Gospel Devotion: An Art Lesson - Matthew 14:11

Matthew 14:11         His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.

            When I was growing up in Glasgow, Scotland, my Dad used to frequently take my siblings and I to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery in the heart of the city. It was always a fascinating place to visit and because my Dad was a great city historian, he used to tell us stories about the museum, as well as some interesting facts about that part of Glasgow.

            The museum is one of the most important art galleries in the world because it contains paintings by Rembrandt, Renoir, Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh, Monet, as well as many others by famous artists. When we visited the museum, it took a whole day to walk the hallways and corridors, sections and levels. If ever I get back to Scotland, it will be one of the first and foremost places that I’ll visit.

            One of the museum’s sections contained art by Italian painters from before, during, and after the Renaissance. One of paintings both startled and shocked me when I saw it for the first time. It was Dolci’s rendition of Salome carrying the bloodied head of John the Baptist on a silver platter. The woman in the painting is beautiful, but the macabre sight of John’s the Baptist’s decapitated head is horrendous. When I first saw it, I found myself both appalled and attracted to the painting at the same time. It was entirely a weird experience for such a young schoolboy.

            The Biblical account of this event (Matthew 14:1-12) reminds us of the evil that is in the world and which innocent people face in every generation. We only have to glance at the current news headlines to see this type of wicked inhumanity occurring in the Middle East and, unfortunately, across the globe. As Christians, we are meant to confront evil with God’s love, which is never easy to do, especially when people of our own faith are victims of oppression and persecution.

            So today’s message deals with the reality of evil on our planet, but also challenges us to use the divine vehicles of hope, faith, and love to change the world. It may not be easy, but it is Christ’s way.

Questions for personal reflection

How do I initially respond to reports of wickedness across the world? What am I doing with my faith to make my community a better place?

Prayer:          Lord Jesus, following Your ways is often difficult, especially in the face of wickedness and violence, conflict and evil. Help us to rely upon You to fortify our spirits, so that we may become channels of Your mercy and instruments of Your peace. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is Dolci’s painting of Salome. You can read more details of the painting at the following link: Salome.

Jesus devotion: Talking to Jesus - Revelation 20:14-15

Revelation 20:14-15   Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (NIV)

            When I first read today’s passage from Revelation, I was a teenager who had rebelled against God and my family. The words shocked me and cast a dire shadow over my soul. I felt quite anxious about the whole scenario depicted in Revelation 20, and fearfully convinced myself that God was waiting to punish me for all of my sins on the other side of death. I felt miserable and alone, unloved and hopeless.

            Instead of making me turn my life around, this frightening knowledge only made me worse. I flippantly cast aside God’s judgment for two reasons. Firstly, I was in denial about my own selfish and sinful ways. Secondly, my self-destructive attitude was summed up in an old saying: “I may as well be hanged for stealing a sheep, rather than a lamb." Defiance and rebellion against God fed my despair. Since God was going to punish me anyway, I might as well just sin as much as I could.

            Thankfully, Jesus saved me from myself, as well as from God’s wrath. Giving my heart to Jesus was the best decision that I have ever made in my entire life. It did not make me perfect, holy, or sinless, but that personal commitment offered me a hope to hold on to, as well as a Savior who has never let me go. Each day, I depend upon Him to accept, correct, and direct me; each day I need Jesus to both forgive and fortify me. Without His grace, I cannot truly find God. Without Christ’s love, I cannot truly live.

            Perhaps you are worried about your future with God. It may be the case that you’ve been burdened with a personal mistake, or a deep regret, or a secret shame which makes you fearful of God’s final judgment. Whatever it is, know this for a fact: it can be forgiven; it can even be forgotten. All it takes is a simple act of faith, a prayer of sincere confession to Jesus. Talk to Him about it and ask for His pardon. He will forgive you. He will save you. He will always love you.

Questions for personal reflection

What sins am I still carrying from the past? When will I bring them to Jesus and ask Him to forgive me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are the Only One who can forgive our past mistakes and bless us with an everlasting future. We carry our burdens too long and ask too little of You. Forgive our pride and resentment, pardon our shame and disappointment. Help us to come to You today, praying for mercy and asking for love. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest digital glass image called ‘Tree of Life.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Tree of Life.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: The Least

1 Corinthians 15:9     For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Yesterday, I was sharing some laughter with a few church members. We were talking about God’s sense of humor and how funny we all must appear to Him at times. I also stated that I could prove God had a great sense of humor – after all, He had made me a pastor!

I think that I understand how Paul feels about his own ministry. He calls himself the least of all the apostles because he feels so unworthy. His past career as a persecutor of the Church stings his conscience from time to time. H realizes that it is only by the grace of God that he has been forgiven and redeemed, pardoned and remade. Paul’s past mistakes could have cost him his salvation; instead, the mercy of God and Christ’s great intervention has turned his life around.

I guess we all feel unworthy at times to be Christians. It’s a struggle to be good people everyday. We all fail through things like anger, greed, pride, and lust – and yet God keeps coming back to us, to allow us mercy and grace through Jesus Christ, His Only and Holy Son. A lot of people think that Christians are perfect, holy, and self-righteous people, but honestly, I believe that Christians are people who make mistakes, confess their sins, and look to Jesus to forgive them, restore them, and encourage them day after day.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, without Your grace we could never be restored to God’s favor and love. We know that at some point, we’re going to fail You today and we wish that we could avoid being sinful. However, we are glad that Your Goodness and Holiness, Your Sacrifice and Sovereignty allows us the opportunity of forgiveness and reconciliation, of pardon and reunification with God. In Your Holy Name, we humbly and thankfully pray. Amen

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.