Jesus comes looking for you
by Maria Rudolph
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For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost (Luke 19:10).
Read Luke 19:1–10
A very particular song is playing in my head every time I read the story of Zacchaeus. Maybe it’s the same for you! Children’s Bible storybooks usually include the story of the short tax collector from Jericho who scrambles to see Jesus by climbing up a sycamore fig tree.
I’ve always thought of Zacchaeus putting in effort to be with Jesus. And he probably did. But do we realise that Jesus is actually the one seeking out Zacchaeus in this story? Jesus declares in conclusion of this story that he ‘came to seek and save what was lost’.
Zacchaeus was lost – a despised tax collector who had cheated people over the years – and called a ‘sinner’ by the muttering crowd. It must have left him in despair, because he was drawn to Jesus, so much so that he ran ahead of everyone else so he could find a spot to see him. He wanted to be free of his worries. Perhaps he had gotten word that Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:33), ‘Seek first God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’ Zacchaeus was seeking God’s kingdom: Jesus.
But the amazing thing about Jesus is that while we are out looking for him, for an encounter with God, for spiritual enlightenment, or for some way to fill the inexplicable void inside of us, Jesus is already seeking us out! Jesus not only saves the lost, but he also seeks them first.
Jesus takes the first step and invites himself over for dinner before Zacchaeus can say anything to Jesus at all. ‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last’ (John 15:16). Jesus seeking out Zacchaeus gives him a generous heart of compassion; it brings him salvation. (Luke 19:9). Jesus comes looking for you, too, bringing salvation. All you need to do is receive.
Loving God, we give thanks with a grateful heart. We give thanks for Jesus Christ. The weak can say ‘I am strong’, the poor can say ‘I am rich’, and the blind can say ‘I can see’ because of what you have done for us in Jesus. Thank you for looking for us and for finding us. Give us a receptive heart so that we can keep on coming to you, too. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Again and again
by Shane Altmann
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On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear (Isaiah 25:6).
Read Isaiah 25:6–9
I’m a teacher – and a talker. I’m a dominator of conversations: big voice, bad listener, always ready with a story or to over-explain something. Repeatedly.
One day, when presenting an earth-shattering truth on football, Honda cubs, the Penrith Panthers or something else for about the third time to my daughter, she cried out, ‘Dad, I got it the first time!’
‘Oh, okay. Well, why didn’t you say something?’ Eye roll.
It struck me then that I am also someone who needs feedback. ‘You have to slide the feeler gauge in until there is just a bit of friction, not too much – you don’t want it to be loose – but it also shouldn’t be hard to move.’ I offer. If I get silence, I go again. ‘Just a little bit of friction; it shouldn’t wobble …’
I need a response. ‘Oh, right, so just move it until you feel something, but not too much.’
And I’m a success – another amazing moment from the Altmannator.
Have you ever noticed that the psalms repeat themselves? That same idea, coupled again, slightly different, but repeated.
In today’s reading, God is going to make a rich feast, food filled with marrow, well-aged wines, wines strained clear. He is going to destroy the shroud that is cast, the covering that is spread. Have a look at it, read it through and notice the repetition. Then, go to your favourite psalm and look for the pattern. It is not universal, but it’s a thing.
I love that subtlety in Hebrew poetry. It’s a bit like ‘mansplaining’ but cooler.
It’s God-splaining.
Our Good Teacher, the Good Shepherd, the Lord of the Dance, the Master of the Feast, our Great Giving God of Love, he whose name is Love, reminding us again and again that he is for us, that he wants only good things for us, that he has saved us and called us by name.
And he loves it when we respond.
Lord of the Harvest, giver of our joy, thank you for preparing a table for us. Thank you for being the source of all that is good and wholesome in our lives. We remember today the faithful saints who have gone before us, and together, as your eternal church, your bride, we praise your holy name. Hallelujah! Amen.
Shane Altmann is the principal of Faith Lutheran College Redlands in Queensland and has served in education for more than 35 years. Married to Monica and father of two children, Harry and Zoe, Shane has learnt that he is largely helpless without the love and support of the people with whom he lives and works. A pilgrim of multiple Caminos de Santiago, a Penrith Panthers tragic and a restorer of old stuff, Shane loves a project and, when he is able, fills his days tinkering with something.
Against the flow
by Shane Altmann
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So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel (2 Samuel 5:3).
Read 2 Samuel 5:1–12
And there you have it. In what was once considered a ridiculous appointment, or anointment, we have the elders of Israel and the king of Hebron making a covenant with David and anointing him king.
You might remember a few short years ago, Samuel went out to Bethlehem to anoint a son of Jesse. No, not the tall one or the oldest one or the strongest one, but the little one. The shepherd.
And you might recall that same shepherd, looking very awkward in the armour of King Saul, as he said, ‘Yeah – Nah!’ to Goliath. He went off and did it his own way, with a stone.
The list goes on. Once an unlikely hero, once an unlikely king. Still remembered as the greatest. And Jesus himself, descended from David’s line, from the root of Jesse.
Martin Luther once wrote, ‘Where Christ is, he always goes against the flow.’ It was on this day in 1517 (All Hallows’ Eve/Halloween), that Martin Luther nailed his 95 arguments against the corruption in the church to the door of the Castle Church.
Luther and his fellow reformers in the early 1500s went against the flow of power and authority for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of people. They risked their lives to rally against the authoritarian and unjust power of the Pope and, in so doing, re-energised Christianity in Europe. This, in turn, reformed not only the church but also set the platform for modern Europe and the western world as it exists today.
As Christians, as Lutherans, we proclaim boldly that we are God’s people, that our Lord of Love is at work in this world, both redeeming and serving all people. It’s a powerful message. It goes against the flow of an increasingly secular society, but it remains the truth.
‘Where Christ is, he always goes against the flow.’
Always.
A lot is going on in the world at the moment. As we remember both the anointing of King David and the birth of the Reformation, this is a pretty good lens to lay over it.
Lord Jesus, thank you for meeting us in unlikely places. Thank you for being counter-cultural, and thank you for being for us, with us, Immanuel. Thank you for raising people up to do your work in the world. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we may act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you. Amen.
Shane Altmann is the principal of Faith Lutheran College Redlands in Queensland and has served in education for more than 35 years. Married to Monica and father of two children, Harry and Zoe, Shane has learnt that he is largely helpless without the love and support of the people with whom he lives and works. A pilgrim of multiple Caminos de Santiago, a Penrith Panthers tragic and a restorer of old stuff, Shane loves a project and, when he is able, fills his days tinkering with something.
The day before
by Shane Altmann
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After this David inquired of the Lord, ‘Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?’ The Lord said to him, ‘Go up.’ David said, ‘To which shall I go up?’ He said, ‘To Hebron’ (2 Samuel 2:1).
Read 2 Samuel 2:1–11
Have you ever wondered what Martin Luther was doing on 30 October? We all know what happens on 31 October, right? But I wonder what he was thinking on the 30th. I suppose he was finishing off his 95 arguments, or maybe he had 92 and then tried to go to sleep, but kept waking up with another one. Probably fell asleep sometime around midnight. Woke again at 2am. You know the drill.
Or maybe he had the 95 theses lying around for ages, wondering, ‘Should I, shouldn’t I?’ Maybe he was pondering what to do and rummaging through the Old Testament and stumbled upon today’s Bible reading.
Or maybe it went something like this: And Luther inquired of the Lord, ‘Shall I go up into any of the churches in town?’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Go up.’ Luther said, ‘To which shall I go up?’ He said, ‘To the Castle Church.’
Maybe. The rest is history, in any case.
It’s fun to think about. Certainly, Luther was a very gifted scholar, a talented musician, a brave and stubborn human and a man with a determined heart for God. A bit like David. Luther had his flaws like David, but that stuff doesn’t stop God.
God doesn’t need any of us to be amazing humans, brave battle-hardy leaders or university-trained medieval theologians. He just needs us to be.
Through God’s Spirit, in the water and the word, he works faith into our hearts. By his word and through his gracious action towards us, he strengthens and preserves us through the bread and the wine.
He is active, he is for us, and we say Hallelujah and Amen!
Lord Jesus, you were there when David slew Goliath, when he won victories in battle and when he ascended to the throne of Judah. Holy Spirit, you were there when Luther wondered what to do, when he prepared the spark that lit the world. Loving Father, you are with us even now. Bless us as we ponder; show us the way. Amen.
Shane Altmann is the principal of Faith Lutheran College Redlands in Queensland and has served in education for more than 35 years. Married to Monica and father of two children, Harry and Zoe, Shane has learnt that he is largely helpless without the love and support of the people with whom he lives and works. A pilgrim of multiple Caminos de Santiago, a Penrith Panthers tragic and a restorer of old stuff, Shane loves a project and, when he is able, fills his days tinkering with something.
That was a bit mean
by Shane Altmann
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Then David called one of the young men and said, ‘Come here and strike him down.’ So he struck him down, and he died (2 Samuel 1:15).
Read 2 Samuel 1:1–16
I feel like David wasn’t very fair to that bloke, the young man, the Amalekite, you know, the one he had killed for bringing him the crown and the armlet. The one who put Saul out of his misery and basically created the space for David to be king. That guy.
‘You what?’ says David, ‘You killed Saul! Right. Kill him.’
Hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on, woah, what about the …
Gone.
I mean, the guy was there, Saul was dying, he pleads for him to kill him, Saul’s having convulsions and can’t die, probably from falling on his own sword. It’s messy. The guy does him a favour and, instead of taking off, brings the tokens of office to David and calls him ‘my lord’. He had a right to feel aggrieved by the sense of injustice there in his last moments.
But not King David. You don’t mess with Davo and the Big Fella Upstairs. Saul was God’s anointed, and regardless of what he thought of Saul, David was a man after God’s own heart. He had his own opportunity to kill the treacherous and selfish king in a cave but didn’t – he wouldn’t harm the Lord’s anointed one (1 Samuel 24:6).
It wasn’t about Saul – it was about God.
But then there was the Bathsheba thing, and the murder of Uriah.
What is going on with David? Why did God favour him so much, when one minute David was writing beautiful psalms, the next minute killing someone, one minute dancing for the Lord, the next minute committing adultery? He claimed to love God, but it feels like he kept putting himself first. Why did God even bother with him …?
Wait! What?
Oh.
Right.
It’s not about David, it’s about God.
God searches the heart, a heart in which he installs the very faith itself that connects us to his grace. We are saved by grace through faith, Ephesians 2:8,9 reminds us of our complete reliance on God, ‘… and this is not from yourselves so that no-one can boast.’
It’s always God’s work. Even our faith is a gift from God.
Good God of Giving, Lord of Life, thank you for our faith. Thank you for being the source and foundation of all that is good in our lives and our relationship with you. Thank you for your redeeming love. Move your Holy Spirit in our hearts and through your church to bring us closer to you each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Shane Altmann is the principal of Faith Lutheran College Redlands in Queensland and has served in education for more than 35 years. Married to Monica and father of two children, Harry and Zoe, Shane has learnt that he is largely helpless without the love and support of the people with whom he lives and works. A pilgrim of multiple Caminos de Santiago, a Penrith Panthers tragic and a restorer of old stuff, Shane loves a project and, when he is able, fills his days tinkering with something.
And I’m starving
by Shane Altmann
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Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days (1 Samuel 31:13).
Read 1 Samuel 31:1–13
It’s about 3.30 in the afternoon. Our college here in Redlands, in bayside Brisbane, is quietening down as the last of the kids slowly wander out to their busy afternoons. Teachers are poking around, tidying up and chatting with each other. Some kids are doing sport training on the oval; office staff are industriously toiling away as they do. The afternoon is settling in.
And I am starving.
Somewhere in the distance, a car horn honks, busy school traffic starts to thin out, and vehicles start moving more freely again. The phone rings, and our receptionist takes a call from a mum whose kid lost their hat. Tradies wander past in their high-vis gear, finishing up from building works they have been doing on-site. The afternoon is settling in.
And I’m starving.
Some brave men sneak up to the wall of Beth-shan, take down Saul’s body, carry it home under the cover of darkness, burn it and bury the bones. Then they fast for seven days.
And I’m starving.
Wait! What? Seven days?
When you say seven days, you mean they just skipped breakfast or something, right? Or were the days shorter in biblical times? Perhaps seven Old Testament days are like two of our days.
It staggers me that people could fast for that long. God bless the disciplined. The hunger and the fatigue must be dreadful.
In 2 Corinthians 12:10, Paul reminds us, ‘That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness. In insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. When I am weak, then I am strong.’
When everything has been stripped away, when there is nothing left, when our metaphorical king is dead and hanging on our enemy’s wall, all we have is God. What great sustenance that is. Christ’s power is made perfect in weakness. This is the upside-down God we worship. The God who dies. The God who lives again.
Don’t get me wrong, we are not called to be ascetics, to practice extreme self-denial and live miserably to get close to Jesus. We are freed from such things and freed for a life that is full and abundant, a life of joy, hope and love.
But when it’s tough, when we face misery and mourning, hardship and trials, right there in that space is where God is close to us.
Where he carries us.
Jesus, you know what it is to suffer, to be fully human, to feel grief and loss, anxiety and sadness. Be close to all who suffer. Bring them comfort by your Holy Spirit and through the connection and care of those around them. Grow in us hearts of compassion and care for those we meet. Amen.
Shane Altmann is the principal of Faith Lutheran College Redlands in Queensland and has served in education for more than 35 years. Married to Monica and father of two children, Harry and Zoe, Shane has learnt that he is largely helpless without the love and support of the people with whom he lives and works. A pilgrim of multiple Caminos de Santiago, a Penrith Panthers tragic and a restorer of old stuff, Shane loves a project and, when he is able, fills his days tinkering with something.
It’s very Shakespeare
by Shane Altmann
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Then the woman said, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’ He answered, ‘Bring up Samuel for me’ (1 Samuel 28:11).
Read 1 Samuel 28:3–20
Buckle up. Things are about to get weird.
This passage in Samuel is all Hollywood and special effects. King Saul, bereft of hope, turns to a medium, a clairvoyant, a seer to get in touch with the spirit world, séance style. ‘I need to speak to the recently departed Samuel. Can you get him up for me?’
She screams; his ghostly form appears and delivers the awful truth to Saul. Time’s up!
It’s very Shakespeare.
I mean, Samuel’s ghost appears (at least to the medium)! And talks to Saul! It’s wild.
Where is God in this unholy business? What’s in this for us? Well, for a start, don’t dabble in that voodoo stuff; it generally doesn’t end well. Here endeth the lesson.
But I reckon we can dig a bit deeper here and see some patterns and glean some good about our great God of Love.
I am a firm believer that God is active in the world, in service of people, through the vocation of others and the temporal rhythm of the natural world, his creation. He can – and does – act supernaturally and miraculously, but generally, it is the ordinary stuff of daily life where God is found.
‘Truly you are a God who hides yourself!’ says Isaiah in chapter 45, verse 15. He heals the sick through the work of doctors, feeds us through the work of farmers and shopkeepers and protects us with police and armies. The list goes on. Believers and unbelievers alike are all instruments of God’s loving kindness towards people.
And I think that’s what’s happening here. God has a plan. He is moving Jesus towards us, Jesus of the line of David. So, we need David.
God hides his glory in the baby Jesus, in the humanity and ordinariness of the person of Jesus, behind the cross. But he is always for us, always graciously reaching down to us, relentlessly moving the story forward. So, the seer steps in, pronounces Saul’s doom via the ghost of Samuel. And on we roll.
God at work, even then, even now. God for us.
Lord of Life, thank you for always being for us. Thank you for not just creating us and then leaving us alone, but for being constantly and relentlessly at work in the world out of your great love for all people. Thank you, Jesus, that you do indeed give us this day our daily bread. Bless us as we live out our vocations as your light in the world. Amen.
Shane Altmann is the principal of Faith Lutheran College Redlands in Queensland and has served in education for more than 35 years. Married to Monica and father of two children, Harry and Zoe, Shane has learnt that he is largely helpless without the love and support of the people with whom he lives and works. A pilgrim of multiple Caminos de Santiago, a Penrith Panthers tragic and a restorer of old stuff, Shane loves a project and, when he is able, fills his days tinkering with something.
It’s always God’s work
by Shane Altmann
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
I fast twice a week: I give a tenth of my income (Luke 18:12).
Read Luke 18:9–14
This old classic. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. It rolls around every now and then to remind us good Christians that we should be humble and not get too far ahead of ourselves with our piety and righteousness. Be like the tax collector, not the Pharisee.
Check.
Except. Uh oh. When I’m like the tax collector, I’m actually being like the Pharisee, rather self-congratulatory about my humble approach to my reliance on God. ‘I’m glad I’m not like that Pharisee!’
Same, same.
Of our own accord, we are, of course, doomed. And that’s the point. It is always God’s work. Always. We are neither the Pharisee nor the tax collector; we are, at the same time, both.
Martin Luther coined the phrase ‘simul iustus et peccator’, meaning ‘at the same time both saint and sinner’. We are not just one or the other, sometimes this and sometimes that, but always both. Fully human, fully capable of great compassion for, and destruction of, ourselves and others. Lost and helpless. But covered, washed white as snow by the blood of the lamb. His work, his unmerited redeeming grace. I am reminded of the beautiful words of the song ‘I am covered over’: ‘When he looks at me, he sees not what I used to be, but he sees Jesus.’
It’s always God’s work.
Jesus’ words in the contrasting prayers of the parable guide us: ‘God, I …’ versus ‘God, be …’ Jesus reminds us to focus not on ourselves, our piety or our humility, but rather on him.
It is God – his work, his action towards us, only ever and always – that is the source of both our salvation and joy.
God of grace, thank you for reminding us again and again of your ever-present love through your word and by your Spirit. Thank you that even now, you are drawing close to your people, Immanuel, God with us. Amen.
Shane Altmann is the principal of Faith Lutheran College Redlands in Queensland and has served in education for more than 35 years. Married to Monica and father of two children, Harry and Zoe, Shane has learnt that he is largely helpless without the love and support of the people with whom he lives and works. A pilgrim of multiple Caminos de Santiago, a Penrith Panthers tragic and a restorer of old stuff, Shane loves a project and, when he is able, fills his days tinkering with something.
At home with God
by Faye Schmidt
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Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you (Psalm 84:4).
Read Psalm 84:1–7
Many consider Psalm 84 to be a poetic account of the experience of a pilgrim approaching the temple in Jerusalem for a religious festival.
But what makes going here so special or so different from anything else a person might do? The difference is that this is the dwelling place of the Lord Almighty (verse one). The realisation that God desires to dwell among mortals is as powerful for the psalmist and pilgrim as it would later be for John of Patmos (Revelation 21:3).
This Lord Almighty is also the living God (Psalm 84:2). Not only does all life come from this God, but living further characterises the one who is dynamic, at work and active among that which he has created. This God is not static and trapped in endless cycles of death and rebirth like some of the Canaanite deities. Only in Zion does the pilgrim find the one who can truly be called the ‘God of gods’ (verse seven).
So, the palpable excitement found in the psalm is not so much about going to the particular place, but more about who and what may be found there – the very presence of God. It is because of God’s presence that the psalmist may say, ‘Happy are those who live in your house’ (verse four).
But God is also found outside the temple. Verse six mentions travel through the valley of Baca. Baca is understood as a notoriously dry place. Therefore, it becomes striking that pilgrims might find springs there. In fact, the text says that they actually ‘make it a place of springs’.
The difference is the presence of God. Those who experience God’s real presence are brought into a new reality where a dry valley can yield springs and be covered with rain.
There are those special places and times in the life of faith where God’s presence may be found particularly intense. Believers need these anchors amid the seas of life. Regular worship at one’s home church and experiencing the sacraments are both ways of profoundly entering God’s presence and being uplifted and empowered by it. God’s presence may also be found, however, in the dry valleys and journeys of life where one may not expect to find God.
O gracious Father, the joy of a life surrendered to Christ’s service, may the peace of sin forgiven through the power of his cross be granted to me this day. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Victoria–Tasmania District Church Board and the General Church Board, currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations within Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer. She is passionate about new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.