August 1, Matthew 14:13-21

"Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, who gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied."

This is the only miracle performed by Jesus that is in all four of the New Testament gospels. Clearly, it is an episode in the Jesus story that was considered indispensable by the church communities represented in the Christian Bible. Given the diversity among the gospel accounts, this story in each of the four gospels is remarkably similar. There are five thousand men to be fed, although the gospel of Matthew adds that there were women and children as well, and only five loaves and two fish, yet twelve baskets of scraps were collected after all were fed. The gospel of John adds that when the people saw this sign, they exclaimed: "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!" (Jn. 6:14)

The LORD says: "I will give an undivided heart to my people. I will put a new spirit in them."

Ezekiel was a priest whose ministry extended from 593 to 563 BCE. The capture and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587 BCE greatly influenced his writings. In the eleventh chapter of this book, the prophet takes up the themes of judgment and promise. In verses 17-20 Ezekiel relates the words of the LORD that proclaim a return to Jerusalem from exile and a new heart for the people of Israel. Prophetic writings and their fulfillment were understood by the people of Israel and their descendants as evidence of both the reigning power and the steadfast love of God. 

These prophetic writings in the Bible are the foundation for the gospel proclamation that the kingdom (reign) of God has come in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Today we ask questions about the reign of God that could not have been formulated more than two millennia ago. Then all natural and historical events were understood as reflecting the will of God, but now we look for natural and human causes to explain most of our experience. Our "new spirit" is questioning and critical, yet we remain open to the forgiving love of God, if we repent of our sin and have faith.

August 3, Daniel 9:18-19

Daniel prayed saying: "Listen to the prayer of your servant. For we rely not on our good deeds but on your great mercy."

This book was originally written in Aramaic by a pious Jew living during the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes (167-164 BCE). It recounts stories of Daniel, who is presented as a leader among the exiled people of Israel in Babylon. Although set in the past, the story is primarily concerned with the future, and this is a characteristic of the writings of this period in Jewish history that are known as "apocalyptic."

Daniel affirms that the suffering of the people of Israel is God's justice, because they have gone astray. So, he urges them to repent and return to the LORD. And he prays to God for forgiveness. "O LORD, hear; O LORD, forgive . . .." (v. 19) Salvation will not come, Daniel asserts, through the goodness of the people, but requires the mercy of God. The writings of Daniel were very popular in the first century of the Christian era, and we can see in the gospels their influence. Today we, too, cannot simply rely on our good deeds, but are called to confess our sin and seek God's forgiveness through repentance.

August 4, Acts 2:42-47

"All the believers held everything in common. They sold their goods and possessions and shared the proceeds according to the needs of each person."

The Acts of the Apostles was written by the author of the gospel of Luke as the second volume of his history of the church. The gospel of Luke ends with the disciples in Jerusalem, where they experience the Holy Spirit in a miraculous new way and begin their life together as the church. Verses 42-47 in chapter 2 follow a sermon by Peter that sums up the proclamation of the new community of faith. Then we read that those who were baptized "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (v. 42) We should recall, as we read these words, that they were written after the imprisonment of Paul in Rome about 60 CE and probably well after 70 CE, when the temple was destroyed in Jerusalem. So these words do not represent observations of the first days of the church in Jerusalem, but are instead a summary that the author of Luke and Acts believes makes sense of what has happened between the time of the death of Jesus and the time of his writing at least two generations later.

The vision of sharing and concern for the poor expressed in this summary is crucial for the story that the author of Luke and Acts tells, because it represents a transformation of the accepted way of life. Wealth and dietary restrictions were central to defining cultural and social roles in the first century CE, but the early church is depicted as holding their goods in common and as eating together. Whether or not that was the reality of the first church in Jerusalem, it was clearly the vision of Christian life being recommended by the author of the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. And who can deny that it is an inspiring call to faith?

"In all things God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose."

Paul is writing to encourage the Christians in Rome. He acknowledges the sufferings of the present time, but he affirms that God is bringing about a new creation through this suffering. Paul boldly proclaims that God works for good in all things, and in this he is echoing the words of the prophets who wrote centuries before him. Paul also asserts a belief in predestination that came to have a long history in the church.

I think we should be critical of Paul's view of predestination. The Christian Bible as a whole does not assert that all things are ordered before they happen and that the elect are chosen for salvation before they are born. We can affirm our trust in God without embracing such a view of predestination, and we can do this by allowing the freedom we claim for ourselves. We need not decide that the chosen are predestined, but can trust that God will do the choosing in whatever way seems best. In faith, however, we can affirm that God is working through all things and can even redeem terrible things that happen, because that is what Good Friday and Easter represent within the life of the church. We affirm that God is the power of love that can transform injustice, suffering and even death. That is the faith we share with Paul, even if we disagree with him about his belief in predestination.

The gospel of Matthew reports that on the mountain where Jesus was transfigured, a bright cloud covered the disciples and a voice said: "This is my beloved Son, on whom my favor rests; listen to him."

The gospels of Mark (Mk. 9:2-8), Matthew (Mt. 17:1-8) and Luke (Lk. 9:28-36) tell this story, which is known in the church as the "transfiguration." Jesus takes Peter, John and James with him and goes up a mountain to pray. As he is praying, the appearance of his face is changed. Then a cloud comes over them, and a voice from the cloud is heard saying: "This is my Son, the Chosen One; listen to him." All three gospels report the fear of the disciples when they hear a voice. But only the gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus touched and comforted the disciples. In all three accounts Elijah and Moses appear and the clothes of Jesus become intensely white, but the gospel of Matthew alone reports a light from the cloud.

The imagery of this story reminds the reader of Moses going up the mountain to receive the commandments of the law from God. Moses went alone, but came down from the mountain with a radiant face. (Exodus 34:29) Here, Jesus has three witnesses with him, and Moses and Elijah appear to them all. Moses represents the law of the covenant and Elijah the prophets, so this story presents Jesus as the fulfillment of both. The cloud and the voice are manifestations of God related to Moses and the covenant with ancient Israel, for the Israelites were led through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire during the night. Moreover, the Exodus account reports that God spoke to Moses in order to give him the law. Now, however, God names a Son to represent him on earth.

In the gospel of John, Jesus says: "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep."

Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel all include in their prophecies an image of God caring for his people as a shepherd cares for his sheep. (Is. 40:11, Jer. 23:1-6, and Ezek. 34) Ezekiel even has God saying, "I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep." (v. 15) Therefore, when the gospel of John presents Jesus as the good shepherd, the Jews for whom the gospel was written would immediately be reminded of these prophetic images. The gospel of John presents Jesus as the incarnation of the God of Israel and the Creator of the universe, so Jesus (as God, or more specifically as the Son of the Father) is the shepherd who will care for his sheep.

The gospel of Matthew reports that Jesus came towards his disciples, walking on the water, and they were terrified; but at once he said to them: "Courage! It is I. Do not be afraid."

The story of Jesus walking on the water is also included in the gospels of Mark and John, but neither of these accounts includes verses 28-33 in the gospel of Matthew. If the gospel of Mark first told this story, apparently it was available also to the author of the gospel of John, which overall is very different than the gospel of Mark. The author of the gospel of Matthew added a story about Peter trying to walk on the water, perhaps as part of the more extensive character development of Peter throughout the gospel, for in the gospel of Matthew Peter is singled out by Jesus to be the leader of the apostles. Even more interesting, however, is the decision by the author of the gospel of Luke to omit the story of Jesus walking on the water from the two volume history of the church, which in the New Testament appears as the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. 

If the Christian who wrote the gospel of Luke did not believe that Jesus walked on water, then it would seem strange to require that any other Christian needs to believe this. Faith in Christ does not require having all the beliefs about Christ that some Christians had or have. Faith in Christ means trusting in the forgiving love of God, which is manifested in the Christian Bible and in the affirmation that God was fully present in Christ for the sake of the world.

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says: "The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, for the kingdom of God is among you."

It is intriguing that this statement does not appear in any of the other gospels. The author of the gospel of Luke has inserted this statement into his story between materials that are in the gospel of Mark, but the author of the gospel of Matthew has not added this statement to his gospel. It may be that the author of the gospel of Luke has found a memory of Jesus that is not known by the other gospel writers, but it seems more likely that the author of the gospel of Luke wrote these verses in order to answer a question that was being raised to the Christians of his own community of faith.

The statement attributed to Jesus is the answer to a question raised by Pharisees about when the kingdom of God was coming. Later in this gospel the author will repeat the statement in the gospel of Mark that "this generation will not pass away till all [the coming of the kingdom of God] has taken place." (Lk. 21:30, see Mk. 13:30) By inserting a comment earlier in the narrative that the kingdom of God is already among the people, the gospel writer anticipates the problem that arises after the generation living at the time of Jesus has passed away. Thus, when Pharisees in the mid 80's asked Christian advocates why the kingdom of God had not come, as Jesus seemed to prophesy in the gospel of Mark, the author of the gospel of Luke could reply that the questioners had misunderstood what Jesus meant by the kingdom of God. After the gospel of Luke was written, the church could point to a saying by Jesus that suggested the kingdom had begun during his lifetime and, therefore, well within the lifetime of all those of his generation.

August 10, Psalm 62

"Rest in God alone, my soul! He is the source of my hope."

The psalmist urges those who may read his words to trust only in God. He uses images that are very familiar in the psalms and in the hymns of the church. God is a "mighty rock," a "fortress," our "refuge." The psalmist says, "power belongs to God" and also "steadfast love." Therefore, he affirms: "On God rests my deliverance and my honor."

There are times in life when it seems we cannot turn to friends or loved ones, but we can always turn to God. In prayer, in praise, in silence, we can rest in God. This is what it means to have faith: to trust that God is the source of our life and thus our eternal hope.

August 11, Luke 21:25-36

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Be on the watch and pray at all times."

The church in the first century was expecting the end of the world to come very soon. In his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul writes: "the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God." (1 Th. 4:16) Paul says the dead will rise and then the living will join them in the air, to be with the Lord forever. Paul also says, "the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night," and the gospels of Matthew and Luke later present Jesus saying much the same thing. (Mt. 24:43-44, Lk. 12:39-40) Paul does not attribute his statement to Jesus, so it is likely that the gospel writers found this image in Paul's writings and then incorporated it into their gospel account. They were, after all, not simply writing biographies of the life of Jesus, but gospels for the church that witness to the good news proclaimed by Paul as well as by Jesus.

Did Jesus actually say that his words would outlast heaven and earth? There is no way to know, but it seems unlikely. The hope of the first century church was that the day of the Lord would come soon and that all those with faith would then be with the Lord for evermore. Although the day of the Lord has not come, we may nonetheless affirm with Paul that "nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:39) And we need not envision that this means rising into the clouds to be with the risen Christ. First century Christians may have believed that literally, but that does not mean that 21^st century Christians must have the same belief. For we are saved by our faith, not by our beliefs.

August 12, Psalm 94:14-22

When I say, "I am slipping," your faithful love, LORD, supports me."

The psalmist affirms that "the LORD will not forsake his people" and that "justice will return to the righteous." (v. 14) But he also asserts that God will "wipe out" the wicked rulers who "band against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death." (v. 23) We are less fond of these harsh texts proclaiming the judgment of the LORD, than we are of the passages that lift up the "steadfast love" of God. (v. 18) But both are there and often together.

We read this and every psalm, however, in the light of the New Testament. There, too, we find God judging the wicked, but we also encounter the image of the crucifixion and the resurrection. And these images develop ideas in the prophets about the suffering servant of the Lord and the power of God's steadfast and redeeming love. Our faith is that the love of God brings good out of evil and life out of death, and that faith makes a difference in how we live. We are people of hope, not because we believe we are righteous and that God will reward us for our goodness, but because we trust that God will continue to love us despite our failings and will redeem our lives if we repent and seek to live faithfully.

August 13, Jeremiah 1:4-8

The LORD said to Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and consecrated you."

Jeremiah says that his prophetic ministry began in 627 BCE with a call, which he describes in verses 4-10. He experiences the presence of the LORD and understands that God has called him to be a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah protests that he is too young for such a responsibility, but then the LORD touches Jeremiah's lips and promises to put in his mouth the words that need to be proclaimed in his time.

However we may understand the words of Jeremiah, the faith of the church includes the idea of calling. We affirm that God calls each person to respond in faith. This is the idea of the grace of God, and sometimes we think of this as the work of the Holy Spirit. The mission of the church is to reinforce this calling and to help equip each person to be a witness to the steadfast love of the living God.

August 14, 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

"May God make your love increase so that it overflows for each other and for everyone. May God confirm your hearts."

We learn from Acts that in Thessalonica Paul was successful primarily in persuading God-fearing Gentiles, who were attending the synagogue, that Jesus was the awaited Christ promised by the scriptures of Israel. (Acts 17:1-7) Here we have Paul writing his first letter to the congregation that has formed in Thessalonica in order to encourage them in their new faith.

Paul reaffirms his love for the members of the congregation, and he asserts that the love of God will bind them more closely together. For the church is to be a reflection of the love of God, a place of compassion and forgiveness for all who sincerely turn to God and repent of their pride and self-righteousness.

August 15, Luke 1:39-56

In the gospel of Luke, Mary says: "The Lord's merciful love stretches from age to age upon those who revere him."

The author of the gospel of Luke begins his two-volume story of the church (the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles) with a story of two women, Mary and Elizabeth. Both women have become pregnant in miraculous ways that suggest a plan by God of immense importance. When Mary visits Elizabeth, Elizabeth feels her baby move in her womb, and she is filled with the Holy Spirit. Then Mary replies with words of praise that have been known through the ages in the church as "The Magnificat", because Mary begins by saying her soul "magnifies the Lord." Her song promises the fulfillment of God's salvation for the poor and for those that fear and trust in God.

It is remarkable that this gospel, or any religious writing of the first century, should begin with a story of two women being blessed and exalting God. Clearly, in the early church there were women among the leadership, at least in communities of faith in Roman cities, as is verified in the Acts of the Apostles. So it seems that the author of the gospel of Luke was writing an account of the church for one or more of these congregations. The gospel of Matthew, in contrast, begins with a story about Joseph, the Jewish father of Jesus, and because this gospel tells us that Jesus is the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy we see that it was written for a largely Jewish church. The gospel of Luke, on the other hand, begins in a way that gives less emphasis to Jewish prophecy in order to communicate to the urban and largely Gentile churches that are growing in the Roman Empire.

The birth of the church was told in stories about the birth of Jesus. Faith in Christ, however, does not require that we believe in these stories as the literal truth. Only two of the gospels in the New Testament even have birth stories, so it is clear that not all Christian congregations in the first century thought such a story was a necessary part of the gospel. Moreover, the birth stories in the gospels of Matthew and Luke are different, which makes it hard to avoid concluding that they were created within distinct communities of faith to express the belief that the origin of the Jesus Christ was a miracle. The truth of the birth stories in the New Testament is not to be found in a literal interpretation of the events each describes. The truth is to be found in their meaning for early churches, which were witnessing to the miraculous community of faith involving Jews and Gentiles as well as rich and poor. How else were these churches to understand the creation of communities that overcame the ancient divisions of traditional society? The authors of these birth stories believed that only God could have created such a church, and so they began their narratives with accounts of the miraculous birth of Jesus.

August 16, Jeremiah 3:12

The LORD says to his people: "Return to me, for I am merciful."

The prophets criticize the people of Israel for turning away from the commandments of God. But the prophets offer a message of hope, if Israel will repent. The prophets find this hope in the teachings of ancient Israel, in the Law of Moses and the wisdom writings including the psalms. They find in these witnesses to the one God who has called Israel into covenant a testimony to the compassion and mercy of God.

The apostles of the early church, who read these same scriptures, came to see that Jesus was the fulfillment of hope in the mercy and forgiving love of God. The Christian hope is a new form of the Jewish hope, and the hope of each rests in the loving God that we know through the scriptures. Paul recognized this explicitly in Romans 9-11 where he asserts that the God who called Israel cannot have abandoned her, even though most of her people have not recognized Jesus as the awaited Messiah. 

The good news that we proclaim in the name of Christ is not that God saves Christians and no one else. The good news is that, in Jesus Christ, God has revealed the power of love that saves all those who repent and live in faith. The redeeming love of God is a gift of grace that embraces everyone.

August 17, Psalm 138

"LORD, you look upon the humble. Though I live surrounded by trouble, you give me life."

The psalms express human fears. All of us are surrounded by trouble, in some form or another. The psalmist urges us to have faith in God, to trust in God's mercy, and to remember that God gives us life. In our time, as in the past, people take life for granted. We think that our lives are ours. This belief is utter nonsense. Did we create ourselves? Can we determine the span of our lives? Do we give our lives purpose and meaning?

An honest answer to these questions is no and yes. No, we did not create ourselves and we cannot live forever. No, we do not determine the purpose and meaning of our lives. But, yes, we do create our lives in part, as we make decisions and become more or less faithful. And, yes, we can take care of our bodies and thus can forestall death by some forms, although we can do little to guard against death by accident or war or incurable diseases. And, yes, we can give purpose and meaning to our lives by how we live and by our faith and love for others.

Therefore, we turn to God in faith not as helpless creatures, but as co-creators who affirm the importance of our decisions about life. Yet we also recognize that life is ultimately a gift from God. And what a marvelous gift it is! So, let us praise God and give thanks for all the gifts of life.

August 18, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15

"Be generous, for you know the generosity of our Lord Jesus Christ who became poor for your sake."

Paul is concerned about the gap between the rich and the poor in the church at Corinth. Therefore, he counsels the Christians in Corinth to be generous and to share their wealth, so the community of faith will be strengthened. Paul says that the gift of Jesus Christ should be their model. He gave his life for others, so they should be willing to give at least some of their money to the church for the sake of those who have less.

Almost everyone who reads these words is among the "wealthy" of the world, because access to the web requires education and equipment that is too costly for many persons. You may not think of yourselves as wealthy, and certainly there are many individuals with far greater wealth. Yet, we all are wealthy in comparison with the millions of poor with whom we share the earth. Therefore, can we hear and heed this call to generosity? How better to witness to the poor of our time than by sharing our wealth? There are, of course, legitimate questions about how best to do this in order to foster independence and self-sustaining strategies for poor communities. But these questions ought not to deter us from the commandment to love our neighbors and to be generous with others.

August 19, Wisdom 1:11-15

"God did not make death and takes no pleasure in the destruction of the living. God created all things for life."

The great question of life is death. No one, no matter how great or rich or wise, can escape this question. Death makes it certain that life is not just about existing, because death brings our existence to an end. What then is the meaning and purpose of our lives? That is the question raised by the inevitability of our death.

The Bible answers this question by affirming that the purpose of God is not thwarted by our death. In the story of Adam and Eve in the second chapter of Genesis, Adam and Eve do not know they are mortal until they disobey God and eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Then they are banished from the garden of Eden so they will be unable to eat of the fruit from the tree of eternal life. The story suggests that our awareness of good and evil is closely linked to our fear of death. But the story marks the beginning of the tale of God and humanity, not the end. The God who expels humanity from the Garden of Eden goes on to enter into a covenant with Israel and then, in Jesus the Christ, to launch a new community of faith that includes Jews as well as Gentiles.

In the death and resurrection of Christ, the church offers a hope that overcomes the fear of death. Even as Christ has been raised to be with God, the church affirms that all those who are faithful will be raised to be with God. Death, therefore, is not the end. This was the hope of the Pharisees in the first century, and Paul, who was both a Pharisee and a Christian apostle, made this hope central to his preaching. Paul affirms that the resurrection of Jesus marks the beginning of the end in which all those with faith will be raised from the dead to be with God. This vision is also expressed in the Revelation of John in the vivid image of a new Jerusalem in which God and those who with faith are joined in a life together.

So, do not be afraid. The God who gives life will not let death have the final word in creation. Live your lives to the full, in faith, and you will find meaning and purpose that will not be destroyed by your death. That is the confession of the church and the witness of the scriptures. Make it your own.

August 20, Mark 9:17-29

Someone said to Jesus: "I believe! Help my lack of faith."

A father brings his son to Jesus for healing, because the boy has convulsions that threaten his life. When the disciples of Jesus are unable to heal the boy, Jesus criticizes them for their lack of faith. Then he says to the father that all things are possible for those with faith. The father responds, "I believe! Help my lack of faith." Some times this is translated from the Greek as, "I believe! Help my unbelief." However, it is best to use the word "faith," for this reminds us that Jesus is not asking for a mental commitment but for complete trust in God. Jesus responds to the man's appeal by healing his son.

Must we believe today, to have faith, that Jesus actually drove a spirit out of the body of this boy? Or, can we believe that the power of God in Jesus elicited sufficient faith in the father and his son that the boy was cured of his fits, however we may understand their cause? In the time of Jesus, disease was often understood as the result of evil spirits. We have different beliefs about the causes of disease. The New Testament does not require that we embrace the beliefs about the causes of disease that are present in the first century cultures in which the churches came into being. The New Testament calls us to have faith in God. 

Faith is not belief. Faith is not understanding, or believing, that disease can be cured by casting out evil spirits. Faith is trusting in the power of God's love, even when there is no evidence that it may be healing. Jesus asked the father and his disciples to have faith before he gave them evidence on which to base their faith. That, too, is our challenge. We are called to trust in God, whether or not we are sure that God can or will help us. The good news of the Christian Bible is that faith is self-proving. If you live in faith, you will know the love of God.

August 21, Luke 3:10-18

John the Baptist said to the people: "Anyone who has two tunics must share with whoever has none. And anyone with something to eat must do the same."

All four gospels in the New Testament record that the ministry of Jesus began with a blessing by John the Baptist. But only the gospel of Luke includes this teaching by John. As the author of the gospel is writing decades after the encounter between John the Baptist and Jesus took place, it seems unlikely that he alone is aware of a statement by John that the other gospel authors had not heard. It is far more probable that the author created this statement to promote Christian charity. 

In the gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist condemns the Pharisees and Sadducees, who have come to him, for their hypocrisy. This is evidence that the gospel of Matthew was written for a largely Jewish church, which is presenting itself to Jews as the fulfillment of the hope that has been tainted in the hands of corrupt Jewish leaders. In the gospel of Luke, however, John the Baptist speaks with "the multitudes" and not with Pharisees and Sadducees. Moreover, he does not condemn them for hypocrisy but encourages them to share what they have with the poor. The gospel of Luke relates that tax collectors and soldiers also asked John how they should prepare for the coming of the day of the Lord. John's answer was that they should exercise their authority with justice and compassion. Unlike the gospel of Matthew, the gospel of Luke is written for a largely Gentile church. Therefore, it begins with the story of John the Baptist reaching out even to Gentile soldiers.

The emphasis in the gospel of Luke on being merciful and fair to the poor reminds us that sharing was a problem in the early church. The division between those with wealth and power and those without either was as great then as now, and perhaps even greater. One of the miracles of the church is that rich and poor were invited to join a community of faith that affirmed their equality and unity in Christ. The gospel of Luke suggests that this was a struggle from the beginning, and it certainly remains one of the great challenges of the church today. May the spirit of love open our hearts to those among us who are poor.

August 22, Matthew 16:13-20

In the gospel of Matthew, Peter says to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by any human, but by my Father in heaven."

In the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke we find the account in which Peter names Jesus as the Christ, but only in the gospel of Matthew does Jesus call Peter "son of Jonah" and say that the true identity of Jesus was revealed to Peter by God. The tradition that Peter was the disciple who first identified Jesus as the Christ must have been deeply embedded in the memory of the early churches, but the gospels reveal some controversy about his role in the first century church. The contrast between the gospels of Matthew and Mark are particularly striking. In the gospel of Matthew Peter and the other disciples are criticized but also praised for their understanding. But in the gospel of Mark, Peter and the other disciples are always depicted as shallow in their faith and without understanding.  The gospel of Matthew ends with the commissioning of the eleven in Galilee to lead the church into the world. However, the gospel of Mark does not even report an appearance of the risen Jesus to the disciples.

Why these differences? The gospel of Matthew was written for a largely Jewish congregation of faith, and so it was important for these Jews to trace their lineage back to the disciples of Jesus. The gospel of Mark was written for a largely Gentile church. It expresses the teachings of Paul to the Gentiles in the way that it presents Jesus as a teacher and miracle worker. Moreover, it ends without an appearance of the risen Christ to the disciples. In this way the gospel of Mark undermines the authority of the disciples and, at least implicitly, points to the apostolic leadership of Paul. The gospel of Matthew presents teachings by Jesus about keeping Jewish law (Mt. 5:17-20) that are contrary to the teachings of Paul, but in the gospel of Mark we find Jesus setting aside the requirements of the law (Mk. 7:19) in a way that supports the teachings of Paul.

What are we to make of these differences today? The gospels and the letters of Paul reflect the beliefs of the communities of faith for which they were written, and these beliefs are not the same. This fact demonstrates that those who have faith in Jesus as the Christ may nonetheless have different beliefs about him. Faith is not the same as belief, and the test of faith is not holding certain beliefs but trusting in God. The good news of the gospel is that we are saved by the love of God, not by our beliefs about God. God's forgiveness for our sins is revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, which is why he is the Christ, and this is the saving act of God. If we trust in the loving God who redeems humanity, we will find our salvation no matter what our beliefs may be.

August 23, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

"Be always joyful, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances."

Paul, who urges the Christians at Thessalonica to be "always joyful," is not himself always joyful. Yet, he knows he should be. The gift of God's love is cause for rejoicing everywhere and always. Therefore, Paul tells the Thessalonians to pray continually. I do not think Paul means Christians should ask God for favors and blessings every minute of the day. Instead, we are to be open to God continually in the spirit of reverence and trust, which should mark every prayer. To pray continually cannot mean thinking of things to pray about all the time, but it might mean resting with trust in God in every moment. This kind of prayer involves trusting in God rather than expecting God to do whatever we want.

Paul also tells the Christians at Thessalonica to "give thanks in all circumstances." Again, we know from his letters that Paul is often angry, especially for those who are opposing his ministry in defense of what they see as the teachings of Jesus. In Galatians 2 we find Paul condemning the conduct of Peter, and we often find Paul doing battle with his adversaries. Nonetheless, Paul is being sincere in urging the Thessalonians to be thankful at all times. Paul acknowledges that he does not always do the good he wants to do and that he falls short of the faith that he proclaims.

It is with humility that we should promote this teaching within the church, because we know that, like Paul, we will often fail to live up to the high vision of our faith. Yet we can try, and we can urge others to try. Certainly, we can be more joyful, we can embrace the spirit of prayer more fully, and we can be more thankful for the gifts of God.

August 24, Isaiah 50:10

"Who among you reveres the LORD? Who among you walks in darkness and sees no light? Trust in the name of the LORD and rely upon your God."

The prophet calls the people of Israel to faith in God. It should not be surprising, therefore, that Jesus is understood as the fulfillment of the prophetic witness. Jesus is not another prophet, because he does not speak in the way that prophets did. He does not say, "Thus says the Lord," and does not claim to transmit words received directly from God. Jesus represents God to the people, as a teacher rather than as a prophet.

Faith is central to the New Testament witness, and faith means trust. Clearly the concept of faith is rooted in the prophetic witness of the scriptures of Israel, but there is a new emphasis in the writings of Paul and in the gospels. Paul may have been the first to place faith at the center of the life of the church, because he distinguishes faith from keeping Jewish law and claims that faith alone is saving. In the gospels, which were written after the letters of Paul, we find that faith shares center stage with other teachings. In the first three gospels, it is faith and the kingdom of God that dominate the teachings of Jesus. In the fourth gospel, there is nothing about the kingdom of God, but much about Jesus as the Son of the Father as well as about faith. 

It may be that Jesus said little about faith, but preached about the coming kingdom of God. The church in Jerusalem would have preserved this version of the gospel, as the churches founded by Paul witnessed to Christian faith. The first three gospels put the two teachings together in order to unify the church. The fourth gospel, however, largely ignores the witness of the church of Jerusalem in order to establish a new synthesis of Greek and Jewish teachings, which reflect the faith of its community.

August 25, Psalm 86

"Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth. Give me an undivided heart that I may revere you."

The psalmist praises God for being "good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on thee." (v. 5) This verse clearly disproves the notion that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath and the God of the New Testament is a God of love. The God of both testaments is the same God, but in the New Testament the church of the first century witnesses to a new revelation by this one God. The Christian Bible, as opposed to the Jewish Bible, proclaims that the love of God has been manifested decisively in history in the person of Jesus. Jews may well find God's love manifested in the teachings of Jesus, but they do not affirm that Jesus is God's act of redemption for the world. Yet, Jews and Christians worship the same God. How could they worship any God other than the one God?

The psalmist prays for an undivided heart, so he might trust in God completely. This is our challenge today. We are quick to judge the faith of the other, if he is a Jew or a Muslim, or even if he is a Christian from a church with beliefs and practices that differ from our own. But if our heart is undivided, we will leave judgment to God. Our task is not to proclaim that we know the truth and that others are wrong, but to proclaim the truth that we know by living it. This is what faith in God requires.

August 26, Matthew 6:25-34

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: "Seek first God's kingdom and his justice, and all the other things will be given you in addition."

The gospel of Matthew reports this wondrous teaching. Jesus tells the people not to be anxious about their lives. That seems impossible, even when we have money in the bank and insurance and a job. How hard these words must have seemed for poor people in the first century, who lived short lives constantly threatened by poverty, disease and warfare. Jesus tells the people that God cares for the birds of the air, so certainly God will care for them. "Yes, but . . ." we can hear the people say, and who can blame them. Then Jesus says all they need to do is seek the kingdom of God. Everything else, he says, will follow. This seems straight-forward, but what does it really mean?

Jesus told parables to explain the kingdom, but often they are enigmatic. The kingdom of God is not just a matter of keeping the law, although in the gospel of Matthew Jesus says it does mean keeping the law. The kingdom of God is more mysterious. It means always being ready to do what is right, even if that means going out of your way to help another person. It means trusting in God even when that seems foolish. It means taking time to praise God and thanking God for the gifts of life, even when you are struggling to survive. Seeking the kingdom of God is not just a matter of saying a few words about Jesus or of believing that Jesus is our Savior. Seeking the kingdom means living as though the witness of the Christian Bible were true and not simply a good idea.

Can we do that today? What would it mean for us to seek first the kingdom and justice of God?

August 27, Matthew 19:16-22

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says to a rich young man: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus calls on his followers to be perfect. This means going beyond the letter of the law to keep the spirit of the law as well. In the account of the gospel of Matthew, Jesus does not reject the Law of Moses, as Paul does in his writings. But the Jesus of the gospel of Matthew holds out a higher standard by calling his followers to be perfect. The story of the rich young man illustrates the theme of this gospel. The young man says he has kept the law, and Jesus does not question that. But Jesus calls on the young man to give up his wealth in order to please God.

Those who read the Bible literally rarely take this teaching literally. They interpret the teaching to mean not being attached to our wealth, rather than giving it up. But the story asks more of us that that. It asks that we give God priority over our self-interest. Can we do that? We easily use the name of God, and we profess our faith in Christ. But can we heed the call to be perfect? Can we trust so fully in God that we can let go of our possessions? Perhaps this is the true test of faith.

August 28, 1 Peter 3:8-12

"Do not repay one wrong with another. Seek peace and pursue it."

This letter is attributed to Peter, but it is written in excellent Greek and thus can hardly be the work of a Galilean fisherman. The author most likely attributed the letter to Peter in order to give it greater authority. The letter is full of advice for the Christians living far from Jerusalem, including the admonition not to repay wrong with wrong. The teaching seems very straight-forward, yet we should be aware that it is a radical challenge to the customs that require one to defend family or tribe against any wrong done by outsiders.

August 29, Matthew 16:21-27

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: "Whoever tries to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."

The gospel of Matthew relates that the disciples of Jesus resisted the idea that Jesus had to die. It must have been very hard for Christians in the first century to explain why the Son of God had to die on a cross. But the followers of Jesus after his death surely were encouraged by that death and resurrection, especially when they faced persecution and even death. And that message was written back into the gospels, as we see in this passage.

When Christians were being martyred, this passage had a powerful literal meaning. In our own time we might better understand it as a figure of speech. Perhaps no one will demand our lives, because we are Christians, but can we nonetheless "lose our lives" rather than trying to save them? Can we give our lives to Christ by trusting in the God revealed through him? Can we live with faith, hope and love?

August 30, Ephesians 1:15-23

"May God enlighten the eyes of your hearts so that you may see the hope to which he calls you."

This letter attributed to Paul is not written to a particular congregation, but is addressed as a general message of encouragement and instruction. It praises Christian faith and prays that all Christians may be enlightened by the spirit of wisdom. Apparently, strong faith is not necessarily a sign of clear understanding or of insight into the will of God. he letter uses the interesting phrase "the eyes of your hearts," perhaps to suggest that warm feelings in the heart are not enough. Christians also need to see clearly what God wants them to do.

We might want to pray today that God will enlighten the eyes of our hearts, so that we may discern what is good and worthy of our deepest conviction. Do we see clearly the hope to which God has called us? Have we strengthened the passion of our faith with the wisdom that is now needed to make the confession of the church compelling in our time?

August 31, James 1:22-25

The letter of James teaches: "Do not only listen to the word, put it into practice."

It may not be so easy to hear the word of God, but it is even more difficult to put that word into practice. The author of this letter, therefore, reminds the Christians reading his words at the end of the first century CE that they must not simply give voice to their beliefs but must live the life of faith.

This letter is not easily reconciled with the letters of Paul, for clearly the author did not agree that faith had replaced the Law of Moses and made it obsolete. It is significant, therefore, that this letter was included in the New Testament with the letters of Paul. It reminds Christians that confessing faith in Christ is not enough. We must live that faith by loving God and our neighbors.