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February 1, Isaiah 43:18-21

God says: "I have put water in the desert for my people to drink. The people I have formed for myself will sing my praises."

This passage begins with a statement by the prophet, on behalf of God, that God is about to do "a new thing." The prophet tells us that God "will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" for the people he has chosen. Written in Babylon, this passage expresses the longing of the Israelites in exile to return to their own land. To go home, they must cross the desert. Without God's help, they have no hope of doing so.

Are we in exile from the life of God's promise? Are we caught up in the every day tasks of life? Have we stopped singing praises to God? God offers to guide us safely home. But what is the desert that we have to cross? And do we have the faith to set out on this journey?

February 2, Luke 2:22-32

When he saw the child Jesus, Simeon praised God, saying: "My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples - a light to enlighten the nations."

The gospel of Luke begins with stories of two women, Mary and Elizabeth, and the births of their special children, John the Baptist and Jesus. An old man and an old woman in the temple attest to the promise of Jesus, who will be a light not only for the Hebrew people but for all the nations of the world. The author of the gospel of Luke is writing this story for a church already dominated by Gentiles. The church is growing within the Roman Empire beyond its Jewish roots in Palestine. Its offer of salvation is for all people with faith.

Simeon's prophecy links the beginnings of Jesus in Palestine with the growth of the church in the Roman Empire in the cities of Ephesus, Collossae, Corinth, Galatia, and Rome. The story points away from the past to the future. Our faith, too, looks ahead, drawing on the past for insight and strength, but embracing with hope what is to come.

February 3, Ephesians 6:18-20

Pray in the Spirit at all times. Never tire of praying for all God's people.

Paul assures the Christians in Ephesus that the Spirit dwelling within their congregation will keep them united in faith. Therefore, they are to pray "in the Spirit" so their prayers will strengthen and unify them. They are to pray for the unity of their congregation and for the unity of the whole church.

The Spirit, Paul says, is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17) He is not referring to a written word but to the living word of God within the life of the church. This is the mystery of the indwelling presence of the Spirit. Paul is writing before the gospels are written and long before the New Testament has been compiled. The church begins without the Bible as we know it. It is the work of the Spirit of God.

February 4, Isaiah 57:14-15

God says: "My home is a high and holy place, but I am with the humble and contrite to revive their spirit."

The prophet says that God will bring his chosen people home. But God, the prophet reminds us, asks that those who will receive his blessings be worthy. It is not fasting that God requires, however, but mercy and justice. For God dwells in the hearts of those who are righteous.

The people of Israel believed that God came to them on Zion, on the holy hill in Jerusalem where Solomon had built the temple. But the prophet reminds the exiles from Jerusalem, who are captives in Babylon and thus far from this holy hill, that God is nonetheless with them. The God who made the breath of life resides not only on a hill but in the hearts of those with faith. Can we come before God there? Can we find the holy place within our hearts?

February 5, 1 Corinthians 15:54-58

Stand firm, let nothing shake you, be full of energy for the work of God, knowing that in the Lord nothing of your labor is wasted.

Paul is writing this letter from Ephesus, which is just across the Aegean Sea from Corinth. The letter is primarily concerned with ethical issues that are dividing the fledgling congregation. Some of the Corinthians claim to follow the teaching of Paul, whereas others look to the teaching of Cephas (Peter). Another faction, Paul says, embraces the teaching of Apollos. (1 Cor. 1:12-13)

Paul's letter counsels the Corinthians, calls them to love one another, and assures them of the resurrection of Christ and their coming resurrection. The Christians at Corinth are encouraged to be steadfast in their faith, because through the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ over death they are assured that they will not be separated from God

February 6, Isaiah 60: 18-20

Through the prophet, God says to his people: "No longer will violence be heard of in your land. The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, your God will be your glory."

To the exiles in Babylon the prophet proclaims in the words of God a coming time of glory for the city of Jerusalam. Six centuries after this prophecy was written, the Revelation to John would renew this vision for persecuted churches in the Roman Empire. (Rev. 21:4) The glory of God, Revelation witnesses, will guide all those with faith in the new city of Jerusalem.

Can we be guided by the glory of the Lord? Our world is racked by violence and injustice. In faith, can we keep our "eyes on the prize"? (Philippians 3:14)

February 7, Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples: "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden."

This passage is from the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. It follows the beatitudes, which bless those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who hunger for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. A shorter version of the beatitudes appears in the gospel of Luke (6:17, 20-23), but only the gospel of Matthew contains the statement proclaiming that the disciples are a light for the world.

This is an affirmation of the church's calling. The author of the gospel of Matthew has attributed it to Jesus, but it reflects the time of the church and assures Christians of their mission. They, like the first disciples, are to take comfort from the beatitudes and to realize their calling to witness, through their "good works," to the good news.

February 8, Amos 8:11

"The days are coming," says the LORD, "when I shall send hunger upon the land; not hunger for food or thirst for water, but a hunger to hear the word of God."

The prophet is writing about 750 BC. A native of Judah, he travels to Bethel in the northern kingdom of Israel and there condemns the government and its priests for condoning injustice and for relying on military alliances rather than the power of God. The prophet predicts punishment for Israel and a time of devastation when the people will long to hear once again the word of God.

When we suffer, we long for God. Must we suffer, before we turn in faith towards the One who offers salvation to all who repent?

February 9, Isaiah 61:10-11

"As the earth sends up its shoots and a garden lets its seeds sprout, so God will cause justice and praise to spring up."

Written by the prophet at the time of liberation from Babylon, when the Persians conquered the city in 539 BC or soon thereafter, this passage affirms that Israel will be restored to its home. This will be God's justice for the people who were taken into captivity in Babylon.  It is as certain as the coming up of shoots in the spring garden.

Isaiah 61 begins with an announcement of good news for the poor and afflicted. Can we proclaim God's justice to them, too? Can we preach the year of the Lord's favor for those who mourn and for those who have been forced to leave their homes or have no home? Can we praise the God who will see that justice is done, even if it means that we might lose some of our privileges?

February 10, 1 Corinthians 10:23-31

"Let no one seek their own interest, but rather the good of others. Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

The Christians in Corinth are divided over whether the Jewish dietary laws should be applied in their community of faith. Some Christians seem to think so, and they appear to have support from leaders of the church in Jerusalem. Paul says that the Jewish law is not required of Christians, and this means that even an animal that has been sacrificed to a pagan deity may be eaten by a Christian. However, if eating non-kosher meat will offend another member of the church, then Paul urges restraint for the sake of the other and the good of the church.

There are no quarrels in the church today over keeping Jewish law, but there are many quarrels about what it means to be a good Christian. Paul reminds us that our freedom from the law should not be used justify our own choices but must be used for the good of the community of faith. What might that mean for us today?

February 11, Baruch 5:19

"God will guide his peole in joy, with the mercy and saving justice that come from him."

Baruch takes its name from the secretary of Jeremiah, who is said to be the author. Baruch offers consolation to the captives in Babylon from Israel and promises that God will return them to their home. The light of the glory of God will show them the way, and the mercy and righteousness of God will protect them.

Baruch is part of the Apocrypha, which consists of materials excluded from the Hebrew Bible (when it was established about 100 AD) that were part of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible used by Paul and the early Greek-speaking churches. The first Latin Vulgate excluded the Apocrypha from the Christian canon, which was established in the fourth century AD, but included the apocryphal books in the Bible with a note about their use in the early church as part of the Septuagint. In the Middle Ages this distinction was lost, and the Apocrypha was intermingled with the Old Testament books. 

In 1546 the Council of Trent decreed that the Old Testament included all the books of the Apocrypha, except the Prayer of Manasseh and 1 and 2 Esdras. Thereafter, the Catholic Bible included the books of the Apocrypha among the other books of the Old Testament. Protestant Bibles, however, include in the Old Testament only those books authorized for the Hebrew Bible at the end of the first century AD. This is why the books of the Apocrypha, such as Baruch, are in Catholic Bibles but not in Protestant Bibles.

February 12, 1 Corinthians 1:22-25

We proclaim Christ crucified, which to the nations is foolishness, but to those whom God has called it is Christ, the strength and the wisdom of God.

Paul says that preaching Christ crucified is a stumbling block to Jews, who cannot accept that the God of Israel would allow the Messiah of Israel to be killed, and folly to Gentiles, who cannot image that a God allowing his Savior to die is worth worshipping. But it is faith in Christ crucified that Paul believes will unite the Jews and Gentiles in the church. The Jewish law will divide them, but submitting in faith to the folly of the Cross will make them equal before God.

Why is this the strength and wisdom of God? Christ crucified reveals that God suffers with us rather than simply ruling over us. A God of power who allowed his son to be put to death would be neglectful or sadistic. In Christ, God suffers death and in doing so reveals a love that knows no bounds.

February 13, Isaiah 67:17-18

Through the prophet, the LORD says: "See, I am going to create new heavens and a new earth. Be filled with rejoicing for ever, for I am creating my people to be gladness."

The prophet tells us that the suffering of the people of Jerusalem, who were taken into exile into Babylon, is soon to end. All of creation will be reordered. And the LORD will come again to Jerusalem to enjoy the rejoicing of her people. Revelations 21 reaffirms this hope in a time of persecution for Christians: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth . . . And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God . . .." (21:1-2) The author of Revelations reports a voice telling him that now God will dwell among humanity and end their time of tears and death.

These passages suggest for many Christians an end of time itself and the second coming of Christ. They certainly call for faith and hope in the God whose love is steadfast. However we may understand these visions, can we be steadfast in our faith in the God we know through the witness of the early church?

February 14, Matthew 5:17-37

The gospel of Matthew presents a summary of the teaching of Jesus in what has become known as the Sermon on the Mount. In verse 17 Jesus says, "Do not suppose that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to complete." If we have read the letters of Paul, we will realize that this doesn't sound much like the gospel he preached. (In Romans 10:4 Paul writes: "Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who has faith.") "Truly I tell you," Jesus adds, "so long as heaven and earth endure, not a letter, not a dot, will disappear from the law until all that must happen has happened." (Mt. 5:18) Because the examples given in the Sermon on the Mount concern moral laws, the statement in verse 18 is not taken literally by Christians to include all Jewish law. If verse 18 were taken as the literal, infallible or inerrant word of God, the church today would need to impose the dietary restrictions of the Old Testament and many other obligations on all its members.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus emphasizes the relationships among his followers. The gospel of Matthew proclaims that the law and the prophets are to be understood (we might say today "interpreted") to mean living holy and loving lives. That is why seeking forgiveness from those we have offended is one of our highest obligations to God and is the heart of the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples. (Mt. 6:9-13)

February 15, Isaiah 66:12-14

Through the prophet, the LORD says, "I am going to send peace to my people like a river. When you see this, your heart will rejoice."

The prophecy attributed to Isaiah concludes with a vision of the prosperity of Jerusalem after Babylon is destroyed and the Israelites in exile are able to return to their homeland. The Bible is filled with images of water and rivers. In a land where water is precious, it is not hard to understand that the love of God would often be illustrated by the use of such images. The God who made heaven and earth, and who is thought to control the rivers, the rain and the seas, provides in this prophecy an overflowing river for the people of Jerusalem, so they may live without fear in peace.

Spirituals like "Deep River" and "O Healing River" have for centuries sustained the hopes of Christians in the United States. Can we, who often feel like exiles in the materialistic desert of our times, find in the scriptures the hope they found?

February 16, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

To a church filled with conflict, Paul preached that the grace of God is to be found through faith in Jesus Christ. The strength of the Lord, Paul proclaimed, would maintain the unity of the church. He told the Corinthians that the grace of God had already been given to them, because they are "sanctified in Christ Jesus" to be saints. Their spiritual gifts, Paul says, will sustain them, because the words and understanding they need will be given to them.

Do we embrace this faith? Do we accept that the grace of God is given to us through the witness to Jesus Christ in the Christian Bible? Do we trust that the words and understanding we need will be given to us through the work of the Spirit?

February 17, Matthew 6:1-4

Jesus said: "When you give, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your generosity is secret. And your Father, who sees all that is done in secret, will reward you."

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives instructions to his disciples for their ministry. He cautions them to avoid pride and urges them to give alms and pray in secret, as God will know what they have done and said even if others do not. The sixth chapter of the gospel of Matthew is the only place in the New Testament that contains this emphasis, but Jesus often criticizes hypocrisy in the gospels. The more public our piety, of course, the greater the opportunity for hypocrisy, as we are unlikely to confess our impiety in public.

The church urges private prayer for all Christians. Turning to God alone, in prayer, is a humbling experience. It is hard not to be open and honest, when one is alone with God.

February 18, Psalm 143

I think of all your deeds, LORD, and stretch out my hands to you; my soul is thirsting for you like a parched land.

This psalm is a prayer for personal deliverance from enemies. God's love is affirmed to be steadfast, and so the psalmist does not hesitate to put his trust in the LORD. The psalmist prays that his life might be preserved and that his enemies might be destroyed. This would demonstrate, the psalmist says, the righteousness of the LORD and preserve God's good name.

If we are honest, our souls are often like dry land thirsting for water. If we pray because of that thirst, acknowledging that God may quench our thirst, then we ought not to judge ourselves too harshly for seeking deliverance from our enemies. But the New Testament, we should remember, also teaches us to pray for our enemies.

February 19, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Eloquent arguments are dividing the church at Corinth, as the Corinthians debate the teachings of Apollos, Cephas, and Paul. Instead of asserting that he has greater wisdom than the others, Paul claims to preach nothing but Jesus Christ crucified. At issue is whether (or to what extent) the Jewish law is to be required of all Christians, Gentiles as well as Jews. Paul appeals to the authority of the Spirit and to the faith of the Christians in Corinth. He argues that unity in Christ is more important than keeping Jewish law. The success of his appeal enables the church to grow among the Gentiles and to establish its independence from the church in Jerusalem, which continues to keep Jewish law.

If Jesus Christ crucified is the foundation of faith, then we can say that the gospel calls us to trust in God not merely to confess certain beliefs about Jesus. We are not saved by keeping the law or by affirming Christian beliefs, but by relying on the love of God manifested in Jesus Christ crucified. This is the good news proclaimed in the Christian Bible.

February 20, 1 Corinthians 3:18-23

Paul writes: "All things are yours; but you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God."

Paul tells the Corinthians that "the wisdom of this world is folly with God," for God promises what the world cannot offer. That is why Jesus Christ crucified is the touchstone of faith for Paul. From the point of view of the world the death of the Son of God is folly. What kind of a God would allow it? The wise of the world would say either a weak or a sadistic god and that neither god would deserve our praise. The gospel proclaimed by Paul, however, affirms a God who manifests love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ crucified. This God is not weak but chooses to suffer and die as an act of love. This God is not sadistic, because he does not ask for human suffering and death, but suffers and dies as Jesus Christ for us.

This is the heart of our faith. Let the followers of Apollos, Cephas and Paul argue among themselves in the church all they want, as long as they affirm this faith.

February 21, Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus said to the tempter: "It is written, 'One does not live by bread along, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

The gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke all record that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness before launching his ministry. Although the gospel of Mark says nothing about fasting, the two later gospels tell us that Jesus fasted for forty days and nights before he faced the temptations of the tempter or devil. When the devil says to Jesus that if he is the Son of God, all he can command the stones to become loaves of bread, Jesus answers by quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3 that we are to live with "every word that comes from the mouth of God."

The real issue, of course, is knowing what words come from the "mouth of God." If the church believed that all of Deuteronomy came from the mouth of God, it would impose on Christians the requirements of the law of Moses that Orthodox Jews find there. Christians in Jerusalem in the generation after the death of Jesus argued for that approach, but the church generally followed the lead of Paul away from a literal interpretation of scripture to a more symbolic reading. The New Testament is the word of God for us in so far as it leads us to live and proclaim the love of God that we know in Jesus Christ crucified.

February 22, Matthew 16:13-20

Peter said 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."

This statement is not recorded in the gospel of Mark, but the gospel of Luke also relates the conversation. Only the gospel of Matthew, however, contains the assertion by Jesus that Peter is the rock on which the church will be built and the one to whom the keys to the kingdom of heaven will be given. The gospel of Matthew looks to Peter (his Greek name), also known as Simon (Hebrew) or Cephas (Aramaic), as the authority for the church. The gospel of Mark looks beyond Peter and all the other disciples to Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. The gospel of Luke is the first volume of a narrative that in Acts of the Apostles tells the story of how the church that originated in Jerusalem under the leadership of Peter and James, the brother of Jesus, became through the ministry of Paul a movement of Greek-speaking Gentile churches within the Roman Empire.

February 23, John 12:20-33

Jesus said: "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will also be."

The gospel of John tells us that Jesus said this to a few "Greeks" when they were in Jerusalem to worship at the Passover feast and dropped by to visit him. Some translations indicate that these were Gentiles, but others suggest they were Greek-speaking Jews. In either case, the anecdote points beyond Jerusalem to the church that has already taken root in the Roman Empire at the time the gospel is written.

The gospel of John promises that Jesus will be with those who serve him, even after his death. It represents the faith of an early Christian community that sought to communicate this experience through a gospel account of the ministry of Jesus.

February 24, Psalm 142

"I cry out to you, LORD, set me free from prison that I may praise your name."

This psalm is a prayer for deliverance from personal enemies. The psalmist says his persecutors are too strong for him and that he is brought very low.

The psalmist may literally mean prison, or the word may be a metaphor. We who read this psalm are invited by it to seek deliverance from whatever is imprisoning our souls, so that we may praise the God who frees all those with faith.

February 25, Romans 4:18-25

Paul writes: "Though there seemed to be no hope, Abraham hoped and believed, being fully convinced that God is able to do what he has promised."

Paul argues that Abraham had faith, which was "reckoned to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6), because he trusted in God's promise of descendants even when this seemed impossible. Paul points to Abraham as an example of faith, because Abraham lives before the law of the covenant was given to the Israelites through Moses. That proves, Paul says, that only faith is needed to receive God's promises.

The passage in Genesis, of course, has nothing to do with the argument in the early church about whether or not the law is required of Christians. The gospel of Matthew is well aware of Genesis 15:6 but relates a saying by Jesus that he has come to fulfill the law of the covenant and not to abolish it (Mt. 5:17). These different teachings reflect conflicts within the early church over the interpretation of scripture, and thus we ought not to be surprised that interpreting scripture remains controversial to this day.

February 26, Psalm 4

Many keep saying, "Who will give us happiness?" LORD, let the light of your face shine upon us.

The prayer for deliverance from personal enemies affirms that the LORD will hear the cry of the psalmist. The light of the face of the LORD, of course, is a metaphor. The psalmist is not seeking a ray of light from the forehead or eyes of God, but is praying in his distress for the presence of God to comfort him and to protect him from his enemies.

How are we to find happiness? Through vain words and lies? Or, by doing what is right and trusting in God? Those with faith may sleep well at night, even in a hostile world.

February 27, Joel 2: 12-13

The LORD says: "Come back to me with all your heart. Come back to the LORD your God who is tender and compassionate, and rich in faithful love."

It appears that this prophet lived in Jerusalem during the time that Persia was the dominant power of the region (539-331 BC). To make any sense of his name, which means "the LORD is God," we need to recall that in Old Testament translations "God" stands for the Hebrew word "El" and "LORD" translates into Hebrew the four-letter name "YHWH" that was not spoken in biblical times. This name, however, was written with vowels centuries later by Jewish scholars and became Yahweh (in German) or Jehovah (in English). The use of LORD and God together in the Old Testament suggests that a mixture of traditions of faith, which originally concerned different deities.

The prophet promises that God is merciful to all those who repent. The New Testament develops this theme into a gospel proclamation. The good news is that all those who repent of their sins and have faith will know the steadfast and forgiving love of God.

February 28, Matthew 17:1-9

At the transfiguration of Jesus, the disciples fell face down to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid."

This story is also related in the gospels of Mark and Luke, and all three gospels report the fear of the disciples when a cloud came over and they heard a voice. But only the gospel of Matthew tells us that Jesus touched and comforted them. 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. If Moses represents the law of the covenant and Elijah the prophets, then this story presents Jesus as the fulfillment of both.

The gospel does not require keeping the law of Moses, because Jesus is the new law of love. And the gospel is not prophecy, because Jesus is the fulfillment of all the prophecies of ancient Israel. The good news is that Christ is a new beginning in the story of faith in God that offers salvation to all who repent and put their trust in the power of love.