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Lạy Chúa, con có những nghi ngờ “Một người trong đám đông thưa lại: ‘Thưa Thầy, tôi đã đem con tôi đến cùng Thầy; nó bị thần câm ám. Hễ thần nhập vào, là vật nó xuống; nó sùi bọt mép, nghiến răng, rồi bất động. Tôi đã xin các môn đệ Thầy trừ giúp, nhưng các ông không làm được… Nhiều lần, thần xô nó vào lửa, vào nước cho nó chết. Nhưng nếu Thầy làm được gì, xin thương chúng con mà giúp chúng con.’ Chúa Giê-su nói: ‘Nếu Thầy làm được ư? Mọi sự đều có thể đối với người tin.’ Lập tức, cha đứa bé kêu lên rằng: ‘Con tin; xin Thầy giúp lòng tin yếu kém của con!’” – Mc 9,17-18, 22-24 ...

What may I give to the Lord for all the good things that he has done for me? I will take the cup of salvation, and give praise to the name of the Lord. I will make the offering of my oath to the Lord, even before all his people. -Psalm 116:12-14 (Basic English translation) As I watch my students eat lunch in the high school cafeteria, I sadly witness a great deal of waste. It would not be unusual for a boy to pull out an apple his mother packed for him, take a bite or two out of it, and throw the rest away. It brings to mind a story of an American missionary moving to a poor part of Central America. She brought an apple on the flight, but never got around to eating it. That afternoon, while unpacking in her new home, a neighborhood girl noticed the big beautiful apple in her bag. The missionary realized that the little girl was fascinated by the apple, so she gave it to her. The girl reverently held the apple in both of her hands and slowly walked out of the room, never taking her wonder-filled eyes off her gift. The missionary presumed that the girl went off somewhere to eat it, but she found out later that the girl took it back home, diced it, and walked around the impoverished neighborhood, giving everyone a taste of this rare and precious gift. ...

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. -Matthew 18:21-22 There are two types of forgiveness: forgiveness of the will and forgiveness of the heart. Forgiveness of the will is the choice to do all in my power, regardless of how I feel, to preserve and enhance the well-being of my offender. The all in my power part is important. Perhaps my anger will not yet allow me even to speak to my offender. Or perhaps I have discerned that it is not God’s will that I be in relationship with this person at this time (for example, a battered wife might discern that it is not God’s will for her to be with her husband anymore). Insofar as it is in my power to choose to forgive, I must forgive. That is what Christ teaches me to do. The choice part of that definition is important, too. Forgiveness of the will is a conscious choice that I make based on what I believe is God’s will for me. ...

When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost his senses.” -Mark 3:21 (NASB) There are a variety of reasons why my family (which in my case is a religious community) might be driving me nuts. One reason may be that home is the only safe place for me to go nuts. That is, I know that they will accept me even if I do fly off the handle from time to time. In many ways, I’m not allowed to “lose it” at work, in church or among friends. I may fear rejection from the people in those circles. So, I take my pent-up aggravation and anger home to the one place I know I can release it and still be loved and accepted. Meanwhile, my family members are doing the same with me. ...

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. -Mark 6:30-32 I really love the scene from the Bible passage above. Earlier, Jesus had sent the apostles off on their first mission by themselves. And things went well, very well. The apostles have returned, exhausted but thrilled with all of the wonders God worked through them. They can’t contain their joy, and all of them are talking at the same time as they tell Jesus all about their adventures. Jesus is smiling a paternal smile. He’s very proud and happy. “Come by yourselves to an out-of-the-way place,” he says. I can imagine the intimacy shared between them in this scene and the bond that now exists because of the accomplishment of common mission. The story in Mark goes on to say that the people loved them so much that they ran ahead to the not-so-hidden hiding place and were waiting for the apostles when they arrived. But at the very least, Jesus and the apostles had that quiet boat ride in the sunset. I can easily picture them drifting along on the placid waters, in no hurry to get any place. Three of them have fallen asleep. Peter can’t resist putting a fishing line in the water. Matthew hates being on the water and sits in the middle of the boat, nervously telling the others not to rock it too much. James and John are teasing him about this and are rocking the boat even more, which makes Jesus laugh out loud. And all the while, despite their exhaustion, they can’t help telling each other stories about all the ways God worked through their hands and feet and words and actions. They are drunk on joy. ...

As for me, I feel that the last drops of my life are being poured out for God. The time for my departure has arrived. The glorious fight that God gave me I have fought, the course that I was set I have finished, and I have kept the faith. The future for me holds the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the true judge, will give to me in that day. -2 Timothy 4:6-8 (Modern English translation) ...

O, that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence- When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. -Isaiah 64:1, 3-4, 6-7 ...

Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so….It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you are able! All things can be done for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” -Mark 9:17-18, 22-24 ...

When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. -Luke 22:40-44 ...

For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength…. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” -Isaiah 30:15, 19-21 ...