If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord has need of it.” (Mark 11:3)

During his ministry, Jesus needed many things that ordinary people provided for Him. Simon Peter provided a boat for traveling and preaching. Martha and Mary provided hospitality. Mary Magdelene, Joanna, and Susanna provided financial support. A woman of Samaria gave Jesus water. A small boy gave his lunch, and Jesus used it to feed 5,000 people. Someone lent Jesus a colt to ride on Palm Sunday. A friend provided a room in which to celebrate the Passover Feast. Simon of Cyrene help Jesus carry the cross. Joseph of Arimathea provided a tomb.

What can we give that Jesus needs? Does Jesus need a home in which to offer hospitality and Christian fellowship? Perhaps a car to transport home-bound people to shops, hospitals or to church? Christian books to help spread the Good News? Money for charity to help the needy? Someone to visit the sick and lonely? A listening ear or a loving touch? A prayerful spirit or an understanding heart?

The disciples of today are no different than the disciples that walked at Jesus’ side. We are here to provide the needs of Jesus’ ministry. Let us give. If anyone asks you, “Why are you doing this?” simply reply, “The Lord has need of it!”

Holy and loving God, make us aware of what we have to give to carry on the work Your Son began!

A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. (Isaiah 42:3)

In the ancient world of the Israelites, there was great anticipation over the coming of the promised Messiah. Most were looking for a militant Messiah and such an expectation can be readily understood, because they were, for the most part, a separate, vulnerable and mistreated people. When Jesus finally did appear as promised, He did not fit the preconceived mold of what a Messiah should be like. He was, in fact, a gentle and compassionate Messiah. He was, as Isaiah had predicted, a suffering servant.

Unfortunately, the people around Him, especially those in authority, interpreted this as weakness. They were wrong! As Jesus proved in the long run, there is nothing stronger than the strength of a gentle hand. Isaiah could see that even with these soft and gentle compassionate qualities, the Messiah could bring justice to the human race. In fact, he could see clearly that only a Messiah of this type could bring about the desired results. Strength without compassion most often translates into oppression.

We need to recognize that strength and force will not relieve us of our oppressions, but if we were to follow Jesus’ examples of compassion and gentleness, we have the power to bring about change. The hand that could easily have called upon the legions of angels to smite the enemy did not. Justice and salvation was brought about through gentleness. Perhaps we can bring about change through our approach to the world and teach the masses a better way to win hearts.

Holy God of Justice, may the gentleness and compassion of Jesus be our beacon as we try to change an intolerant world!

When they saw [Jesus], they worshiped Him; but some doubted. (Matthew 28: 17)

As was noted yesterday, the Easter story is one of rejoicing and makes us want to sing. Yes, and shout, too. Our souls celebrate the reality of Christ’s ultimate victory over death.

But not everyone feels this victory; not today, and not even at the first Easter. The Gospel writer, with the magnificent honesty of the Bible, tells us of Jesus’ appearance to his disciples and notes that “some doubted.”

Some of today’s followers may wonder how they could doubt when the resurrected Christ stood before them in full view. But the resurrection was contrary to all laws of nature as they knew and understood them, so that those who were especially cautious found it much easier to believe their presumptions than to believe what their eyes were seeing.

The contemporary doubter can take heart in this. Peoples faith perceptions vary as widely as do our other responses to life. Take as much of the Easter story as you can at this point in your life, but understand that when you accept it in its fullness, a wondrous miracle of assurance and gladness will take place.

God of all Power and Might, may I never doubt that Your Son broke free from the chains of death and is ready to take my hand when it is my time!

So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone. (Matthew 27: 66)

You have just read an exercise in futility. The enemies of Jesus were afraid, but their fears were ill-placed. They thought perhaps Jesus’ followers would steal His body. When one sees how they forsook their Lord on the night of his arrest and the safe distance that most of them kept during the crucifixion, one can hardly imagine their being so bold as to engineer a raiding on His tomb.

As it turned out, the tomb was indeed raided–not by the disciples of Jesus, but from within by God’s invasion of resurrection life.

Over the twenty succeeding centuries, an unbelieving culture has again and again tried to make the tomb “secure.” A series of potentates and dictators from Nero to the 21^st Century have done their worst to seal out the power of Jesus Christ. But, as I said a moment ago, it is an exercise in futility. The One who was placed in the tomb is the Lord of the Tomb–and also of all who seek to hold Him there. They may not recognize it, but this doesn’t change the fact. No wonder, then, that He is called “Lord.”

As we celebrate a Saturday that so long ago was marked by silence and despair, our hearts rejoice in the final chapter of the Easter story!

By the word of God were the heavens made, the starry host by the breath of God’s mouth. (Psalm 33: 6)

Almost every ancient culture had some kind of “creation story” that described how the earth and humankind came to be. There seems to be basic human need to account for the fact that we are here and had to come from someplace. Because most creation accounts in early civilizations were basically myths, there is a tendency among some to view the creation account in the Book of Genesis as just one more myth of an ancient people attempting to explain their origins.

When the account of creation in Holy Scripture is compared to the myths of other civilizations, there is a distinct difference. For example, the creation myth of the Chinese story of P‘an Ku is typical. The universe is said to have been formed from the body of the first human. When he died, his eyes became the sun and the moon and his hair became the trees and plants.

In contrast to this, the biblical account is laced with dignity and simplicity—a God of love creating beauty and life. While it is true that the bible does not give scientific details of the creation, it does contain logical order and a God of love in control. It tells the essential—“God said” and everything was done. And it was good.

God of power and might, may we see You in the mirror of a world that came to be simply because, “You said…”

For this reason a person shall leave father and mother and be united to his partner and the two shall become one flesh. (Ephesians 5: 31)

In spiritual arithmetic, one plus one equals one. Certainly this does not mean that an individual will lose his or her identity if they were to become involved in a covenant relationship, but the two shall become one in focus, in long-range aim and in holy destiny. Long term relationships are easy to spot if they are true. The couple usually picks up identical mannerisms and facial expressions.

In the broader sense of Scriptural context, the concept of the two becoming one is not a competitive situation, but a one-ness of mind concerning the things that really matter. No one is ever expected to give up their identity or compete for control. It simply means they are working together for common goals in a cooperative spirit.

To equate a relationship as becoming “one” would infer that there are two “half” individuals coming together to create one individual. Two individuals come together in one relationship with common aims and ideals. God never stated nor intended that personal identity would be the price paid for a loving, long-term relationship.

God of wholeness, bless the relationships of those around us and guide the goals of those into a one-ness of spirit!

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out! (1 Timothy 6:6,7)

At age 14, Andrea Jaeger won her first professional tennis tournament. At 18, she reached the finals at Wimbledon. At 19, a bad shoulder all but put an end to her career. Many a world-class athlete may have become bitter or discontented with life at that point. Jaeger, however, turned her competitive spirit to a new endeavor, a nonprofit organization called Kid’s Stuff Foundation that attempts to bring joy to children suffering from cancer and other life threatening illnesses. Her work there has also inspired her to take correspondence studies in nursing and child psychology.

Jaeger not only created the program, but runs it full time, year-round, unpaid. “I’m inspired by these brave kids, and humbled,” she has said. “They lose their health, their friends, and sometimes their lives. And yet their spirit never wavers. They look at life as a gift. The rest of us sometimes look at ourselves as a gift to life.”

“You get very spoiled on a professional tour,” she adds with a twinkle in her eye. “The courtesy cars, the five-star hotels, the thousands of people clapping for you when you hit a good shot. It’s easy to forget what’s important in life...I forget it a lot less lately.”

Merciful Creator, open our eyes to a truer meaning of the life You have given us. Let us open our hearts to those who need love around us!