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Ask and it will be given

silhouette image of person praying

Jesus preached a lengthy sermon to a large crowd, famously named “the sermon on the mount.” As the people gathered, he began preaching and, while we have a portion of it recorded, he likely preached for hours. When he discussed the topic of prayer, he said, “ASk, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7 ESV). He reinforced this by saying, “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks it will be opened” (vs. 8).

Remember that his audience was not made up of affluent people. The crowds who followed Jesus were often poor, hungry, diseased, and were outcasts. More than likely lots of his followers had prayed in faith but still lacked food, clothing, shelter, and health. We know this because many times Jesus attributed healing to their great faith. An important theme that is directly tied to prayer is “never give up.” Persistent prayer is vital for people of faith.

In fact, Jesus told a parable of the widow who kept begging the unjust judge for justice. Eventually he relented. Jesus’ point was this: “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?” (Luke 18:7). Jesus said that God will “give justice to them speedily.” Jesus set the example for us by praying day and night. He often withdrew to lonely places to pray. Prayer was a discipline–part of his daily spiritual diet.

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Lifting up the fallen

man in black leather jacket and black pants sitting on concrete stairs

James says that “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27 ESV). Religion really isn’t that complicated, but it is challenging. To care for the “fallen,” those who have lost so much and are afflicted, is a daunting undertaking. We often think of religion as our worship service itself, but this isn’t how religion is defined by James. Religion is how we care for the vulnerable.

Consider these passages: “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling” (Psalm 68:5). “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18). “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (Isaiah 1:17). Throughout the entire Bible, God cares for the orphans and widows and expects His people to do the same.

In Luke 7, Jesus enters a small village called Nain (which means pleasant or beautiful). There he finds a widow whose only son died. As the bearers carried the bier, Jesus touched it and said, “Young man, I say to you, arise” (Luke 7:14). The peopled glorified God and great fear seized them. This story highlights Christ’s compassion on the widows. We may not be able to bring people back from the dead, but we certainly can have compassion on people who are struggling.

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Faith that rewards

a woman in black long sleeve shirt sitting on wooden pew

We know that faith without works is dead, but it’s also true that works without faith makes it impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” This is a profound statement, and there are loads of examples that demonstrate this point. By faith, Noah built the ark. Noah had no idea what the big picture was, but by faith he knew that God would reward him. And on the list goes.

This means that our faith is necessary (maybe even more so) even when times get very tough. There is no clearer demonstration of this than when Peter walked on water. The disciples had already vowed to follow Jesus wherever he went. When the disciples saw Jesus walking on water during the storm, Jesus said, “Take heart; it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27). Jesus used the same expression (ego eimi), it is I, that God used when he revealed himself to Moses as “I AM” (ego eimi). Peter’s response signals that he understood the connection: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (vs. 28).

Jesus simply commanded, “Come.” Peter’s faith empowered him to not only believe, but to step out onto the chaos of the stormy waters with Jesus. Peter know that “whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Peter was, in fact, rewarded for his faith. It probably looked nothing like what Peter expected, but he was rewarded, nonetheless.

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Show hospitality

silhouette of man with angel wings during dawn

Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained anges unawares.” Right away, we think of Sarah and Abraham, who spoke to three men near the oaks of Mamre in Genesis 18. In the form of the three angels, the Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son” (Genesis 18:9). Of course, Sarah laughed to herself thinking she was too old to have a child.

The angels proceded toward Sodom and that’s when things got very interesting. Men of the city attempted to break into Lot’s house where the angels were staying. They wanted to do crude things to the men and Lot attempted to send his daughters outside instead. Fortunately, the angels intervened and struck the men of Sodom blind. The angels instructed Lot to get his family out of the city because God was about to destroy it.

Of course we know the end of that story. Were it not for the angels warning Lot, his entire family would have been wiped out. And were it not for Lot’s hospitality, the same end would have been met. We truly never do know when we are entertaining, or have entertained, angels. But one thing we do know–the Bible is clear that we are to be hospitable!

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God is near to the brokenhearted

calm young woman looking at camera through broken window

Jesus was able to draw crowds of thousands because he treated them well. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and forgave sinners. People who were social outcasts were treated with dignity and grace. So where did this come from, and how should we respond as Christians? It turns out that kindness towards the brokenhearted has always been who God is. Psalm 34 is all about the goodness of God. “Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Psalm 34:10). But also, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (vs. 18).

Over and over again, God draws near to the brokenhearted. It’s who he is. Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Isaiah 61:1 says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison for those who are bound.”

So Jesus’ words are powerful, but not without a long history of God exercising comfort to the brokenhearted and weary: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). As Christians, we need to learn from Jesus and treat people the way he treated them. He gave rest to people who were struggling. He honored their labor and even joined forces with them.

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Worthy of the resurrection

human standing beside crucifix statue on mountain

Do you ever think of yourself as worthy of the resurrection? On Easter, Christians across the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. God so loved the world that he gave his only son for us–to live, to die, and to be raised from death. We usually focus on the resurrection story itself, but there is another lesser known story that really describes our worthiness of the being raised again.

The Sadducees (who don’t believe in the resurrection), asked Jesus a hypothetical question, attempting to trap him. In the scenario, a woman’s husband dies and, according to the law of Moses, she must remarry his next brother. This goes on, until all 7 of the brothers die. They asked Jesus whose wife she will be in the resurrection. Jesus answered, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore” (Luke 20:34, 35).

In fact, Jesus says they are equal to the angels and are the sons of God! Jesus said that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him. Even when we die, we are not dead! Our physical body might be dead, but our souls live on. This is the power of the resurrection of the true God!

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Joy and peace in hope

person standing on hand rails with arms wide open facing the mountains and clouds

As we near Easter Sunday, where we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, it’s important to focus on the week leading up to his death. We know the story of the triumphal entry, a story that is recorded in all four gospel accounts. Jesus was fulfilling Zechariah 9:9 when he rode into Jerusalem on a the colt of a donkey. As he entered Jerusalem, according to Luke, he wept over Jerusalem: “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:42). Just prior to this even, according to John, Jesus wept when he saw that his friend Lazarus was dead. Ironically, some of his disciples said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11:37).

We also know that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. It turns out that Jesus, in fact, not only had the power to raise people from the dead but he also was going to be raised just a few days later! This represents a time when weeping would turn into joy and celebration. The resurrection gives us hope. We are told that we are raised with Christ in our baptism and that the faithful will be raised from the dead at the judgment. This is why Christians have hope.

Paul affirmed this in his letter to the Romans when he said, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Our joy and peace is rooted in the hope of the resurrection! We do not fear man, because God overcame the world and conquered death!

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