Wednesday, May 1st

Today's devotion is based on John 14: 18-31. Blessings.

John 14: 18-31

18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

  

Since we are 2 weeks away from the time of Pentecost, I want to highlight verses 25 and 26 in this scripture reading: 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

In John, there are other references to “the Advocate”. John 15:26, 26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And John 16:7, 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

There’s that word, advocate. We can think of our Holy Spirit advocate as someone who speaks in our defense, a counselor, comforter or teacher. Sometimes I think we tend to forget about the Holy Spirit part of the Holy Trinity. But God didn’t forget about it. He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us, to save us, to fill us and be sanctified. The Spirit shows us God’s thoughts, teaches us and guides us and shows us the truth and the way. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses and intercedes for us with God. Let’s not wait for Pentecost to consider the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s pray: Lord, we thank you for fulfilling your promise and sending us our Advocate, your Holy Spirit, and let our hearts be open to receive this wonderful, live saving, life affirming gift. In your holy name we pray.

Amen.

 

Wednesday, April 24th

Today's devotion is based on Mark 14:27-31

Mark 14:27-31
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

“You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” 
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”
But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

 

I believe that at the time of this conversation, Peter truly believed that he would never deny Jesus.  How could he? Jesus is his teacher, his Lord, and his friend.  The idea of denying him, seems so unreasonable to him.  And yet Jesus knows he will.  He knows that in a little while, Peter will not only deny him, but claim he "doesn't know this man you're talking about"  This is the very same Peter that in Matthew 16 (prior to Jesus predicting his death) claimed Jesus is the Messiah! Jesus told him then that this could have only been revealed to him by God in heaven. Peter, so strong of faith that he is the rock upon which the church is built, is given the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  And still he denies Jesus. 

 

If Jesus' own friend and disciple could deny him, then think how easy sometimes it could be for us to deny knowing Jesus.  May not be as outright and direct as Peter did.  But Jesus gave us commandments, love God, love your neighbor.  As we go through life and make our choices, with our choices we are often either living as Jesus would want us to, or denying that part of us, denying him.  To help feed our neighbors is to help feed Jesus.  Likewise, to turn our backs on our neighbors suffering and in need, is to turn our backs on Jesus. We can easily question and judge, how could Peter so easily deny Jesus.  At the same time, we also should question ourselves how can we so easily deny Jesus in our actions in life? 

 

This story of Peter demonstrates the flaws that we all have when it comes to recognizing and living into our faith.  I'm sure that I've unintentionally denied Jesus way more than three times in my life, by actions I either did or did not take.  Even Peter, with the strongest of faith, had moments where he seemed to blank out on Jesus.  It shows us that we can have these moments and still be God's beloved.  We can still have these moments and they don't prevent us from doing great things in the world in Jesus' name, like Peter continued on to do. 

 

Let us pray:

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we humbly thank you for your goodness to us and to all that you have made. We praise you for your creation, for keeping us and all things in your care, and for all the blessings of life. Above all we bless you for your immeasurable love in redeeming the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies that with thankful hearts we praise you, not only with our lips but in our lives, by giving ourselves to your service and by living in your gifts of holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all worship and praise, now and forever.
Amen.

(from ELW)

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