Scripture Focus:

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.” Ephesians 3:16-17

An important part of the journey of discipleship is discovering who we are as unique persons created by God. Understanding who we really are enables us to better discern our true center in Christ. Our scripture focus this month is Ephesians 3:16-17. In this passage Paul is assuming that as we receive inner strength through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will gain a better sense of self and recognize God’s claim on us as children of God.

Discovering who we are as unique persons created by God does not happen without effort. It requires self-examination. Self-examination is the practice of looking inward, the process of exploring our interior life – the matters of the heart. It is the tool for assessing the strength of our faith and the ways in which we may need to adjust or change directions as we seek to follow Jesus. This discipline is crucial to spiritual maturity, yet we are not always inclined toward the effort involved. That’s because often, it’s easier to focus on the various roles we play rather than on our interior selves.

We all play several roles even over the course of a day. For example, we may be wives or husbands, mothers or fathers, students, employees, daughters, sons, bosses – or more. Devoting ourselves to these roles requires little self-exploration. Our various societies have mapped out numerous expectations for a wide variety of roles. These expectations are fairly well known, so we can follow the basic script without much introspection.

The process of understanding who we are as unique individuals created by God, on the other hand, takes a great deal more effort. And yet, it is an important part of the Christian life. Without an understanding of who we are, it becomes difficult to understand the ways in which God desires to work within us.

Scripture points to the need for regular self-examination. Look at 1 Corinthians 11:23-34. Under Paul’s instructions, the Corinthians had begun sharing Holy Communion together regularly. However, as time passed, some began rushing through this rite without waiting to share it with others. Paul had to remind them that their hearts needed to be in the right place when they participated in the holy meal together. The Lords’ Supper is something to be shared with reverence, not something to be rushed. Self-examination is a significant part of this so Paul encourages the Corinthians – and us – to look inward, to engage in honest self-reflection before taking the break and cup.

Self-examination helps us to keep ourselves focused on Christ. As we look inward, reflecting on our lives and our inner spirit, we can discover the directions and choices that best for us. We can turn back toward God when we need to, as well as move forward in response to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

In contrast, the unfortunate result of allowing our societies to dictate our life script is that the roles provided often pigeonhole us. They bind us to the expectations others have of the roles we have taken on. They encourage an external rather than an internal focus and block us from understanding ourselves. That, in turn makes it difficult to lives and the Christ-centered followers God would have us to be.

So self-examination – discovering who God created us to be – is an indispensable part of following Jesus. And yet, it can be challenging. We can fear what we might discover about ourselves if we were to look too closely. We can worry that if we were truly known, we would not be loved. It is not always easy to grasp the possibility that people and God might love us simply because we are the persons we are – not because of the roles we play in life – what we are able to do or accomplish.

But the good news of Jesus Christ is that there is NOTHING that can separate us from God’s love – not even our own self-understanding. Look at Romans 8:38-39 to remind yourself of that truth. We don’t need to be afraid of what we will find as we look within ourselves, because God has already promised to be with us on that journey.

As you fast and pray during the coming weeks, I challenge you to use Jeremiah 31:3 to center yourself on God’s love for you. Commit it to memory and repeat it daily, as though God is speaking directly to you.

Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.”

Scripture Focus:

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. Matthew 5:3-12 (NLT) 

Some of my favorite teachings of Jesus are in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). I especially like how the New Living Translation puts it in English because it captures the present tense nature of Jesus’ words. God blesses. Right now, God blesses. I hope translations to other languages capture this “is-ness” as well. It’s important, because Jesus isn’t talking about what might be, or could be. He is talking about what IS. Right now, we can share with God in joy, sharing the very blessedness that fills God’s heart. This isn’t something that will happen in the future. It is the present reality of God’s blessing – right now.

These blessings are quite a surprise when we consider what the world tells us. The world would have us believe that righteous, merciful ways of living are weak or that mourning leads to unhappiness. In contrast, Jesus proclaims that meekness, humility, and persecution are sources of spiritual giftedness rather than unhappiness or misery. That is the surprise of the Beatitudes – what appears to be a source of unhappiness, turns out to be a source of joy and blessedness. 

It’s easy to miss the depth of what Jesus is saying because we frequently tie our happiness or unhappiness to things that happen to us. But the blessing and joy he promises, have no rival. They are completely untouchable by the world. Jesus is saying that blessing and joy look different from God’s perspective. 

Grasping this idea is important because God’s Kingdom is all about blessing and joy, and

the Beatitudes are concrete expressions of the nature of Kingdom life. Since as Christ followers we are Kingdom people, we need to understand what it means to live that way.

The Latin American Jesuit theologian Jon Sobrino described spirituality as a profound motivation. He said it’s about instincts, intuitions, longings, and desires that move, inspire, and shape us. They inform and fill our decisions and actions. Our spirituality, then, is whatever we desire most. Whatever we strive for, whatever motivates us, drives us, moves us to select one thing over another; whatever primary shaping forces are in our life, that’s our spirituality.

Kingdom people have a particular type of spirituality shaped by seeking and finding God’s presence in our lives. This spirituality compels us to do whatever is necessary to put God at the very center of our lives, and to put ourselves at the very center of God’s will. When we do that, we experience deep, abiding, life-changing, life-marking joy – not because we’ve earned it or achieved it, but because it already exists. God’s blessedness is already there, and we experience it when we seek God’s kingdom and live as Kingdom people.

Kingdom people come in all shapes and sizes, but the Beatitudes give us a good idea about some of the things they have in common. Kingdom people seek to live their lives in sync with God. They’re poor in spirit, recognizing their intense need for God. They understand that they are not self-sufficient so they put their whole trust in God.

Kingdom people experience mourning, yet they are also blessed with Christ’s healing comfort and peace. They understand that the deeper the love, the deeper the loss. And yet, they also recognize that Jesus showed the deepest love of all in offering himself up for them.

Kingdom people hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness, working for the full realization of God’s kingdom in the world. They are merciful, extending forgiveness to others because they know forgiveness is crucial to God’s justice, and because they’re always aware of how much they’ve been forgiven.

Kingdom people know that true children of God are peacemakers. They act as radical agents of love, which requires courage in a world whose foundation is force. When they are persecuted, Kingdom people continue to have hope, receiving God’s blessing, which provides them comfort in the midst of suffering. They understand that their lives are lived in God’s hand. They understand that God ultimately has won the victory, and they will share in God’s reward. Not all Kingdom people experience persecution, but they all align themselves with those who do. They align themselves with those who suffer as well, and they work to alleviate that suffering and end that persecution. 

Kingdom people are humble. They are mindful that when God’s kingdom comes in its fullness, those who have humbled themselves will be honored and those who have honored themselves in the kingdom of this world will be humbled. 

As you pray and fast this month, I challenge you to look at your present life from the perspective of the future of God’s kingdom. In doing so, I pray that you will experience God’s blessing right now; that joy will be yours – even when you suffer; especially when you struggle for justice; particularly when you are merciful, gentle, lowly, and humble.

Joy can indeed be ours when we place Christ at the center of our hearts and live as Kingdom people. It is then that we experience the deep and everlasting blessing that the world can never give nor take away.

Scripture focus:

The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things. . . . You can count on it.
John 14:12 (The Message) 

I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
Philippians 4:13 (NLT) 

One of Jesus’ most amazing promises is that, if we trust him, we will have the power to do even greater things than he did. Scripture attests to the validity of Jesus’ promise. While crowds of people followed Jesus during his earthly ministry in Judea, the spirit of Jesus worked through the disciples to give birth to a body of believers that has been growing ever since as the fire of the Holy Spirit spread to the ends of the earth.

We just celebrated Pentecost – the moment the Holy Spirit transformed the followers of Jesus from a rag tag group gathered behind closed doors to bold and courageous messengers of the gospel who left to tell the world what that had seen and experienced. It’s an amazing event to celebrate, but Pentecost often comes and goes as though it was an isolated, one-time occurrence. What we tend to forget is that the Holy Spirit has been responsible for a myriad of little Pentecosts ever since.

Recently I shared about a pivotal event in my own life that occurred in 1996 when I had been in ministry only a short while. You can read about it here. It was a powerful experience of the Holy Spirit in a moment when I was very much like the disciples – not sure of what the future held, not sure what God was up to, not sure if I had the ability to do whatever it was that God was planning.

And yet, in the midst of that uncertainty, I experienced a little Pentecost. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I heard the voice of Jesus within me, saying, “Yes, Kim. You are ill-equipped; you don’t have all the ability. But none of that matters. You will do what you are able, and I will do the rest. I am your source of power and strength. It is not you who is working; it is me working through you. Trust me.”

God moments; “little Pentecosts.” From that time on, everything changes – who we are, how we live. These aren’t events that exist only in the stories of our faith. They happen every day to believers all over the world, and following the Jesus way requires that we be open to those life-changing, faith-shaping little Pentecosts. 

That open outlook is significant. It’s also difficult. Because often our outlook is hemmed in by common sense, or limited by the restraints and constraints of society, or clouded by our own view of ourselves.

But we follow an awesome God! A God who can do great things, even with limited resources. This means that following Jesus isn’t about what we can imagine about ourselves. It is about what God imagines about us. When we imagine ourselves, our response to the things God sets before us is often: That’s impossible! I’m not smart enough! I’ve been divorced! I’m in recovery! I’m this. . . . I’m that. . . . I’m not this. . . . I’m not that! But God says that none of that matters. None of that matters because following Jesus isn’t about what we can do for God. Following Jesus is about what God is going to do through us. 

Do you remember what Moses said when God appeared to him in the burning bush? “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11, NLT) But God says – it’s not about what you can imagine about yourself Moses. It’s what I imagine about you. God says – it’s not about what you can do for me Moses; it’s what I am going to do through you.

That revelation was at the heart of Moses’ burning-bush experience, and it was at the heart of my “little Pentecost” at the conference. I was transformed when I realized that it wasn’t what I was going to do for God, but what God was going to do through me. 

Luke tells about Jesus healing a man who had been possessed by legions of demons (Luke 8:26-39). Free from that bondage, the man begged to be able to leave his home, follow Jesus, and be part of the amazing things Jesus was going to do. But Jesus said no, “Go back to your family and tell them all the wonderful things God has done for you” (Luke 8:39, NLT). 

God is moving in our world through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. And God wants you to join in that movement. There are people who need to know about the love of Jesus and some of them will only be able to discover his love and grace through you. That is why God wants you to return home, like the man whom Jesus healed. Following Jesus is about going back to our jobs and our homes—back to our ordinary lives—and telling others about the great things God has done for us, then living in ways that show others the great things God has done for us. We may not have it all together; we may have pain or shame. But it’s not how we imagine ourselves, it’s how God imagines us.

As you pray and fast this coming month, I pray you’ll understand that it’s not what we can do for God it’s what God wants to do through us.

Scripture Focus:

I will send you the Advocate – the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me…When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me. John 15:26, 16:13-14 (NLT)

Before Jesus died, he made a remarkable promise to his followers. He would provide a never-ending presence – his Spirit, his power. He promised to provide all those who follow with a means for guidance, direction, and power, not just now but into the future to the end of the ages. 

Later in May we’ll celebrate Pentecost, the moment we read about in Acts when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus’ followers and it was clear that he had kept his promise. We will read from Scripture and remind ourselves of the power of this amazing event that happened oh so long ago. I’m all for celebrating Pentecost! But it seems that we’ve forgotten that the promise that was fulfilled wasn’t something that was true only in the past. Jesus’ promise was that he would be real in our lives right now and far into the future.

For many of us, we seem to have forgotten what it means to be in relationship with a living God, a God in the present tense, a God who is with us in real time. A God who offers power for our lives and our world and demands that we follow in ways that allow his power to flow through us. And yet, Jesus in real time is the only Jesus we can truly know. We can know about the Jesus who walked this earth two thousand years ago, but we can only truly know Jesus in real time through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the Jesus we are called to follow, opening ourselves to his direction for our present and future and showing and sharing his love in the here and now.

There is great power available to us when we open ourselves to the possibility of knowing Jesus in real time rather than just through stories from long ago. It’s the same power given to Ananias, a disciple who lived in Damascus. God spoke to Ananias in a vision and told him to go to a house on Straight Street. When he got there, he would find a man named Saul, whom God had also given a vision of a man named Ananias restoring his sight (Acts 9:10-12).

Now, Ananias was not enthusiastic about following these instructions, because they involved a good deal of risk and took him way outside his comfort zone. Following Jesus in real time, meant that Ananias would come face to face with Saul, the one who had been arresting and persecuting Christians with unbelievable zeal and determination. What Ananias knew about the past made him nervous about this kind of future.

Despite his nervousness, Ananias obeyed. He followed, trusting the real presence of Jesus to direct him into the future. When Ananias arrived at the house, he found Saul, laid his hands on him, and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you may get your sight back and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17, NLT). Acts 9 tells us that “instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight” (verse 18, NLT). 

Ananias was a devout follower, but as devout as he was, he needed to experience the presence of Jesus in real time in order to be guided into the future – in order to follow in the way Jesus desired. It is the same with us. We’re able to follow Jesus faithfully and with passion, when we live in the presence of the Holy Spirit. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit that makes Jesus present to us now. It’s Holy Spirit power that channels everything to us that Jesus desires us to know. It’s the Spirit that guides us into the future, outlining for us exactly how we are to follow. 

The disciples may have had the privilege of living in the presence of Jesus; but we have the privilege of having the presence of Jesus living in us. This is what Paul was desperate for us to understand when he said, “For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory” (Colossians 1:27, NLT).

Each of us is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The problem for us as we follow Jesus is that we are looking “out there” – beyond us – when Jesus in real time, through the Spirit, is right here within us. But when we experience Jesus in real time, barriers are broken down, gates are opened, relationships are mended, bridges are built. When we allow the power of Jesus to escape the confines of the past, to actually touch us in the present and lead us into the future, lives are changed. 

As Christ followers we are called to follow Jesus into the world. The test of our faith is not how it is contained within the church. The test of our faith is whether it can guide our experience in the world, in the here and now. We follow the one who has the power to set us free, to deepen our lives, to heal our wounds, to mend our relationships, to break down the walls that separate us and tear down the barriers that hinder us from loving each other. This is Jesus in real time; the Jesus who wants to be alive within you. 

The apostle Paul prayed for his churches constantly, asking God to “give [them] spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that [they] might grow in [their] knowledge of God.” (Ephesians 1:17, NLT) That is my prayer for you as you pray and fast during the coming weeks: “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called.” (Ephesians 1:18, NLT) 

That light is the light of Christ, the light of Jesus in real time, who has promised you a wonderful future—a rich and glorious inheritance. That light is the light of Jesus, the Jesus who provides incredible greatness of power to all who believe him—the power to love, the power to heal, the power to reach out. May you make that light your own; may you make that power your own.\

Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 15:16-20 (The Message)

If corpses can’t be raised, then Christ wasn’t, because he was indeed dead. And if Christ weren’t raised, then all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection because they’re already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.

I’m a gardener. I love digging and planting – beds and pots and hanging baskets, all overflowing with flowers and green leaves. Along with the actual work in the dirt, is the preparation, going to the nursery to look for the plants and flowers, deciding which ones will go with which, which pots to use, which flowers will thrive best in which beds.

In my part of the world, another decision is whether to choose annuals or perennials. Annuals are the ones that are only good for a single season because they can’t take the Indiana cold. Annuals are usually extremely vibrant. Many of them have bright, showy colors and big, flashy blooms. They can really spice up a garden in a hurry. Perennials are the ones that come back year after year. They’re pretty too; but they tend to be more subtle – not as much flash, but dependable for beauty over the long haul.

In my neighborhood, many gardens are filled completely with magnificent annuals. It’s a joy to drive by these houses and see the tremendous color. My flowerbeds, on the other hand, tend to be filled with perennials – Shasta daisies, black-eyed Susans, spiderwort, phlox, and daylilies. Long haul flowers that provide me with pleasure year after year; dependable beauties whose green leaves I eagerly await each spring – consistently pleasing, growing larger and fuller with each passing season. Sure, I love annuals; but I save them for my pots and hanging baskets. I want the flash, my garden needs the spice, but it’s the long-haul stuff that sustains me.

When I begin the process of mapping out my garden and I’m faced with the decision of whether to plant an annual or a perennial, I’m reminded of human relationships. It seems our relationships are at their best when they’re filled with lots of perennials – those things that provide beauty over the long haul. Sure, we need flash and spice and color. It’s absolutely essential. But that can’t sustain us for much more than a season. As the summer wears on, colors fade, no matter how much we water – and the first big frost can be a killer.

Our relationships need the foundation that perennials bring. We may add the extra color to enhance the beauty of the things that are lasting; but when the color fades, or the frost comes, we know that beauty remains, however, hidden it may seem. We know that it will return again and that when it does it will be bigger and stronger, fuller and more mature.

It’s true of our relationships and it’s true of our faith. It isn’t the flash that sustains us as we follow in the Jesus way. Paul is right. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot. What sustains is the presence of the Holy Spirit that attests to the truth that Christ has been raised. It’s the ongoing awareness of God’s abiding presence, the deep assurance of God’s unconditional love and mercy – those perennial things that provide beauty and fullness even after the hardest winter.

Of course, we need vibrant color in our faith lives – mountaintop experiences, transformative moments of clarity, intense encounters with the divine. But that’s the added spice, the spark that can ignite us but not necessarily sustain us over the winters of our lives.

Sharing our faith requires perennial beauty as well. The Holy Spirit can definitely work like the annual in a garden – adding vibrant color and huge blossoms to enhance the beauty and impact. The Holy Spirit works through experiences where faith is proclaimed boldly and clearly, with drama and intensity. And yet, many times it’s the long-haul relationships that provide the most fertile ground for the Holy Spirit’s work. Those relationships of mutuality, where hopes and dreams are shared, where experiences of faith can be expressed; it’s in those relationships that the Holy Spirit can work in the most powerful, life-transforming ways for the long haul.

It’s still too early in Indiana to begin my gardening projects. It may still freeze or snow so it’s too soon to begin digging and planting. But I’m already thinking about the beautiful flowers that I’ll add to my garden – a few solid perennials to add more permanence to my flowerbeds, some wonderfully brilliant annuals to brighten up a gray day. And once again I’m realizing that it’s the combination of annuals and perennials that make a garden so wonderfully pleasing. It’s my willingness and commitment to include both that makes the whole thing striking.

As the month of April unfolds and we bask in the joy of Easter, I pray that you will allow that joy to add the flash of color you need to enliven your walk with Jesus. I pray as well, that as you continue your journey of prayer and fasting, the truth of the resurrection would not be simply a “little inspiration,” but would take deep root in your heart – deep enough to provide the strength and permanence necessary for the long-haul journey of following Jesus.

Scripture focus: Matthew 16:24-25

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.  (NLT)

The apostle Peter is one of my favorite people in the Bible. He reminds me of me. Following Jesus is not always easy for me and from the very beginning, Peter seems to have experienced a similar sense of struggling as he sought to follow.

Peter was a searcher with a good heart. He stumbles but tries his very best to follow. He’s always open to growing in his relationship with Jesus, even if that growth involves some pain. Peter was full of emotion, giving himself completely to Jesus at one moment, but then fearfully retreating from Jesus the next.

Read Matthew 16:13-16. What does Peter proclaim about Jesus? Now read Matthew 16:21-22. How does Peter respond now?

Peter was genuine in all of his interactions with Jesus. He boldly declared his belief that Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 16:16), and then immediately questioned and chastised Jesus for talking about the suffering that lay on the horizon (Matthew 16:22). That last bit may have been bumbling and inappropriate, but it was genuine. Peter genuinely offered Jesus his entire being – the good and the bad. 

We read about these contrasts between the good and bad sides of Peter throughout the gospels. He simply didn’t always know what it meant to follow Jesus.

When he witnessed the astonishing event of Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah on the mountain, all he could think to do was to offer to build shrines, places for each of them to live. (Matthew 17:1-11, Mark 9:2-9, Luke 9:28-36). When he sees Jesus walking on the water, he boldly climbs out of the boat, seemingly full of confident faith, yet when the wind and waves appear too much, he flounders in fear. (Matthew 14:22-33)

Washing another person’s feet was a common way of expressing hospitality and servanthood in the first century. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet on the night he was arrested. (John 13:1-9). When it was Peter’s turn, he felt completely unworthy and so he declined. And yet, when Jesus responded that it was necessary in order for Peter to be a part of him, Peter’s love poured forth: “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” (John 13:9, NRSV)

Peter genuinely desired to follow Jesus, even if he didn’t always know exactly what that meant; and he was willing to offer his entire self, even his shortcomings.

 The question for each of us is, how willing are we to offer our entire selves to God – including our shortcomings?

Peter was willing to offer Jesus his entire self – shortcomings and all – because intuitively he knew that Jesus had created safe space between them. His intuition was correct. Jesus had created safe space, because Jesus understood Peter. Jesus knew how truly human Peter was. He knew that deep down in his heart Peter desired to follow him, even though Peter’s understanding and capabilities were dramatically limited.

Jesus knew Peter well enough to call him the rock upon which he would build his church (Matthew 16;17-19); yet also knew him well enough to predict accurately that before the rooster crowed twice, Peter would deny three times that he even knew him at all (Mark 14:26-31).

We are all like Peter. We too are truly human, with all of the frailties and limitations that brings. And just as he understood Peter, Jesus also understands us. Jesus knows that there are times when we want to follow; yet there are other times when we choose to shy away. But Jesus’ call to Peter was to follow, not at a distance—not in the shadows, afraid of what might happen next—but to move into the light and follow boldly, whatever came his way.

This is Jesus’ call to us as well. Jesus knows how limited our resources are. He knows that life is full of choices, temptations, complex situations where we become confused and frightened. Yet he desires our faith to be real and authentic, and thus he calls us to follow him anyway, closely and not at a distance. 

We are in the midst of Lent, working our way toward the week of Jesus’ crucifixion and death. As you fast and pray, reflect on the idea of a “safe space” between you and God. Do you sense the safety of that space? If not, I pray you will use your time of prayer to bring that experience honestly before God, opening yourself to the movement of the Holy Spirit in response to your need.

During this next month, use your time of prayer and fasting to become more aware of the ways in which Jesus may be calling you to step out of the boat. And then step out in courage, knowing that Jesus understands that you are fully human, with all the frailties and limitations (but also with all the creativity and boldness) that brings.

Scripture Focus: Matthew 26:47-58

Following Jesus, truly following him, is never easy. There are risks, unexpected twists and turns, surprises and events that we never dreamed could happen. There are moments when following seems meaningful, full of excitement and joy. However, there are other times, times of difficulty, even danger, when we become discouraged and afraid, and things don’t seem to be turning out at all the way we thought they would.

Faith – real faith, authentic faith – involves a daily process of choosing. In the midst of all those unexpected twists and turns, in the midst of the meaningful and in the midst of the difficulty, a faith that is authentic requires a daily choice. How will I follow Jesus today?

The Light of the Fire

Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.

Matthew 26:58 (NLT)

One of the wonderful things about human beings is our ability to think in metaphors. We don’t just have the ability to think that way; we have a need to think that way. We need metaphors to help us get a handle on unseen realities – spiritual truths that are almost impossible to understand any other way.

The story of Peter in the courtyard serves as a metaphor for me. It’s an image that helps me better understand the challenge of living the Jesus way. Following Jesus is about choosing, again and again, how we are going to follow and the story of Peter in the courtyard points to that challenge.

If you read Matthew 26:55-56 you’ll see that the disciples have just spent the evening sharing the Passover Seder with Jesus. Afterwards, they all go to the garden for prayer. While they are there, Judas arrives with the temple guards and betrays Jesus with a kiss. This scene is meaningful for me because it vividly illustrates the challenge of following Jesus. When things get difficult, I’m frequently tempted to abandon the whole thing and run. And that’s exactly what the disciples did on this night. They all deserted him and fled. 

Except Peter. Somehow, even though he ran from the garden, Peter decided not to run too far. Instead, he followed at a distance, waiting to see what would happen. (Matthew 26:58) I can understand that too. There are many times when I’m more comfortable holding back a bit, staying at a safe distance, waiting to see how things will unfold.

Luke 22:54-56 gives us another perspective on the scene. Again, Peter follows at a distance, waiting with others around the fire in the courtyard. He’s holding back, staying safe until he knows how things are going to turn out.

Here is the crucial element of the metaphor of Peter in the courtyard. Though Peter followed at a distance, eventually he is recognized, and it is the light of the fire that allows others to identify him as a follower of Jesus. Getting close to a fire can be risky. It’s easy to get burned and that’s what happens to Peter. He gets close to the fire, people recognize him, and in the intensity of the fire he denies he ever knew Jesus.

The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17. During this season, I pray that your continued practice of prayer and fasting will lead you to experience real, authentic faith, the kind that requires that we stand close to the fire, not off in the shadows or at a distance.

As you reflect on our Scripture focus for February, recall the last week of Jesus’ life. We are like the people who greeted Jesus as he entered Jerusalem. We must choose how close we will get to him. Remember, during that week the authorities and the public watched his every move. The questions that faced his followers then, face us today: Will we hang in there with him? Will we be loud about our hosannas, or will we wait and watch? Will we wave our palm branches with gusto, or will we simply hold them uneasily? Will we go with Jesus to the garden? Will we stay awake with him while he prays and wrestles with the terror of his impending future? Or, like the one who betrayed him, will we choose to sell him out for money, or power, or political agendas?

How close to the fire will we get as we stand in the courtyard? 

During this month of prayer and fasting, reflect on the kind of choices are you facing as you seek to follow Jesus. What hurdles have you encountered recently? What confirmations have you received that you are on the right track? Offer up these reflections to God during your time of prayer and be confident that God will always accompany you as you take the risk of exploring an authentic faith.

Luke 2:25-40

The good news we take into the new year is that grace is trickling down and seeping upward before we ever realize it.

As we pray, we listen. We ask if there’s anything we need to hear, anything at all. And then we wait.

Faith is the art of waiting on active, unseen grace, like trusting that crocus spears are pushing upward through the dirt before we see them break through into the watery spring sunshine. If you can’t see how grace could possibly be at work in your life, close your eyes. Listen deeply.

This quiet waiting characterized two people who understood what it meant to live with expectant hope. The first was an old man named Simeon who had been waiting on God for a long time, trusting the Holy Spirit’s words that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s Messiah. He was not disappointed.

The second was an old lady – Anna – who spent a lot of time in her house of worship. Day and night she would worship with fasting and prayer, waiting on the promise of God. In the midst of her faith, she got to see the infant Messiah, got the privilege beyond all privileges of not just “holding the new baby,” but holding the New Baby.

Fasting and prayer train us to wait – sometimes for decades – to bear witness to new life. As you continue your fasting journey in this new year, I pray you would experience God’s grace trickling down and seeping upward. I pray that having experienced that unseen grace, you would bear witness to the new life that is found in Jesus Christ so that those around you will, like Simeon and Anna, finally see the Savior who has been given to all people.