Be Woke

 

“And be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!” Luke 12:36-38 

 

I am often disappointed when phrases are created by people of color that are then twisted by those outside of the community. This is true of the word, “woke.” When members of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) coined this term they meant awareness, being watchful, and being in tune with what’s happening. It has been twisted to mean people who are needlessly critical of others and seek to silence opposing ideas and perspectives. The Bible offers many scriptures in which we as followers and children of God are warned to be awake, to be “woke.” We must have eyes that are open to the realities of the world and to the hope that is in God. We must have our eyes open to the sin that exists in the world and to the redemptive process that is a part of our walk with Jesus. To put our head in the sand, to close our eyes to ways sin operates in our world is a denial that is costly. The cost is that when we don’t respond when we need to others suffer. The cost is also to us. When we deny sin and the power of God to redeem, the gifts God has placed in us “to will and to work” Phil. 2:13 weaken. The light we are to be is dimmed. The voice we are to be calling for justice is silent.

Friends, let’s follow the encouragement in Jesus’ parable. Let’s be awake so that in every way that Jesus appears, we are there to open the door welcoming him in. Amen!

 

 

 

Who’s Holy?

 “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” — Romans 14:1

This week’s devotion centers on a verse that gives us a surprising twist on how we often think about “weak” and “strong” faith. We might assume that someone with strong faith would adhere strictly to food purity laws (v.2), be fully self-directed rather than under a “master” (v.4), or faithfully observe certain sacred days (v.5). Yet Paul describes these very behaviors as the practices of the weak. That feels backwards. Shouldn’t the “holier” person be the one who honors food laws, disciplines themselves, and treats holy days with special reverence?

So, why the twist?

The answer begins in verse 2, where Paul introduces the idea of freedom. Verse 4 reminds us of accountability. Verse 5 highlights conviction. All of these threads are tied together beautifully in verses 6–9, where Paul reveals the deeper truth: our freedom, accountability, and convictions find their meaning in their source. When the Lord is the source of these qualities, then everything we do—regardless of how our practices differ—is evidence that we belong to God (v.8). We sing this very affirmation in the hymn “Pues Si Vivimos,” or “When We Are Living.”

It is often difficult to recognize disciples by outward appearance because disciples are human beings, and human lives look different. Yet our human impulse is to sort, categorize, and judge—to decide who is “in” and who is “out,” who is holy and who is not. This preoccupation with spiritual quality control drains our time, our energy, and our joy. It distracts us from the One who alone has the authority to judge. And it prevents us from doing the work Christ clearly commanded:

“Go into the world and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19–20)
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)

When we focus on evaluating others, we distort the message of salvation. Worse, we risk making the good news difficult to hear because the messenger has become an obstacle.

In conclusion: live for the Lord. Do what you do for the Lord. Trust the Lord with the judging. In this way, you will discover—and embody—the freedom of the Gospel.

Have a good weekend, everyone!