by Pastor Glenn Crouch
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Read Psalm 145:10-18
I have heard the Psalms referred to as Jesus’ hymnbook or as his prayer book. This book was so important to the early church that it is quoted in our New Testament more than any other Old Testament book. Sadly, until about 10 years ago, I didn’t take the book seriously. Sure, I had read all 150 of the Psalms many times and I have my favourites, but the psalter came alive when I was advised to pray them. When I read them as my prayer to my Lord, and then built on that prayer all that has been revealed through Jesus.
In our passage today, we have the basis of a prayer of praise. Read the passage again, then use it as a prayer to your heavenly Father. Then build on that with what Jesus has revealed. So, for example, the following prayer is based on the section quoted above:
Father, you are trustworthy. You keep all your promises, and you are faithful in all of your actions. You promised Israel a Messiah. You promised a seed that would crush the head of the serpent. These and so many more promises, you faithfully fulfilled in and through your dear Son, Jesus. My faith is so feeble compared with your faithfulness – help me to trust you, help me to keep my focus on my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
See how you fare with the other verses in our passage today. It can be very helpful to write them down. Why stop with this passage? Through Scripture, the Holy Spirit can give us words when we struggle to pray.
Faithful Father, forgive me for not spending more time talking with you. Through your Holy Spirit, open your word to me. I want to know you better. I want to love you better. Help me see Jesus more clearly. In his name I pray. Amen.
by Kathy Matuschka
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As soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet (Mark 7:25).
Read Mark 7:24–37
While Jesus was in the region of Tyre, a Syrophoenician woman fell at his feet and begged him to drive a demon from her daughter. Jesus’ initial response was that the children of Israel were his ministry priority. In the parallel account in Matthew’s Gospel, the woman responds with three words: ‘Lord, help me.’
Some commentators note that this foreign woman was able to win a debate with Jesus where Jewish leaders failed. Refusing to be ignored or offended, she cleverly turned a potential insult (‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs’ in verse 27) to her advantage. Jesus was impressed by her quick response and granted her request. (In Matthew’s version, Jesus commended her for her faith.)
I wonder when the woman achieved her goal of seeing her daughter healed: Was it when she out-debated Jesus? Or was it earlier when she implored him for help? In three words, ‘Lord, help me’, and by her actions, the Syrophoenician woman showed that she accepted Jesus’ authority (‘Lord’) and his ability to help her (‘help me’). That’s why I’d suggest she had him at ‘Lord, help me’.
By comparison, the Jewish leaders who attempted to debate with Jesus did so from the opposite stance, as though they were saying, ‘You are not my Lord, and you have nothing I need’.
We, as humans, can find it hard to admit that we need help and to ask for it. We might not try to trap Jesus as the Jewish leaders did, but are we sometimes reluctant to ask our Lord for help, pretending we are fine when we are not?
Lord, help me. Shine your light into the hidden crevices of my heart, where my deepest wounds and needs reside. Please heal those wounds and supply those needs. Please help me not be satisfied with the leftover crumbs but ask for your help and healing daily until I am at complete peace with you in heaven. Amen.
Kathy Matuschka and her husband, Mark, live in Brisbane and worship at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Rochedale. Kathy continues to discern her ministry calling through her employment as a hospital chaplain and voluntary LCANZ activities. This year, she has contributed to the Way Forward Pastoral Care Working Group as a member.
by Neil Bergmann
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Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save (Psalm 146:3).
Read Psalm 146
Psalm 146 calls us to ‘Praise the LORD, my soul’. As you may well be aware, whenever we see ‘LORD’ in capitals in the Old Testament, this refers to the personal name of the God of the Israelites. So it is not just any God we praise it is the God of Israel, the God we know as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The psalm also tells us why and how we should praise God. We should praise God with our souls. The Hebrew word translated here as ‘soul’ means our innermost being – the inner life force breathed into us by God. So, we praise God, not just with our thoughts and words, but with every part of our being and lives.
The psalm gives a list of reasons why we should praise God. We praise God because God is the creator of everything in heaven and earth, and God’s creation gives us everything we need to sustain our earthly life. God is faithful; God never deserts us. God reigns forever. We praise God because God cares for and loves those the world does not love. God upholds the oppressed. God provides food to the hungry. God sets the prisoners free. God lifts those who are bowed down. God takes care of those who are lacking in the basics – the foreigners and refugees who have lost their homes, the fatherless and widows who have lost a stable income. God frustrates the ways of the wicked who seek to exploit and demean those in difficulty.
So, how do we praise God? If we expect that the political, social and economic systems of the world will fix inequality and oppression, then our trust is misplaced. Instead of human institutions, we put our hope in the LORD, our God. When we do this, we see the world through God’s eyes. We love what God loves. We love a beautiful but suffering creation. We love the oppressed, the poor, the helpless, the blind, the prisoners, the refugees and those who are bowed down. And this love is not a passive emotion – it is love in action. It is love that consumes our innermost being to work towards God’s kingdom of peace and justice. Praise the LORD, my soul.
Eternal God, creator of heaven and earth, we praise and adore you. Help us to love those whom you love, the ones the world thinks are unlovable. Let your kingdom come. Amen.
Neil Bergmann worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Rochedale, Queensland. He enjoys the quieter pace of life after retirement, being able to spend more time with his wife, Margit, and their daughter, Elina.
by Neil Bergmann
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There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. ‘We find nothing wrong with this man’, they said. ‘What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?’ (Acts 23:9).
Read Acts 22:30–23:11
In the continuing story of Paul in Jerusalem, the Roman commander put Paul before the Sanhedrin to see whether it could provide a solution to the civil uproar. The Sanhedrin was the ruling council of the Jews, and it had members from two different Jewish sects – Pharisees and Sadducees. Paul appealed to his fellow Pharisees on the council, explaining how his mission was consistent with their belief in the resurrection of the dead – a view not held by Sadducees. The council meeting descended into chaos, and the Roman commander took Paul back to the barracks.
It didn’t matter what the Roman commander tried; Paul’s presence in Jerusalem continued to cause uproar and chaos. And the commander was still no wiser about what the underlying problem was. The readings next week will continue the story; however, the last verse of today’s reading gives a preview: ‘As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome’ (Acts 23:11).
The Jerusalem conflict ends with Paul’s mission moving to Rome, the very centre of the empire. Eventually, in 380AD, Christianity became the official religion in the Roman Empire. Somehow, God can even use our conflict and disagreement to advance his kingdom.
Of course, this doesn’t mean God wants us to incite conflict and division actively. The kingdom of God is marked by peace and reconciliation. However, we can be sure that we will all face situations of misunderstanding, conflict and hurt during our lifetimes. It is how we deal with such situations that allows God to work through us to advance his kingdom.
When we face difficult and hurtful situations, God is always beside us, comforting and supporting us. God also gives us the humility and courage to address conflict with the goal of peace and reconciliation. God can work miracles, even in the most hopeless situations.
Loving, caring, healing God, hurt and conflict can make us despair and turn in on ourselves. Give us faith and courage to trust in you, knowing that what seems impossible to us is possible with you. Amen.
Neil Bergmann worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Rochedale, Queensland. In addition to professional qualifications in engineering, he has coursework and research master’s degrees in theology.