Daily Scripture: John 3:14 Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved. 18 Those who trust in him are not judged; those who do not trust have been judged already, in that they have not trusted in the one who is God’s only and unique Son.
19 “Now this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked. 20 For everyone who does evil things hates the light and avoids it, so that his actions won’t be exposed. 21 But everyone who does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see that his actions are accomplished through God.”
Reflection Questions:
Near the end of his life, the apostle Paul wrote, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4:7-8). The man crucified with Jesus couldn't say most of that. But Jesus pledged eternity to "whoever believes." Jesus accepted the man's faith as all the "credential" he needed, so the crucified rebel, too, had a crown of righteousness waiting for him.
- Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus, a Hebrew religious leader with a seminary degree and a prominent social position. The word "whoever" kept recurring, though most of Nicodemus' colleagues believed they were part of a limited set of people who were the only ones God loved. It turned out that "whoever" included even a crucified criminal. Do you trust that "whoever" includes you, too?
- Jesus told a story about some men who worked all day, while others worked a few hours but got the same reward (cf. Matthew 20:1-16). Some of those who worked longer complained. The point was that salvation is a greater gift than any of us could ever earn. "Service time" cannot make us more "saved." How long have you served God? Are you open to accepting newcomers to God’s Kingdom, as Jesus did?
Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, to the proud Pharisee, you repeated, "Whoever." To the man dying on the cross next to yours, you said, "You will be with me." Keep me grateful for your grace, and eager to share the good news. Amen.
Insight from Darren Lippe Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade
Over Spring Break our family took a trip to the East Coast visiting sites that included the Statue of Liberty, Fort McHenry, Colonial Williamsburg, etc. This gave me an opportunity to “visit” with Mr. Fir, a Park Ranger, about today’s challenge.
DL: Mr. Fir, what is it like to be a Park Ranger?
Some folks’ impressions of being a Ranger are limited to Smokey the Bear, Yogi Bear, or handling odd statements like, “If I were a soldier in the Civil War I would have definitely steered clear of this area, what with all the monuments & gravestones.” or “How much of this cave is underground?” or “Is The Gettysburg Address 1195 Baltimore Pike Gettysburg, PA?”
But actually we are caretakers. We are to preserve our nation’s natural & cultural resources for the enjoyment, the education, & the inspiration for this & future generations.
DL: Does it get tiresome?
Douglas Fir: Definitely. Let’s be blunt. Tourists are exhausting. 90% of the folks we encounter are visiting our site for the 1st time, so we deal with the same initial questions & concerns day-in & day-out. We have to fight the temptation of wondering if the hassle is worth it.
Sometimes we can become over-protective of our park. We may want to restrict the number of visitors allowed or try to discourage people from getting the full use of the site, all in the name of preservation.
DL: How do you fight this temptation?
Douglas Fir: We have to remind ourselves that we are always one generation away from losing the comprehension of our nation’s incredible history or even appreciation for nature itself. Our parks are to be protected, but they aren’t supposed to be a shrine – something only viewed from afar under special conditions.
I remember a contentious budget fight over placing some gravel on a trail that was being eroded. Some in opposition thought we should just close the trail & save ourselves the expense. But I was thrilled that the trail was being hiked on so much that we needed to take steps to preserve it. I believe the minute we get in the habit of limiting access is when we begin to limit our nation’s future.
DL: Perhaps we Christians should be like a Park Ranger, ensuring we are doing all that we can to educate & inspire this & future generations in the faith. Our faith is also just one generation away from extinction. Admittedly, we, too, can get tired of starting the faith process over with each new visitor or we may feel tempted to just shut down & say we have reached enough believers, but then we aren’t really fulfilling Christ’s challenge for our lives.
To wrap up, what is your next assignment?
Douglas Fir: Next winter I’m looking forward to being the sole caretaker at Yellowstone’s
DL: Huh. I guess you’ll just be the Lone Ranger.
Douglas Fir: (Staring blankly.)
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
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