pathoflifedevotions Uncategorized

Victory

A squad of sixteen strong soldiers stood watch through the night, four at the time. It was going to be a long night.  Soldier jokes quickly wore thin and soon no attempts at humor could lighten the mood.  From the lone officer to the youngest recruit to the most ignorant and crass veteran,  the soldiers resented this duty.  Sleeping out under a full moon held no romance for them. Armor does not make the ground softer.  Night air does not ease the persistent cough or loosen the joints grown stiff in the humid dark.  More disgusting than the discomfort was the duty itself: guarding a dead man.  The soldiers had spoken to the execution squad and were sure their comrades had done a good job.  The corpse was not going anywhere.  It had taken all sixteen of them to roll the huge stone into place.  The lever and fulcrum they had used protruded from the bushes near the tomb but that was no risk for these weak-kneed Jews.   There was no danger in this garden, just as there was no comfort to be found either.  

With eight soldiers sleeping, or trying to, while three watched the approaches to the tomb and the other paced back and forth in front of the stone, a sudden shaking of the earth brought them all to an immediate full alert.  They could not know that this earthquake was highly localized and no one else would even report it.  It seemed the whole earth was shaking as dust flew up from the floor of the garden to cloud the air.  Their training took over and immediately they formed a cordon of defense, ready to repel an attack from any direction. 

Something like lightning, but much more startling, much brighter, and with a thunder that rattled the brains of each soldier, struck out in all directions from inside the tomb.  A brilliant beam of this magnified light circled the huge stone from inside the opening of the tomb sending out shards of light into the darkness.  The dust from the earthquake reflected the circling light giving weird and beautiful shapes to the shining beams.

Blinded by the light and bewildered by shaking of the earth the soldiers drew their swords and positioned their shields.  One of them found the lever since his short sword was temporarily mislaid.

Without the soldiers seeing where he came from, a tall warrior suddenly confronted them.  He carried no weapon and it looked like he would never need one.  With a single look, the angel silenced and shackled the soldiers of the Empire with a fear they had never known.  Instead of reaching for them, the angel went for the stone.

With unimaginable ease the angel rolled the stone from the door of the Tomb with a single hand and then sat on it.  The light and smoke from inside the tomb poured out into the garden like the bursting of a dam.  The soldiers, all sixteen of them, collapsed to the ground and fell into a trance as if they were dead.  They did not see what happened next.

Emerging from the blinding light, Jesus stepped out of the tomb.  The soldier angel stood in His presence.  This was the One he had worshiped and adored as long as he could remember and angels can remember the very beginning.  From every corner of the garden and from every corner, it seemed, of heaven itself, came the choirs of heaven singing a new verse to the song the shepherds had heard so many years before.  For centuries to come those of earth would gather on the first day of every week to sing the song. 

On this morning of the third day, in the isolation of this garden of death it was for heavenly creatures only to sing the song of victory.  The angels remember like it was yesterday the other Garden, the Garden of Life where the reign of death had its beginning.  Now the wrong was righted.  The joy restored in triumph.  Jesus, the Second Adam, was the Victor!  The sharp sting of death was blunted. The bondage of the grave was broken.  He had won for all of those who would believe in Him complete victory over sin, over sickness, over wrath, over judgment, and over even the loneliness of selfishness. 

We gather on the first day of the week because the ancient song must be sung at the beginning of everything new: “He is risen!  He is risen, indeed!”

Semper Reformanda!

Stephen Phifer, April 3, 2015

Matt 28:2-4; Mark 16:9-10; Luke 24:4-6

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen!

1 Cor 15: 20-23;54-57

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”  “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”   The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev 5:9-14

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

pathoflifedevotions Uncategorized

Tombs

Tombs, when they are closed, hold their secrets.  Stories are finished whether they had a chance to end or not.  Voices are stilled, left only to the dubious recordings of memory and subject to alteration by pain and preference.  The eyes are closed.  The heart is still.  If there is a journey of the spirit that sets sail at the moment of death, there is no evidence of it inside the closed tomb.

At the tomb of Jesus, even the angels could not know what was happening after the stone was rolled into place by the soldiers.  The holy creatures had stood before the Son of God in heavenly majesty, their angel hearts bursting with worship.  He had sent them on countless angelic missions to aid the people of God.  They had also served by only standing and waiting.  Some of them sang to the shepherds.  An army of them stood at the ready during Jesus’ earthly ministry, ready to rescue Him were he to simply kick a rock as a signal for them to charge. 

As a child and young man, Jesus never called them so they had to watch as those around Him

  • ignored Him,
  • did carpenter business with Him,
  • misunderstood Him, and
  • gave up on Him like His brothers and sisters must have done.

For the last three years, they had traveled with Him throughout Galilee and down to Jerusalem.  They stood by as those He came to save

  • underestimated Him,
  • took freely of His miracles,
  • suspected Him, unsure of His motives,
  • watched with amusement as He grappled with the religious leaders, and
  • went about their lives as if nothing important had happened.

Now angels wept, unable to see into the tomb, having confidence in God but sorrow for their Master.

In other quarters, human tears had long since dried up at the source.  Just when the women thought there could be no more tears, another torrent of grief would break.  They wanted Him back.  They wanted to finish the work of caring for Him, at least for His body, all they had left of Him.  But it was not really all they had.  In a place in their hearts deeper than the well of their tears, a tender of flame of hope flickered in slight but promising light.  Unlike the men, the women had really listened to Jesus.  They remembered those strange things He said about three days.  Their wounded hearts yearned for tomorrow, the third day.

Hiding for fear of their lives, the disciples did not dare to gather all in one place.  But they had broken down into their little clumps of friendships perhaps all in some proximity just in case.  Unlike the women who could allow their tears to flow unhindered, the men pushed their grief deeper into their hearts while their minds raced to process some sort of action plan.  But with Jesus dead, there was certainly nothing any of them could do.  Meanwhile, the tomb was closed, hiding its secrets.

For centuries, theologians have discussed what Jesus might have been doing on this Holy Saturday.  One ancient belief is based on an interpretation of a few verses.  It is romantic and appealing to the believer: “Jesus entered the regions of hell, confronted Satan, wresting from him the keys of death, hell, and the grave.  He then led the souls in the Bosom of Abraham, Paradise, out of their spiritual prison into the heavenly realms.  Some believe this ardently, others oppose it with equal ardor.”

What we all can do as we relive this Holy Saturday and the closed tomb is join our tears to those of the angels and the women and wonder with the men what we must do next.

Semper Reformanda!

Stephen Phifer April 3, 2015

Scriptures:

John 19:38-42

Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus…   Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Luke 16:22-26

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.

Eph 4:7-8b

“When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.”  

Rev 1:18 KJV

I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

pathoflifedevotions Uncategorized

Calvary

The Roman implements of torture and execution were tools of the trade for the soldiers of the Empire. Iron was expensive, whether the sharp bits lodged in the tentacles of the whip that tore the flesh of prisoners or the sharp pointed nails that split the hands and feet of their victims, precious iron had to be cared for and cleaned. A carefully maintained whip and supply of crucifixion nails could do their duty on many a criminal’s back and fasten many a rebel to the wood.

But the Roman soldier knew nothing of germs and macrobiotic residue. Each new flogging carried with it all the ones who had gone before. Each fresh use of a set of nails was not at all fresh. But what did that matter? In a few days each one crucified would be just so much rotting meat, food for the birds, until whatever was left was taken down.

Such was the business of a place called Calvary. This Place of the Skull warned of Roman justice to those who would take up arms, even if only treasonous words, against the Empire. Fear was the theme of this theatre. Guilt or innocence was not an issue; order was the point. Stay in your place, you wretched Jews. Worship your one God in your Temple and tend to your ancient ceremonies and chants. Speak against Rome and Calvary is your destiny.

To this place an innocent Man came, condemned, bleeding from the whip, crowned with twisted branches from a thorn bush, carrying a heavy cross. Soldiers forced Him up the stone-strewn trail to the summit with fresh lashes from their carefully maintained whips. They forced Jesus to stretch out on the cross where the freshly washed nails were hammered through His hands and feet. A mounted soldier backed his well-trained steed, pulling the cross and its prisoner from the ground. For a moment it remained poised against a sky where storm clouds were gathering. One more step backward by the horse and the cross plunged into the hole in the mountain that had been used countless times before. Other soldiers went to work quickly to stabilize the cross with little regard for the blood splashing down on them.

Their work done, they divided their spoils while enjoying the suffering of another rebel against Rome. They joined those in the crowd in their lame insults, each of which yielded more laughter that it deserved. They all pretended not to notice the dying of the light in the approach of the storm. This tempest was not coming from west to east but from all directions at once. It seemed to be linked to a storm deep within each witness of these events.

Jesus spoke from the cross, His voice lost in the abuse hurled at Him and heard only by those who were listening. His words have lasted longer than any storm, piercing though all of the noisy crowds who relentlessly come to mock Him.

At last, with His last breath, He declared. “It is finished.”

And it was.

Salvation’s price had been paid. All the whips and nails of a hostile humanity proved unable to still His voice or to stem the flow of His life-giving blood. The sin barrier was forever broken so there was no longer any need for God to separate Himself from the people He loved. The veil in the Temple ripped from top to bottom, opening a new and living way. And nothing can ever change this.

Indeed the whip and the nails were infected by all who had known them before and by all of us. They carried the disease of sin and the blood they spilled is the only cure.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

Scriptures:
Matt 26:57; 67-68; 27:1-2; 27-31-40; 45-46; Mark 15:36-38; John 19:30:
Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?” Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

pathoflifedevotions Uncategorized

Supper

Unable to speak, walls are mute witnesses to what happens within them. They merely hold up the ceiling, hold out the weather, and hold on to their secrets.

It was a large room, borrowed, of course, for the occasion of the last supper Jesus and his disciples would have together. Thirteen men, and perhaps the necessary servants for such a large gathering, filled the room, not at all sure of what to expect. After Jesus had quelled the selfish thoughts on the part of some about who might be the greatest among His followers by taking a towel and washing every foot they walked on, the mood became a serious one. The air was thick with the smells of food, with the oily scents of burning lamps and candles, and with—significance. 

Those who followed Him were never quite sure what He was doing at the moment or what He might do next. In the last few weeks a sense of sorrow emanated from Him. He told them strange things about being killed and rising again but they had no room in their hearts for such talk. He was the proven master of all things: storms, sickness, demons, and death itself. He never exhibited one bit of fear of the religious leaders or the Roman leaders or even their terrible army. Who would kill Him? It was easy to rid oneself of the questions such remarks left in their plans.

Just as He had called each of them to follow Him, Jesus had called them here to this meal. On this occasion He chose to reveal details of what was to come for them.
• He established the New Covenant meal ceremony—it would be a New Covenant in His own blood,
• He predicted His own betrayal, telling them He was going away but would soon return to them in a way so new they could not imagine it.
• He left them the legacy of His peace, the peace that prevailed in the face of every danger and dilemma.
• He told in great detail about the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Divine Helper who would soon reside within them.
• And He prayed for them to be in the world but not of it and above all things, to be ONE, even as He and the Father are ONE.

There was no way those sitting together in this large chamber with its smoke-stained walls standing silent watch could grasp the meaning of His words but they did not forget. Each Gospel writer is faithful to record the details for us.

So for centuries, believers have received the cup and the bread in honor of Jesus’ sacrifice. We have debated its meaning, its nature, its appropriateness for any or all of us. But we have obeyed His command to do this “in remembrance of me.” Though the ongoing discussion divides us, the meal itself unites us across all the lines we draw and the borders we guard.

Why? Because their Last Supper became our Lord’s Supper. As we enter into the past, our present is blessed with His presence.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

Scriptures:
Matt 26:20
When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve
Mark 14:16-17
The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve
Luke 22:13-14
They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.
John 13:1-5
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 
1 Cor 11:23-26
The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

pathoflifedevotions Uncategorized

Bethany

Bethany

It was a large house, signifying wealth, but it was also a warm and welcoming house, signifying wealth of a more substantial kind. Martha served; she always served and it didn’t matter that Jesus traveled in such a large company. She was always up to the task because she kept her focus on Jesus. Those fishermen could make do the best they could; Jesus was the one who mattered. He must&n bsp;be made comfortable. He needed his rest from these daily forays into Jerusalem.

Mary, Martha’s sister, the quiet one, suddenly rose from her accustomed position at Jesus’ feet. No one paid her any mind as she left the room or when she returned.  

The aroma of the contents of a broken alabaster jar filled the room. Few of the men noticed as Mary produced this jar of ointment, a concoction ripe with pungent scent. The men were busy talking, eating. Only Jesus saw her steal away to her hiding place, find her most precious possession, break the container and lovingly anoint his feet with the spice. But the aroma gave her away, pulling back her curtain of privacy and thrusting her to the public stage.

The other men were not pleased. They rebuked her. This simply was not the best way to use this valuable commodity. It was worth a year’s wages to the common man. Once committed to this line of reasoning, an alternative use had to be proposed. Let’s see, ah yes, the poor, always a handy cause to plead to gain the Master’s favor. The air was heavy with the smell of the ointment and with anticipation of how Jesus would handle this foolish woman.

Around that table were men whose names would become known throughout the world for centuries to come. At this moment they were obscure little men with glimmers of greatness that only Jesus could see. Among them was John, so filled with fun and free with emotion; Peter, his opposite, so rough and full of pride; Thomas whose knife-like mind always sliced away the nonessentials in an issue; James, John’s mischievous brother, a “Son of Thunder” he was called; Matthew the former tax collector; the other Galileans, and…Judas, who kept the money. A diverse group, hand selected, not for what they were, but for what they could become, if they centered their lives on God. All were silent now, waiting for Jesus to answer their question. Mary had wasted a valuable resource, hadn’t she?

“Leave her alone,” Jesus said. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.” He went on to say that she had done what she could, that she had anointed His body for burial, and that wherever the Gospel is preached, her story would be told.

The men were ashamed. He had taken the woman’s side over theirs. But as they listened, something began to stir within them. It always did when He spoke. Soon, their embarrassment was forgotten and before long all but one was wishing that he had something valuable to pour over Jesus’ feet.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

Scriptures
John 12:1-8; Mark 14:3-9
Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. 

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

pathoflifedevotions Uncategorized

March 20, 2016 Palm/Passion Sunday

Temple
The shouts of “Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” were still ringing in the streets of Jerusalem and in the hearts of those who found hope in Jesus of Nazareth when He came to the courts of the Temple. No one knows where Jesus found that whip, the one He used on the money-changers that day, but He knew how to use it.

It was the third Temple to stand In Jerusalem. The first Temple, built by King Solomon on the plans of His father, David, stood for many years before apostasy and the Babylonians brought it down. The second was built by Zerubbabel, a “Prince of Judah,” born in Babylon but also born in King David’s line. It stood until the reign of King Herod who began construction on a Temple of a size and beauty to rival Solomon’s structure. This political gesture was still under construction the day Jesus found that whip.

The gentle Jesus had fire in His eyes. His strong, carpenter’s hands were sure of grip and his powerful arms smooth in motion. He did not miss. Doves flew from broken cages. Coins scattered noisily on the stone pavement. Merchants scrambled down dangerous Temple steps facing injury if they fell forward and the lash if they stood still.

It wasn’t as if no one had seen Jesus angry before. His disciples had seen the fire in His eyes every time He and the religious leaders confronted each other in the city streets. Many times Jesus seemed almost amused at the stupidity of His attackers. As quickly as lightning can light up a stormy night, His eyes would flash with anger at their wickedness, their pride, and their uncaring malice toward the people of God. His ready powers of speech could produce impressive names as His anger erupted toward them: “Whited sepulchers,” –that meant they were cleaned up graves with only death and corruption inside, “brood of vipers,–meaning they were just so many snakes. 

Sometimes His anger was so great that it brought tears. On this day, as He approached the city, He had broken down in tears over their disregard of the visitation from God that was happening in front of them. He had wept before because the people were leaderless, like “sheep without a shepherd.” This was a city of intrigue instead of truth. This government was one of raw power instead of grace and these leaders of show and not substance broke His heart. Now this Temple was a house of greed instead of grace, a place of profit instead of prayer. 

Perhaps His eyes still stung with tears even as he overturned the tables, scattered the scavengers, and proclaimed their sin for all to hear!

“Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of thieves.”

Their corrupt political machine grinding to a halt before them, the religious leaders scrambled to restore order. Before they could do that, Jesus started healing sick people. The same strong hand that served out justice without mercy, now delivered mercy and justice. There was nothing the establishment could do to stop Him. 

Some of the people listened. Some of them felt His touch. They came to the temple that day with barely enough to buy a dove for a sin sacrifice and they went home healed. How can this be? How can one group of people have welts to dress from the whip and others have new life to relish from the same hand? 

The only answer is grace—the one thing a Temple must possess.

When the healing was done, Jesus returned to rest in Bethany. The next day brought another debate with the leaders and another loss for them. Jesus was just as sure a marksman with the comment or story as He was with the whip. They were sorely outmatched. 

Scritpures:

Mark 11:15-18; 13:1-2NIV
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 
And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.'” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, to you we shout “Hosanna!” which means “save us now!” This a day for praise and praise You we do for You alone are worthy.  We need the beauty of Your Throne, the security of Your Crown, the peace of Your reign, and the healing glory of Your presence.  O Holy Spirit, cleanse our hearts from any misuse of the holy things of God—of praise, of preaching, of prayer, of service—save us from the disease of the moneychangers.  Banish in us any pride like that of the priests and Pharisees and leaders who forsook prayer in the house of prayer.  Kindle the fires of intercession in the hearts of Your church so that all who see and hear us will see the love of God and the Word of God.  May all our houses be Houses of Prayer.  Amen.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer 3/29/15(Revised 3/19/16)

pathoflifedevotions Devotions, June 18

June 7 “Scholars”

Scholars

By the time Jesus was 12 years old, Joseph and Mary seemed to forget who He really was.
Each year, the family (Joseph and Mary had their own children by that time.) repeated the journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem for Passover. Perhaps they busied themselves with the other children and left Jesus to His own devices. He was never any trouble anyway.

When the feast was over, everyone started for home, supposing Jesus to be with the entourage. He wasn’t. One day out, they realized this and returned to Jerusalem to find Him. It took them three days to think of the Temple. If they had been paying attention, they would have seen how the Temple fascinated the 12-year old Jesus. He was transfixed by the ceremony, the colors, the music, and the constant chanting of the Psalms. He knew all the psalms by heart but hearing them in the Temple gave them a thrilling new context.

He never left the Temple
The other pilgrims finished their obligatory worship and headed for home, eager to get back to their businesses. Jesus had just found His business and could not leave it. The Temple was His Father’s house. The psalms were addressed to His Heavenly Father! He belonged here! This place held a vital connection to His mission—the business His Father had sent Him to do. Thoughts of Nazareth and Mary and Joseph and the growing family seemed distant and disconnected.

Jesus and the Scholars
Like all academics, they were a mixed crowd. Many of them were sincere students of the Word and others were in it for power and prestige. Regardless of their heart conditions, all of them knew the Word of God. Imagine what it was like for them to see this little boy emerge from the crowd to ask them questions. This was flattering, of course. Men with all the answers love to entertain questions from lesser beings.

This boy was different. His questions sprang from an intense knowledge of the Word, not from ignorance of the law. For three days the Q and A continued. The boy never seemed to tire and he wore out group after group of the finest minds in the Temple. He asked questions they never before considered and for which they had no answers. The sincere ones kept the conversation going. Jesus was feeding their souls with truth. When the first night came, they took care of Jesus and were surprised when he peacefully slept in the quarters they provided. Shouldn’t a lost boy cry for his parents at night? Evidently not. The power-hungry priests were embarrassed and annoyed that this presumptuous little fellow could do this to them. They huddled together and decided to mark Jesus as a man to be watched. He might get one of their jobs one day.

The Return of Mary and Joseph
Late on the third day, Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the Temple teaching the scholars. They were embarrassed and rebuked Jesus. How could He do this to them? His answer sounds a bit rude to us but it really tells the tale.

“Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

This answer confused the priests. Wasn’t His father the carpenter? The Temple was not his business place.

Joseph and Mary thanked the scholars and hurried Jesus out of there and back to Nazareth. Jesus submitted to them for this, too, was His Father’s business.

Scriptures:
Luke: 2:39-52
So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the living Word. Those scholars in the Temple had no way of knowing that You knew the Word because You are the Word. But I know this and believe it with all my heart. Illumine my every step, O Lamp of God! Give light to my path, O Light of the World! The world around me is shrouded in darkness but Your Light shines on me, just as Isaiah promised. As I walk in this light, help me show the light to those who walk in darkness! For Your glory, Lord! Amen and Amen.

Song:
Thy Word Is a Lamp unto My Feet
Words and Music: Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant
1. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid, think I’ve lost my way,
still you’re there right beside me,
and nothing will I fear as Iong as you are near.
Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path.

2. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path.

I will not forget your love for me,
and yet my heart forever is wandering.
Jesus, be my guide and hold me to your side,
and I will love you to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path.

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2018 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

TheJesusStory devotions are also found at KingdomWinds.com.
pathoflifedevotions Devotions, May 18

May 1 “Wilderness”

Wilderness

Finding bread in the wilderness is not easy to do.
This was the second time the disciples had faced this challenge and they seemed unprepared. A crowd of 4000 men plus women and children had been with Jesus in the wilderness for three days with no provisions. Jesus, already motivated by the illnesses, the afflictions, and the spiritual vulnerabilities of the crowd, was moved with compassion for their hunger. He expressed this compassion to His men:

“I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

Although it seems amazing to us, the disciples seem to have forgotten about the feeding of a larger multitude just a few days before.

“Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?”

The only bread to be found in the wilderness is the bread someone had brought with them into the wilderness. The report was seven loaves of bread and a few little fish. Jesus took these meager provisions in His hands and blessed them. At this point surely the disciples remembered that they had done this before. They remembered the miracle in their hands as each piece of fish or hunk of bread they broke and gave to someone in the crowd was replaced by more when they repeated the process.

Food in the Wilderness, Take Two
If the disciples were slow on the uptake, so are we. We are a multitude in the wilderness, hungry for life. We are following Jesus and He is proving to be all that we need. He forgives us and sends His Holy Spirit to take up residence in us. He reveals His Word to us so we can know more about what life is and how it should be lived. He connects us with others on their own wilderness trek and adopts us into His holy family. He delivers us and heals us when are overcome or ill. He makes the wilderness into a garden. Isaiah prophesied this and it happens; time and again, it happens. We find bread where no bread should be. We place the little that we have into the Lord’s powerful hands and it becomes enough—more than enough! This slightly smaller multitude had 7 large baskets full of leftovers! Jesus sent them away, healed, delivered and picking fish out of their teeth with provisions for the trip home! Jesus was Jehovah Jireh, The Lord who Provides, in the flesh.

Sometimes we forget.
One of the most important forms of praise is thanksgiving—remembering what God has done for us in the past. Remembering past wildernesses that bloomed into beautiful gardens encourages us to face the wilderness that surrounds us now. We are not empty handed. We have something to give the Lord, even if it is only a heart full of good intentions. Remember that the contents of the heart changes things and the small, mustard seed-sized faith is enough to grow a mighty tree. The secret is to put what we have in our hands into His hands. With His touch we can see another wilderness become a garden.

Scriptures:
Matthew 15:32-39
Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.
Genesis 22:13-14
Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord -Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
Isaiah 51:1-3
“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.” For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the master of the wilderness! Your delight is to lead us someplace dangerous and then provide what we need to face that challenge. You have not called us to a life lived safely behind walls of fear. When we follow You we will find ourselves in a wilderness. We are not alone; You are there. We have something of value we can give You there in the wilderness. We will watch time and time again as You take what we give You and make it enough. Lord Jesus, You are the master of the wilderness! Amen.

Song:
Come and Dine
Words and Music: C. B. Widmeyer

1. Jesus has a table spread
Where the saints of God are fed,
He invites His chosen people, “Come and dine”;
With His manna He doth feed
And supplies our every need:
Oh, ’tis sweet to sup with Jesus all the time!

Refrain:
“Come and dine,” the Master calleth, “Come and dine”;
You may feast at Jesus’ table all the time;
He Who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine,
To the hungry calleth now, “Come and dine.”

2. “Come and dine.” The disciples came to land,
Thus obeying Christ’s command,
For the Master called unto them, “Come and dine”;
There they found their heart’s desire,
Bread and fish upon the fire;
Thus He satisfies the hungry every time.

Refrain

3. Soon the Lamb will take His bride
To be ever at His side,
All the host of heaven will assembled be;
Oh, ’twill be a glorious sight,
All the saints in spotless white;
And with Jesus they will feast eternally

Refrain

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2018 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

TheJesusStory devotions are also found at KingdomWinds.com.
pathoflifedevotions Uncategorized

October 30 “Towel”

Towel

There was no quitting or turning back for Jesus.
What we call “the Last Supper” was over. Their bellies full and the outset of night’s shadows blurred the minds of the Twelve—all except one. The mind of Judas was racing. His heart was occupied by a plan. We do not know his reasons; it is enough to know what John tells us—Satan put it in Judas’ heart.

The Towel
The evening was far from over. Jesus had much to teach His men. Seeing their mental state, He began with an object lesson. John’s explanation of Jesus’ motives is crucial.

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.”

How could the Son of God stoop to this extreme act of humility and service—to wash the dirty feet of the Twelve, including Judas? He could do this because He was sure of both His origin and His destiny. He came from heaven and would soon return to heaven. On the other side of the agony He was about to endure, was a coronation. When one knows from whence he came and is sure of his destination, there is no shame in humility, no dishonor in servitude. So Jesus took a towel and knelt before each of His men and washed their feet. He prayed for each one, whispering words of encouragement never to be forgotten.

The men watched in amazement. None of them would do this. They were repulsed by it and fascinated with it. Each man was deeply conflicted until Jesus took his feet and drenched them water, and wiped them dry with the towel. He whispered prayers and blessings meant only for them and all their internal conflicts ceased. Each man knew that no one had or ever would love them the way Jesus did.

Peter
Jesus came to Peter next to last. The fisherman could not understand the reactions of the others. Whatever Jesus doing, He would not do it to him. Peter protested, shielding his feet from Jesus’ hands

“Lord, are You washing my feet?”

The other men shook their heads, wishing that Peter would be quiet for once. Jesus stayed at Peter’s feet, waiting for Peter to offer them to Him. Without looking up said,

“What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

Peter would have none of it. Like a petulant child, he drew back his feet.

“You shall never wash my feet!”

His voice was louder than he intended. Jesus stood and dried His hands with the towel as if the ceremony was over. Firmly, He admonished Peter.

“If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

Peter was crushed. He wanted to look at the others but He could not take His eyes off Jesus. Was He still willing to wash his feet? Jesus smiled and knelt before him. Peter surrendered, broken, but still unable to restrain his words.

“Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

The other men shook their heads again as Jesus smiled and went on.

“He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean;
and you are clean, but not all of you.”

Jesus came to Judas, who, unmoved by the moment, looked away, distracted while Jesus washed His feet. He did not hear the tender words spoken only to him as Jesus washed his feet and dried them with the towel.

Scriptures:
John 13:1-11
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Lord of All, You, whom all of heaven served joyfully, willingly, and completely, came not to be served but to serve. You did more than teach us about serving, You served. Humility is the coinage of Your Kingdom. Make me rich in it, Lord Jesus! Teach me the joy of service in Your powerful name and in Your peaceful shadow. I know from whence I came and I know my destination, so let me find my towel and serve my brothers and sisters and this hurting world. For Your glory, Lord! Amen.

Song:
Lord, Make Me Like You
Words and Music: Jimmy and Carol Owens

Lord make me like You, Please make me like You.
You are a servant. Make me one, too.
O Lord I am willing  Do what You must do
To make me like You Lord,  Just make me like You
Whatever You do Lord, Please make me like You

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2018 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

TheJesusStory devotions are also found at KingdomWinds.com.
pathoflifedevotions Devotions, March 18

March 2 “Christ-child”

Christ-child

The miracle of the Incarnation is that God became a man.
The wonder of it all is that He became an infant, the most powerless of all human beings. This is the central mystery and fact of Christianity. It is a fact attested to by the most numerous and ancient of historical sources. No theologian has ever explained how it was done. In the early centuries of the church, leaders expended much effort and time and resources in conferences to try and figure whether Jesus was a man who became God or was He God in the form of man or something in between these possibilities. Various Creeds like the Nicene Creed go into detail to express the nature of God as a confessed belief and this is helpful. Statements of faith are needed but an explanation is not. We simply accept by faith that Jesus was both God and man, both at the same time. In order to become the Christ-child, the pre-incarnate Jesus had to lay aside His divine nature and take up His human nature. This is a mystery not to be explained, but to be believed and to confessed in worship.

The Most Promising Young Couple in Nazareth
In my imagination, they were the pride of the village.

  • Joseph was an excellent craftsman with his own profitable shop. He was a man of integrity in business and piety in his religion. He knew the scriptures so well, the village children would gather into his shop after class to hear his wisdom on the lessons of the day. He specialized in prophecies of Messiah.
  • Mary was as perfect for him as he was for her. She was the model of beauty and modesty. Her cheerful spirit always brightened the mood wherever she went. Most of the young men were intimidated by her and most of the other girls found her so genuine they could not even envy her—except perhaps for her Joseph.

All in all their betrothal was a bit of good news in those troubled times. People found hope for the nation in young people such as these.

“Before they came together…”
They were not yet husband and wife when Mary realized that she was pregnant. We know from other sources that she had been visited by the angel Gabriel and told that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her leaving her with child. It happened just as Gabriel said and Mary had the difficult duty of telling Joseph. As a carpenter, Joseph knew the measure of things and did not believe her story. Brokenhearted, he decided to handle things as discreetly as possible by sending her away. It was not to be. In a dream an angel appeared to him and told him the facts. Awaking from his sleep Joseph obeyed the angel’s words and took Mary as his wife. His love for her was so great, it negated logic and thus their marriage was an act of faith in God.

“Immanuel—God with Us”
When the child was born, they named Him “Jesus” as instructed. In addition, the prophet Isaiah said that He would be called Immanuel, meaning, “God with us.” Jesus means, “Savior.” And thus He came to be! He will go to the cross as a sinless Lamb to save us from the price of our sins and He will be the manifest presence of God in the earth. Mary “brought forth her firstborn Son”—fully God and fully man—the mystery of the ages.

Scriptures:
Matthew 1:18-25
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Isaiah 7:14-15
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Prayer:
The Apostles’ Creed
The Book of Common Prayer (Adapted SRP)
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Song:
Emmanuel
Words and Music: Bob McGee

Emmanuel, Emmanuel,
His name is called Emmanuel
God with us, revealed in us
His name is called Emmanuel
(Repeat)

Semper Reformanda!
Stephen Phifer

© 2018 Stephen R. Phifer All Rights Reserved

TheJesusStory devotions are also found at KingdomWinds.com.