This Week’s Focus: The Miracle Worker

A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.  Mark 1:40-45

Dear Friends,

Miracles are the focus of this Sunday’s gospel. But miracles have gotten a pretty bad rap lately. Some pious soul is regularly seeing the image of Jesus or Mary in a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich or a baked potato. Statues are seen to weep or to bleed with no immediate explanation. All of course are reported with a wink and a smirk by the local news anchors.

There’s always been a ready market for miracles, even the bogus ones. So imagine the fuss when Jesus comes along dispensing the real thing. We are still in the first chapter of Mark. Jesus has already been proclaimed a miracle worker. He is being mobbed by the afflicted and the curious. And he’s conflicted by all the commotion.

In last Sunday’s gospel, we saw Jesus get out of town to avoid the miracle seekers and to get on with preaching the kingdom. But his reputation follows him and his compassion never leaves him. So when the leper throws himself in his path and begs for a cure, Jesus responds: be thou clean. He then admonishes the man to go to the priests, show them his cure and offer thanksgiving according to Mosaic Law.

These few lines tell us a lot about the direction of Christ’s early ministry. He has the power to heal. And when he sees suffering he uses that power. But beyond compassion, he is the Messiah foretold by the prophets. And one of the signs of his coming, are the miracles he is performing. Jesus is a devout Jew, obedient to the Law of Moses. He has not come to overthrow the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them. He has come to redeem the world…not run a walk-in miracle clinic.

Sometime after his cure, the leper surely has a date with his earthly mortality. Whether from cancer, heart disease or a slip and fall, his restoration to health is only temporary. The same is true for every one of us. From the oldest to the youngest, our days are numbered. And here’s where the real miracle comes in. In Christ we have eternal life, not a temporary extension of a mortal one. Jesus is the Lamb of God, not the Galilee emergency room. While still over the horizon, the real miracles await us – on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Cynics have cautioned us not to rely on miracles. But the miracle of redeeming grace is one you can take to the bank. Better yet, it is a miracle you can take to eternal life when The Miracle Worker calls you home.

Faithfully yours in Christ’s love,

This Week’s Focus: Learning and Loving

Jesus left the synagogue at Capernaum, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. Mark 1:29-39

Dear Friends,

Sometimes scripture tells you as much by what it does not say, as it does by what it does say. This morning’s gospel is a prime example. Jesus is still a relatively new acquaintance of the disciples. We have seen him acclaimed as the Messiah. But the full meaning of that acclamation is still unclear. We have read accounts of his wonders. But uncertainty remains. Exactly who is this guy?

It looks like dinner is going to be cancelled because Peter’s mother-in-law is ill. Presto, Jesus cures her and she is quickly whipping up a meal for him and the disciples. After dinner the whole neighborhood shows up begging for miracle cures and instant exorcisms. And once again Jesus obliges them. And here’s where we must read between the lines.

Next morning, Jesus rises earlier than usual. Was his sleep troubled? Jesus goes off to pray to the Father. What were those conversations like? One thing we do know, in all things Jesus sought to do the will of his Father. We know too that once having prayed, Jesus was sure of what he must do…not stay and amaze the locals, but preach his message of repentance and redemption far and wide; establish a new covenant for Israel and proclaim the Father’s love for all creation.  

As subsequent events reveal, both to us and to the original disciples, Jesus is true God and true man. But at this point, that is yet to be seen and understood. And from what is said and unsaid in this first chapter of Mark, the fully divine nature of Jesus has yet to be fully revealed and appreciated, perhaps even by the fully human nature of Jesus himself. This is a vitally significant point in understanding the life of Christ as he initiates his ministry and begins his inevitable journey to Calvary.

Over the centuries many, many well meaning Christians have gotten lost in the theological weeds trying to understand this relationship between the divine and human natures of Jesus. The Gnostics, the Nestorians, the Arians – big chunks of the early church were never reconciled to the true nature of Jesus as totally and concurrently God and man. This is not a theological footnote. It is the crux of Christianity. The God, who created the universe, became fully human in the form of Jesus, the second person of the Trinity. Jesus is not another god or even a junior varsity version of the real thing. Jesus Christ is God… another aspect of the one, only and true God. In the words of the Creed: “He is one in being with the Father.” If the concept makes your head spin, you’re not the first and you won’t be the last.

Luke tells us: he grew in wisdom and age and grace. I suspect that process did not end with his coming of age. Rather it continued throughout his public life right to the cross. His awareness of his divinity inexorably unfolded. It enabled him to plead from the cross: Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. To the end, obedience to the Father empowered the human Jesus to align himself with the divine. It gave him the power to do extraordinary things, like the miracles in this morning’s gospel. And ultimately it gave him the power to do the most extraordinary thing ever done from creation to our present day. It made him the vehicle of our salvation, the channel of God’s grace, our hope of eternal life. We are still in the first chapter of Mark, like Jesus we have far to go and much to learn.

In previous reflections on this page, we have concentrated on very elemental, very visceral responses to the gospels. This week we have attempted to be more thought provoking. The reason is simple: the more you study and think about Jesus, the more you learn. The more you know about Jesus, the more you love him and the closer you follow him. With Jesus, learning leads to loving; more learning leads to more loving.

This is particularly true in our Anglican faith tradition. We allow for a wide latitude of conscience-formed theological conviction. As such, Anglicanism has been described more as a path to belief than an iron-clad theological system. And that path is through prayer. In theological jargon: Lex orandi, lex credendi. Praying shapes our believing. The fully human nature of Jesus evolved with his understanding of his divine nature and divine mission. And that understanding was shaped by his constant prayer conversation…seeking always to know and to do the will of the Father. Our path is clear. Like Jesus, let us pray ourselves nearer and nearer to an intimate understanding of the will of the Father. Through prayer let us too grow in wisdom and age and grace.

Faithfully yours in Christ’s love,

This Week’s Focus: No Room for Demons

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught.  They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God."   But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"  And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching--with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."  At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.  Mark 1: 21-28

Dear Friends,

In the gospels of the past two weeks of Ordinary Times, Jesus has been starting his public life. Our reflections have been on opening our hearts to Jesus and following him. What to make of this gospel? Jesus amazes the small town crowd with his wisdom. They are confused by the brilliance coming from this carpenter. But the evil spirit dwelling among them is not confused. It recognizes Jesus immediately. In terror it proclaims Jesus: the Holy One of God. How ironic that of all the people listening, it was the unclean spirit who saw Jesus for what he was. Jesus responds by driving the evil spirit out of the man. And the crowd is stunned. Who is this guy? He can literally scare the devil out of people. Christ’s public life is off to a fast start…with many miracles to follow.

The concept of demonic possession and exorcism has always been difficult for me to relate to. The struggle with garden-variety inner demons is very much closer to home. Start with the demon of addiction – the one we invite in to ease the pain, to pass the time, to fill a void. It comes in every form from prescription drugs to single malt Scotch, from gambling and pornography to jelly donuts and ice cream. But whatever the form, we can become slaves to these demons, whether as a genteel, high-functioning addict or a derelict junkie and everything in between. As virulent as they are, addictions are not the most difficult demons to confront. They are so debilitating they make themselves obvious. They invite intervention.

Demon pride is much more insidious, pervasive and tenacious. And we’ve all got a potentially deadly dose. It comes in a multitude of strains. There’s the “smartest guy in the room”, AKA “the know it all.” There’s the “resume mouth” demon, driven to impress. There’s the “snob” and it’s evil twin “envy”, both constantly appraising and comparing. The demons are legion. But the underlying pathology is always the same: Pride is the soil that nurtures all other sin. It is Lucifer’s specialty. St. Vincent said: “Humility is nothing but truth, pride is nothing but lying.” A humble life is a happy life. A proud life is a tortured life. Pride and grace cannot occupy the same space. One or the other has got to go.

Humility is not an end in itself. It is a manifestation of a soul at peace, filled with the love of Christ. Let’s ask Jesus to purge our demons: Fill us with your love, Lord. Fill us to overflowing. Leave no room for demons. Only you Lord. Only you.

Faithfully yours in Christ’s love,

This Week’s Focus: Follow Me

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."  As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen.  And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people."  And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets.  Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.  Mark 1:14-20

Dear Friends,

Once again, the first gospels in Ordinary Times are all about beginnings. Last week we saw John the Baptist meet Jesus and proclaim him the Lamb of God. This week we see Andrew and Peter, James and John drop everything to follow Christ.

What do these gospels have to tell us? What does Christ want us to hear? What does he want us to do? After all, we’re baptized Christians. We know we’re redeemed. Our sins are mostly small-time misdemeanors. We go to church on Sunday. We’re committed enough to read this message. What more do you want?

Follow me: that is what Jesus wants. Sometimes Christ speaks in parables, other times he poses questions… not this time. Jesus uses the imperative tense: Follow me. Put down your nets: and I will make you fishers of men. They did. And he did.

Follow me: that is what Jesus wants from us, too. Put down your remotes. Get off the couch. Stop texting. Stop being so very busy being busy. Being a Christian is not a Sunday morning thing. It is the ultimate 365/24/7 vocation. Christians follow Christ. That defines what we are and why we are here. Being a Christian governs every aspect of our lives: our private personal conduct, our family, social and professional lives. It is what God has planned for us from before time began.

OK. But what will it mean for me to follow Christ? For Peter, Andrew and James it meant martyrdom. Only God knows what following Christ means for each of us. That’s why it must begin with a leap of faith. Paul instructs us in Hebrews 11:1 that: Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see.

Father Mychal Judge made that leap of faith. As a New York City Fire Department Chaplain, he followed Jesus to the World Trade Center. But before he did, he left us this prayer: “Lord, take me where you want me to go, let me meet who you want me to meet, tell me what you want me to say, and keep me out of your way.” Then on 9/11, God called him home in the company of so many other heroes.

Chances are following Jesus will not mean martyrdom for any of us. But it almost certainly means lots of struggle and sacrifice for every one of us. Yet our faith tells us to follow where Jesus leads…to an earthly life, rich in grace, spent praising God and serving neighbor… then on to an eternal life rejoicing in God’s love. He leads us to where we are meant to be. Every day he calls to us:  Follow me.  

Faithfully yours in Christ’s love,

Olivier, Ferdinand, 1785-1841. Jesus with Disciples, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=47426 [retrieved January 20, 2012].

This Week's Focus: Dare to Open Your Heart


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The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." John 1:43-51

Dear Friends,

As Jesus begins his public life, first dozens, then scores, then hundreds of people came to see him. Most listened and walked away. They had other priorities. But John got the whole picture at first sight. Like Andrew, John recognizes the Messiah. But he sees much more. He knows immediately that Jesus was sent by the Father to atone for sin. He proclaims Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice, the Lamb of God.

How did John see what others didn’t? He had spent his whole life waiting for Jesus. He was open at all times for Christ to enter his life. How about us? Are we open for Christ to enter our lives? Would we even recognize Jesus? Or would we pass him in the parking lot? Do we have just too many other priorities?

2012 is still new. And it’s a good time for resolutions – particularly for examining and adjusting our priorities. Here’s one that should be on the top of the list. Like John, let’s leave ourselves open to Jesus. Let’s invite him into our lives each day. Let’s look for him in the commonplace and the unusual. Let’s engage Jesus in a running conversation of prayer as our day progresses. Wake up with him. Listen to him. Ask his help. Give him thanks. Anticipate what he wants us to do. At every opportunity share him with the people in our lives.

If your heart isn’t there yet, coax it along. Consciously commit to living an active life in Christ. Take the first step. Over and over ask Jesus to open your heart. As Paul tells us: I can do all things through God who strengthens us. Open your heart to Jesus, your hands and your feet will follow. With Jesus every daily chore can become a prayer. Then get ready to be loved. Sometimes his love will seep in. Other times it will flood in. Living in Jesus means living in love. You’ll get it. You’ll give it. You’ll rejoice in it. In time, Jesus will gather you home in his love.

John opened his heart, so did Andrew and so did Peter. They all followed Jesus to glory. But it never would have happened if they didn’t dare to open their hearts. Let’s dare to open our hearts today. Let’s empty ourselves and make room for his love. This prayer can help get us started: Dear Jesus, open my heart to you. I am yours. You are my Savior, The Lamb of God. Come live in me, so that I can live in you. You know my frailties and my foolish pride. Change my life so that it reflects your love in all I think and all I do. Lead me home, Lord, one loving step at a time.

Faithfully yours in Christ’s love,

He, Qi. Calling Disciples, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=46099 [retrieved January 9, 2012]

This Week’s Focus: A Feast of Epiphanies

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In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all  the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.  They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:  'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. Matthew 2: 1-18

Dear Friends,

These first verses from the second chapter of Matthew are among the most action packed accounts found in the whole sixty-six books of the Bible. A Hollywood script writer would be hard pressed to match the inspiration and the intrigue, the triumph and the treachery. As a preacher, I’m swamped with the symbolic richness of this gospel. A short reflection doesn’t do it justice. But let’s try.

One brief definition of an epiphany is: a sudden intuitive insight into the essential meaning of something. This morning’s gospel for the Feast of the Epiphany is literally a feast of epiphanies. It is chock full of insights into the meaning of the coming of Christ and the transformation it promises for you and me and for all the people of the world.

Start with the vision of the Magi. They had devoted their lives to studying the heavens. And then suddenly there was a brilliant light they’d never seen before and couldn’t explain. They dropped everything and set out to follow the star, mile after mile, over mountains and deserts, fixed faithfully on the celestial signpost that lead them to the newborn Jesus.  

What star do you follow? Where does it lead you? Does it lead to Jesus? Or is it all about getting and keeping more stuff – filling the hole in our souls with things? A   bigger paycheck, a bigger house, season tickets, the best table, the latest I Pad, the hippest sneakers? They are all really great stuff to have. But go to as many funerals as I do and they shrink to insignificance. The Magi got it right the first time. Follow your star to Jesus – his love, his way – they are really all that endures.

All four gospels have many examples of the Messiah of the chosen people reaching out to all the people of God’s creation. But this is the very first. And this time the star reached very far, all the way to Persia. We walk in the footsteps of the Magi. Our home is even more distant than Persia. We follow Christ from across cultures and across millennia. The gates of heaven have been thrown open to us. No matter how humble our condition, we stand before the throne of God no less noble than the kings, no less beloved than the prophets, no less entitled than Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The Magi did not come empty handed. And neither should we. Jesus, the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, does not need gold, frankincense and myrrh. All creation does his bidding. But he does want us to give back, for our own sake, to express our gratitude, to get some skin in the game. Our gifts, our tithes, our charity, our service – all don’t buy us God’s love and our redemption. Those are gifts outright. The Magi did not bribe the star to lead them to Jesus. They did not payoff Mary and Joseph to see their child. They humbly laid their gifts at the feet of the newborn king in adoration, in gratitude and in awe. And so should we.

And then there’s Herod. The world has seen his like so many times before and since. In his self-centered

 soul, the Epiphany is all about him. It is an opportunity to eliminate a potential rival, no matter what the cost. Deceit, deception, mass murder: these are things that happen to other people. They’re the average tyrant’s cost of doing business.

Haven’t we all got even the tiniest touch of Herod in us? We take life on our terms. We are the arbiters of good and evil. And what we think is going to be good for us, we almost always see as the obvious good. We don’t operate on the same scale or with the same rapacity as Herod, but we let our egos lead us around by the nose. Epiphany is a good time to alter that course. Only Jesus is the way, the truth and the light. It is time to follow the star to Jesus. The Magi did not journey alone. They journeyed together. And so should we. Jesus is waiting. In joyful praise and adoration, let’s follow the star together. 

Faithfully yours in Christ's love,

He, Qi. Dream of the Magi, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=46121 [retrieved January 4, 2012].

This Week’s Focus: Thicker than water

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.  When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Luke 2:15-21

Dear Friends,

We don’t get to pick our relatives. But we do get to pick our family. Most relatives share common ancestors, a marriage contract, a DNA profile and an address. A family has got all that and a lot more. A family shares mutual commitment, common values and unconditional love. Relatives can seem like a string of random accidents living under one roof. Families are a deliberate labor of love.

While the difference is hardly subtle, far too many fail to make a distinction. They are lonely strangers related to other lonely strangers. While they may share living space, they have entirely separate commitments, priorities and agendas. From the quantity and quality of their communications, they even speak different languages.

You can blame the rift on economics or the internet, computer games or rap music. I’m told that fifty years ago they blamed it all on television and Dr. Spock. Sixty years back, the culprits were comic books and the radio. While they may be symptoms, they are not causes. You can trace it all to the empty place at the table…the forgotten brother…the misplaced model of family love. Jesus has been crowded out of the family. He’s become the inconvenient cousin we’re obliged to visit on holidays. He’s the kindly uncle we only go to when we’re in trouble. Or he’s the angry patriarch reminding us that we messed up again.

Wherever we’ve hidden him, Jesus is not where he ought to be – the focus of our family—a palpable presence giving a common purpose and direction to our daily lives. But don’t expect Jesus to show up uninvited at your table like Banquo’s ghost. As individuals and as a family, we have to ask him in every day.

“The family that prays together, stays together.” It’s a golden oldie from the 40’s. But it is a time tested, guaranteed, winning formula for happy families. Who gives the guarantee? Jesus does: For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I. The power of Christ in our midst is the most transformational force the world has ever known. With him all things are possible – hope, meaningful sharing, mutual forgiveness, growth and healing. Without him, why not flick on the flat screen and try to get through this life with as little interruption as possible? The choice is yours. Relatives or family? Choose Jesus. Choose family. And the blessings will cascade for you and yours from generation to generation.

Start today. Make room in your day for family time with Jesus…maybe before or after a meal. Keep it simple. Tell your family where you want to go with this. Ask for their help. Ask Jesus for his help with a family problem. Have your Bible handy. Share some scriptural inspiration. Be honest. Be loving. Be patient. Be faithful. Set up a schedule for prayer and sharing. Keep at it. It works if you work it. Then get ready to get happy. A family truly living in Christ’s love is the greatest joy this side of heaven.

Faithfully yours in Christ’s love,