Tag Archives: pray

compassion

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Jesus was preaching and teaching and healing.

That’s what the text says. He was preaching and teaching and healing and he saw crowds.

The text doesn’t say, though it implies, that the crowds were coming to where he was, because of what he was doing.

The text does say, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” [Matthew 9:36].

He could have seen the crowds and thought “Just think of how much money we can generate.” He could have seen the crowds and thought, “this ministry is working.” He could have seen the crowds and thought, “take that, Pharisees.”

He didn’t think any of those things. He thought, “these people are hopeless and despairing of finding meaning in the routines and teaching they have.” He thought, “caring for a sick parent or child is leaving them harassed and hopeless, looking anywhere and everywhere for a cure.” He thought, “there is one of me and thousands of them and they need help.” He thought, “this is a job to talk to Dad about.”

When I look at workload and people, my response isn’t always to look with compassion which reflects an understanding of root causes. My response is often to look at the disruption of ministry plans or size of workload or time.

Jesus looks at the magnitude of need and responds with tenderness and prayer.

Yes, in the next section of the text he will send the disciples out to pick up the mission, to expand influence. But the first two steps are to feel compassion and to point to prayer.

When that additional interruption shows up, when there is one more broken heart or life in your way, consider compassion and prayer. Only then do something.

pray, pray, pray

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[This is a First Friday post by Paul Merrill]

The Apostle Paul said,

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6)

When I was a kid, I memorized this in the King James Version, which says, “Be anxious for nothing…” I guess I like that better.

So here are some very quick ideas for you on when to pray about everything:

1.  Pray when you’re in the car alone. (Turn off the radio.)

2.  Pray when you’re in the car with someone else.

3.  Pray when God brings a friend in need to mind. Right then.

4.  Pray when you wake up before the alarm.

5.  Thank God when something bad happens.

6.  Thank God when something good happens.

7.  Pray when it starts snowing to thank God for that beauty.

8.  Pray when it’s raining to thank God for the land getting water. (Pray like a farmer.)

9.  Pray when it’s sunny to thank God for the energy plants are getting.

10 . Pray when there’s a huge storm to thank God for His great power.

11.  Pray before the meal to thank God for the food.

12.  Pray after the meal to ask God for health. (The food may not have been that healthy!)

13.  Pray when you see someone you think is beyond hope,  for God to bless that person.

14.  Pray when you watch TV, for God to touch the lives of those you see on screen.

15. Ask God to provide for what you need. God knows if it’s really what you need, so don’t worry about figuring out whether it’s a want or a need. Just ask.

16. Pray for your boss.

17. Pray for those who work for or with you.

18. Pray when you get up.

19. Pray when you lay down.

20. Pray when you can’t think of what to write.

In short, “Never stop praying.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

like the hypocrites do

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[Matthew 6:1-18]

The church is full of hypocrites.

That’s what people say. I’ve heard it said. It’s hard to argue with that statement, mostly because I look in the mirror.

I go to church. I have huge gaps between what I do and what I want to do.  I say noble things and don’t do them. That’s usually what people are talking about when they talk about hypocrites and church.

“You say you’re a Christian and then you do ___”

But Jesus seems to be thinking about a different kind of hypocrite, people who do noble things but for the wrong reasons.

He  identifies three areas of behavior where hypocrites do things the wrong way:  giving, praying, and fasting. These three areas of behavior are perfect for creating an appearance of spirituality. Helping out poor people, that’s important to do. And praying, what could be more spiritual than praying. And fasting, well, that kind of self denial is amazing.

But, Jesus says, don’t be public, be private.

Don’t do it for the attention you get. Don’t do it for the compliments you get, for the good feeling you have when people notice your actions. And don’t make it easy for people to notice your actions.

If the only time you give is when you get a tax deduction or when you find out someone else is giving or when there is a wall of recognition, then by all means help. But don’t expect God to care.

And if the only time you talk with God is when people are listening, and then with a deep voice and flowery language, enjoy their comments about how much they enjoy when you pray. But don’t expect God to care.

Because you wouldn’t care if I talked to you only when people were listening.

standing on the edge, nervously

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Matthew is, according to some scholars, broken into five distinct sections, in addition to an introduction and a conclusion. Each of the five major sections has an historical narrative and a discourse by Jesus.

The first narrative section ends at the end of chapter 4. The discourse starts with chapter 5 and runs through chapter 7. It is a section of the Bible that is known as “The Sermon on the Mount.”

I’ve noticed that I have been spending a lot of time on the verses right before that discourse.

On one hand, the kind of close analysis we have been doing is fine. It is interesting to think about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. On the other hand, if I’m honest, I need to acknowledge that moving ahead is scary. There is a lot of teaching in the next three chapters. There is a lot of teaching about the next three chapters. Many people have spent much time thinking about, explaining, exploring these words of Jesus, this summary of what following looks like.

And I am, I think, a little afraid to move ahead. What if I am challenged? What if I discover that I’m not living up to what Jesus is saying? What if, rather that his words being really complex, they are really simple? What if, as a result, I have little excuse for the choices I make, for the avoidance I live with?

I think that the challenge for all followers of Jesus, for all disciples, is that we have to make regular decisions to take the next step, fully aware that we may find it challenging or convicting but fully convinced that to do otherwise is to part ways with the relationship our souls crave.

I’ll be back on Monday with Matthew five. Pray with me for courage.