Daily Devotions

Continuing the counter cultural nature of being a disciple of Jesus, Bonhoeffer claims, “The child asks of the Father whom he knows. Thus, the essence of Christian prayer is not general adoration, but definite, concrete petition. The right way to approach God is to stretch out our hands and ask of One who we know has the heart of a Father.”

In Matthew 7 we find Jesus confronting his dissenters with these words, “Supposing your son asks you for bread—which of you is going to give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish—which of you is going to give him a serpent? Well then: you may be evil, but you still know how to give good gifts to your children; how much more will your father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

The Jewish rabbis used say: ‘Human beings can hardly hear two people talking at once, but God, if all the world talks to him at the one time, hears their cry’.  That challenges our imagination. Parent-child is only a metaphor for what happens in prayer. 

I know, Lord, that you always hear my cry, but I do not always understand your answer. I will still go on praying to you, happy to fall back on the ‘Our Father’. In the very act of praying we receive something from God. As we open our hearts to God in prayer, God's hands are open to give us good gifts. We leave a time of prayer with an increase of faith, hope and love, which is the consolation of God. No time of prayer is wasted; all prayer is in the service of love, and prayer increases within us our capacity to love.

The poet John Gowans paraphrases Jesus teaching this way:-

If human hearts are often tender,

And human minds can pity know,

If human love is touched with splendour,

And human hands compassion show,

If sometimes men can live for others,

And sometimes give where gifts are spurned,

If sometimes treat their foes as brothers,

And love where love is not returned,

If men will often share their gladness,

If men respond when children cry,

If men can feel each other’s sadness,

Each other’s tears attempt to dry,

Then how much more shall God our Father

In love forgive, in love forgive!

Then how much more shall God our Father

Our wants supply, and none deny!

Daily Devotions

Continuing to dip into Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “Cost of Discipleship”, we find this Martyred German Lutheran Minister saying, “Christian love draws no distinction between one enemy and another, except that the more bitter our enemy's hatred, the greater his need of love. Be his enmity political or religious, he has nothing to expect from a follower of Jesus but unqualified love. In such love there is not inner discord between the private person and official capacity. In both we are disciples of Christ, or we are not Christians at all.”

Jesus was so clear about how the would be disciple should deal with enemies, simply to love them. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:43-44

Such a counter cultural instruction is hard and may well lead to multiple questions. Such as, where do I stand, Lord, in face of your invitation to become godlike in my kindliness? When I am struggling to survive in a hostile world, trying to care for a family, and earn my living, how do I keep my heart free of annoyances, resentments, even hatreds? Is it by only by keeping my eyes on you, and being patient with my falls from grace.

So, why love my enemy? Jesus gives one of those answers that shows why his Kingdom is not of this world, not even close. "So that you may be children of your Father in heaven." To be a child of God is to bear the family resemblance; to behave in ways reminiscent of God's purposes; to align our way of being with God's way of being God. 

What's God's way of being God? "He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust." Indiscriminate rain argues indiscriminate love. Neighbour or enemy, friend or persecutor, if they're out in the rain they get wet; if they encounter a Christian they get loved. Neighbour or enemy, friend or persecutor, if they're out in the sun they get warmed, and if they meet a disciple of Jesus they encounter love.

Almighty, all-merciful God, 

through Christ Jesus you have taught us to love one another, 

to love our neighbours as ourselves, 

and even to love our enemies. 

In times of violence and fear, 

let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, 

so that we may not be overcome with evil 

but overcome evil with good. 

Help us to see each person in light of the love and grace 

you have shown us in Christ. 

Put away the nightmares of terror 

and awaken us to the dawning of your new creation. 

Establish among us a future where peace reigns, 

justice is done with mercy, and all are reconciled. 

We ask these things in the name 

and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Devotions

We move from the characteristics to the cost of discipleship as out lined by Dietrich Bonhoeffer “Every moment and every situation challenges us to action and to obedience. We have literally no time to sit down and ask ourselves whether so-and-so is our neighbour or not. We must get into action and obey - we must behave like a neighbour to him.”

In the Bible, the "cost of discipleship" is most prominently described in Luke 14:25-33, where Jesus says that to be his disciple, one must be willing to "hate" their own family, "take up their cross," and put Jesus first above everything else, even their own life, essentially signifying that following Jesus may require significant sacrifice and commitment, even to the point of facing opposition or hardship. 

The strong contrast in Jesus’ words (hate father and mother) is a Hebrew idiom for what we would call establishing priorities. We may have to make choices between the call of the Lord and the pull of family. Jesus is talking to the large crowds who were drawn to him; here as elsewhere he warns against an attraction that is too impulsive and emotional. What do you ask of me, Lord? Let me know the cost.

We may give to God and to others much in the same way as we pay our income tax--as the satisfaction of a grim duty which we cannot escape. 

Someone may give purely from motives of self-interest. Consciously or unconsciously they may regard their giving as an investment. An individual may regard each gift as an entry on the credit side of their account in the ledger of God. Such giving, so far from being generosity, it is selfishness. 

Someone may give in order to feel superior. Such giving can be a cruel thing. It can hurt the recipient much more than a blunt refusal. When a someone gives like that they stand on their little self appointed platform and looks down. They may even with the gift throw in a short and smug lecture. It would be better not to give at all than to give merely to gratify one's own vanity and one's own desire for power. The Rabbis had a saying that the best kind of giving was when the giver did not know to whom they were giving, and when the receiver did not know from whom they were receiving. 

Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve; to give, and not to count the cost, to fight, and not to heed the wounds, to toil, and not to seek for rest, to labor, and not to ask for reward, except that of knowing that we are doing your will. Amen

Daily Devotions

We end week with the disciple characteristic of sharing our lives with others in open and honest fellowship. We need to also ask can I in all humility rejoice with those who rejoice, and be genuinely glad when others are blessed in some way or other.

This is the kind of behaviour Paul desires of the Philippi church; “Do nothing out of selfishness or conceit, but with humility consider others as more important than yourselves,” This is very much in line with Jesus instruction to love one another.

Jesus’ ‘new’ commandment is that we love one another. He assured us that to to be like him is to live the Christian life as loving as we possibly can be. To be filled with this blessing means that I will be called to love, to love all, without any exceptions, as Jesus did.

My love for others must not be conditioned by how others respond. Jesus loves me totally, whether I am good or bad or indifferent. My love must have that quality too. This is costly love – it could demand my very life!

However, such costly love will bear rich fruit, whether I see it or not. Jesus’ love within the fellowship of disciples only bore fruit only after his death. So, I must not be discouraged when my love seems to be wasted. True love never comes to an end (1 Corinthians 13:8). Loving actions are the building blocks of eternal life.

The truth is that we can risk loving as passionately as God loves. For we know that the love of God makes this  possible. It is no scarce resource that must be hoarded so that it may be distributed in dribs and drabs--a little here and a little there. Love is not a rare commodity; rather, the more we love with the intense particularity of God's love, the more we discover that we have the capacity to love.

I pray that my words and actions will reflect your love and that I will be a shining example of your love to those around me. Please give me the courage to stand up for what is right and to speak out against injustice and hatred and not hold a grudge toward those who disagree. I pray that you would use me as a source of love and light in this world and that my love for others would bring honour and glory to your name. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Daily Devotions

Another aspect of discipleship is that of submission, perhaps a difficult concept to take on board in our 21st century .  The question we need to answer, “Am I willing to do this even when I do not understand the reason why, or even when do I not naturally enjoy what I am asked to do.”

We find an example of this in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 “We ask you too, my sisters and brothers, to get to know those who work so hard among you. They are your spiritual leaders to keep you on the right path. Because of this high task of theirs, hold them in highest honour.” And again in Hebrews 13:17 we find perhaps an ever tougher stance, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”

“Thomas a Kempis wrote: Jesus today has many who love his heavenly kingdom, but few who carry his cross; many who yearn for comfort, few who long for distress.

Plenty of people he finds to share his banquet, few to share his fast.

Everyone desires to take part in his rejoicing, but few are willing to suffer anything for his sake.

There are many that follow Jesus as far as the breaking of bread, few as far as drinking the cup of suffering; many that revere his morality, few that follow him in the indignity of his cross; many that love Jesus as long as nothing runs counter to them; many that praise and bless him, as long as they receive comfort from him; but should Jesus hide from them and leave them for a while, they fall into complaining or become deeply depressed.

Those who love Jesus for his own sake, not for the sake of their own comfort, bless him in times of trouble and heartache as much as when they are full of consolation.”

(The Imitation of Christ, Book 2 Chapter 36) 

Dear Father, patient one, Give us hearts that gladly show respect for those who labor among us and who lead us and admonish us in the Lord. Fill us with great esteem and deep love for them because of their work in the Lord. May we always be at peace among ourselves. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

Daily Devotions

Being  a disciple of Jesus inevitably means a willingness to be corrected. We may well ask, how well do I receive honest criticism, particularly when others speak truth in love?

In Matthew 18:15 we come across such a situation when Jesus uses some tough love; ““If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one.”

This is all very well, but what if we are the one in need of correction?

In many ways, we are keepers of our sisters and brothers. We have social responsibility in family and in neighbourhood. Jesus is saying something like that today. We have a responsibility for each other, for the common good. Parents may find this most difficult - to try to guide the family well and not lose them. 

We teach by example and by love. Even when children are young and making some mistakes, we hope they are not mistakes that last forever, like crime, alcoholism or an unplanned life-changing moment. We pray to God for help. This we do with others. We ask for guidance and find help in the community of the church and of others. That's where God is - two or three gathered is the community of God. Church is the gathered people and God wants the best for each of us. We can help each other to goodness, we can support each other, correct each other, and help each other on our way to God.

The presence of Jesus in the community is highlighted in these gospel words. In caring and challenging the offending member, in gathering together in his name an realising that the Lord is present. One of the first words of the gospel was 'Emmanuel' - God is with us. The end of the gospel has Jesus' promise of being with us always. In a church which may overemphasise the sacramental presence of the Lord, it is good to remind ourselves of the presence of Jesus among us all the time, in the heart and hearts of his people.

Lord, this is your way of stopping tell-tales in the church. If I am sore about somebody, then the first person for me to approach is that person, with respect and kindness, whether it is a relation or acquaintance, a parish priest or official. So many people start by running to authority, expecting Big Daddy to come down with a stick. People write letters of complaint to Rome without having voiced their complaint to the one they are denouncing. That is the opposite of Christian behaviour. Amen

Daily Deotions

The third desired quality of discipleship is our willingness to learn. Many came to Jesus wanting answers and even addressed him as teacher. Yet some of the lessons Jesus taught were tough and had consequences. This was particularly poignant when Jesus spoke about his coming sufferings and death. 

You may recall that Peter blurted out, “God forbid, Lord: this shall never happen to you.” I am sure the stinging reply was something Peter never forgot, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Matthew 16:23

Peter has just been congratulated as the rock on which Jesus would build his church. For a moment, Peter is comfortable with the theology of grace and glory. Suddenly, however, that rock looks shaky and unsafe. Jesus abruptly calls Peter out of his comfort zone into the real world where suffering must be faced.

Perhaps the greatest lesson Jesus taught was when he bore a cross to the end out of convictions and love.

Learning usually passes through three states. In the beginning we learn the right answers. In the second state we learn the right questions. In the third and final stage we learn which questions are worth asking. 

Perhaps George Herbert’s verse sets the disciples learning plan succinctly with the words:-

Teach me, my God and King,

in all things Thee to see,

and what I do in anything,

to do it as for Thee.

Lord, we pray for clarity and understanding as you teach us your ways. Help us to be attentive to your voice and sensitive to your guidance. Give us discernment to distinguish between your voice and the distractions of the world.

We also pray for your divine protection as we navigate through life. Guide us away from any harmful paths or influences, and keep us safe in your loving care.

Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness and for being our ever-present guide. We trust in your promises and believe that you will lead us in the way we should go. May our lives bring glory to your name as we walk in obedience to your guidance.

In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.