May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. [Psalm 19:14]
I’m sharing these daily devotions in the hope they will inspire you to read God’s word. I’m praying that they will help you find your way to a closer relationship with God. [Read More ….]
After His resurrection, Jesus spent forty days with his disciples. On the fortieth day, He told them to remain in Jerusalem until they received the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. Then, with his followers watching, Jesus was taken up in a cloud and ascended into heaven.
Today marks the 40th day of Easter. Known as Ascension Day or the Feast of the Ascension, we remember and celebrate Jesus’ ascent into heaven today. Although Augustine of Hippo and his contemporaries John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nyssa held that the Feast of the Ascension originated with the Apostles and dated as far back as 68 AD, no written evidence of its celebration before the fourth century exists today. From that time on, however, this 40th day has been a church holiday. Nowadays, it is observed primarily in Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and liturgical Protestant churches. Whether or not we consider Jesus’ ascension into heaven a religious holiday, it is a significant event in Christianity.
At Easter, we celebrated Jesus’ resurrection: His return to the disciples and life in this world. But, rather than stopping at the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, we should continue through His ascension. With His ascent, we observe Jesus’ physical departure from the disciples and our world, His rise into heaven, and God the Son being seated at the right hand of God the Father.
Jesus’ ascension signified that His task on earth was complete. His time here over, Jesus was returning to His full heavenly glory to reign as the one true King. Until His return, only one more piece needed to be put in place here on earth – the giving of the Holy Spirit – which happened ten days later on Pentecost.
Unlike most partings, Jesus’ departure was not a sad farewell; it was a joyous one. What a glorious sight it must have been as the disciples stood on the Mount of Olives and watched Jesus being taken up in a cloud. If any had doubted before, they now knew for sure that Jesus truly was God and His home was in heaven! As Jesus disappeared into a cloud, the astonished men stood there, mouths agape, until two angels appeared and assured them that Jesus would return in the same way He departed. This promise tells us that Jesus will descend visibly, bodily, and literally to the Mount of Olives when He finally returns to our world.
Before parting, Jesus commissioned His disciples to be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth.” Rather than wait there for His return, the disciples returned to Jerusalem and went about God’s business—spreading the good news of the gospel. That assignment was not limited to the eleven who were with Jesus that day—that commission extends to every one of Christ’s followers. Each of us has a job to do until the day of His return!
Soon we shall be up there with Christ. God did not mean us to be happy without Him; but God would first have us to be witnesses for Him down here, to hold out as much light as we can. [G.V. Wigram]
That smiling bride in today’s photo is my mother. Taken at her wedding eighty-eight years ago, it’s one of the few photos I have of her. A quiet unassuming woman, I don’t think she thought of herself as pretty and she disliked having her picture taken. Nevertheless, even with her freckled face, unruly hair, overbite, thick glasses and hearing aid, my mother was the most beautiful woman I’ve known…and her smile could light up a room.
It was at my mother’s side that I learned to love the written word. She urged me to read all sorts of books that were probably considered far too adult for a girl my age and we discussed every one of them in detail. She was intelligent and creative and encouraged me in every one of my endeavors. She was incredibly open with me about her past, her faith, and her feelings. Perhaps she knew her time on earth was brief, so she packed everything a mother wants to teach her daughter into fifteen short years.
It was from my mother that I learned about generosity, love, forgiveness, and how to find peace in the turmoil. She showed me that true love takes effort and is more a choice than a feeling. She introduced me to the writing of C.S. Lewis and started me on my journey of faith. It was through her that I came to know Jesus. This shy humble woman taught me courage: courage in the face of disappointment, adversity, and betrayal—courage in the face of cancer and in the face of death. She taught me how to live and how to die.
My mother probably was the most beautiful when she was the least attractive—without any make-up, a towel wrapped around her head like a turban, and lying in a hospital bed, just a few days before her death. As we were departing her hospital room, my father leaned over, picked up a corner of her oxygen tent, ducked in and kissed her. He said, “You look like an angel tonight.” Her response, said with a smile on her radiant face, was, “Maybe tomorrow I’ll be with the angels!” Indeed, as she passed through the valley of death, she knew who accompanied her. My mother wasn’t afraid because she had complete faith in God’s promises. She wasn’t worried; trusting God that the family she left behind would be just fine, she knew that where she was headed would be even better. She may not have been what some would call “pretty”, but my mother was the most beautiful woman in my world. I do, however, have to admit that my mother-in-law, another wonderful woman of faith, ran a close second! In His grace, God blessed me with two beautiful mothers—not everyone is so blessed!
Dear Lord, we thank you for our mothers: those beautiful women who gave us life. We also thank you for all of the other beautiful women of faith who have blessed our lives with their encouragement, enlightenment, love, guidance, and good example. Please reassure them that, in spite of what the mirror and society may tell them, they are truly beautiful both in your eyes and ours!
You will find all true theology summed up in these two short sentences: Salvation is all of the grace of God. Damnation is all of the will of man. [Charles Spurgeon]
Thinking we’d never be old enough to retire in Florida, we used to spend our winters in a Colorado mountain town and our days skiing on the slopes. The lift line crew at one lift often posted riddles or trivia questions on a board at the bottom of the hill. As we pondered the answer while riding up, we’d see the answer at the top as we skied off the lift. One day the question was, ”What is greater than God? The poor have it, the rich need it and, if you eat it, you will die!”
We pondered the riddle while riding to the top of the run. I was perturbed that someone would think anything or anyone was greater than God, even in a silly riddle. Seeing no answer posted at the top, I skied back down to get it. When getting on the lift again, I complained that nothing had been written on the upper board. “But, you’ve just said the answer!” replied the lift operator. Duh! I’d completely ignored the obvious response while concentrating on the second part of the riddle. By focusing on the rich, the poor, and some sort of poison, I’d missed the first and obvious response—nothing is greater than God! The poor have nothing, the rich need nothing and, if we eat nothing, we’ll die!
I made a simple riddle far more complicated than necessary, something we often do with our faith. For example, during one Bible study someone asked what would happen to our dogs during the Rapture. While it made for a fascinating discussion (did you know some non-Christians offer “After the Rapture” pet care?), the various Christian views about the end times are perplexing. As for me, I’m not going to complicate my faith by pondering the Rapture’s date, let alone worry about pets when it happens or whether dogs and cats will be in heaven. We have a loving God and I’m sure He’s got everything planned out quite thoroughly.
It’s admirable that some people want to dig deep into questions of theology, doctrine, and dogma. I do it myself at times but often end up going down a rabbit hole which leaves me more confused than when I started! It’s incredibly easy to get bogged down in complex and unclear issues that make Christianity and the Bible far more difficult than they need be. Our relationship with God won’t suffer if we can’t hold forth on subjects like the Rapture and tribulation, annihilationism, predestination, Calvinism, Arminianism, and the various doctrinal differences between denominations. Trying to come to terms with the minute details can keep us from the big picture: having a relationship with God the Father, believing in his Son Jesus Christ, and feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
We don’t have to be theologians to be Christians; we just have to be followers of Christ. It’s not necessary to know Greek or Hebrew to read or understand the Bible. Attendance at seminary isn’t a prerequisite for prayer; it’s no more difficult than talking on the phone. We don’t have to take lessons in how to worship to be able to lift our hearts in praise and no evangelism seminar is required for us to share God’s message of love.
Let us remember that we have a God who designed caterpillars so they become butterflies and gave marsupials pockets in which to carry their young! He doesn’t repeat fingerprints or snowflakes, keeps our solar system functioning flawlessly, turns tiny acorns into giant oaks, gives us incredible rainbows, and made crying babies loveable. A God so powerful and resourceful that he merely spoke the universe into existence certainly was able to create us in such a way that knowing Him, understanding His word, having faith, saying a prayer, offering praise and thanksgiving, and sharing His message are well within our capabilities. Let’s remember—none of the Apostles were rocket scientists or Greek scholars and they did just fine!
The Bible is shallow enough for a child not to drown, yet deep enough for an elephant to swim. [Augustine]
Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin. [Mother Teresa]
When my mother-in-law sold her Florida condo, my husband and I spent two weeks cleaning, sorting, packing, shipping, donating, and tossing the possessions that remained after she returned north. We both had surgeries scheduled later that month so we worked hard and fast to get everything done while we were still able to lift and tote. Once done, we congratulated ourselves that twelve boxes had been shipped north and everything cleaned, disposed of, or donated in record time. Then, we got a call from my mother-in-law! In spite of already having several sets of dominoes in Illinois, she wanted a wooden set she’d left in Florida. Made by a friend, they had numbers instead of dots. Unaware of their sentimental value to her, they were in one of the first boxes donated to a charity for resale at their thrift stores. Although we checked at all four of the charity’s shops, the dominos were gone for good; there was no getting them back!
The dominoes we couldn’t get back reminded me of something else we can’t reclaim: time. We don’t want to thoughtlessly dispose of any of our precious days the way my husband and I did that bag of dominoes. Rich and poor alike, we all have a certain amount of time allotted to us and, like that hand-made set of dominoes, it is irreplaceable. Once spent, time is gone and gone for good; no amount of money can create or buy more of it. We’re all born with an expiration date, but we don’t know what it is. Nevertheless, as we age, we know that date is growing close.
It’s been said that life is like a roll of toilet paper—the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes! Indeed, at my age, time seems to pass at warp speed. Just as my husband and I wanted to get my mother-in-law’s house cleaned out before our surgeries, I have several half-finished projects that, God willing, I’d like to complete before I’m called home. Wanting to make the best use of the time remaining, I am going into semi-retirement. For the time being, I will continue hosting my web site and sending out devotions twice a week. While some new ones will appear, many of those devotions will have been previously published. (I have over 2,400 from which to choose.)
Thank you, dear reader, for allowing me into your life while joining me in my faith journey. My prayer is that you continue to grow in your faith. God’s peace and joy to you, jsjdevotions
Always remember your end and do not forget that lost time never returns. [Thomas à Kempis]
While anointing people seems a bit strange to us in the 21st century, in Jesus’ day it was a tradition among the Hebrews to anoint a guest with oil as a way of welcoming them into your home. Anointing them with perfume like nard, however, was a costly and significant act of devotion and honor—one saved for exceptional occasions. A major economic sacrifice, it signaled wholehearted commitment. That twelve ounces of nard used to anoint Jesus in Bethany represented a full year’s wages!
Unlike us, the people at that dinner in Bethany didn’t have the benefit of the gospels—they didn’t know what soon would happen. Had you been at that dinner some 2,000 years ago, what would you think if you saw a woman use an entire jar of expensive nard to anoint Jesus? Would that have seemed wasteful to you? If she were so willing to part with it, couldn’t she have used less on Jesus and sold the rest to serve the poor? The Hebrew Scriptures are filled with commands to care for widows and orphans and it was Jesus who told the rich young ruler to sell all his belongings and give to the poor! The disciples’ indignation at such extravagance is understandable and I might have joined in their criticism of her actions.
Were the disciples surprised when, rather than agreeing with them, Jesus said to leave his anointer alone and then praised her? He repeated the first part of Deuteronomy 15:11: “For there will never cease to be poor people in the land….” but didn’t say the rest: “that is why I am commanding you, ‘Open your hand willingly to your poor and needy brother in your land.’” True, the poor always will be with us in this broken world, but Jesus’ words seem somewhat callous until we understand His point. He wasn’t denying the importance of charity and the opportunities for charity will never cease. Nevertheless, there would not be another opportunity to do for Him what had been done! Unlike the poor, He would be there only a little longer and any chance to show Him love soon would be gone.
Had this been anyone else, Jesus’ words would have been outrageous and self-centered. But, Jesus wasn’t a narcissist, He was God! The God who, for our sake, “Though he was rich… became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” [2 Cor 8:9] Let us remember that the first of the great commandments is to love God above all others and that is exactly what the woman did! Yes, we are to care for the poor but, first and foremost, we are to worship God! When she saw an opportunity to serve Jesus, she did and saved nothing for herself. That alabaster jar of nard, worth 300 denarii, might have been her dowry!
Genuine devotion never considers the cost; it simply does all that it can. When she anointed Jesus that night in Bethany, this woman simply did what she could. Jesus asks nothing more of us—we are to do what we can. In his Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, J.D. Jones said this about her: “She spent herself to the uttermost. ‘What she could’: and I confess that I feel a stab at my conscience as I read the little phrase. How many of us can say that?” I can’t; can you?
Luke’s anointing of Jesus by a “sinful” woman at the home of Simon the Pharisee is not to be confused with the anointings related by Matthew, Mark, and John. Their gospels all tell of a dinner where a woman lavishly anoints Jesus in Bethany near the end of Jesus’ ministry. In John 12:1-11, the dinner seems to occur six days before the Passover and was given to honor Jesus for raising Lazarus from the dead. Martha served Jesus and the disciples, Lazarus was present, and Mary (Martha’s sister) anointed the Lord. Using a pound of nard (an expensive and aromatic ointment), she anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. Noting that the nard was worth about a year’s wages, Judas complained at the wastefulness and asked why it wasn’t sold and the money given to the poor. Noting that Judas was the one who would betray Jesus, John explains that he didn’t care about the poor; Judas was a thief who stole from the money bag!
Similar (but not identical) to John’s story are the versions found in Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9. Their placement in the gospels leads us to think this event occurred after Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, two days before the Passover. Neither gospel mentions Lazarus, Martha, Mary, or name the woman who did the anointing. They both identify the dinner’s host as Simon the leper (not to be confused with Luke’s Simon “the Pharisee.”) Simon was the most common name in 1st century Palestine. Any skin ailment was called leprosy and calling him “the leper” distinguished him from the other Simons in Bethany. Although his skin condition was healed, his nickname remained. An unnamed woman approached Jesus with an alabaster jar of perfume and poured the expensive nard on Jesus’ head. Rather than singling out Judas as did John, Matthew said “the disciples” and Mark said “some” complained of such an extravagant waste of money.
All three gospels tell us that Jesus responded to the men’s indignation by defending the woman and telling them to leave her alone. Referring to His death just days away, He tells the men they always will have the poor but they won’t always have Him, adding that the woman anointed Him in preparation for His burial. Unlike many others, it appears she was one of the few who understood that Jesus was soon to die!
While there is a remote possibility there were two anointings in Bethany that week, most scholars think we have three accounts of the same incident. Divergent accounts are not necessarily false ones and the differences in the three versions are easily reconciled. While it’s easy to assume the dinner was at Lazarus’ house, John says “they” gave a dinner for Jesus but never says who “they” are. We know Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were siblings but, for all we know, Simon was their father or Martha’s husband! Regardless of who hosted it, Martha serving the meal certainly was true to her character. That Mark and Matthew don’t mention the presence of Martha, Mary, or Lazarus doesn’t mean they weren’t there; they don’t name any of the guests.
Although Matthew and Mark say “the disciples” or “some” were indignant about the extravagant waste of money, that doesn’t mean Judas didn’t complain—only that he wasn’t the only disciple to object. While the other disciples’ objections may have been for philanthropic reasons, John made it clear that Judas’s harsh words were those of a disappointed thief and betrayer!
Mark and Matthew specifically say the woman poured the nard on Jesus’ head while John says Mary anointed His feet, but none say “only” head or feet. Twelve ounces of nard was enough to anoint both. Anointing the feet and then wiping them with one’s hair rather than a towel was a profound act of humility. By mentioning the feet, John was emphasizing Mary’s willingness to humble herself in service and worship.
As to the issue of chronology, the gospel writers didn’t always write chronologically. Writing to a specific audience with a specific purpose, they often wrote topically or thematically. Rather than in sequential order, events often were placed where they fit best. Moreover, without paragraph indentations and chapter headings, we can’t be sure where certain events end and others begin or when those events occurred. John merely says that Jesus came to Bethany six days before the Passover, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the dinner was held then. Despite what at first seem to be inconsistencies, Matthew, Mark, and John all seem to have related the same event from their unique perspectives.
Whenever we find what seem to be contradictory accounts in the gospels, they turn out to be complementary; rather than conflicting with one another, we find they flesh out the story with other details. As John pointed out at the end of his gospel, much that happened in Jesus’ time on earth was not recorded.
Devotions of the Heart 