Category: Year B

Hebrews 7:1-10

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            Typewriters have become obsolete.  The computer has now completely superseded them because the new technologies are vastly superior to the old aggressive punching of keys and use of whiteout.  Rotary phones are now only found in antique stores.  Cell phones, with their ease of mobility and multiples functions, are superior to the old.  When it comes to the book of Hebrews, the author comes from a variety of angles to demonstrate that Jesus is far superior to the old Levitical priesthood to the point of completely doing away with it.  In fact, Jesus is so great that he has a permanent priesthood that will never end.
 
            To bolster this approach, the writer of Hebrews goes to the example of the Old Testament figure of Melchizedek.  Mel was a priest and a king all rolled into one.  The greatest patriarch of all, Abraham, paid deference to him.  This is a typological look at Scripture, which simply means that Mel foreshadows Jesus – he is a type of Christ – a model of something better which is coming in the future.
 
            Since Jesus is better, superior, and has a permanence that will endure through the ages, he is worthy to receive all the glory, praise, honor, devotion, and commitment that we can give him.  Far too often, Christians place work, family, and hobbies at the center of their lives and expect Jesus to revolve around these, as if he is some cosmic Santa Claus who exists to give them what they want.  But the author of Hebrews will have none of this.  The situation must become flip-flopped in which Jesus is at the center and all the responsibilities and relationships of our lives revolve around him so that Christ speaks into everything as the rightful King of the Universe.  The book of Hebrews is a call to commitment.  It is a call to forsake the old obsolete life and embrace the superior new life in Christ.  How are you doing with this commitment?
 

 

            Lord Jesus, you are my great high priest and the Sovereign over all creation.  I belong to you, body, soul, and spirit.  I devote myself to you so that your majesty might be reflected in all I do and say.  Amen.

John 13:1-17

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            Feet are important.  An Illinois podiatrist, Dr. Paul Brezinski, says, “The health of your feet, despite their distance from your heart, can affect your overall health.”  Turns out we should not tip-toe around attention to feet – Jesus certainly didn’t.  Despite the fact that feet, especially in the first century, were perpetually dirty and stinky, Jesus took the posture of a servant and washed each and every gross foot – including Judas Iscariot’s.
 
            This act absolutely blew the minds of the disciples who could barely fathom that Jesus would do such a thing as wash feet.  What is more, Jesus went on to tell them, “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”  I imagine the disciples’ jaws had to be picked up off the ground over that zinger from Jesus.
 
            Here’s the deal:  unhealthy Christians and churches do not pay attention to foot health; but healthy Christians and churches give intentional focus to serving in the lowest capacities to the lowliest in the Body of Christ and in society.  They even serve their enemies – the ones whom they know have it out for them.  Healthy disciples do such things because they have the distinguishing mark of their Lord pulsating through their lives:  love.  Love motivated Jesus to serve, and, as his followers, the same motivation exists to serve the church and the world.  Mother Teresa got it right when she once said, “Not all of us can do great things.  But we can do small things with great love.”
 

 

            Loving Lord Jesus, you are the perfect model of service.  Help me to pay attention to the all the people in my life and all the responsibilities I have with the love you give me, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Psalm 75

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            Way back in the day, when I was in college, there were some lively characters within my group of friends and acquaintances.  One of those friends had a phrase he would call people out on whenever he discerned there was some sort of insincerity or disingenuous talk.  “Quit talkin’ out the side o’ ya’ neck!” he would say with some flavor.  His phrase captures the psalmist when he exhorts the boastful person to not “speak with a haughty neck” (ESV).
 
            Indeed, God will judge everyone on earth with equity, not showing favoritism.  Evil speech he shall not tolerate.  Instead of talking out of the side of our necks, the godly use their tongues in a different manner.  “We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near.  We recount your wondrous deeds.”  The way to avoid the proud words of the haughty person is to use our speech to express gratitude.  Generous words and proud words cannot co-exist in the same sentence.  Remembering God’s gracious works in the world and using our tongues to recount them has the effect of putting us in our proper place and shooing away the pride.
 
            One way of expressing gratitude to God is to take a few minutes each day to pause and give thanks for the things you notice.  If you take a walk, be intentional about noticing God’s creation and giving thanks for the specific things you see.  At your workplace, take note of the blessings for which you can give thanks.  When you are at home, notice the simple pleasures of being with family and be sure to give God praise for them.  For, if we do not observe God in the common and the mundane, we will likely miss him when he shows up in the dramatic and the awesome.
 

 

            Almighty God, you are the rightful Judge of all the earth.  Today I forsake all proud and haughty speech, and, instead, give thanks to you for your mighty acts of salvation and deliverance in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35b

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            My kids grew up in the ‘90s watching Veggie Tales.  The tunes were catchy and full of some solid truth about God.  One of their favorites was “God is Bigger.”  Here is the chorus:
 
God is bigger than the boogie man.
He’s bigger than Godzilla or the monsters on TV.
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man,
And he’s watching out for you and me.
 
            Today’s Psalm expresses the bigness of God.  “You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.”  God is big – bigger than anything and everything.  He is Sovereign over all his creation, and does what he wills to do.  He sees all and watches over his people.
 
            Sometimes we get lost in our situations, problems, and screw-ups and view them as larger than life.  We can become so overwhelmed and burdened with our inabilities, weaknesses, and lack of handling things well, that we lose sight of the reality that God is bigger than it all.  Instead of being afraid, I can allow sound theology to purge the anxiety and trouble from my mind and heart.  Using this psalm to pray and praise God is a foundational way of beginning to put into perspective the issues and problems of our lives.
 

 

            God Almighty, you are big and strong.  My problems are really small as I glimpse your sheer immensity.  O LORD my God, you are very great!  Bless the LORD, O my soul.  Praise the LORD.  Hallelujah, Amen.