Lent
Peacemakers – March 1
Often this verse translates the phrase “those who work for peace” as the more concise “peacemakers.” While this term has its benefits, it can also be misunderstood to mean something that Jesus did not intend. In English, we tend to equate the idea of being a peacemaker with that of making peace, but they are not altogether the same thing.
Continue ReadingSabbath – February 28
For this Sabbath day of rest, rather than dig into more Scripture, allow the Holy Spirit to remind you of what God spoke into your soul this past week. Reread the passages for this week and allow the words to penetrate into the deepest parts of you.
Continue ReadingThose with Pure Hearts – February 27
To a first-century Jewish audience, this announcement regarding the pure of heart would likely bring to mind the Pharisaical obsession with external, ritualistic purification. As illustrated in the parable of the good Samaritan, the religious elite were the kind of people who were reticent to provide assistance if it caused them to be impure in the eyes of the law.
Continue ReadingThose Who Are Merciful – February 26
Grouped together, Matthew 5:5–7 serve as a callback to another passage. Jesus – in his subtle manner that screams loudly to any who have ears to hear it – is reminding his audience of Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (NIV).
Continue ReadingThose Who Hunger – February 25
In 2013, Landon Jones woke up with a bacterial infection of his left lung. Even though his doctor was able to take care of the infection, Landon suffered from an ongoing side effect that is quite unusual: he could no longer feel hungry or thirsty.
Continue ReadingThose Who Are Humble – February 24
The root of the word humble comes from the Latin word humus, meaning “earth.” It is incredibly fitting, then, that Jesus connects humility with the inheritance of the earth. It is this very inheritance that we read about in Revelation 21 and 22, where John writes about the old heaven and earth being replaced by a new heaven and a new earth populated with God’s people.
Continue ReadingThose Who Mourn – February 23
For most of us, this past year has included quite a bit of mourning. We’ve mourned the loss of normalcy that came with the entrance of COVID‑19. We’ve mourned the number of hugs not given and hands not clasped, as well as the diminished physical closeness with those outside our immediate household.
Continue ReadingPoor in Spirit – February 22
The song “John Wayne Gacy Jr.” appears on Sufjan Stevens’s 2005 album Illinois. On the track, Stevens sings about both the life and crimes of the serial killer, crimes that included murdering more than two dozen young men. It is a haunting song, especially given the last lyric.
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