Bible

Thursday, First Week in Lent

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by Matthew B. Harper

Mark 2:5,11-12 – When Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven…I say to you stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” And he stood up…so that they were all amazed and glorified God

These friends were willing to do anything to get the paralyzed man before Jesus. They climbed on top of a house, cut a hole in the roof, and lowered the man down before Jesus. And Jesus saw their faith. Jesus did not reward them for the work they had done any more than he reprimanded them for cutting a hole in the roof. It wasn’t because of their hard work that he tended to them; it was because of their faith.

And Jesus clearly sets his eyes on the priority, the forgiveness of sins. Jesus knew the man would walk in this life or the next, so his priority was in making sure that there was a ‘next’ for this man. Jesus only heals him right then as a secondary thing, and as a demonstration to the unbelievers that he did have the authority given to him by God to do such things.

It is humbling to think of the majesty of giving movement to a man paralyzed, and then to realize that it is only secondary in the eyes of God to the forgiveness for our sins. I know that any of us would go to great lengths if we could help a friend who was paralyzed regain their movement, but we are more reluctant to go to the same lengths to bring a friend before God. We need to realign our thinking to that of God’s.

“From lightening and tempest; from earthquake, fire, and flood; from plague, pestilence, and famine, Good Lord deliver us” BCP 149

Wednesday, First Week in Lent

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by Matthew B. Harper

Psalm 119:67 – Before I was humbled I went astray, but now I keep your word

There is something powerful in being humbled before God and man. Most of us come to the faith full of arrogance. We think ‘wow, God is really lucky that He’s got me on His side’. And we look at churches thinking only of what they can do for us. And when we are in our pride, we go astray from God. We do not trust the Spirit, and we argue away the scriptures. We put ourselves above our own consciousness, and above God. And then we are humbled. God may humble us, or the world will humble us if God does not get to it first.

One common thing about every major prophet and servant of God, throughout the whole bible, is that they were all first humbled before God and man. Some, like Moses David and Paul, were murderers; some, like Peter, denied Christ before man; and some, like the leper in today’s Gospel, suffered from a horrible disease. As humans we are too much in our pride, and we cannot approach God in this way. We must be humbled before we can truly come to God with an honest heart. It is only when we are humbled, when our pride is replaced with repentance, that we can experience the redemptive power of God. The former warden of the prison I am now at once said: “A man must know he is lost, before he can be saved.” And then we, like the leper, can be healed.

And when that happens we can, like the leper, run forth and proclaim God to all who would hear.

“From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word and commandment, Good Lord deliver us.” BCP 149

Tuesday, First Week in Lent

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by Matthew B. Harper

Mark 1:17 – And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

When God called forth men to serve him in earthly ministry he did not choose the wise, the learned, or the successful. When Christ came he did not choose men of wealth or power. Only God can judge what is in the true heart of man, and who will serve God’s glory to the fullest.

The reason for this is that teaching and faith comes from God, above all. God raises up those who would be raised up. The poor of the world have the least to lose for their faith, and the most to gain. They are less encumbered by the things of the world and the things of the flesh. What the world sees as loss and poverty, the Lord sees as freedom from the things that ensnare us. When we know that we have nothing outside of God, then we can be more faithful to God. The poor and lost are more willing to risk it all for God, and to accept what God has to give.

God calls whom God wills, and God calls to us wherever we are, whatever we are doing. The only thing that separates us is how we respond to that call. These fishermen dropped everything that they had and followed Christ; later they would be the Disciples Simon and Andrew. They would minister for Christ all of their life, and they would be killed for their faith. God called, and they gave their lives to answer.

Where is your wisdom from? When God calls you, what is it that holds you back? Whatever it is, put it to death this lent, let it be crucified with Christ, so that you might be resurrected anew.

“From all inordinate and sinful affections; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil, Good Lord deliver us.” BCP149

Monday, First Week in Lent

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by Matthew B. Harper

1 Corinthians 1:10 – Now I appeal to you … by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.

There are many divisions within the church today. These divisions are not much understood, and it seems strange to non-Christians that we divide ourselves into denominations. We have so many “non”-denominational groups that they have become their own denomination. In prison there is no greater rift in Christianity than between the Catholics and the Protestants. Both groups seem to take a perverse pleasure in denying the Christianity of the other group. Within the Anglican Communion we have seen much upheaval in the last forty years, and much division.

This seems to stand in such sharp contrast to the words of Paul, who urges us to stand together in the faith and have no divisions among ourselves. And when groups come from the outside I see this truth in their ministry to the men in here. The styles of worship and the words they use to describe their relationship with God may vary, but their love and ministry in the work of the Lord do not vary. They stand firm on the promises of Christ, and minister in God’s Love, and the men in here see the truth in that. There may not always be unity of sentiment, but there is unity of affection.

When it really comes down to what the truth is, we stand united in God’s Love. And that is what Paul was talking about.

“From all blindness of heart; and pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice; and from all want of charity, Good Lord, deliver us.” BCP149

First Sunday in Lent

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by Matthew B. Harper

1 Peter 3:18-19: For Christ also suffered for the sins for all… in order to bring you to God. … In which he also went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison.

Christ first became known at his baptism. It should come as no surprise to any Christian that right after he made himself known, he was tempted. It always seems to be the way the world and the devil works that as soon as we try to step out in God, or to make a change for the better, that we are challenged twice as much

In times when we feel that we are struggling for a good cause, it is reassuring to think of Christ’s suffering. It is true that Christ suffered in his innocence, and we suffer in our guilt; but suffering is suffering no matter the cause. Christ bore the temptations, and all of his later suffering, in the same way: with the word and will of his father.

If you are fasting this lent, then today is coming at a time when you are feeling the loss the greatest. If you are taking up new holy habits, then today is still a day when you need special encouragement to keep it up. Whatever your need, find the strength in the same place Christ found it, in the Word and Will of God.

And if you suffer, know that the suffering is nothing new to Christ, and that all of our purpose comes through his suffering. It was only after Christ went through the temptations of the Devil that he began his earthly ministry.

“Almighty God, make speed to help thy servant who are assaulted by manifold temptations; and; as thou knowest their several infirmities, let each one find thee mighty to save; through Jesus Christ thy Son out Lord. Amen” BCP166

Saturday after Ash Wednesday

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by Matthew B. Harper

Ezekiel 39:21 – I will display my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them.

In college I was very involved in the Episcopal campus ministry. I was a musician and a leader in our community. For a short while I dated a young woman who was a leader of another ministry. We enjoyed meeting for meals at the dining hall, and before she would eat she would pray. Right there in the noisy, crowded, dining hall, she would bow her hands and give thanks. It made me uncomfortable! I considered myself a man of deep faith, but deep was where my faith was; I wasn’t comfortable with such a public show of faith. I was more worried about how others might look at me than I was worried about being faithful.

But we are a testament to God. Our lives are a Gospel story about our faith and our relationship with God. We have a saying in here that there are five gospels, and most people will only read one of them – you. Our lives should be a constant testimony to what God is doing in us.

In here the chow halls are much more crowded than the dining halls of JMU, the scrutiny worse, and the food abysmal. But many of my Christian brothers do not pause or worry to close their eyes and bow their heads and give thanks. And after these many years I have learned to be more faithful to God. So no matter how bad the food, or how many eyes are upon me, I stop to give thanks to God. As the Lord said in Ezekiel today, Israel shall show forth God’s glory before the other nations, and so we shall show forth God’s glory before others.

“From all evil and wickedness; from sin; from the crafts and assaults of the devil; and from everlasting damnation, Good Lord, deliver us.” BCP148

Friday after Ash Wednesday

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by Matthew B. Harper

Philippians 4:6-7 – …Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Bible tells us that the Lord already knows all of our cares and concerns, and it instructs us to tell them to God. So why must we then give voice to these things if God already knows them? I have often wondered about this, and I have come to understand two things. 1 – It isn’t that God needs to know what we have to tell him. It is that God wants us to tell him what our concerns are. God is our heavenly parent, and God wants us to talk to him. And 2 – WE need to give voice to the things that trouble us, to cast our cares to the Lord.

The flip side of this is that if we give over our cares to the Lord, we must not then turn around and take them back. Our task may be to work very hard at whatever our concern is, but we need to let go of all the worry and frustration. All too often in my life I have prayed earnestly to the Lord, and then continued to worry and fret about something. When I pray to God, and let my cares and concerns be handled by God, then I know the peace of God. Even in any dark place in my life, I have known the great peace that can only come from the Lord. And I don’t worry about what I think God needs to know, I worry about what I need to tell the Lord. When I know peace in this dark place, I give thanks to the Lord.

“Prayer is the greatest, swiftest, ship my heart could sail upon.” – Jewel Kilcher

“Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses, nor the offenses of our forefathers; neither reward us according to our sins…. By thy mercy preserve us forever. Spare us, good Lord” BCP148

 

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

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by Matthew B. Harper

Habakkuk 3:18-19 …I will exult in the Lord God of my Salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength…

I lay my weakness before the Lord, and I rely on His strength. But it is very telling that the words of Habakkuk come after affirmations of the Lord’s judgment, and the Lords coming destructive powers. We follow a just God, and Justice requires punishment.

Paul puts aside the things of his past, so that he would not rest on his past labors, but would always work for new tasks. But putting aside the things of the past also means leaving our failures behind. It means embracing the forgiveness of God, and allowing God to heal the things that are behind us. Paul was a murder of Christians many times over, but that was in his past. He is always mindful of his sin and his sinful nature, but when he was following God, he was trusting God. He could not change his past, but he made sure that God filled his present, and guided his future

In Prison we live with this same burden. My past is dominated by the guilt of horrible crimes, and my present is consumed with the regret and atonement for those things. As I have become one of the mature in Christ I have striven, like Paul, to turn my focus to “reaching forth unto those things which are before.” To allow God to fill my present, to allow God to focus my future, and not to live without hope, crushed by what I have done. I can only leave that to God, focus my face forward, and rest and rely on the strength of the Lord.

“O God the father, Creator of heaven and earth,

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

O God the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful,

O holy, blessed and glorious trinity, one God,

Have mercy upon us.” BCP 148

Ash Wednesday

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by Matthew B. Harper

Matthew 6:20-21 – …Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

In the Sermon on the Mount Christ is imploring us not to value the things of the world, and not to live according to the rules of the world. Christ has come to us to remind us to live our lives for the things that matter. This is a powerful reminder as we begin the period of Lent. In this full passage we are reading about fasting. For Christ does not ask us to fast, but simply tells us what to do when we fast. It is taken as a given that we will fast for periods on our walk.

Fasting is not about punishing ourselves; it is about showing our devotion and obedience to God. Fasting is a tool God has given us to help correct and control the urges that are out of control. Fasting is a way that we put aside those things of the world so that we may focus more fully on God. To let lose from those things that will pass away, and hold tight to those things that are eternal

So when we read these words of Matthew, we are not being told to forsake the world, or to reject it. Instead we are told to hold dear those treasures that are of God, those that will endure for all time, and to let go of everything else. St. Paul reminds us what those things are: “Purity, understanding, patience and kindness, in Holy Spirit and sincere Love, in Truthful speech and in the power of God.”

“Create in us new and contrite hearts, that we, lamenting of our sins, may obtain, by the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness.” BCP166

Epiphany C4

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by Matthew B. Harper

January 31, 2016

Jeremiah 1:4–10
Psalm 71:1 –6
1 Corinthians 13:1 –13
Luke 4:21 –30

Fear, Love, Wombs. today’s readings offer us a great deal to wrestle with.

God’s call is a scary thing. Scripture repeatedly shows God calling upon otherwise ordinary people to do extraordinary things through His power. Fear seems a logical response. Fear, the ever-present human emotion. Fear of not being good enough, of not measuring up. Fear of moving out of your comfort zone, into the unknown. Fear of being rejected, of being found wanting. Fear of bodily harm.

God speaks to us in our fear: “Do not be afraid.”

Why not? Why shouldn’t we fear? All our fears are entirely predictable, entirely reasonable.

“Do not be afraid” says the Lord, “For I am with you.”

WITH me? With ME? You don’t know me.

“I have known you,” Says the Lord, “since before you were in your mother’s womb.”

The words that are calling and anointing Jeremiah are unexpected. Jeremiah is a young man on the path to the priesthood when God interrupted his life. God challenged him, anointed him, and called him out of his comfort zone to serve as God’s Prophet. The rest of Jeremiah’s writings show us how powerfully God used him. His words convey the deep love God has for His people, as they are carried away into captivity. Jeremiah’s tears convey the depth of his own love for God and for God’s people.

God has known each of us since before we were formed in our mother’s womb. It is a shocking statement, a declaration to God’s omniscience. Many of us fear being that well known, that intimately watched over. We fear that if we are so well known, we will no longer be loved. We don’t want others to know our weaknesses and sins.

The psalmist, crying out for deliverance, again speaks to our fear, reminding us “I have relied upon you from my mother’s womb.”

God doesn’t just know us, God gives us life, sustains us each and every day, and gives us the love that makes life worth living. From the moment of conception we are dependent upon God for all that we are. As Christians we seek to always remember and honor that. As the psalmist finds himself beset by fear and in need of deliverance, he is comforted by the reminder of God’s omniscience and providence.

We can trust God’s knowledge of our lives because it isn’t voyeurism. God is neither “Big Brother” nor a ‘peeping tom.’ God knows us so intimately simply because God loves us. The love of God is reflected in the eyes of young lovers on their honeymoon and old lovers celebrating 60 years of marriage. It is in the face of a mother seeing her baby for the first time, and in the look of agony upon her face as she watches her son hang from the cross. It is in the eyes of Christ, on that cross, looking down upon the woman who is both His mother and His child.

A mother’s love is a special reflection of the divine love. Yesterday I had a visit with my mothers. One woman, who gave birth to me, raised me, and has never stopped loving me; and the other, who with her husband and children has chosen to love me as if she had. It was a visit full of love and laughter.

Looking around the prison visiting room, crowded on a New Year’s holiday, I was struck by how many mothers and sons I saw. These women know us. They changed our diapers, nursed us, and still stood beside us in court. When others abandon us, they visit. When the world chooses to forget us, they hold our memory precious. It is a love that was born in the womb, yet one that transcends it. As Paul reminds us, it is that love that gives value to this life and endures into the next.

Yet not every story is a good one, and so God’s work must continue. Mother’s deliver babies alone and afraid; too often mother’s die. Children are born sick, addicted, and are too often abused. There is work yet to be done.

God is calling us out. Go forth and proclaim the gospel. Do the work of loving service. Transform the world.

Fear not.

Yes, God really does want us, for God knows us and loves us from before the womb. God is with us and, when all else passes away, that love endures.