of waiting quietly for God’s response to our concerns.
I came across another interesting idea. Imagine a celebration of your eightieth birthday when people from all parts of your life have come to honor you. Think about what kind of tributes you would like to hear.
Lord, We want to follow you but we still struggle to make choices between multiple good things to be done. Help us learn to listen for your guidance. Amen (pause here and listen!)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Matthew 9:1-17 Carol Thompson Eidt
“It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are ill.”
This passage tells two stories of redemption. The second story, of Jesus eating with the tax gatherers and sinners, is a fairly straightforward message about God’s grace applying to all people – even the greatest of sinners. It includes the passage above, which has always meant a great deal to me, much like the saying that “a church is not a museum of saints, but rather a hospital for sinners”. When Jesus acknowledges the inherent value of even the worst sinners, and provides the hope of their redemption, he sets a high standard for us to follow – to recognize the potential of even the worst sinner among us.
However, the first story has always been more troubling for me. Why does Jesus offer forgiveness to the paralytic? This seems to presume that his sins are the reason for his affliction. But perhaps it’s more complex than that. Perhaps Jesus is acknowledging that our sins are our greatest affliction, regardless of what physical limitations or imperfections we may have. Therefore, the greatest gift is forgiveness of our sins. Certainly, that is central to the message of the gospel – that redemption through God’s grace is the key to fulfillment.
The book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” explores the question of why the world we live in is not always just. Some of the most wonderful people will endure severe hardship, while corruption and selfishness seems to be rewarded with wealth and easy living. One of my favorite things about this book is that it doesn’t claim to provide all the answers. But it does encourage us to ask not “why did this happen to me”, but “now that this has happened, what will I do about it”. I believe that the grace that we have received through Jesus Christ is what enables us to not just accept the hardships that we encounter in life, but to move beyond them to find ways to do God’s work.
A prayer for today
Dear God, help me to accept the grace of forgiveness, and allow my burden of sins and imperfections to be lifted, so that I may find strength to be your heart and hands here on earth. Amen.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Matthew 9:18-38 John Cordes & Diane Gleason
We want to share with you the ideas that speak loudest to us in this section of Matthew. The one which resonates most strongly with us comes from the last couple of verses. Starting with Matt 9:37
Then Jesus said to his disciples “Although the crop is good, still there are few to harvest it. So beg the harvest boss to dispatch workers to the fields.”
Jesus’ symbolism is clear. He compares humanity to the harvest, the disciples to workers and GOD to the harvest boss. But the message Jesus is trying to convey is subtle. Jesus seems to be requesting the disciples to ask GOD to provide workers for the harvest. But where will GOD get these workers? They must be us! So Jesus is asking us to ask GOD to help us become the workers needed to help harvest the rest of humanity. We start this process by asking GOD to help us become the workers. We ask him to empower us, to make us willing to go out into humanity as his workers, his disciples. This is a tough request for many of us. It requires GOD’s power and our trust for us to become his workers. We have to invite this change into our lives.
Many of these verses in Matthew are about Jesus making himself known. He goes to all the villages and towns proclaiming the word of GOD and healing others. We need to follow his example. We need to be willing to be known as Christians. We need to share our beliefs with others. This is how we can help GOD harvest humanity. This is how we are his disciples.
Dear God,
Please lend us your strength so that we may become your disciples; and so that we have the courage to live our lives boldly as Christians. So we are examples and helpers to lead others to you.
Prayerfully, Diane and John
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Matthew 10:1-25 Paul Boehm
In this passage, Jesus commissions his disciples to spread the gospel, to serve people by healing the sick, and other mighty acts, but he warned them that they would meet resistance. “…for they will hand you over to councils and flog you…”
And then, after warning them, he asked them not to worry. His assurance is powerful: “The things you are to say will be given to you by the Spirit.” God even provides us with the very words we are going to say!
During my years as a teacher, I must admit that I sometimes wondered if God was giving me the right words to say. I always knew that students learned best when my energy level was high. I also found that knowledge about a student’s background facilitated my ability to teach. Preparing a well designed lesson plan also is key to teaching. I wish I could say that I always maintained a high level of energy, knew my students, and came to class with a dynamite lesson plan, but I didn’t. However, even when I did come fully prepared, sometimes I felt frustrated that my students didn’t comprehend or were less than motivated. Sometimes students were resistant to learning, and I would get discouraged and feel like I had failed.
If we come to this passage with great faith that our Lord does provide us with everything we need, then we truly need not worry. Yes, there will be resistance. Some of that resistance may be due to a lack of energy, or a lack of knowledge or planning on our part. But if we try our best, and we still meet with resistance,
we can know that even Jesus met with resistance. Whether we consider our efforts to be fruitful or fruitless, our Lord will be with us throughout.
Dear Lord: Thank you for giving us your Spirit to spread the Good News of your love and serving the people in need. Let us speak your words knowing that, regardless of the result, you will always be with us.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Matthew 10:26-42 Flo Harrison
Directions to the disciples going out into the world for the first time.
Jesus tells the disciples when they try to do good, to not expect to fare any better than He Himself. Christ was rejected by some of the very people whom He had come to help. Some hated Him so much; they even called Him “the devil.”
Surely some of the efforts made by the disciples could be a bitter experience for them and they could even be called even worse than Beelzebub. Then Christ encouraged His followers not to be fearful because they would not suffer anything worse than what He, the Master, already had. He tells them to look forward, with patience, to the Day of Judgment. Jesus told the disciples they would be both misunderstood and misrepresented. Only in the future would the purity of their intentions and the wisdom of their work be revealed.
Man can hurt or kill the body but God can destroy both the body and the soul. The anger and rage of men may be hard to bear, but the anger of God is much more severe. Nothing escapes God’s mercy, not even the smallest things. V. 30 tells us, “Even the hairs on your head are numbered.” (Now that’s astonishing!) How comforted the disciples must have felt knowing that Jesus had such total concern for them, even down to the smallest detail.
Conflict and opposition in families will occur because of the evil in men’s heart. As long as one man continues in sin and another wants to give sin up, division and conflict continues. Until we submit to the loss of society’s favor we will continue to endure hardships. Though Christ holds out a crown to us, we must also know the weight of a cross in our life.
The least service we perform (v.42) will be rewarded. Can you imagine a hot, dusty dessert road in any eastern country and how much a cup of cold water would mean on a scorching summer day? Again, Christ shows us His eyes are on each of us who try to do good. Are we helpers or hinderers?
Prayer: Heavenly Father,
Even if we lose face, help us to submit rather than displease You. Help us to seek you out as we try to do good works. May we be encouragers to one another. There is always something for everyone to do. May we each have an eye to see it and a will to do it.
Saturday, February 10, 2008
Matthew 11: 1-30 Carl Schulenburg
A Yoke of Love
Having lived and worked in Silicon Valley all of my adult life, I number among countless souls that have experienced the excruciating pressure and stress for which life in the Valley is famous, or rather infamous. Man and woman alike, we toil through days filled with overwhelming to-do lists, endless demands on our time and the nervous exhaustion induced by never quite fulfilling expectations as others or ourselves would wish.
Exhaustion, I know that word well… having experienced it out on the edge of daily existence. The wear and tear of the competitive grind, the ups and downs of personal finances and the disappointment of dreams not realized, all are friction on our soul. It is with tired, weary eyes that I read Matthew 11:28-30 and am reminded of the inner peace that is ours if we bind with him through his yoke of love:
“Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”.
It is as if a crisp, refreshing spring wind flows through my heart and soul as I submit to my Lord and pick up his yoke. When I do this, I bind with him and all other Christians in a new life – and I receive a cleansing so deep as to wipe away all the fears and dark emotions that befall me when I stand alone.
I am reminded that while I may have accepted Christ as my savior once, and forever, many years ago – that in my humanness, I must accept him daily as the Lord of my life.
I pray that for all those who are seeking true peace and rest for their souls, take up the yoke of Love that the Lord offers and daily walk with him.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Matthew 12:1-21 Cindy Pellegrino
God is a God of people, not rules. The best time to reach out to someone is when he or she needs help.
I enjoy helping others, like working at the Second Harvest food bank. I do not know all the people they help personally, but I know I feel so much better when I leave after working for a few hours. Each bag you fill and load, you know some one will have food to quiet their empty stomachs, kids will be fed, the elderly will eat. It is a wonderful feeling, to help others. I also like to bring canned food in to our barrels in the hallway. If I can buy a little extra and put the food in the barrels, I feel like I have touched someone with love.
I think it is very important to be aware of all the opportunities around us to reach out and help. I pray that I will always be there to help some one that is in need. If I am able to help I will.
I hope and pray I always will be a Good Samaritan, to be the one that helps and does not look the other way.