Posted in Lent devotions

Where do you want to eat?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Monday, February 22, 2021. Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, [Jesus’] disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. (Mark 14:12-16)

“Let’s go get something to eat.” “Okay. Where do you want to go?”

At any given moment, countless friends, couples and families are having that discussion. Do you prefer fast food, a favorite restaurant, down by the beach, take-out to bring home, an all-you-can-eat-buffet, or somewhere you can watch the game? The choices seem endless.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, just about everyone in Jerusalem is on the same page. “Where are we going to eat the Passover?” The disciples and Jesus have been observing this festival their whole lives. Having just arrived in Jerusalem a few days ago, it’s time to get ready for this year’s meal.

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Posted in Lent devotions

A moment alone

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Sunday, February 21, 2021. Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash

“Judas sought an opportunity to betray Jesus” (Mark 14:11).

Sometimes you have to be patient.

Like a hunter waiting in a blind for the deer to wander by. Or in the reeds, retriever at your side, waiting for the ducks. Or for that something you really want to go on sale. In recent days Jesus has been teaching in the temple, where there were too many people around. Judas had to find a moment when Jesus would be alone, or at least away from the crowds. Someplace where they could quietly arrest him.

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Posted in Lent devotions

Let’s make a deal

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Saturday, February 20, 2021. Artwork by Susan Zendt copyright 2021 used by permission.

“Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. When they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him silver. So he looked for how he might conveniently betray Him” (Mark 14:10-11).

For two thousand years, we’ve been wondering, “Judas, why did you do it?” Why did you cut a deal with the chief priests to betray Jesus?

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Posted in Lent devotions

Do you smell that?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Friday, February 19, 2021. Photo by Richárd Ecsedi on Unsplash

While [Jesus] was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at supper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of ointment, a very costly spikenard. She broke the jar and poured the ointment on His head.

There were some with indignation within themselves, saying, “Why was this ointment wasted? It might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they grumbled against her.

Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. You always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish, you may do good to them. But you will not always have Me. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel will be preached throughout the whole world, what she has done will also be spoken of as a memorial to her” (Mark 14:3-9).

Yes, you can buy spikenard oil – from Amazon, of course. Depending on how much you want or need, it will only set you back thirty or forty dollars. In Jesus’ time, however, the jar was worth three hundred denarii, or three hundred days’ wages. Let’s do the math. If we allow for a $15 per hour minimum wage, and an eight hour day, times three hundred days, that totals $36,000! This was an extravagant moment! I would compare it to drinking an expensive bottle of old scotch you’ve saved for a special occasion. Or a once in a lifetime meal at a very exclusive and expensive restaurant. It seems to be that kind of special moment.

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Posted in Lent devotions

Stirring things up

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Thursday, February 18, 2021. Photo by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash

“It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest [Jesus] by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people” (Mark 14:1-2).

The Jewish historian Josephus estimated that two million people were in Jerusalem for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread at the time of Jesus, more than three times the usual population of the city. I picture something like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Times Square on New Year’s Eve, or Bike Week in Daytona Beach, FL.

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Posted in Lent devotions

Sounds like a plan

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Wednesday, February 17, 2021.

“It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest [Jesus] by stealth and kill him” (Mark 14:1).

In the recent ABC TV series “How to get away with Murder,” a criminal defense professor and some of her law students get mixed up in an elaborate murder plot. The classroom lectures and discussions are no longer theoretical, but real life drama.

The bible is littered with real life murder, too. Joseph’s brothers want to kill him and dispose of his body in a pit. Daniel’s coworkers carefully plan his death by lions, using his prayer life against him. In the book of Esther, Haman plans to kill Mordecai by exterminating every one of the Jews in exile.

So maybe you aren’t surprised to read about a plot to arrest and kill Jesus. But maybe you are. The chief priests and scribes aren’t bad guys are they? These descendants of Aaron offered up sacrifices at the temple, made atonement for those seeking to be clean, kept the incense and lamps burning in the temple, presided over the Day of Atonement, and taught God’s Word. They were an important part of the worship life of God’s people, the glue that had held this nation together.

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Posted in Stories

He had a story to tell

Posted on by William Douthwaite

We had no idea what to expect when Steve walked up to our truck at a gas station on our way to Texas.

We had exited I-10 somewhere around Marianna, FL to get some gas, hit the restrooms and eat some of the lunch we had packed for our drive to Dallas, TX. After filling up, I parked the truck far away from the convenience store. We dropped the tailgate and began to a little lunch before tackling the rest of that seemingly endless stretch if highway to Pensacola.

“Excuse me, sir,” he began. “I hate to bother you. I just need a little help.” I’ve had plenty of people begin a conversation with me in that way. He continued, “I just need a little more money for a place for the night.”

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Posted in advent, Advent devotions, Devotions

Bonus Christmas devotion: A heart full of treasures

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

A bonus “Live and in person” Advent devotion for December 25, 2020. Read Luke 2:1-20 and Psalm 148

“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).

After the shepherds find Mary and Joseph the the baby lying the manger, they shared just why they were there. They had a quite the story to share about the angel’s announcement and the multitude of angels’ wonderful praises that night. Once they left, Mary had plenty of things to ponder. What a night!

We all have memories that we treasure. We store away special places we’ve been and people we’ve met. Photo albums and scrapbooks are filled with treasured moments from our lives. Certain songs or smells or sights bring those moments to mind as well. The music played at your wedding. The aroma of the cookies your mom always baked. The sight of an ornament that you’ve hung on your Christmas tree every year you’ve celebrated.

A ceramic nativity my wife made during her first pregnancy brings back the memories of our firstborn son. A set of nesting Santas we received as a gift in Des Moines brings back memories of playing “hide the baby Santa” with our children and grandchildren. Christmas poems I’ve written for my wife over the years remind us of what was going on at that time in our lives. And how we love to retell the stories – so many stories – of celebrations with our family in different places and in different ways.

I don’t know how often Mary talked about that night. After all, her pregnancy would have been a bit of a scandal. Her explanation a little fantastical for the average listener. At some point, she must have shared it with Luke, or someone Luke got to know. He wanted to be sure he got the story straight when he wrote his gospel about the Christ.

She would have a lot of time to reflect upon this night and what it really meant to be a servant of the Lord. She wouldn’t get much sleep until Jesus began sleeping through the night. She would have a lot of time to ponder while feeding him, rocking him and just simply watching him sleep. She had no idea what was coming. No parent does. Each day is a new page in the story of a baby’s life.

I hope you have a little time to ponder this Christmas. Hopefully, you’ve had some fun, joy and food with family and perhaps some good friends. But if you have a moment, just listen to your heart. What memories of the past are treasured up there? What questions about the future does it ask?

Chances are you’ve heard Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth within the past twenty-four hours. How did you feel as you heard those words? Tuck them away in your heart, think about them often, marvel at this good news of great joy that will be for all the people, and hum whatever carol comes to mind.

Thank you, Lord, for the many memories we store up in our hearts that always bring us back to the good news of Christmas. Amen.

Posted in advent, Advent devotions, Devotions

2020 Advent devotion: The shepherd’s report

Posted on by William Douthwaite
photo by falco on pixabay.com

“Live and in person” Advent devotion for December 24, 2020. Read Luke 2:8-20 and Psalm 23.

And when [the shepherds] saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:17-18, 20)

Who doesn’t love to tell the Christmas story? With little nativity figures in hand we act out the story to our children. We teach them to act it out in Sunday School programs. We sing about it in choir cantatas. We make movies about it. We love to hear Linus recite the story in A Charlie Brown Christmas. It just never gets old.

After seeing and hearing the angel, and after seeing Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger, the shepherds had a story to tell. And everyone was in wonder when they talked about what happened that night in Bethlehem. I’ll bet it never got old for them, either!

Luke tells us that all who heard it wondered about the shepherd’s story. Did people believe them? Or were they amazed at such a contrived story? It does seem rather fantastical.

But on the other hand, as I mentioned in a previous devotion, Luke took great pains to compile his gospel. He wanted to get the facts straight, so that Theophilus could know for sure about the Christ (Luke 1:3-4). I wonder if he somehow he found and talked to those shepherds. Wouldn’t that have been a great interview? I’d have so many questions. What time of night was it? How bright were the angels? Exactly where did you find the manger and the baby? What were Mary and Joseph like? I could go on and on.

Families accumulate so many stories about Christmas. We love to talk about trips to celebrate Christmas with family. We love to talk about traditions that have been handed down from one generation to another. We fondly remember giving and receiving certain gifts (some good, some bad!) We talk about putting toys together late at night and children waking up way too early in the morning. We recall both blizzards and balmy Christmases.

On Christmas Eve, I get to stand in the center of the congregation and read about Christ’s birth, the appearance of the angels and the reports of the shepherds. I have the honor of reading the one account everyone has come to hear and no one ever gets tired of hearing. I believe there is just as much wonder in that moment as there was when the shepherds let everyone know about their night!

Thank you, Lord, for such a compelling account of your birth! Amen.