I don’t know about you, but I hate it in the Fall when the clocks get changed and darkness comes earlier and earlier.  When the days are short like that, I often feel as if I haven’t accomplished anything when the streetlights turn on in the late afternoon.  I don’t like the “cold” feeling the house gets when the shadows are long and the sun goes below the horizon either.  The only remedy for the darkness which enters my home is the light of my lamps.  Several of them I inherited from my mother and grandmother, two were wedding gifts and one my husband bought when we needed a little more light in the bedroom.  When Hurricane Riley blew through recently, we lost power for six days.  During the day it wasn’t as noticeable when the sunlight was streaming through the windows.  But at night we really missed the power until our neighbor hooked up his generator.  Just one lamp truly made a huge difference in our “comfortable” level!
            While most people are drawn to the light of a lamp, there are some who seem to prefer the darkness.  It could simply be an attribute of human nature, but I think the power of light and its positive effect on our inner being, or the adverse with darkness, has spiritual overtones.  The key component to seeing either, of course is the eye.  And just as the eyes see physical light and darkness, they are also the instruments which introduce both godly and sinful thoughts into our lives.  Jesus illustrated it in this way, “The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great the darkness!” (Mt. 6:22-23).  Simply put, what goes into you through your eyes has a direct effect on both your heart and mind.  So, as the children’s Sunday School song goes, “Be careful little eyes what you see”. 
            Several words in Jesus’ admonition drive home this point.  While the word “eye” is obviously the bodily organ which causes us to see, what we traditionally think of as a lamp did not exist when Jesus spoke these words.  So what was Jesus talking about?  A “luchnos” was a small, portable clay “pot” with a hole on top to pour oil in and a spout out of its side where a wick would come out.  They looked like a miniature tea pot without the lid.  The wick would be lit and the light produced by it was surprisingly strong.  The word “haploose” which gets translated as clear in our English translations concerns the clarity of how we see.  It literally means to “see things the way they are”.  The adjective “bad” in verse 23 describes a moral condition.  It can be used of people (Mt. 5:45; Lk. 6:35, 45; Acts 17:5; 2 Thes. 3:2), evil spirits and malignant demons (Mt. 12:45; Lk. 7:21; 8:2; Acts 19:12, 13, 15, 16), or Satan when combined with the definite article “the” (Mt. 13:19, 38; Eph. 6:16; 1 Jn. 2:13), things such as the eye (Mt. 20:15; Mk. 7:22) and thoughts or words (1 Tim. 6:14; Js. 2:4; Mt. 5:11; Acts 28:21; 3 Jn. 1:10).  Jesus also makes a figurative contrast between light (as in knowledge which enlightens the mind- Mt. 6:23; Lk. 11:35) and darkness (as in ignorance or error- Jn. 3:19; Rom. 2:19- or a person’s spiritual state- Mt. 4:16; 8:12; Lk. 1:79; Acts 26:18; 1 Thes. 5:4; 2 Pet. 2:9, 17).  Jesus is concerned about what fills the lamp.  If the eye is filled with light then the eye is healthy, but if darkness, the eye is in desperate need of attention.
            We’ve all experienced times when light and shadows have played tricks on our eyes.  A coat, blanket or clothes thrown over the back of a chair appears to be a monster to a child; bushes shrubs or trees take on human form in the night.  Each makes us think it’s something that it’s not.  But by shedding light on the situation we are no longer fooled by the illusion.  It drives home the point of how important the lighting is.  A flashlight with weak batteries for example might not reveal the pile of clothes or the bush, but one of those magnum titanium mega lights “as advertised on TV” most certainly would.  What then should we be using as a lamp to enlighten our souls?
            In one of the most powerful scenes in the New Testament Jesus encounters Satan who attempts to change Jesus’ lamp so to speak (Mt. 4:1-11; Mk. 1:12-13; Lk. 4:1-13).  No matter what Satan enticed Jesus with, fame, power or pleasure, Jesus steadfastly refused Satan by quoting God’s Word.  Jesus knew that Satan’s promises were optical illusions and the clearest way to see them was through God’s Word.  Like a lamp turned on in a dark room, God’s Word dispenses light that shows everything for what it truly is.  There was a commercial a while back where a band of crazy Vikings would come crashing into a modern scene and demand, “What’s in your wallet?”  Jesus is not concerned with what’s in your wallet.  He wants to know “What’s in your lamp?”.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            I’ve been trying to drink more water lately.  According to the experts I should be drinking half of my body weight each day.  So, I’ve selected a glass, measured its capacity and now dutifully check off the number in my head after I’ve consumed each one.  There are days I’m highly successful and feel great.  But every now and then I have a day where every ounce seems a chore and when I see that glass filled half way I have to become my own cheerleader to finish it!  Of course this task has gotten me to thinking about glasses and cups and the way we perceive them.
            It’s the age-old question that everyone recalls when they see a picture of a cup partially filled with liquid:  Is the cup half-empty, or is it half-full?  Although this common rhetorical question is often used to determine whether you are an optimist (half-full) or a pessimist (half-empty), I’ve been wondering if it might be a better gauge of how one views the art of hospitality and giving.  Oh, yes, I know that goes against the grain of philosophy and psychology, but I think it is an appropriate test on how we use the resources God has given us!
            In David’s most beloved psalm (Psalm 23), the overflowing cup reminds us of God’s abundant provisions throughout life.  It’s good to remember that an overflowing cup does not keep all those blessings within itself; it lets them spill out to bless others (v.5).  The author of Hebrews in 13:1 admonishes me to let brotherly love “continue”, an admonishment that is not always easy, but it implies that these actions go on indefinitely!  My selfish human nature, which is encouraged by commercialism, tells me that I deserve to keep those blessings all to myself.  But if I hold back, I might deprive myself the pleasure and joy of “entertaining angels” (v.2).
            In a world where instant gratification and personal satisfaction is of utmost importance, placing others first and the concern for their welfare is a foreign concept to most.  Is this reflected in the church?  Do we give God our tithes and offerings first (maybe even a little more) and then buy the latest music, go to the movies, a new outfit, or splurge on a new gadget?  Or do we upgrade our cell phone because we “need” it and then give God what’s left?  Hebrews 13: 1-6 speaks of prisoners and marriage- people and a relationship that in our current culture have been all but forgotten.  James notes the widows and orphans are also to be cared for (Js.1:27) and Paul reminds the Philippians to consider others better than themselves (Phil. 2:3-4).  It is very clear, whether you are reading in the Old Testament or the New, that God is concerned with how we treat others because it is a reflection of how we treat Him (Prov. 19:17; Mt. 25:31-46).  But do we really recognize that all which we have is really His?  Paul exhorted the Corinthians to look forward to and take part in opportunities to give (2 Cor. 9:6-11) because they could not out-give God.  Although we often say someone has the gift of hospitality, it is never listed as such.  Rather giving is expected to be a natural part of our walk of faith (Rom. 12:10-13).  We give because God first gave to us.
            William Barclay wrote, “Christianity was, and still should be, the religion of the open door”.  But oftentimes I find myself guilty of using my home as a refuge and retreat rather than the hub of hospitality God desires for it to be.  If I opened the door of my home to reach out to others, both believing and non-believing, what kind of impact would that have?  Would my hospitality minister to the needy, the sick, the imprisoned, maybe even the angelic, or would it be squirreled away and hidden like the slave who buried what the master entrusted to him?  (Mt. 25: 24-29)  The author of Hebrews perceives my home as a cup filled with God’s blessings, but with a twist that only God can orchestrate, my question now is when it comes to the good things God has given me should my cup be half-empty or should it be half-full?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            We’ve all seen the commercials proclaiming the wonderful health benefits and purity of natural spring water which has been bottled for mass consumption.  But as recently as 2017 some of the companies producing this water have come under scrutiny.  Take for example Nestle’s Poland Springs Water which is currently being called out in a class action suit for using wells that collect ground water and not the 100% water from natural springs that their advertising claims.  Not only is water a necessity, the truth of where that water comes from is too for water purists.  While a person can survive up to 3 weeks without food, water is a different story.  The maximum amount of time a person can go without water is 1week.  Our area, like many places around the world, is prone to storms which occasionally knock out the power.  Whenever that happens, the pump which brings the water from our well into our house can’t work, so we keep several jugs of water on hand just for those short power outages.
            Water was the focal point of a discussion that Jesus had with a woman at a well in John 4:1-30.  John tells us that Jesus had left Judea and was returning to Galilee (v. 3).  For devout Jews this trip would have involved avoiding the central section of Israel because that was the region known as Samaria.  Jews and Samaritans had an antagonistic and adversarial history.  In fact John points out that they generally had nothing to do with each other (v. 9).  Jesus is not concerned with ethnic barriers.  He travels directly through the “enemy territory” (vv. 4-5) making a point to stop at a revered watering spot, Jacob’s well, a detail we often gloss over (v. 6).  The second action of note is that Jesus not only travels through Samaria, he engages in conversation with a Samaritan, and an unmarried woman at that (v. 17)!  The “icing on the unusual cake” is that she also has a tainted reputation.  Instead of avoiding her, Jesus places Himself in the middle of her day.  She has come for water at a time when most people avoid the sun (v. 6).  Jesus asks for a drink (v. 7) in order to introduce her to the Son of God.  She is shocked by His request (v.9) as are the disciples when they return from searching for food and see Him engaged in conversation with her (v. 27).  The ensuing conversation shows Jesus’ artistry in using everyday needs to get to the heart of spiritual needs.  The woman takes His statement about water literally (v.11).  Jesus makes it so much more (vv. 10, 13-15, 21-26).
            Many times we approach these poetic words as something which is highly figurative.  But Jesus was a much more practical teacher than that.  In that day there was a basic distinction between “living water” and that which was not.  Living water was running water.  It was water that flowed, such as in a stream or brook in contrast to the stagnant water of a cistern or pool.  The water of Jacob’s well percolated from the subsoil.  It did not come from a spring.  It may have appeared to be “living water” but Jesus pointed out that even so the water of the well could only quench one’s thirst momentarily (v. 13).  Jesus had a better offer (v.14).  I’m sure the woman was thinking, “Better than this?  I’m not so sure about that!”  It was more than likely that she wondered where Jesus had found flowing water.  But she asks Jesus to tell her more.  The dialogue quickly turns to her spiritual needs over and above the physical ones.  In essence Jesus says to her, “You have tried to quench your thirst with tradition and men, but those things will never satisfy your soul and they won’t save you.  Only I can offer you water that will do that.”  In a few short sentences the woman not only recognizes the truth of what Jesus is saying, she is ready to go tell others about what she has discovered (vv. 28-30).   The conversation may have begun around the simple need for a drink of water after a long journey, but it quickly dove into the need for a deeper more significant water to sustain life.
            I may keep a jug or two of water on the shelf to help sustain life when the power goes out, but that water will never sustain my spiritual needs.  The narrative then begs the question, am I seeking a source other than Jesus to satisfy that need like the Samaritan woman?  Sadly I think I often do look to other things to quench my thirst.  I get caught up in thinking that a particular person, or a particular past time will fill the need of what my soul longs for.  And when I’m sapped and drained because those things failed, I meet Jesus at the well and He reminds me that I am in great need of His water, not the water of earthly things.  It is fundamentally true that the human heart thirsts for something only Jesus can satisfy (Is. 42:1; Jn. 7:37-38) and God is the only One who truly provides “living water” (Ps. 36:7-9; Is. 12:2-3; 35:5-7; 44: 1-4; 55:1; Jer. 2:5, 13; 17:3; Rev. 7: 15-17; 21:6).  So I must ask myself, why would I draw from anywhere else?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            Fresh ingredients and home cooking seem to be making a comeback these days- but with a modern twist.  One no longer has to search through cook books or collect recipes from magazines or even cooking websites to find something tasty to make.  Now you can sign up (for a price of course!) with a company which will deliver a recipe and all the fresh ingredients, premeasured and ready to go, right to your doorstep.  All you have to do is assemble them and eat!  The price seems high to me, but I’ve been cooking for a long time so throwing a meal together is not hard in my eyes.  I was also blessed with a mother who was a great cook and taught me how to get around the kitchen while I was still in elementary school.  To this day many of her recipes are some of our favorite meals although through the years I’ve modified some of the ingredients and added my own flare.  Even though a cook may not follow them exactly, recipes are a handy guide when putting food together.  And I admit I have quite a collection of them which I must periodically pare down or we’d be overrun with them!
            There are many references to food in the Bible and many accounts of food being prepared for a number of reasons:  for special guests (Gen. 18:1-8; Est. 5: 4, 7-8; Lk. 10:40), by Jesus (Jn. 21:9-13), to celebrate holiday meals (Lk. 22:7-8) and even to revive a weary traveler (1 Ki. 19:1-8).  However the kinds of “recipes” listed in Scripture are not often about food prep.  Instead they are recipes for living.  Perhaps the grandest of these is the passage which in Jewish circles has become known as the “Shema”.  The title is based on the first word of the passage in which it is found, Dt. 6:4-9.  The command to hear (shemah) not only involves using one’s auditory organs (the ears), but obeying what is heard (the will).  Spiros Zodhiates wrote, “The most famous usage of this verb is Dt. 6:4, “Hear Oh Israel” which is then followed by the content of what the Israelites are to understand about their God and how they are to respond to Him”.  In short, the Shema is a recipe for living.
            What are the ingredients then?  The ingredients are a list of action verbs- love, teach, talk, sit, walk, lie down, rise up, bind and write.  The first verb, love, can be directed toward a number of things: an object such as money (Is. 1:23), wisdom (Prov. 4:6), wine (Prov. 21:17), peace and truth (Zech. 8:19), tasty food (Gen. 27:32; Ruth 4:15; 1 Ki. 11:1) or God (Ex. 20:6; Ps. 116:1) as well as God directing His  love toward people (Dt. 4:37; 1 Ki. 10:9; 2 Chron. 15:15).  The remaining verbs cover the activities a person would perform throughout the course of a day: teaching children about God through His commandments so that they obey Him (v. 7), talking about those commands while sitting at home or walking along the way (v. 7), having them in your heart and mind whether going to sleep or waking in the morning (v. 7), making them the force behind the work of one’s hands and thoughts- that is binding them to the hand and placing them on the forehead (v. 8), and “writing” them on the gate in the yard and on the doorposts of the home (v.8) meaning they are a part of the home both inside and out.  According to the Bible when stirred into one’s life, these ingredients are a recipe for success.  In fact Jesus’ opinion concerning this passage was that it was “the greatest and foremost commandment” (Mt. 22: 36-38).
            Recipes for successful living are not limited to the Old Testament.  The New Testament has its share too.  Consider this short list (and search the Scriptures to find your own!): Mt. 6:25-34; 7:24-27; Rom. 12:9-21; Eph. 5:15-21; Tit. 3:1-11; 1 Pet. 2:16-17; 3: 8-9; 1 Jn. 1: 5-7; 2:15-17.  In every list, the ingredients emphasize either following God’s commandments or turning away from worldly standards.  There is a reason why most recipes do not advise you to add motor oil to the mix.  It’s not edible!  In the same way, staying close to God’s recipes keeps you “faith” healthy and away from harmful “life” ingredients.  As for worldly things, they may look enticing and even sound beneficial but in the long run they may be as harmful as consuming seven pounds of fat or sugar every day.  Sure fats and sugars make for some great tasting foods, but over-consuming either of them leads to numerous health issues, not to mention the weight you will gain.  Just like sticking to a recipe in your real-life kitchen leads to a good meal, sticking to God’s recipe leads to a good life.  The psalmist said it this way, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither, and in whatever he does he prospers.” (Ps. 1:1-3).  The person who sticks to God’s recipe has found the ingredients to a successful life.  What’s cooking in your kitchen?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre