Overwhelmed with Blessings

All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of God, your God. Deuteronomy 28.2

Hallmark has done a great job of getting us to send greeting cards. Most of us expect to get a number of cards to help us celebrate special occasions. A friend of my parents' takes this to the extreme. She sends them a card about every week to ten days, just to remind them that she is thinking about them and wishing them well. All of her cards are handmade by her and are quite attractive. These are not cards you read and throw away - you put them on display. My parents have so many of these little works of art that it is becoming a challenge to find room for them. Just as they get one put up, another arrives in the mail!

My father passed away last month. (And we got lots of cards, a nice blessing of caring.) Preparing for his memorial service, I thought about all the good times we had, and the nuggets of wisdom he passed on to me. I realized how much he shaped my character. I had more blessings than there was time to share.

As I delivered my remembrance at the service, I could not help but cry. It was not that I was sad. My dad had a great life and retirement. And I got to see him one more time just before he died. No, I was overcome by how awesome my blessings were, are, and continue to be.

Not everyone can say this, but my sister and I won the lottery, the parent lottery. My upbringing and support are my biggest blessings. What God has done for me is amazing. As I thank God for my many blessings, I also think about how God might use me to bless others. Am I available? Are my eyes open for opportunities? It's something to think about and ask God's help with at Easter time and beyond.

Have you been overwhelmed with blessings?

John Ebert
Walking the Road

John serves on the Interfaith Hospitality Network team. He lives in Merriam, Kansas.

He is Risen

It is important to remember that as the women walked to the tomb on “the dawning of the third day” they expected only to find a dead body. They hoped for nothing more.

Mark says they were met by a young man in a white robe. Matthew says he was an angel whose appearance was like lightning, his clothing white as snow. John says it was two angels. Luke says it was two men in dazzling clothes.

Each account is different. No two of us ever describe the same episode in the same terms. What is universally affirmed, however, is the basic fact of the empty tomb. That never varies. As William Barclay said, nothing so wonderful as the resurrection can escape a certain enhancement as it is repeatedly told and retold.

The tomb was empty! Jesus was not there. “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” the women were asked. “He is not here, but has risen.” (Luke 24:5)

Thanks be to God who gave Jesus and gives us the victory that we may rise in newness with him!

Steve Langhofer

Steve is the Senior Pastor at Asbury United Methodist Church. He can be reached at SteveL@visitasbury.org.

the Deleted Scenes

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (This) proves God’s love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of God’s Son, much more surely… will we be saved by his life. Romans 5:6, 8, 10

When I finish watching a really good DVD movie I click on the special features. Commonly there is a section called “deleted scenes.” These include often powerful parts of the story that for undisclosed reasons got cut.

Each year in re-reading the gospel accounts of holy week I wonder why some of these scenes were not cut. They are embarrassing to both the disciples and Jesus.

The disciples are slow learners and often don’t get who Jesus was or what he taught. They can’t stay awake when he needs them to be alert and supportive. They all desert. Judas skulks away, only later to return with a kiss. Peter denies three times. Jesus tells them repeatedly he will die but they don’t believe him.

Good film editors might have deleted scenes that make the lead character look bad. Not Mark, Luke, Matthew or John. They keep it all in—good, bad and ugly. I’m so glad. If God deleted the disciples for their poor understanding or lack of faith, surely God would need to delete me and you!

The good news of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection is that, for clearly disclosed reasons, God loves us. Without condition. Especially when we do not deserve it. Amazing God!

Steve Langhofer Walking the Road

Steve Langhofer is the Senior Pastor at Asbury United Methodist Church. Email him at stevel@visitasbury.org

Pilate

As we near the end of our journey, we are taking a closer look at some of our fellow travelers.

Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, Idumea, and Samaria from 26-36 AD, was appointed by Tiberius Caesar. It was a thankless and dangerous job. Rome expected its administrators to be successful in keeping law and order; collecting taxes; improving conditions (roads, water systems, public safety) and convincing the populace that Rome is their benefactor.

Pilate doesn't want trouble. He doesn't know (or want to know) the details and implications of Jewish belief and custom. He doesn't understand all the Jewish factions, or why they fight, or what about. He doesn't know who or how many people might care about this Jesus. What he cares about is keeping things quiet, and important people happy. Pilate is being threatened with a riot if he doesn't cooperate.

Jesus is being accused of forbidding people to pay their taxes and of calling Himself a king (over Caesar). If these charges were true, Pilate would not hesitate to kill the man. Nor would there be any repercussions for Pilate. But Pilate knows there is something fishy. Why would Jews accuse another Jew of crimes against Rome when every Jew would approve of these actions? Pilate knows the Jewish authorities want Jesus dead, but he doesn't know why. They aren't going to tell him the real reasons. That makes him wonder all the more.

Pilate then makes a strong appeal for the release of Jesus. But each effort he makes is rejected. If anybody had spoken for Jesus , what would have happened? We will never know. But partly, at least, Pilate is delaying, to see who will be offended if he does condemn Jesus. Nobody steps forward. Jesus is, in this hour, a man nobody cares about. We have to wonder, at this point, where all the friends and followers, and especially the twelve.... where have they gone?

From the book "The Believer's Road" by Bruce Van Blair. (Luke Twenty-Three)

Judas

As we near the end of our journey, we're taking a closer look at some of our fellow travelers.

Jesus chooses Judas after praying all night. He chooses each of the twelve because of qualities He senses, and bonds that are already growing. He choose them because together they represent all the major qualities of energy and personality, so that together they can appeal to everyone, and together they can represent all aspects of life. Twelve disciples to start the new "twelve tribes" of the New Covenant.

Judas is a sleeper in a sense. He is more attached to position, fame, and wealth than the other eleven. Yet in some ways he is the deepest in potential. He is too much "within himself," but he also has the marks of greatness if he ever comes out- sees it clearly- buys it all the way. He, like Jesus, is a Pharisee. He has many influential friends and relatives. He is enthralled with the newness and daring of Jesus. He keeps the books because he is a good organizer, and adept at such things. Levi could, but it is easier on everybody to let Judas do it- since Judas is well educated and above suspicion.

As with all of the twelve, Jesus is taking a chance with Judas. Any of the twelve could crack under the pressure of these last days- each in a different way, perhaps, but each one could crack. How close to it the others get, we do not know. That they all come pretty close is revealed in how confused they are when Jesus mentions the subject.

Judas, having been forgiven for total betrayal, will be the only one who really understands how total is the grace of Jesus Christ- and how full the Gospel really is. Sadly, Judas betrays Jesus more in his suicide than he does in his bargain with the chief priest. He does not stay around long enough to be forgiven. He cannot imagine it. He cuts out before Jesus can get back to him. That is the biggest glitch in the whole operation.

From the Book "The Believer's Road" by Bruce Van Blair. (Luke Twenty-Two)

Annas

As we near the end of our journey and approach the cross of Easter, we are taking a closer look at some of our fellow travelers. Today we look at the High Priest Annas.

Only John tells us that Jesus was first brought before Annas. Annas was the Jewish High Priest from 6 to 15 AD. Four of his sons also held this office. His son-in-law Calaphas was now in office. The family was immensely rich and they bribed themselves into office with Annas the power behind it all.

The family made their money by selling sacrifices inside the Court of the Gentiles in the temple. Every animal offered in the temple had to be without blemish. there were inspectors to make sure each animal met the necessary quality. If an animal was bought outside the Temple it was certain that a flaw would be found. the worshipper was directed to buy at the Temple booths where the animals had already been examined and where there was no risk of rejection. Sounds helpful right? But outside the temple a pair of doves would cost about 4 p; inside the Temple at the booths ran by Annas it would cost as much as 75p. The whole business was set up to exploit the worshippers. The Jews hated Annas for this reason.

Jesus had attacked this business, thrown over the tables, chased out the livestock and called them a den of thieves. Jesus had hit Annas where it would hurt the most- his pocket.

So now Annas wanted to be the first to gloat over the capture of this disturbing Galilean.

One more tid bit from today's reading. When Jesus and His disciples left the upper room after celebrating the Last Super they walked to the Garden of Gethsemane. Bible scholars tell us that path would have taken them down a steep valley and across the channel of the Kedron brook. At this time all the Passover lambs were being killed in the Temple, and the blood of the lambs was poured on the altar as an offering to God. Some estimates say that as many as 250,000 lambs may have been slaughtered. That's a lot of blood. From the altar there was a channel down to the Kedron brook, through that channel the blood of the Passover lambs drained away. So as Jesus walked over the brook it would be red with the blood of the lambs. And as He did so wouldn't the thought of His own sacrifice be vivid in His mind.

From the Asbury New Testament Challenge. http://www.asburyumcnewtestamentchallenge.blogspot.com/

Diane Young Myers. Director of Discipleship

Simon of Cyrene

As we near the end of our journey and approach the cross of Easter, we are taking a closer look at some of our fellow travelers.

The bible is full of stories of ordinary people who by the power of God do extraordinary things. One of these is Simon of Cyrene.

When a criminal was condemned to be crucified, he was taken from the judgement hall and set in the middle of a hollow square of four Roman soldiers. His cross was then laid upon his shoulders and he was marched to the place of crucifixion by the longest route possible. A soldier marched before him with a placard inscribed with his crime as a warning to anyone else who was contemplating such a crime.

During the time of Jesus, Palestine was an occupied country and any citizen at any time could be immediately forced into service by the Roman government. A Roman soldier could enlist your "involuntary" help by tapping you on the shoulder with the flat blade of a Roman spear. When Jesus sank beneath the weight of His cross, the Roman centurion in charge looked around for someone else to carry it. Enter Simon of Cyrene.

Simon was probably a Jew who had scraped and saved his whole life so that he might be able to eat one Passover in Jerusalem. He had come to participate in a cherished lifetime ambition, and he now found himself schlepping a heavy cross to Calvary. It's not too much of a reach to assume he might not have been very happy.

So what exactly makes Simon so extraordinary? The Bible says that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Obviously the sons were well known people to early Christians. Paul writes in his letter to Rome "Greet Rufus, and his mother." So somehow the humility of carrying the cross for the Christ must have changed Simon in a profound way.

From the Asbury New Testament Challenge. http://www.asburyumcnewtestamentchallenge.blogspot.com/

Diane Young Myers. Director of Discipleship