Week 40 Daily Dose of Love
#274 (10/1)
Cursing the
Fig Tree
Matthew 21:18-19
In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree
by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, “May no fruit
ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
Mark 11:12-14
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he
was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything
on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to
it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Cursing the fig tree is the only destructive
act that Jesus performs in all of the gospels. This incident is highly significant at this point in Jesus’
time on earth because it demonstrates his power and authority over nature. Jesus had the ability to make
the fig tree wither and die with a few words. He could have used that same power to end the rejection, suffering, and torture he is
about to endure but he chose not to. At any moment during his passion, he could have used his ability to
destroy his enemies. There is only one reason that he didn’t do that: Love. Jesus came
to earth to help us experience the love of God, and to show us how to live in and through that love. We
don’t have the power to end our suffering as Jesus did but he showed us how to choose love in the midst of pain and
rejection. Enduring suffering for the sake of love deepens our capacity for love by stripping away selfish
desires for security and comfort so we can more fully realize the scope and depth of God’s love for us.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we learn to love when we are suffering?
Principles of Love:
Suffering; Decision
Pray Through the Day:
Use our pain
To deepen our love
#275 (10/2)
Whatever You Ask in Prayer
Matthew 21:20-22
When the disciples saw it, they
were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” Jesus answered them, “Truly
I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say
to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. Whatever you ask
for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”
Mark 11:20-26
In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree
withered away to its roots. Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that
you cursed has withered.” Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly
I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your
heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever
you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. “Whenever you stand
praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”
Love is the driving
force in the creation of the world. It is the most powerful force in the universe because it comes from
God, who is the essence of love. Faith is belief in the power of God’s love. Prayer
is communication with God. When we ask for something “in prayer,” we are asking for love, for
the capacity to receive God’s love, and for it to permeate the hearts of all human beings. Love is the original language of all prayer. We receive whatever we ask
for through love. Our expectations regarding timing and details may not be met, but our desire for God’s
love in our life will be fulfilled. Jesus adds that we need to forgive when we pray because forgiveness
makes room in our heart for God’s love.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can our prayers help us be more open to God’s love?
Principles of Love:
Opening; Forgiveness; Nature
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
#276
(10/3)
Question About Authority
Matthew 21:23-27
When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said,
“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said
to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I
do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued
with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.”
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority
I am doing these things.
Mark 11:27-33
Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders came to him and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do
them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by
what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?
Answer me.” They argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say,
‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”—they were afraid
of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”
And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Luke 20:1-8
One
day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the
elders and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?”
He answered them, “I will also ask you a question, and you tell me: Did the baptism of John
come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” They discussed it with one another, saying, “If
we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ But if we say,
‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
So they answered that they did not know where it came from. Then Jesus said to them, “Neither
will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
The chief priests, scribes, and elders try to calculate how to answer Jesus’ question
so that it serves their own self-interest. There is no room for such calculation in a heart receptive to
love. Jesus does not answer their question because it is clear they will not understand his response. There is a
stark contrast between the question of the chief priests and scribes and Jesus’ statement about what we ask for in prayer
in the previous passage. The chief priests, scribes, and elders have a preconceived idea of the response
they want to hear. Listening to Jesus in prayer is a process of opening our hearts and minds to his
love and wisdom. Our ideas of what we need and want pale in comparison with what we can learn about the
depth and scope of God’s love for us. Reflection/Discussion:
What preconceptions interfere with being open to Jesus’ teaching?
Principles of Love:
Opening; Learning
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
#277 (10/4)
Parable of the Two Sons
Matthew 21:28-32
“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went
to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will
not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and
he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are
going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did
not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your
minds and believe him.
Love is a decision that results in action. We can talk about love all day long,
but if we do not let it guide our actions, we are not carrying out the will of our heavenly father. Selfish desire, impulse, expediency, frustration, and stubbornness turn our thoughts and decisions
away from love. But love is a choice that is always available to us. At every point
in life there is a crossroad that allows us to choose loving action. It is action, not words, that determine
which road we take. Jesus makes it clear that it doesn’t if we start out in the wrong direction as
long as we take the right path now.
Reflection/Discussion:
When are the times when we need to “change our minds”?
Principles of Love:
Decision; Commitment; Learning; Opening; Forgiveness
Pray Through the Day:
Help us always
To choose love
#278
(10/5)
Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Matthew 21:33-41
“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine
press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the
harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized
his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the
first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will
respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is
the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the
vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who
will give him the produce at the harvest time.”
Mark 12:1-9
Then he began to speak to them in parables. “A
man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to
tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from
them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. Then he
sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed.
He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be
ours.’ So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What
then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.
Luke 20:9-16
He
began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went to another country
for a long time. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants in order that they might give him
his share of the produce of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Next
he sent another slave; that one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed. And he sent still
a third; this one also they wounded and threw out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall
I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they
discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours.’
So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Heaven
forbid!”
The clear symbols of the vineyard as God’s people, the tenants as the religious
authorities, and the owner as God, make a statement that is highly critical of the leaders in Jerusalem who have allowed their
self-interest to undermine their commitment to God.
The 13th century mystic, Mechthild
of Magdeburg, wrote, “False holiness likes to hide where self-will holds sway in a heart.” Jesus is warning us about the risk of false holiness among
those who have religious authority. Religious leaders have the responsibility of nurturing their community’s
response to love of God so that it bears good fruit in their people in much the same way as the tenants were designated as
caretakers of the vineyard. But there is a very short step between
being a caretaker and beginning to see oneself as proprietor in the absence of the true owner. The self-interest
among religious leaders is sledom as brazen as the actions of the wicked tenants in the parable, but the effect is similar:
love and compassion are undermined and God’s will is ignored. The only way to avoid this risk is
to strive for humility and maintain regular contact with the true owner.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we help our religious leaders recognize when
self-interest might be clouding their decision- making?
Principles of Love:
Humility; Opening
Pray Through the Day:
Help us be humble
So we may love
#279 (10/6)
Stone which Builders Rejected
Matthew 21:42-46
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the
scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s
doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken
away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this
stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.” When the chief priests
and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest
him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
Mark 12:10-12
Have you not read this scripture: ‘The
stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’?”
When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd.
So they left him and went away.
Luke 20:17-19
But he looked at them and said, “What then does this text mean:
‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who
falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.” When the
scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very
hour, but they feared the people.
The cornerstone is the most prominent stone in a building. It connects the walls
and often contains an inscription that designates the meaning and purpose of the building. The cornerstone
holds the entire structure together and becomes the foundation that provides strength and durability for the building. Jesus came to teach and show us how to love, but was rejected by the religious authorities.
Love is the most prominent feature in our lives. It brings us together and designates the meaning
and purpose of our lives. It is the foundation of the kingdom of God, and it provides eternal strength
and durability even though those who are stuck in a worldly perspective may reject it.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we make love the cornerstone in
our lives?
Principles of Love:
Decision; Nature; Acceptance
Pray Through the Day:
Help us always
To choose love
#280
(10/7)
Give to God the Things that are God’s
Matthew 22:15-22
Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples
to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance
with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then,
what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice,
said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.”
And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?”
They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things
that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard this,
they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
Mark 12:13-17
Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians
to trap him in what he said. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere,
and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth.
Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing
their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.”
And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The
emperor’s.” Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s,
and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.
Luke
20:20-26
So
they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to
the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are
right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth.
Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But he perceived their craftiness
and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?” They said,
“The emperor’s.” He said to them, “Then give to the emperor the things that are
the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were not able in the presence
of the people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became silent.
Jesus is able to out-think the
religious leaders of his time because he sees the larger picture more clearly, while they are restricted by the narrow vision
of their rigid, self-serving agenda. The Pharisees saw Jesus as a threat to their authority and influence. Focusing
narrowly on threat creates obstacles to love by limiting our vision and restricting our heart. There is
a growing illusion among some religious and government leaders that evil can be defeated. They view evil
as something outside of us that threatens our security and salvation. This is how an emperor like Caesar’s
might think: Defeat the enemy and we will be safe, secure, and happy. This kind of
thinking keeps us from seeing our weakness and vulnerability to evil from within. It separates us from
others and places us above them. Strength of conviction and depth of certainty overpower compassion, understanding,
and humility, creating a trap for our hearts much like the trap that the Pharisees tried to set for Jesus. The Roman coin with the image of the emperor is a symbol of power and prestige; safety and
security; acquirement and accomplishment; greed and ego. As much as we may strive for these things, none
of them bring lasting happiness or fulfillment. Let the emperor have these things. God
wants our hearts.
Reflection/Discussion:
How do we give to God the things that are God’s in our daily lives?
Principles of Love:
Vision; Opening; Learning
Pray Through the Day:
Open our eyes
To deepen our love
