Author: Carol Snyder

2 Corinthians 10

By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! ² I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.

BOLD. What connotations does this word bring to mind? First three words you think of are? I think of the color red, LeBron James (since the NBA playoffs are going on) and Rafael Nadal (I wrote part of this last weekend when the French Open was on TV). Whether or not you like the President, he is certainly bold, and, as Paul writes, he is definitely not timid when you come face to face.  How about bold characters in the Bible?  John the Baptist is the first that comes to my mind.  The transformed Peter.  How about Moses?

Today’s passage is interesting to me. How can you be timid yet bold? We all know people who’s “bark is worse than his bite”. We all have received cutting emails and then once we have a conversation face to face, things change. I wonder about our next generations and their use of social media. They are oftentimes extremely bold in statements, pictures, actions, yet face to face communication is not a skill. A bit scary to me. As you think about the world today, are you bold or meek or both?

In the case of Paul, he has written bold letters to Corinthians, writing as an apostle for Christ. He is trying to convey his strong messages to the strike fear in the people, such as in his letter of warning in 1 Corinthians. He is bold in trying to convince the people to follow God’s ways. To take the instruction he is giving to heart. To change their ways. He writes these letters in a bold manner, yet he admits he is timid and has a gentleness in him, almost holding him back from preaching the Gospel in a live setting. Many of us have that problem: public speaking is not our thing and we have to convey our thoughts in writing.  Are we as bold as we can be in telling others about our beliefs?  Or are we meek when face to face?

 So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. ⁹ I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. ¹⁰ For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” ¹

^{Paul fully understands how he is perceived by others. He wants to be convincing, not scary.  He then goes on to talk about not comparing ourselves to others, noting we should not boast. I go back to one of my posts on judging others. We should not be judging others as God is truly the only one offering final judgment. It is the same with boasting and comparing ourselves to others. God made us all unique individuals. We should not boast that we are better than others, nor should we spend time comparing ourselves to others.   We should be focusing on living out God’s word, following his instructions, following Paul’s guidance to us.}

^{I think this verse says it all:   7} But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^{[b] 18} For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

Will you be bold enough to boast in the Lord today?

⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude.

1 Corinthians 13

Need I say more?  LOVE.  Can you hear the Beatles song playing in your head? “All you need is love….”.

Paul’s writing is short yet powerful, one that is hard to say more about – it truly speaks to us, needing no interpretation.  How many times have we read this verse? How many times have we heard this chapter read at weddings or preached upon in sermons.  I love the gentle reminder to be patient and kind. This is a wonderful chapter in Corinthians and just makes me smile, almost melt, reading it. There is a calmness present in the way Paul writes it, almost forcing us to sit back, relax, and enjoy the thought of love. This chapter could be viewed as a bit sappy, but it serves as a reminder to us as to what is truly important:  How love rules over all else.  Oh how we need more love in the world today, not just at weddings!

Why do you think Paul writes about love right now?   Maybe he thinks people are caught up in their spiritual gifts? Maybe even in the length of their hair? Maybe he believes people have forgotten the commandment to Love One Another as they show dissent between their beliefs? Paul is trying to bring people back to unite in the church by reminding them of the importance of love, highlighting what love is and what is isn’t. I think of the words “unity” and “harmony”

⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

What about this part of the chapter? Dig into this further and Paul presents a view that, at times, love is hard. So you are supposed to bear all things, meaning harmful words or actions from others and still show love? Yes! Endure all things. Another hard part. What about Jesus enduring death on the cross to show his love and sacrifice?  What a powerful sign of his love for us and for his father. Cancer? Endure it with a loved one and still love God when you are questioning why that person or why me? Love is present and should be a source of comfort to help us through tough moments. If you have love, you have enough to survive. Tough sometimes! I have a friend who just lost her father to cancer. So hard to see him suffer and to watch her “endure”. Yet, he was faithful through it all, continuously stating that it was up to the Lord. She showed endurance and strength, loving as much of him as she could and spending time with him as he suffered. A perfect example of love even when it was hard, and I commend her.

⁸ Love never ends.

My favorite part of the chapter. It truly never ends. God never loses his love for us just like a mother never loses love for her child. It never ends ; “abounding in steadfast love”. How do you feel about this three-word sentence Paul states:  “love never ends”? Does it give you hope in some of your trying days? It does me. No matter if we have a bad day, or we do something or say something that is not right, God still loves us. The hard part for me is sometimes feeling guilty. I might have a thought drift in my mind that isn’t positive, yet God still loves me. I might have a coworker who frustrates me, and yes, I’m still supposed to love that person. Hard, huh? You bet.

³ So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The closing to this happy chapter says it all. We have faith in God, in eternal life and in his promises. We hope for better things in the world today and in heaven tomorrow. And we love. I say “happy chapter” because it reminds us of what is important. Loving ourselves, loving others and loving our God. If we pause long enough and ponder just how much love we have for others and they have for us, it is abounding.   Yes, it may seem sappy, but sometimes, we need that! Think about a world filled with more love. If each of us reached out one more time each day to show love to another person, I wonder what we could do together? We don’t have to wait for the next wedding to relish in this chapter. Show your love today!

Romans 16

How many times a week do you greet someone? Have you ever stopped to think about how many times you either introduce yourself to someone new or say hello to a friend you know well. How do you make these greetings meaningful? Do you think about the impression you leave on someone just by smiling and saying hello?  How about when you introduce a friend to another person?  Do you go out of your way to make the “greeting” memorable?

At an early age, our parents taught us to mind our manners when we meet someone new. Reminders of etiquette included “smile”, “have a firm handshake”, “make eye contact”, say “nice to meet you”. It is not always easy to do, is it? Or it wasn’t back when we were little and adults sometimes seemed a bit scary or intimidating. If you are meeting someone new, it is all about being confident and trying to be in moment with this new individual. It takes some practice for many of us. We also want the person we are meeting to remember us. How do we make a positive, memorable impression? Again, easy to say, hard to do. For me, it is easier to meet someone new if I am being introduced rather than initiating the greeting or first meeting. It gives you a common ground on which to begin. With practice, it becomes easier the more we think about greeting someone for the first time.

Think of the world today and how greetings have changed. We often “meet” people online, via e’mail, or on a conference call. How do we make these initial introductions important? Do you have a phrase you use? “Nice to know you” is my favorite. Even greeting someone on the trail; you may not know the person but on a run or walk, it’s hard to pass someone without giving some sort of acknowledgement, such as a wave or “good morning”.

In today’s reading, Paul helps point out how important greetings can be.  He starts out greeting women and fellow workers in the church.  He almost goes around the room introducing each person.   I can hear the excitement and compassion he has for these people as he goes through the round of greetings. He wants people to know these women.  He also demonstrates the significance of these women in the early days of the church. He demonstrates his caring attitude toward those who worked hard with him and for him, and those who stood by him.  He wants to offer proper greetings.

³ Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. ⁵ Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert^[b] to Christ in Asia. ⁶ Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia,^[c] my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,^[d] and they were in Christ before me. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. ¹⁰ Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. ¹² Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers^[e] who are with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. ¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

May we be role models in greeting others, both those people who we may know and those we are meeting for the first time. Let us make a concerted effort in our “greetings” to introduce friends to other friends.  May we use greetings as a way to practice being good role models and good disciples.  Make a stranger’s day with a friendly hello. Don’t wait to be told to make that introduction or greeting. Just do it!

 

Romans 2

What comes to mind when you hear the word “judge” or “justice” or “judgment”? I would like to focus on these three themes today as we read Romans 2.

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. ² Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. ³ So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”

The first word “judge” brings many images and thoughts to mind. Based on your own standards, expectations, morals, values, upbringing, etc., you have an idea of how you like to lead your life or how you think the world should operate. Do you sometimes carry that over into criticizing how others lead their lives? Or in your mind do you think , “I would not have handled the situation that way”? “That is not the way to parent that unruly child!” “Wow, those clothes are not appropriate.” In today’s world of imagery and social media, we are flooded with messages by which to judge others, but we shouldn’t, because God is the ultimate judge. My friend Jan and I have this saying “stay in your lane”. We refer to this motto when we are talking about our kids, our friends and parenting. If the situation at hand doesn’t affect you or your child, don’t get involved or judge. If it does present harm to you or your child, obviously, there is a time to jump in, but in general, it’s none of your business. Easy to say, sometimes hard to do.

The second word that comes to mind in reading this chapter is “justice”. Justice in our world today is carried out through our legal system. Unfortunately, I had a very rocky divorce over ten years ago (and you may be judging me know by writing about it here??). Multiple hours spent in the McLean Country Law & Justice Center, with the outcome of my life and my kids’ lives being determined by a judge. Was I capable enough to be given sole custody of my kids? Which holidays was I “assigned”? How much money would I be given or would I have to pay? It was pure torture. I can remember daydreaming in the courtroom thinking “here is this judge deciding our outcome without knowing the situation, me as a person/parent or my children. This is absurd. And how many times each day does this judge get to decide the fate of others and doesn’t know them either?”

However, I consoled myself thinking God truly decides in the end. He is the ultimate judge. His judgment is what matters. Justice will be served. The best part is that he knows us. He knows our thoughts, words, and deeds. His vote is the one that counts. It is based on the truth.  He gives us the gift of eternal life if we choose to take the opportunity and strive for it.

⁵ But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶ God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”^{[a] 7} To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

Consider the three words and the words written in Romans 2. How can we all live a better earthly life and not judge others? Are you upholding the laws? Are you upholding what the Bible says or how it suggests we act? Do you show repentance for your sins and ask for forgiveness? Do you believe? How will you be judged? I hope to continue to do better each day seeking his glory, honor and immortality.

Today’s reading is Acts 17.

As we have seen throughout Acts, Paul moved around quite a bit.   He encountered many different people.  We read about Paul in Thessalonica, in Berea and in Athens. In Berea and Thessalonica, he continued to preach the good news to those who will listen, yet seemed to have danger lurking within the crowds of non-believers. Athens appears to be different. When he arrived, he was concerned with all the idols being worshiped. He was not met with resistance when he first met with the Jews. There were people worshiping, just not worshiping God. They show characteristics of being Christians but seem to be distracted.   They did not throw him out at first sight, but instead were anxious to seek the next big thing or idea.   “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

¹⁹ Then they took him in and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

We all know people who are seeking the next big idea or the next generation phone or computer or car. We can get distracted by the next best thing and sometimes need to be redirected back to God, right?

Paul did not turn away from this opportunity. He commends them by stating that he does see worshiping taking place, yet he corrects them by saying “I see that in every way you are very religious”.  Does he see hope that maybe his preaching will focus them on worshiping God?

^23 “For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.”

He recognized the opportunity. H e persevered.  He seized that moment of time to proclaim his faith and share his views on Christianity.

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.”

Paul took action! He tried to clear up some of their beliefs and redirect them. He tried to draw them in toward the end by telling them about Jesus’ resurrection. If they have faith and believe, their sins will be forgiven.

Paul reminds us that we only need God. Paul shares the good news that God provides for us and nourishes us with his spirit. He gives us food, shelter, and direction. Paul wanted the people of Athens to understand that God made the world.  God gave them what they need “life and breath and everything else”.  They seem to be taking it for granted. They are distracted just like we are at times. God provided for them and in return, he wanted them to believe, to seek, to find. The same thing is true for us. May we: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”  Matthew 7:7.  May we believe in his resurrection. May we also find ways to be disciples just like Paul and seize the opportunity to share the good news.

 

Acts 3

In today’s story, we read about how Peter used his power to perform a miracle: healing a lame beggar.

³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. ⁴ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸ And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

What a transformation from a few weeks ago? My last post was about Peter’s denial. Now, we see Peter using his power and not shying away from being known as Jesus’ follower.

Let’s think about this transformation a bit more. Just like Tracy mentioned in her Follow Jesus post this week, Peter was a fisherman by trade, working to make a living.   He was an regular man, with a wife, living a regular life.  Now, we see him become a fisher of men during the day and continue to be a fisherman at night. He was the one who tried to walk on water. He was always engaged, asking tons of questions, sometimes not thinking about what he was asking or saying, but we knew he loved Jesus with all his heart and with all his soul. He was eager, bold and outspoken.  In the book Twelve Ordinary Men, he is referred to as double-minded, unstable. He was one of the few who experienced the Transfiguration. He reacted quickly and radically to Jesus wanting to wash his feet. He also slept while Jesus went off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane trying to be ever faithful, but failing. When he awoke and the soldiers arrived, he immediately defended Jesus, even going so far as to cut off the ear of a soldier!

In the Bible, Peter is mentioned more than the other disciple.  He is the first name on all the lists about disciples and apostles. As Jesus was on Earth, Peter was viewed as Jesus’ right hand man as he is ever prominent in stories. He stood out as the leader and spokesman for the twelve. He was in the inner circle. He was also the one the Lord named: Simon (whom he named Peter) Luke 6:14. Peter, in Greek, means “Rock”. Sometimes we saw him act like a rock and sometimes not so much! Jesus refers to him as both Simon and Peter. Simon may represent him as the person before he met Jesus. Then over time he, Peter, transforms, especially in the book of Acts, demonstrating how he truly became a leader.

So far in Acts, Peter has been the one taking charge.  He has developed into the leader God wanted him to be. He appears to be more in control of what he says and what he does. He determined they needed to replace Judas with Matthias. He was the one who started interpreting the tongues and understood this work as one of the Holy Spirit. He also demonstrated courage as he delivered his sermon on Pentecost in yesterday’s reading and he continues his newfound confidence by deciding to heal the lame beggar. He did not hesitate or ask questions this time; he used his reactionary nature for the good of another.

How was this transformation possible? I believe Peter finally understood what Jesus was telling him. Even with Jesus foretelling the story, did Peter truly believe? Maybe, but it was not until it happened and then after he denied him three times, the truth rang out. Peter was not perfect; he finally understood God’s plan for him. He kept developing as a person.

Can we see everything in black and white before we believe or do we have to really experience it before we believe?  Do we react too quickly in certain situations? Do we take the time to listen to what is being said so that we can transform ourselves and have the confidence to believe without seeing? Simon’s transformation into Peter may seem like a big jump, but this is just another example of God’s power and patience. He has a plan for all of us, and all we need to do is trust him.

For your reading pleasure: Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master shaped his disciples for greatness and what he wants to do with you by John MacArthur.

John 11

The book of John has certainly been one provoking deep thought. Jennifer’s post last Saturday on “Why are we doing this?” challenged us to really think through what we are reading. What are we doing with the messages we read? This week proved no different with the themes of teaching:  The Healing at the Pool, the Feeding of the Five Thousand, Jesus Walking on Water, Jesus at the Festivals, The Healing of the Blind Man, The Good Shepherd, all giving us a chance to continue to build our faith.

Today, we come to the wonderful story of Lazarus. Another example of Jesus’ power as he performs one of his 37 miracles. This miracle though seems a bit different because Lazarus is his friend. In the Bible, we see Jesus leave his parents at an early age. He then surrounds himself with the 12 disciples. Beyond this inner circle, there are only a few friends mentioned. We hear Mary and Martha mentioned a number of times including during Jesus crucifixion and resurrection and Mary washing Jesus’ feet.

In this story today, Mary and Martha sent for Jesus because Lazarus was ill. We aren’t told what he had but obviously, they knew it was severe and possibly life threatening if they sent for Jesus. They knew Jesus could potentially help or heal their brother.

What strikes me is that Jesus heard he was sick and still waited two days. If one of our best friend’s was very ill, wouldn’t we drop everything and come home or go to the hospital or be with that person, whatever was needed, right away? In this case, Jesus knew that this situation would be another one of his signs (there are 7 revealed in the book of John). He would show the believers and non-believers that his miracles come from the power given to him by God. He knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead just as he had others such as Jarius’ daughter.

When Jesus is finally approaching Bethany, Mary goes to meet Jesus. She still has hope that Jesus can help or just had the need to see him right away. Martha on the other hand stays back at their home. Is she mad that he didn’t come sooner and doesn’t believe Jesus can do anything at this point as Lazarus has been dead four days? Or is she so overcome with grief that she cannot bear to leave their home? Eventually she goes to meet him.

³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

³⁵ Jesus wept.

Jesus sees the grief of the sisters and the other mourners. He is overcome with grief himself, weeping, and showing his compassion.

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

Do you ever feel like crying when you see a close friend or family member that upset over something? What a powerful moment to see these friends together, weeping and consoling each other. It also gives us an indication of what a wonderful person Lazarus must have been. We don’t know much about him in the rest of the Bible. We do not even know how old he is or what his profession is, but he must be a kind and generous man to share his home with his sisters.

The scene moves from this emotional state to the climax of Jesus’ sign. As they are at the tomb, Martha worries that the stench will be too great. She is showing a slight weakness of faith. As the stone is rolled away, we know Lazarus is alive. Calls for him Jesus brings his friend back to life.

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

We can only imagine what joy the friends experience. Believers and non-believers see yet another sign.

As you read this story, I hope you experienced the same powerful imagery in your head as I did. It is a miraculous story of friendship, compassion, miracles and belief. We can rejoice in this miracle and believe. Our faith is strengthened.

Yet this story can’t help me think of Jesus’ death, Mary and Martha at the tomb, and then Jesus’ resurrection.  Stay tuned for John 20.

This week, I am writing on Luke 22, The Plot to Kill Jesus. Back in January, I wrote the post entitled “Why?”. It was about the same message about Judas’ betrayal and being filled by Satan, the Last Supper and his powerful words we use every Sunday during communion, praying at the Mount of Olives while the disciples slept, his betrayal and arrest, mocking him, Peter’s denial, and Jesus going before counsel. After writing about Matthew 23, my oldest son said “you didn’t really write much about temptation or denial”. Both are pretty big concepts. Let’s take one at a time.

Temptation: There are many references to temptation in the bible. Temptation comes when we are drawn away from what is believed. The more common examples include: Eve in the Garden of Eden, Jonah running away from what God asked him to do, this example from Luke 22: 3-6, Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness and then the foretelling of the denial: Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

As humans, we are tempted in “thought, word and deed” on a daily basis. Satan tempts us yet we are given tools to overcome this temptation. We are given stories to help us understand how others overcame (or didn’t) temptation. We are given strict instructions in our ten commandments. All this foundation is meant to keep us strong, to build us up and to send us out into the world every day. We still can be tempted to respond back to harsh words, to spend money on frivolous items, or even to “take a day off” from church.

Another angle of temptation shared by Pastor Brian Goke had an interesting twist to temptation that was very relevant to our family. His message had to do with being tempted to listen to others. You aren’t good enough. You don’t have the skills we need on our team. You aren’t smart enough. You don’t look the part. You fidget too much. Only God knows your purpose in life. He made you unique, one of a kind. He knows your boundaries. No one else does. So don’t be tempted by people telling you “you can’t”.   It was a great message for my kids – they can do anything they want and be anything they want to be. It equally applies to adults. You still can grow, decide to take on a new career, and learn a skill you never have before. Don’t listen to the negativity of others who are trying to tear you down. God is in charge.

If we go back to Judas, he wasn’t strong enough or didn’t believe enough to take the stand against Satan. He was consumed by the potential power he could receive by betraying Jesus. If he could turn him in, he would have the notoriety within society that he was “the one”. He would receive fame and fortune.   Or so he thought.

Even Peter was tempted to deny Jesus. With his denial three times, he too was tempted and caved in the heat of the moment. Even though he was viewed as the leader of the disciples, he showed his weakness and fear. He had been through a whirlwind 24 hours from the Last Supper, to falling asleep in the garden while Jesus was praying, to seeing Jesus hauled away, to understanding that Jesus’ death was ultimately happening just as it was foretold, to being on the street and being questioned. He feared what would happened to himself. Would he be hauled away like Jesus was? Would Peter be killed?

Easy to say what Peter should have done, looking back on it now. Prayer was needed. Peter needed strength, gained from knowing and believing God’s word.   He needed guidance and clarity from getting down on his knees and praying. Something all of us can do to help us stay strong through temptation. Unfortunately, temptation will continue for us whether it is caving into a demand, overindulging, or listening to someone’s negative voice. We can be strong though as we know God is with us.

Our prayer: …and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.  Amen.

(Luke 8)

Yet another packed chapter! So many verses and stories to choose from this week. We are familiar with a number of these stories and characters from Mary Magdalene to healing Jairus’ daughter to casting the demons in Legion into the pigs. One of my favorites is Jesus calming the storm, showing we have to keep the faith as Jesus is supporting us. I read this chapter many times and decided upon the Parable of the Sower.  We read about this parable in (Matthew 13.) Jesus tells us this parable and then the disciples question why he is using parables to share his message.

⁹ And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, ¹⁰ he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ ¹

It is interesting to see how effective his use of storytelling is and why he is sharing in this manner. Did you know that Jesus told forty six parables? The parable of the sower is #11. It took the Disciples 11 parables to ask him? He also told five parables using seeds, including the infamous mustard seed (another one of my favorites).

If we look at the Parable of the Sower, he has a crowd gathered and is spreading the good news.   He describes four scenarios, one where the seeds are trampled, one where the roots try to take hold but can’t, one where thorns appear and the final scenario showing success of the seeds growing, “yielding a hundredfold”.

I like this parable because it gives us scenarios we can relate to at work, with our friends, and at home. It is truly applicable to all areas of our lives. You can plant seeds at work with your insights and innovative ideas. Coworkers may try to weed you out and scuff at a new idea. Other times, you might gain traction with an idea but you lose funding and can’t move forward with your idea. What about the coworker who is out for themselves and will sabotage your best laid plans so that you don’t get ahead? Hopefully you can find supportive coworkers who will get on board and help you grow your idea.   Maybe it is a manager or teammate who knows its best to work together for the good of the company.

We have also all experienced friends in all four of these categories throughout our lives. Those who are inconsistent, those who wear you out and drag you down, and those who just die off as you age or move away.  In the end, we figure out the seeds who are truly good friends.  Those who enrich our every day lives.  We stick close to those who help us grow and leave those who choke our growth behind.

As a parent, you consistently try to give your kids seeds of knowledge and sow those seeds through out the years.  When they are young, they take what you have said to heart, but sometimes don’t fully understand what you are trying to say or sow.  As children grow into young adults, they start to question your “seeds of knowledge” and even become influenced by others, thorns, who may have evil thoughts, perform harmful acts or even tempt them. Hopefully though, as they continue to grow, the early roots have taken hold and they make good decisions based on your seeds of knowledge.  They grow and “yield a hundredfold”.

God wants us to take his seeds of knowledge and let his word take root in us. He wants us to grow.  He desires his disciples to “yield a hundredfold”.  He wants us to nurture his words and see it grow in our hearts and minds. He asks us to turn our knowledge into action by sharing with others the good news and embracing his word by taking action in all we do. The tricky part is practicing and perfecting the fourth scenario. At work, at home, with friends, how can we be a “sower” of his word?

For those of you who know me, you know I am a creature of habit. I like my daily routines. On Sundays, I take a break from exercise and work, however, I still have my daily routine. Coffee and the paper with the Today Show at 7am. Church at 8:30. Grocery store. Home to read ahead on our Bible Journal. Then, it depends, but I try to relax and unwind. Last Sunday, at the grocery store, we were looking for some different food to change it up and add some new healthy treats.  I went for some mangos and also grabbed a few figs. Little did I know when I started in on the Bible Journal and read ahead to my chapter in Mark that there would be the story of the Fig Tree. After I wrote my last post, I had already decided not to try to boil the ocean and cover every single topic in the chapter, but would choose one topic and right just on that portion. Thus, my story about Figs!

Did you know?:

• Fig fruit is one of the popular fruits enjoyed since ancient times.
• The fig tree is native to temperate regions of Asia Minor or Turkey, and today, grown as an important fruit of commerce in the eastern Mediterranean climates, USA, and Spain
• Fig fruit is low in calories. 100 g fresh fruits carry only 74 calories.  However, they contain health benefiting soluble dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and pigment antioxidants that contribute immensely towards optimum health and wellness.
• Dried figs are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. In fact, dried figs possess higher concentrations of energy, minerals, and vitamins. 100 g dried figs provide 249 calories.
• Furthermore, research studies suggest that chlorogenic acid in the figs help lower blood sugar levels and control blood glucose levels in type-II diabetes mellitus (adult-onset) condition.

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/fig-fruit.html if you want to learn more.

In Mark 11: 12-14, and also in Matthew 21: 18-22 Jesus sees the fig tree up ahead and was looking forward to tasting that sweet treat. He saw the leaves and assumes it will be bearing fruit, but once he arrived, he is disappointed. The tree was barren. Even though it was out of season, he was mad. He cursed the tree, which could be viewed by some as a show of his power. Typically he used his power to perform miracles, but this time, his power has the opposite result of harming a living thing. It was the only time he cursed something and it withered immediately.

We see Jesus use parables, miracles and teachings to make his disciples and followers think. We have to unpack his messages as they often have double meanings or can be interpreted differently. In this story, the fig tree has leaves, which outwardly shows growth, hopefully signifying fruit. We can liken this vision to people. People in Jesus’s time and also today, outwardly appearing to follow God, saying the right thing, going to church, but inside, the opposite is happening. They do not believe. Hypocrites. They may say they are Christians but deep down don’t live up to God’s word. Or what about the opposite; they have faith but don’t follow through. We have all heard the statement “Faith without good works is dead”.

Going back to the story of the Fig Tree, if I had been following Jesus and saw the Fig Tree wither, I would have shook with fear. Would Jesus now start performing this type of act or even take this type of approach with non-believers? What does he mean by this act?

So what do we take away from this story? What would he want us to do? Believe, have faith, follow, perform good works, follow the commandments. To me, it is about being a Christian through and through. Not faking it for appearance sake, but living the life day in and day out as a follower of Christ. As we continue to read through our daily posts, we all know it is not easy, but we have to keep trying. God does not want us to fake it and he also does not want us to wither away.

What will you think about the next time you taste a fig?