Week 38 Daily Dose of Love
#260 (9/17)
The Plot Against
Jesus
John 11:45-53
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done. So the chief priests and
the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.
If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place
and our nation.”
But one of them, Caiaphas, who was
high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better
for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” He did not say
this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the
nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to
put him to death.
“Jesus’ gift of life leads to his own death.” It is supremely ironic that the High Priest who was seen
as a person who was very close to God hatched a plot to kill Jesus right after his most spectacular miracle. Caiaphas gave in to the same temptation that confronts everyone who attains a position of prominence and
authority; he allowed hubris and self-interest to limit his perspective. Jesus’ actions did not fit
into the frame through which Caiaphas viewed the world. Caiaphas probably took his relationship with God
for granted as he responded to the demands and responsibilities of his position. His frame of reference
shrunk until he no longer saw the love of God within the limitations of his narrowed vision.
Imagine a picture frame that
is smaller than the picture it would encompass. An inordinate sense of one’s own authority and interests
keeps shrinking the frame until it only reveals the part of the picture that preserves one’s status and authority. That’s
what happened to Caiaphas, and what can happen to us if security and self-preservation become more important than our relationship
with God. Reflection/Discussion:
How can we become aware of the frames the limit our perceptions?
Principles of Love:
Vision; Suffering
Pray Through the Day:
Open our eyes
To deepen our love
#261
(9/18)
Jesus Leaves for Ephriam
John 11:54-57
Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the
region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples.
Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking
for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the
festival, will he?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew
where Jesus was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
Love involves both risk and timing. There is risk in love because many in
the world do not see the depth and potential of God’s love in their lives. People who are caught
up in ego, defensiveness, or power often see loving action as a threat to their position and respond with rejection or even
emotional or physical violence. Love involves timing because it exists to be received and shared. Love
is not something we blindly project outward. Rather, it is a personal encounter whose form is molded and
shaped with the recipient in mind. Jesus knew that the supreme act of love he was about to share with the
world would have its greatest impact if it occurred during Passover. He kept away from his persecutors,
not to protect himself, but to wait for the appropriate time. Reflection/Discussion:
What are the risks of love in our lives?
Principles of Love:
Suffering
Pray Through the Day:
Use our pain
To
deepen our love
#262 (9/19)
The Third Prediction of the Passion
Matthew 20:17-19
While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them
on the way, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief
priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged
and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.”
Mark 10:32-34
They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus
was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began
to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed
over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles;
they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.”
Luke 18:31-34
Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is
written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be handed over to the Gentiles;
and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon. After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and
on the third day he will rise again.” But they understood nothing about all these things; in fact,
what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
Love requires courage, which is the ability to acknowledge fear while maintaining clear
vision. If we allow fear to fill our entire frame of reference, we become paralyzed. If
we suppress or dismiss fear, we may be unable to clearly judge risk or determine the most appropriate course of action. The disciples were unable to grasp what Jesus said because the frames through which they viewed
reality did not yet encompass the full implications of Jesus’ love for us or how the world might respond to that love.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we keep our hearts open in fearful
situations?
Principles of Love:
Suffering; Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Use our pain
To deepen our love
#263
(9/20)
Request of the Disciples
Matthew 20:20-24
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him.
And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will
sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You
do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We
are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and
at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers.
Mark 10:35-41
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to
him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said
to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit,
one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do
not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized
with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink
you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my
left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard
this, they began to be angry with James and John.
James and John looked at Jesus through a frame made up of their own imagination and
desire. They neither acknowledged their fear nor saw the purpose of what Jesus was doing. This created
fertile ground for illusion. They had been very close to Jesus throughout his ministry and were marching
with him to face a very dangerous situation. They seemed to be making a perfectly reasonable request from their clouded and
distorted perspective.
We can learn from James and John.
If we take even our seemingly stupid questions to Jesus, he will help us see more clearly. From
our limited perspective, we cannot always tell the difference between fantasy and reality. But when we
bring our illusions to Jesus, he can help us to expand and adjust the frame that limits our perspective so that eventually
we see the larger picture a bit more clearly.
Reflection/Discussion:
What are some limitations of the frames through which we view Jesus?
Principles of Love:
Humility; Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Help us be humble
So we may love
#264
(9/21)
Whoever Would Be Great
Matthew 20:25-28
But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their
great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you
must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served
but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:42-45
So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know
that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over
them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Luke 22:24-27
A dispute also arose among them
as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, “The kings of the
Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you;
rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who
is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who
serves.
Jesus gives his disciples and us a new frame through which they can gain a much clearer perspective on the nature
of God and his love for us. Love is not just about us. It is very personal, but it includes
all of God’s creation. Evelyn Underhill described humanity as part of one “spiritual symphony.”
Each of us has a part to play and “all contribute to one music.” Human perception of being “the greatest” identifies that which separates and elevates
us above others. Jesus’ perception of being greatest is one who connects with and elevates us all.
This only happens when we serve others.
Reflection/Discussion:
Who are we to serve in this world?
Principles of Love:
Humility; Vision; Unity; Compassion
Pray Through the Day:
Help us be humble
So we may love
#265 (9/22)
Healing of a Blind Man
Matthew 20:29-34
As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed
him. There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they
shouted, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet;
but they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” Jesus stood still
and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord,
let our eyes be opened.” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained
their sight and followed him.
Mark 10:46-52
They
came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar,
was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say,
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried
out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call
him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”
So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do
you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus
said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
Luke 18:35-43
As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he
heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing
by.” Then he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those
who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, “What
do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me see again.” Jesus said to him,
“Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed
him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.
“Let our eyes be opened.” “Let me see.”
These words stand in stark contrast between the request of the disciples and the reaction of Jewish leaders to the
works of Jesus in previous passages. It is hard to think of a clearer statement of what we need from
Jesus. The simple request to “Let me see” is a profound indication of the
depth of one’s faith: We can only pray these words if we realize that we can never see as God sees.
We can only pray these words if we fully trust that God is the loving creator of our universe. We
can only pray these words if we want our hearts and minds to be opened and if we are willing to respond lovingly to the vision
that Jesus gives to us. Reflection/Discussion:
What do we need to see?
Principles of Love:
Vision; Compassion
Pray Through the Day:
Open our eyes
To deepen our love
#266 (9/23)
Zacchaeus
Luke 19:1-10
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A
man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus
was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed
a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked
up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So
he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone
to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look,
half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times
as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is
a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
Zacchaeus realized that he was
too small to see Jesus clearly so he rises above his earthly stature and gains a new perspective on life and love. Jesus came “to seek out and to save the lost.” When we’re
lost, we don’t see where we are or what direction we need to take. Zacchaeus was very rich in worldly
terms, but from his new perspective he realized that riches and the means he used to achieve them blocked his vision of God’s
love. Once he saw and experienced the love of Jesus, his path became clear and salvation came to his house.
Reflection/Discussion:
What changes might we make if Jesus came
to our house?
Principles of Love:
Forgiveness; Decision; Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Lord, Jesus Christ
Have mercy on us
